Purchasing new fishing gear is always exciting, especially when you’re targeting steelhead. About five or six years ago, I invested in an Okuma Guide Select spinning steelhead rod, medium action, 9 ft 6 inches, hoping for a reliable piece of equipment. Unfortunately, my experience with this Okuma Guide Select Pro rod was far from satisfactory.
The disappointment struck just weeks after the purchase. During a steelhead fishing trip, with my GoPro rolling, my bobber went down, signaling a potential catch. Excitedly, I set the hook, but instead of the satisfying bend of a rod engaging with a fish, I heard a crack. The Okuma Guide Select rod snapped clean in half, right above the mid-section where the tip inserts. To my dismay, this happened before I even had a chance to properly fight the fish. A brand new rod, and not an inexpensive one, had failed me at a crucial moment.
Frustrated and with a broken rod, I returned to Fisherman’s Marine, the store where I made the purchase. Presenting the broken Okuma Guide Select Pro rod and the GoPro video footage of the incident to a sales representative, I hoped for a resolution. Upon inspection, one of the representatives identified a clear issue. He pointed out that the sidewalls of the upper tip were uneven, indicating a factory defect. In his assessment, this unevenness was the likely cause of the break, highlighting a lapse in quality control during manufacturing. While the representative did provide a replacement rod tip, the experience left a lasting negative impression of the Okuma Guide Select Pro. The incident certainly raised concerns about the overall quality and reliability of Okuma rods.
Having lost confidence in the Okuma rod, it has since been retired and sits unused. Seeking dependable alternatives, my wife and I both transitioned to G Loomis E6X Steelhead Spinning Rods, also 9 ft 6 inches in length, but with a medium/light action. Interestingly, the G Loomis rods, often considered a premium brand, were only marginally more expensive, costing just $25-$30 more than the Okuma Guide Select. In my experience, the investment in G Loomis has been undeniably worthwhile. The superior performance and, importantly, the “Made in USA, Washington State” origin of the G Loomis rods offer considerable peace of mind.
My personal experience has led me to conclude that I will not be purchasing another Okuma rod in the future. While frustrations with product quality can occur across brands, the defect in the Okuma Guide Select Pro and the subsequent break were significant letdowns. For anglers seeking reliable steelhead spinning rods, especially when considering the Okuma Guide Select Pro, exploring alternatives like the G Loomis E6X might be a prudent decision, ensuring quality and performance on the water.
It’s worth noting that experiences can vary. As Rex Phillips commented, even brands like G Loomis can have occasional issues, highlighting that quality control is an ongoing challenge across the fishing gear industry. However, for my own fishing needs and based on direct comparison, the G Loomis E6X stands out as a more dependable and ultimately satisfying choice compared to the Okuma Guide Select Pro.
