Okuma cn30c

[gag1]

Hi All !
Anyone got any info on casting with the Okuma cn30c multiplier reel ? I recently returned to shore fishing following a break of ten years or so and bought some tackle via mail order.The Okuma reel was on offer at a good price and when it was delivered to me I read the parts sheet and found that it wasnt fitted with any type of breaking system.I have carried out the usual tuning bit by adding thicker oil etc,etc, but I am STILL getting loads of nests. Could be my technique to blame but anyone who has any advice would be welcome. I plan to buy a decent reel with brakes in the near future but cannot let this thing get the better of me !
Cheers.
gag1

[Ell]

Dave\'s answer is better than mine. Wecome to the board.

[Edited on 5/4/2004 by Ell]

[DaveMason]

Well , straight to the point Ell

Welcome to the board Gag , I don\'t normally post in this section but after 8 pints :P , here goes .

There are far better casters on here , but here goes . The reason for birds nests is simple , the spool is paying out line faster than the sinker can take it away . Forget about the tournament field casters and focus on the practical fishing aspect . The reel you chose is a handfull having neither centrifugal or mag brakes , so depending on your budget you can either stick with it or buy a braked reel ( The abu mag elite springs to mind which will cater for errors in casting style , jerkiness etc) . If you cannot afford it for the time being ( and bearing in mind not many reels cast straight out of the box ) put some heavy grease in to the bearing caps to SLOW the spool down .

When you cast there are two types of overuns ( Birds nests ) . The first is the initial acceleration when you let go , the initial burst of speed sets the spool of at great speed and overtakes the sinker / line speed and snags up . If you are getting overuns mid-cast , this is because as the sinker reaches the top of it\'s arc ( Before dropping down to the water ) it slows up , but the spool is still paying out line faster than the lead can take it away . In either case , SLOWING the spool will take care of this .

When you get enough confidence , look at your casting style and see a casting instructor who will immediately put you right . In the end when you can compress the blank and your reel is tuned , you will wonder what all the fuss is about

Good luck :P

Oh , Almost forgot , when casting in to a head wind this makes the problem worse, so beware . Also , when the sinker hits the water - thumb the spool to stop it .

Oh , and again :P , don\'t fill your spool up to the brim and use heavy line stright thru\' to the leader , this will also slow your pay out rate .

[Edited on 4/4/2004 by DaveMason]

[Edited on 5/4/2004 by DaveMason]

[willywetegg]

gag1`welcome to the board mate. I have read your post and it comes to me that you are not a novice. I have not heard of that reel myself so I can not comment on it, If you are a seasoned sea angler and you are still having problems, throw it away and get yourself a penn 525 or 535 depending on what ground you are fishing. I use both and they are cracking reels.
In the past I have used lots of different ABU reels. From the beginning I have taken the brakes out of every one of them. When I got my first penn reel I had to fit the brakes myself. The first time I took it out they were not fitted, It went back into my box as I could not cast without getting a nest.
Every reel you buy is different, If one does not suit you another one will. It can be expensive but keep trying.

Jim.

Forgot to say I wouldn\"t mind a try at your ree.l If you fish the N.E. coast give me a shout.

[Edited on 5/4/2004 by willywetegg]

[gag1]

Many Thanks to E11,Dave and Willy. The Okuma reel was purchased as a means to get me under way and fishing again. When I fished years ago,I used a Mitchell multiplier and if I remember rightly,it took a while to get used to it and it gave me years of good service.As you rightly state,all reels are different and this one is just taking longer to master than the Mitchell did.I am planning to buy an ABU or a Penn in the near future and consign the Okuma to the spare tackle box.I have had all sorts of advice from mates/websites on the Okuma and one guy said that he understood this model of Okuma to be sold in America as a light boat fishing reel and that mail order dealers in this country were buying the reel stocks cheap and selling them as casting reels. I dont know if this is true but its worth thinking about.Anyway,as soon as I can arrange a trip I will be in touch with you Willy and we can meet up and you can have a try with this reel. Your thoughts would be very much appreciated. Thanks again lads for all of your kind advice. gag1.

[alan]

gag1,once you get yourself sorted you could have a look on here for some advanced tuning advice.
http://neilmackellow.sea-angler.org/reel_tuning.html

[BILLYB]

The 30 c is a light boat reel and is not a casting reel ,it does not mind a bit of uptiding but will struggle with a 80yd cast

[gag1]

Thanks BillyB. When I first bought this reel I thought it was odd that it had no braking system at all. A mate of mine went into his websites until he found a site for Okuma and it turned out that this reel was in fact meant for light boat fishing in America and that some less than honest mail order companies were flogging them off as suitable for casting.Just goes to show that not all mail order bargains are what they seem to be !. I thought it was worth checking on this site if anyone had actually managed to cast with one of these reels.
Cheers.

gag1.