Okuma Convector Line Counter Levelwind Trolling Reel

This reel in the 15 size hits a sweet spot in price AND function for fishing Kokanee in Northern California. I've even seen them on sale for as low as $56. Match this with an Eagle Claw Kokanee rod for about $20 (at big blue WM) and you have a dang good setup on the cheap for trolling with downriggers. I'd rather have more setups running than be the guy with only 1-$400 setup. I'll normally fill it with 8-10lb Trilene Big Game in clear. I know, 10lb is probably overkill but it IS more accurate for the line counter. The clicker is VERY NICE and plenty loud. Having a clicker allows you to be hands off the reel while lowering your downrigger. You simply release the bail and use just the clicker (i.e. no thumb) which gives just enough tension so you don't "rats nest" the reel while you spool down the downrigger. This makes stacking multiple lines on one downrigger WAY EASIER. I'll never go back to a downrigger reel without a clicker after using one.FYI - I also have a Okuma Magda reel that came on my Okuma Kokanee Aveon combo and it's drag is not nearly as good as this one. It'll loosen/tighten while reeling in fish which gets VERY annoying. I wish I had bought the combo mentioned above over the Aveon one. Now the Aveon is a 3rd setup that I use only when taking extra people fishing.

UPDATE: I gotta bump to four stars. Yes, the modulation of the star drag leaves something to be desired, but the saving grace is that it does "click" when adjusting. You can trust the clicks, even though it doesn't "feel" like you're adjusting the drag force. And once set, it's a nice drag system at this price point. Also - it's holding up fine under kayak saltwater fishing, which is pretty tough on reels.It is a solid real. Given the price point, it is well constructed and the line counter is accurate. However, on my particular sample, it has one rather significant flaw. The drag is really hard to modulate. It spins freely, then all of a sudden in one quarter spin, it's almost at full force. Otherwise, I love everything else about the reel. It makes making Drag adjustments in real-time a real chore and a guessing game.

This reel has helped me land many salmon. It is a great price and great quality. I like it better than my Shimano 500 Tekota which is double the price. This reel has a quality line counter. I have four of these reels and they all work great.

I recently purchased three new Diawa reels and three new Okuma Convector reels for walleye trolling. the Diawa reels are great, very dependable. I bought the Okumas hoping they would have better line counters than the cheaper Okumas that I have. The line counters stick and don't record about the amount of line out. The new ones were about $85 each and unfortunately have the same crummy line counters as the cheap ones. Very disappointing. Wish I had bought all Diawas

I bought this because the price was right, it looks like it was a return item that was never used. I have 6 more of these so for $58 it was a good buy. The only thing I don't like about these reels is the line counter button, its too easy to bump it when putting on the planer board but just have to be careful.

I run a charter fishing business on the Great Lakes. I've used a fair number of reels, and this one is bar far the best value for the money. Yes, there are a lot of fancy expensive reels you could buy. But this one has what you need, and for my money, is the most reliable one you can find with a reasonable price.

This is a great rod/reel combo. I bought it for trolling at Big Bear Lake. One note to others is that if you plan to use lead core line, you do NOT need a line counter.

Great Reel I have been using on the Great Lakes for trolling for years. This one is to replace the one I threw in Lake Erie on the rod. Not a good day fishing. ; (

Received this reel just over a week ago and so far so good. The reel came in a box with an extra handle with a football shaped grip which I immediately swapped in from the factory double handled grip. I then filled the reel with 40 lb braid which is about the equivalent of 10 lb mono.After filling, I pulled out 50 feet of the braid then measured and marked it with a Sharpie at every foot. After doing several tests, the counter on the reel is within 1.5 or less inches per foot. Over a short distance, that is not a lot but maybe a markedly big difference at 200 -300 feet or more.I was able to take the reel (mounted to an Trophy XL rod) to a local lake for some basic tests. The retrieve is smooth - but I really don't like the soft clicking on the retrieve and there is no way turn this off. Note this clicker is not the same as main clicker which is very noticeable, but can be turned off.As for casting, these types of reels are not the best for casting, but I did manage to get some decent casting distances and with only one minor birds nest.Overall a decent reel for the price I paid ($110.00 CA) and certainly a step up from the Magda series - but below the quality and overall good, comfortable feel of the Cold Water series of which I have a CW-203D and a CW-453D.Would I purchase again? Probably not. I was able to get the CW-203D on sale for the same price a few days before from a local fishing store. That is not to say there is anything wrong with the Convector series, I just feel that there is more value and a step up in quality for the dollar in the Cold Water series **if you can get purchase at or a slightly higher price then the Convector which is rare right now.

I had 1 of these reels and liked them so much I bought 2 more for musky trolling. I have had no problems and think they are excellent value for the price. I serviced one yesterday, and to my surprise the pinion and main gear are not stainless as Amazon claims in their description (and still does). This was one of the big selling points for me on that made me choose it over other reels. Also, the reels are not as easy to service as some of the online tear downs would indicate. They have removed the stainless steel holding plates and it is now 1 piece plastic and is significantly more complicated to service than I hoped.

Reel seems good and sturdy, well built. I wanted this particular reel for the lower gear reduction 4 to 1 apposed to the 6 to 1 gearing where is harder to crank.

Good quality and good value

Reel if very smooth and robust. It's a great value for the cost.