Okuma Inspira Spinning Reels Review

Lots of research before buying but you should know..., 2009-01-04
Reviewer: Dewy

OK in fairness I fish more extreem conditions than most. My reel gets dunked and I snag rocks regularly, snapping mono 10 lb. often. I fish about 5 days a week. (IA 40)I destroyed this reel's aluminum drive gear and brass pinion gear. After ordering parts from mfg. 2 separate times and got wrong part shipped twice. After cleaning/lube of bearings with one seasons use there was noticable roughness from the "stainless" bearings. Even after removing and replacing shields on bearings and air cleaning after solvent soak. OK all this considered, this reel would probably make a good boat reel for smaller fish.

Smooth and predictable, 2006-07-23
Reviewer: Bill Dale

Yes, it's a bit heavier but that's what you get with quality alloy instead of plastic. Feature-packed, this reel is capable of handling a wide array of fish.

A well-connected reel for a great price. The weight is the only concern, if you would call it one.

A fantastic reel for a fantastic price, 2006-05-31
Reviewer: David Athay

I managed to pick one of these up on sale for $60 last year. The reel is rock solid and the spare spool that came with it is a metal spool not one of the cheapo plastic ones that I see typically packaged as a second spool.

It is a bit heavy but I attribute that to the all metal fabrication.

The one pick I have with the reel is that the crank itself is reasonably heafty. This can cause a problem if you leave the crank sticking straight out when you cast. The momentum from your cast can cause the crank to rotate and the bail to snap shut. The result is your rig flying out to sea without any line attached to it... >:(

I use mine for surf fishing in So. Cal and it has been perfect so far with about 18 months of fishing under it's belt.

A bit heavy but great for the price, 2005-03-07
Reviewer: Forrest

The only negative I have with this reel is that it's heavy. Otherwise the drag is strong and the reel operation is smooth due to its multiple ball bearings. I only have had this for a few months so I don't know about the durability. It feels fairly strong though. High end features for a low price. I use it for medium saltwater spinning applications and it's great.