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Set to Destroy! Okuma’s Hakai Might Just Change How You View the
Brand’s Baitcasters Entirely (continued)
  While not perfect I do think
that the Hakai is a big improvement over previous generation Okuma baitcasters
and looks sleek, feels good in the hand, and delivers a nice overall blend of
power and weight. This is a reel that looks fresh and something that anglers
will be excited to fish with.
Though differentiated the shape of
the Hakai's round EVA knobs may not be for everyone
Price &
Applications: Okuma has long been known for delivering
great value, but sometimes lacking some refinement. The high-end baitcast market
has been dominated by competitors like Shimano, Daiwa, and more recent entry Abu
Garcia. The Hakai is the first Okuma baitcaster that really crosses over to that
high-performance segment and yet it retails for only $169 dollars!
Like we discussed earlier
when examining the innards of the Hakai, rather than try and use exotic
materials to achieve higher performance the designers, both internally and at
Dream Tackle, found ways to leverage existing machinery and materials to
engineer a better product. In traditional Okuma fashion the company then passes
these savings on to the angler by keeping overall pricing low, which is
admirable considering how costs continue to rise and shortages have been driving
everything from labor to logistics in the other direction.
The Hakai performed well over the
last six months and is not only the most feature-rich Okuma baitcaster to date
but easily the most fun to fish with as well
It is easier to accept some
of the outstanding refinement issues, as the total package that the Hakai offers
is exceptional for this price range. I asked John about the need to balance
performance and price and what the priorities were for the Hakai.
“Although our goals were to
build an extremely light reel with strong performance, cost is a realistic
factor that prevents us from including every feature and function,” John
explained. “Strategically, we wanted to strengthen the Okuma brand positioning
in the bass fishing market and bring to the industry what we feel is a product
with disruptive technology and pricing. We wanted to offer a product that no
other manufacturer has provided as far as functionality, performance, and
pricing. A product that opens the doors to all levels of anglers providing
tournament level performance.”
The Hakai is an exceptional reel
when you consider what you are getting for the price. This is the biggest leap
in low-profile reel advancement Okuma has made to date
There are few reels at this
price point that rival the Hakai’s performance, and none when you consider the
unique spool features in this patented design. The Hakai represents the single
biggest leap in baitcaster advancement in the brand’s history and while the
company has seen huge success in the saltwater side in products like the Komodo,
known for strength, and the Makaira, which is known for reliability, the Hakai
is a reel that can potentially do the same for Okuma in the bass market.
Ratings: (We've
re-calibrated our ratings standard for 2008 and have included a key at the
bottom of the following matrix as a guide):
|
Okuma
Hakai (HDT100X) 8.1:1 Baitcasting
Reel
Ratings
(?/10) |
|
Construction/Quality |
The Okuma Hakai is built well and while
there are still some parts of the reel that feel a bit "plasticky" there
are others that really shine, including the magnesium frame, beautifully
machined brass gearing, quality carbon drag system, and the carbon
injected star drag |
8.5 |
|
Performance |
The best casting Okuma baitcaster yet when
it comes to feel and performance. I did find the system a little finicky
at first but once I dialed in both the magnetic cast control settings
and spool tension the system really shined. When it comes to retrieves
the reel is smooth and powerful, and the drag performance is equally
impressive |
9 |
|
Price |
Exceptional value for a magnesium based
reel with so many unique features. The Hakai delivers when it comes to
performance versus price |
9 |
|
Features |
The Hakai was built from the ground up and
it really shows. This is the most exciting Okuma baitcaster we have
tested to date and the Flite Shaft and Flite Spool features may have
fancy marketing names but the performance absolutely backs up the
super-tuned messaging |
8.5 |
|
Design (Ergonomics) |
There is a lot to like about the Hakai's
ergonomics starting with the low overall weight thanks to the magnesium
frame. The round barrel grips may be a little polarizing but they are
small enough that most anglers will be able to accept them. There are
some areas for possible palming improvement but overall the reel is
comfortable fish with |
8.0 |
|
Application |
The Hakai is a multi-talented performer
and while there are versions designed specifically for pitching and BFS
the standard Hakai is capable of handling baits and applications on both
sides of the spectrum. This reel casts great and has the gearing and
drag system to stand up to bass and even larger species. When it comes
to fun factor the Hakai has the juice! |
8.5 |
|
Total Score |
8.58 |
Ratings Key: 1 = terrible : 2 =
poor : 3 = lacking : 4 = sub par : 5 = mediocre : 6 = fair : 7 = good :
8 = great : 9 = excellent : 10 = unbelievable!
For More Details of the updated rating system visit our explanation
here |
Pluses and Minuses:
|
Plus |
Minus |
|
+ Casting feel
and performance are both very good once settings are dialed in.
Collaboration with Dream Tackle has yielded quality results |
- Takes a little bit to dial in the
casting system but once set up to your preferences the performance is
excellent |
|
+ Magnesium framed reel at a great price,
and coatings make this reel saltwater capable |
- Some areas could still use refinement
(Plastic feeling clutch button, not as smooth as some competing high-end
reels) |
|
+ Available in wide range of retrieve
ratios and there is even BFS and Flipping versions in the family |
- Round knobs may not be for everyone.
Ergonomically some anglers may prefer flatter paddle style knobs |
|
+ Smooth retrieve that holds up well over
time |
|
|
+ Excellent drag system that is powerful
and reliable. Significantly smoother over long runs than previous
generation drags |
|
|
+ Drag is powerful and significantly
smoother than last generation |
|
|
- Built in universal line indicator is a
nice addition |
|
|
+ 3 Year limited warranty is better than
most competitors |
|
|
+ The best Okuma low-profile baitcaster
yet. A very fun reel to fish |
|
Conclusion:
The Hakai was built from the ground up by Okuma to target specific areas such as
overall low weight, increased drag force, smooth cranking power, and improved
castability. In all these areas Okuma has successfully raised the bar over
previous generation reels and yet manages to keep the pricing underneath the
$200 dollar mark.
While
there is still some room for further refinement, I’d absolutely recommend the
current generation of Hakai reels when it comes to performance versus price and
am very excited by what this reel represents in terms of a platform that the
company can build upon.
I’m excited
to see where Okuma is going to go with future generations when it comes to
lowering weight, enhancements to the Flite system to further enhance castability,
and those minor tweaks in ergonomics.
Okuma fans will love the Hakai.
Those that haven't given Okuma reels a chance prior to this should definitely
give the Hakai a cast. It destroys previous perceptions of how the company's
low-profile baitcasters both feel and perform
The combined teams at Okuma
and Dream Tackle sought to shake things up with the Hakai and they absolutely
succeeded. When I described previous generation Okuma reels we talked about
their great value, but with the Hakai the dialogue is all about not only a
fantastic price but a robust set of features and high performance to match. This
is an Okuma reel that fans of the brand are going to love, and those that
haven’t given the brand a chance yet should give a shot. Like the name of the
reel suggests, the Hakai is all about destroying, not only about challenging the
competition but breaking some previous perceptions about the Okuma brand when it
comes to low-profile baitcasters. The Hakai is a killer reel at this price
point, an Editor’s Choice Award Winner, and represents an exciting moment for
the company. Let the destruction begin!
Looking for the
Okuma Hakai?
Try
Tackle Warehouse
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