Review: Okuma Nomad NTC-663-M-MH Travel Rod

I bought this rod with the intent of having a 40# travel outfit.  It got called into duty on my recent La Paz trip.

It uses a "European Spigot Ferrule" system that are supposed to have a one piece feel to them.  It also comes with 2 interchangeable tips that allow you to fish 30-60 pound line.  I used the heavier MH tip for the 40# outfit.


The rod seemed to be nicely built and had a good feel to it.  The butt section seemed a bit overbuilt compared to the rest of the rod, which made it a little bit heavy for kayak fishing, but just about right for fishing off a boat.

I only got to use the rod for a couple of days.  In those couple of days, the rod got called into duty on the troll pulling a YoZuri Hydro Magnun (in fact, my LUCKY YoZuri Hydro Magnum!!!).  It performed admirably on the skippies that kept hitting this rod as well as a smaller wahoo.  But then IT happened.  We were on a long troll back from the offshore banks and the action was slowing.  In fact, the crew was starting to fall asleep on me. 

Out of the blue the rod goes off.  Paul yells "FISHON" with authority and yells it to again to make sure we heard.  Then the fish takes off ... zzzziiiinnngggg, straight into the backing.  At first we didn't think the fish was HUGE as Paul managed to get it back on the topshot (about 100 yards) in fairly short order.  But after an hour of tug-o-war, our thoughts were leaning towards Pesca Grande!!!  Two hours went by and we were at a stalemate.  At 2 hours I started worrying about gear failure.  That's a long time to be on a big fish and shit happens.  I mentioned this to the captain, and probably jinxed us right then and there.  At 3 hours Paul was tiring, and with good reason.

A little after 3 hours and Paul hands me the rod.  I started short stroking the fish and it was slowly coming in.  Then it took all that line back.   I knew then that it was a huge, powerful fish and we were way undergunned.  I continues short stroking when all of a sudden ... CCCRRRAAAACKKK!  The rod broke.  I immediately pointed the rod, what was left of it, down towards the fish.  Captain Raul runs down the the bridge and starts handlining the fish.  I hand off the broken rod to Paul and immediately grab one of the other troll rods and cut the line in preparation for tying onto it.   Raul and I switch off and I'm now handlining the beast.  Raul completes the splice and the new rod gets handed to me.  But not for long.  While we were handling the fish went under the boat and in hindsight, must have rubbed on the bottom.  The line just broke, and when inspected, was rough up and down that section.

Everyone on the boat just went silent ...

I just got off the phone with Okuma and they are replacing the rod.  The break point was right at the ferrule.  They said they've had very good luck with this system.  But as  you can see, I haven't.  What am I going to do with a rod that has shaken my trust?  Open to offers ...

-Allen

 Just like their kayak rods.  Bought 2, broke 2. Their reels perform a lot better than their rods do.

Okuma Tundra spin fisher combo bought in Hawaii,.... first one, rod  broke between ferrule and reel seat  during only the second cast, returned & replaced by store... replacement lasted 2 years, broke in the same place as the first. kept the reels, maybe one day will need a cheap spare....

is this type failure a normal Okuma issue? freshwater reels seem to be ok, tho.. have 2 i use for trout and bass and not one issue out of them ....

I mentioned this to the captain, and probably jinxed us right then and there.
-Allen

ya think?

   

 


That rod should not have broken, but what you forgot to mention was the pro gear reel that you rebuilt that seemed to lock up.


And the rest of the crew was not falling asleep. We were snoring and Paul's "Fish ON!" could and did wake the dead.

That was an EPIC battle! Paul put it to it for a grueling 3 hours of stand-up war with pesky gulls nipping at his ear the entire time. The end was tragic.

Okay, maybe there were no gulls, but to say "he tired after 3 hours" is like saying Allen caught a big fish in Alaska a couple of years ago. 

BTW: Allen and Capt. Raul did a flawless job of recovery after the rod broke. The splice was well on the reel and the last inch or 4 of line outside of the guides was just abraded.

(he still should have known better than to voice his doubts about the gear though)

More on the reel ... I don't believe the reel locked up and caused the rod to break.  I don't feel like the rod loaded up any more than it was before it broke.  Or at least it didn't load up enough to break the rod.  If it did, it should have  pulled me overboard first.  The reel is in fact broken, but I kind of think the shock of the break may have caused that.  One of the fingers in the gear had a tip break off.  When the rod broke there was a sudden release in tension followed by a sudden increase in tension as the slack was taken up.

Breaking a rod is not fun.  Something hit my ring finger pretty hard in the process, giving me a nice cut on my knuckle, which proceeded to infect over the next week.  I had a nice marble size piece of puss ooze out.

-Allen

Wow!  What a siege, and what a heartbreaker....!   do you suppose that fish was a big tuna???


Alan Tani gives the Pro Gear Albacore Special a 10....he says:


I admit it. I’ve never had anything completely nice to say about any reel. Well, I always try to find something positive, but the reason i’m working on a reel because broken. It always starts on the negative, never totally positive. that’s about to change....
Here’s the link to the manufacturer.....
http://progearfishingreels.com/


and after the pictorial rebuild:


The handle grip is purely a personal preference, so I will certainly not count that against the reel. That’s why I give this reel a perfect 10!

< Tommy Chong accent>  wow, man, life in the big leagues......

(the rod) didn't load up enough to break the rod.  If it did, it should have  pulled me overboard first. 
-Allen

Oh I don't think you mishandled the rod at all. You handled up and that fishey needed some pressure at that point.

Clearly, the rod failed.

But you get no sympathy for putting the stink-eye on us or for the injured pinky that got infected because you were on your Hawaiian vacation fishing after your Mexican "work week". 

 

Wow!  What a siege, and what a heartbreaker....!   do you suppose that fish was a big tuna???

I'm pretty sure it was a large yellowfin.  There were a lot of stories about lost fish after 5 hours.


 

Alan Tani gives the Pro Gear Albacore Special a 10....he says:


I admit it. I’ve never had anything completely nice to say about any reel. Well, I always try to find something positive, but the reason i’m working on a reel because broken. It always starts on the negative, never totally positive. that’s about to change....
Here’s the link to the manufacturer.....
http://progearfishingreels.com/


and after the pictorial rebuild:


The handle grip is purely a personal preference, so I will certainly not count that against the reel. That’s why I give this reel a perfect 10!

I love my Pro Gears.  This one was a 454 Yellowtail special.  I got  few more and use the 251's and 255's regularly.  The guts of the 454 are really just a Penn 113 with upgraded gears for a 4:1 ratio.  Now I have to decide what to do about the gearing.  Go with the standard 113H 3.25:1 gearing or use the Newell 4:1 gears again.  I don't intend to use this real much for yoyo-ing which was it's intended design, so I'm probably good to go with the 3.25:1 ratio.

-Allen