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Random Quote: The fish are smaller here but . . . there's less of 'em
Are the titus T50W good reels, the look good and seem to be priced right. I need something for Wahoo and tuna without spending a fortune......or Would I be better off with a shimano TLD-25??
everyone i have talked to that said their okumas are good strong reels had one thing in common in that they never got the reels wet. okumas corrode like a mo' fo' when they are subjected to the elements. any boat i have been on either gets salt spray over the bow or deck gets washed down. if you can keep the reel clean after every trip then you should be ok. all my reels penn, diawa, shimano, etc just get a quick hose down after every trip and then stored. the okumas need more care than this or they will corrode and fail.
What sort of care do you guys that have them do? I've been debating this same issue myself, and you can get the titus gold 50w for less than $300... At that price, I can buy two okumas for each Shimano tiagra 50w....
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2011 Contender 21 Open w/ Yamaha F250B
basically the kind of maintenence you WILL be doing if you buy a titus gold is continuously taking the reel completely apart, cleaning and regreasing everything pretty much every time you use the reel. even if you don't get sea spray or saltwater on it from washing the deck you will still get saltwater in it when you crank the handle. you know, as the spool turns saltwater will sling all over on/in the frame area. the metal that okuma uses in making their reels just seems prone to corrosion. there is a reason you can buy two okumas for the same as one shimano. you get what you pay for. btw, i don't really care for shimano either. they use too much plastic parts. if i am going to pay that much for a reel it better be built like a tank. that is why i am a daiwa man. i would buy a sld-30II. you can get them on ebay for less than $300. much better reel. but, if okuma worked the bugs out of their reels, i would be first in line to buy one because i do like the styling of their reels.
I have been doing the following cleaning for the past 5 years on myOkuma reels with zero corrosion to date.
After the tuna/shark trip lightly spray down the rod/reel with soap & water from a hose and let drip dry.
At the end of the season I take the reels apart, look things over and clean the inside as nessesarry.
I also own sereral Penn 2-speeds and treat those reels the same, never had any amout of corrosion to speak of in the Penns or Okumas.
After 5 years of heavy offshore use, normal cleaning and no corrosion it sounds like lack of normal maintenance for any reel to get corroded as described above.
__________________ Thousands on the boat.
Hundreds on equipment.
Time away from the wife, priceless!
I have Okuma / Shimano / Penn. Spend a few extra bucks and get the Shimano reels they will out last, and out perform anything on the market. After my last Tortugas trip battling big blacks and monster Muttons, my Okuma reels are shot. Loose gears, worn drags, etc, Okuma are GOOD (not great) reels for the weekend warrior. On second though, Ed, I have fished with you........... Give me the extra money, and I will teach you how to fish....
Okuma Titus 
