Reel Maintenance, Catalina 45-D

[Draggin The Line]

Hey guys,

 

I just picked up a couple of used Catalina 45's and they seem to be in good shape at first glance. The previos owner said I might

want to go thru them both as they are about 3 seasons old. Drags? Iv'e never taken one of these apart and don't know if I should even try.

I was wondering who works on these around the Buffalo/Rochester area? Or is this something  I can do without too much trouble?

What is usually done or replaced, if anything when they are ''gone thru'' and what can I expect to spend on each reel?

As always, any advice is greatly appreciated.   DTL

 

 

 

[JakeyBaby]

If you look down a couple posts I asked about parts for a Diawa reel that i need a clicker replacement, there are a few differnt web sites that guys put up that you can get parts for. Tuna'sreeltrouble.com seems to cover just about all top named reels including Okuma like you are looking for check it out. Pretty sure you could replace the drag washers yourself  and if you do go with the carbonfiber ones.

[Capt Vince Pierleoni]

I have found the Catalina series from Okuma to be the most trouble free reels I have ever used. Don't automatically assume they need anything but a little lube unless they are symptomatic. 

With 3 seasons of use, the drags should be fine. Simply test them with a full spool of line, if it pulls off smooth under a fairly tight drag, you are fine. If the prior owner stored them for a lengthy period of time without backing them off, they may have set up.

Normal wear items on all heavily used trolling reels are clickers(audible alarm and prevents free spool over run) and levelwind pawls. These are easy to replace for the average angler, and are easily diagnosed. If you don't want to tackle this now or in the future, a good reel guy is Larry at the "Reel hospital" in Ransomville-- 716-417--4343. Okuma parts are available from the "Tuna Tom" site.

[Draggin The Line]

One thing I noticed right away is how loud the clickers are in theses reels, and they both appear to function fine.

I think your correct on testing the reels first, I'm a big advocate of, ''if it aint broke, don't fix it''.

They both came spooled with old lead core and I was planning to make up a couple of copper rigs with them.

Hopefully they are a good choice for that. Now I just need to pick out a good rod for th job, any suggestions?

I think I remember reading somewhere on the forum that copper is softer and no special tip is required on the rod?

I'll look into it more before I make my choice.

 

 Thanks so much for the help!!   DTL

[Legacy]

One thing I noticed right away is how loud the clickers are in theses reels, and they both appear to function fine.

I think your correct on testing the reels first, I'm a big advocate of, ''if it aint broke, don't fix it''.

They both came spooled with old lead core and I was planning to make up a couple of copper rigs with them.

Hopefully they are a good choice for that. Now I just need to pick out a good rod for th job, any suggestions?

I think I remember reading somewhere on the forum that copper is softer and no special tip is required on the rod?

I'll look into it more before I make my choice.

 

 Thanks so much for the help!!   DTL

They are a great choice for short coppers. After using other reels, you will notice how loud the clicker are on all Okumas. A great copper rod is an Okuma Classic Pro GLT copper/leadcore trolling rod (CP-CL-862M) and no you dont need a special tip.

[LongLine]

Go to the alan tani site & scroll thru the tutorials.  He has a tremendous amount of knowledge & is willing to share it.

http://alantani.com/

 

Tom B.

(LongLine)

[Legacy]

Go to the alan tani site & scroll thru the tutorials.  He has a tremendous amount of knowledge & is willing to share it.

http://alantani.com/

 

Tom B.

(LongLine)

 

wow... great site!

[Thun]

Alan Tani is THE BEST! Using his tutorials I broke down 8 Penns, relubed the bearings, and replaced the drags and dogs. On one of them, there was a small space between the spool and left side plate and with the eccentric lever in free spool, the spool would turn when I cranked the handle. I couldn't figure out what the problem was and it was driving me nuts. So after two days of interchanging parts from another reel, trying to figure it out, I sent Alan a PM and he answered back within 2 minutes with the solution. Then he sent me a dozen shims and didn't charge me a dime. He's a class act!