Okuma Inspira IS-15

Gday All,
Ok I am thinking of getting a new reel and at the moment I am giving serious consideration to an Okuma Inspira IS-15 to match with my new rod. What I wanna know is Do you have one ? Do you like it ? How is the drag ? etc. Any advice would be appreciated.
Cheers,
Tim.

[Richo]

Nice reel, the drag on mine feels a bit stiff, which leads me to believe a service before using it would have been a good idea. Besides that - damn nice reel, mine worked a treat on a few bonito we hooked the other day. Bit heavier than Id like but you cant have it all. As I say to most pick one up and crank it a few times, you`ll know straight away if its the reeel you want.

cheers

[Mark M]

Hi Tim

I have a 15 (since Dec03), takes a full spool of 4lb Fireline with mono backing perfectly.

I found the cranking to be a little stiff to start with, its a bit hard to explain, but after a short wind the handle seemed to go a little tight and it needed a little extra effort to get started again.

Has improved with use and a little squirt of inox and the drag seems fine.

I have it on a 6'6" struddie and the balance is great, my kids battled bloody big greenback herring down at Mandurah over the Anzac weekend and it never missed a beat.

My 10 year old son fished with it for about 3 hours, when casting the line came off the reel perfectly with no loops or tangles.

Richo and I compared a couple of IS15's in the BM shop one Saturday morning and the two reels did "feel" slightly different when cranked, so test more than one?

I am very pleased with mine (spare matching spool, good warranty also) and will probably end up with another for my son. I think "pappy" or one of his young mates used to have a pic of one in their avatar, so they have probably hammered theirs a fair bit more than me, would be interesting to hear from them.

Mark

Thanks for the input guys

[rodmy]

Not a bad reel the 15, but would stay away from the larger ones like the 20,

[Bear]

Guys,
The best thing you can do is give the reel a couple pf good sprays of a reel oil like the CRC Tackle Guard. Wind this in and it frees up so problems. I suspect they have packed the reel with a greece that is a little heavy.

[Richo]

Originally posted by Bear
Guys,
The best thing you can do is give the reel a couple pf good sprays of a reel oil like the CRC Tackle Guard. Wind this in and it frees up so problems. I suspect they have packed the reel with a greece that is a little heavy.

Pretty much what I had to do, as I suspected the same thing, cheap grease. But after a fair amount of lanox, it feels 100% better.

cheers

[panger]

I assume you are opening the reel and giving the internals a spray to loosen up the heavy grease?

[Richo]

Not game enough to open it right up (prefer to pay someone to do it) but Im sure the Inspira said to apply it through the port in the handle, so I unscrewed the handle, sprayed a heap of lanox in and screwed it back up, then cranked off a couple of hundred winds each way, sprayed it again, cranked off a heap more winds, and the one stiff spot was well and truly gone.

Id be careful that Lanox dosnt thin it out to much and do some other damage though (hasnt happened to me, just the mind ticking over).

As Bear said I think the grease they have used is not the best and is a bit claggy, and Ive learnt to consider a service before winding a handle on any new reel. Or alternatively I should learn to service them myself.

cheers

[Mark M]

I recall Bear telling me he sprayed the CRC into the gap between the spool and the reel body.

ie. Turn the reel upside down and spray into the ~1mm gap around the base of the spool, give it heaps of cranks and wipe off all the gunk (technical term) that dribbles out, crank some more and repeat.

[Mark M]

Or alternatively I should learn to service them myself.

If you had paid more attention in Mechanical Workshop @ KSHS rather than perving on the upper school girls in the pool, you could probably brave the internals of an Okuma no worries.

10YOld son is really keen now and we have a dinghy project on the go, (poxy old Cleveland 12') but should be ok for us two, I expect to pick Bear's brains once we start.

Mark

[Richo]

Bloody Mechanical workshop at school, they are always the regrets not paying attention in that class (always the one that comes back and bites me in bum), but jeez I had my work cut out trying get me other mate to weld all my projects so Id pass

Mark, (no more Mr) good to see you have picked up the bug, and passing it on to the young fella is great, he`ll be hooked for life.

I have no doubt the boat will be more than sufficient for the 2 of you, and will end up looking a treat (especially if the kids want to pass this year) but it will open up your fishing heaps. And thats what its all about.

Catch ya soon.

cheers

[Bear]

Not a problem at all Mark, in the middle of planning my Super Punt that I hope to have under way soon.

Sounds like a good project for the school kids. I'm sure we could organise some casting classes as well