Here's another tackle review. I'll continue posting my impression of new gear when I can to help pass the off-season. This posting this one on the Okuma 9'3" XH rod because I've received a few e-mails in the last few weeks asking about Okuma rods. The latest e-mail was from a guy who'd seen the review I posted last August after I'd used the Heavy model, and he was wondering if I'd used any of the others and wanted my impression.


Like the August review I posted, I'll begin with a little background. All the rods in my boat are Thorne Brothers custom rods that were built on St. Croix Avid and Legend blanks. I like the Avid action for a good all-purpose rod. The tip is soft enough to load easily in the cast and also provide forgiveness when playing a fish, yet there’s enough backbone to throw big baits or put a lot of pressure on a fish, when needed. I use long rods, the longer the better. I haven’t thrown with a rod under 9 feet for about three years. I like a long handle that's around 16-17" for the added leverage you get when casting and during the figure-8. The price on these rods range from $350-425 apiece.

When Okuma came out with these telescoping rods I literally laughed. I thought a telescoping rod would be quickly reduced to a shattered and tangled pile of graphite fiber from the abuse that musky fishing can dish out on a rod. Well, I was wrong. After a fellow guide friend of mine used a bunch of Okumas for a season, without any problems, I was surprised by the durability. My friend seems to break a lot of his stuff, and guests can be rough on gear too, yet he didn't have any problems. I borrowed a rod from him and threw with it for a few days and liked it quite a bit. That was a year or two ago when Okuma's longest rod was 8'6"

Last August I got a 9'3" H and liked it better than the 8'6". The action and castability of the rod were similar to the 8'6", but with all the benefits of another nine inches. The extra length makes casting even easier. Even better, the length helps everyone, from expert to novice, carve out the biggest, widest, smoothest figure-8s possible. I had quite a few guys fish with me at the end of the summer, then return for a fall trip, and they were fishing with a new Okuma. That probably says quite a bit.

At the end of the season I got another Okuma, this time the 9'3" XH and liked it even better. I fish a lot of big blades and big plastic and I thing the XH is a better choice for those lures. The 9'3" H is a great all-around rod for small and medium and even medium-heavy lures. However, if you throw a lot of double-10s and double-13s and big plastics like Mo Joes or Mag Dawgs, then the XH is the way to go.

There's also an 8'6" XXH which I was asked to comment on, but I haven't used that rod. I'd definitely go for the extra length and get the 9'3" H or XH. I'd only get the 8'6" XXH if it could throw a Pounder and you were looking for a Pounder rod, otherwise I'd recommend the longer models. Heck, if they made a 10 footer, I'd be the first one to give it a try.

As I mentioned in the review posted in August, a unique feature of the rod is that it telescopes, similar to a bass flippin’ stick, so it is easy to store. According to information I've seen posted on some of the big message boards, the rods collapse down to 7 ½ feet. I can't verify that since I haven't yet put a tape measure next to one, and don't feel like getting off my butt to do it right now. This is nice for people who put their rods in rod lockers. Many who haven’t yet joined the trend toward longer rods have avoided 9 footers because they like to have their rods in lockers. These will fit in just about anyone’s locker, so there's no excuses left for getting with the times and getting a long rod.

The price on these rods is only $119.99. That price will make it tough to ever spend $350+ for a rod again.

For years I recommended the Shimano Compre when asked for my recommendation in the reasonably-priced rod category ($100-$150), when folks wanted a good rod that didn’t cost an arm and a leg. The Compre 8’0” XH is still a good rod, but Shimano needs to catch up to the rest of rod builders and start offering a long rod. Long rods are the way to go. Period. Shimano is long over-due to update their Compre line.

There's been a lot of other recent entries into the reasonably-priced category, such as the rods from Hulbert, Tackle Industries, Hamernick, etc. I haven't used those rods and can't comment.

My strong recommendation goes to the Okuma 8’6” or 9’3” rods.