Okuma ALC 20CS MAG: So reviewing this reel as its not a well known reel is good as I have used mine now for a least 5 years which in itself says a lot about it and sometime I personally think Okuma get a bit of a battering from shore anglers over some of their gear... some is justified on the cheaper end of the market but then you get what you pay for and generally speaking Okuma make a solid entrant which carries a very fair price point as well. The ALC-20 is suitable for all anglers and will be happy reeling in flatties off a clean beach or bullying congers and bullhuss through rough ground with its 6.2:1 cranking ratio thats more than the legendary Penn 535GS. Opening up a new one its good see nothing has changed only this one is bright shiny and looking great unlike mine which has a lot of marks and has had some abuse over the years. It’s a solid and rugged bit of kit and its noticeable that it has a nice and wide spool for 230 meters of 15lb line or if you’re boat fishing then 230 meters of 50lb braid. It has an blue/green anodised aluminium frame with carbon side plates and a machine aluminium spool. Over all it looks sleek yet rugged and even with all the metal it only weighs 415g which is a great achievement for such a rigid and tough reel. When attaching the reel to the rod it has a good solid good sized foot that when attached has no wobble on any of the rods I tested from a slim 12lb boat rod to a slim TTGSM beach rod but was happily at home of a RT Axellerator as well, one thing that you notice once it is attached its nice and low to the rod blank so is nice and comfortable in the hand when you are casting and its nice and easy to thumb the spool as well as keeping line coming in nice and neat. So the gear box on this is self lubricating which is good for heat dissipation and it has solid brass main gears with a drop down gearbox enabling maximum gear sizing. This is all good news and what’s even better is its all locked away in a salt resistant casing which works well unlike some brands, mine had the ultimate test for this as I once dropped mine in the ocean whilst on my boat in the Bristol channel with a boat rod, only to hook it an hour later and bring it back up! The reel has worked fine ever since and only gets a wash of fresh water at the end of a session... In fact it has been so faultless I haven’t even serviced it! So something I probably should do soon but comparing my old one to the new one it’s still as smooth!
When on the casting field and whilst fishing the reel is smooth and is very quiet when casting but it is also extremely quick! It is actually too quick for me and I’m grateful for the mag breaks with it being set on 5 of 8 with 8 being the max setting! The clicker and the disengage lever for casting are solid with clear defined motions that click soundly into place. The star drag system is easy to use at all times even when you have a large fish on the business end which it does again satisfying definitive clicks. The drag when fish are taking off with line like when I had nice hound disagreeing about coming in to say hello it is smooth at all times whether you are reeling in the hound or whether reeling whilst the drag is working away, it was also used on some large Blonde rays aboard Teddie boy charters of Minehead whilst fishing with friends Chris and Josh. With a very smooth 6.2.1 gear ratio it enables you to clear snags quickly getting the fish, lead and all your gear up nice and early, it’s a very study reel and gives you a confidence where you can just pay attention to getting in the fish without having to worry about anything else. The handle on the ALC 20CS is shorter than a lot of the other reels out there but it is incredibly sturdy and sits nicely in the hand even when cranking under pressure and giving it some welly. So overall if you are looking for a strong, quick casting, a quick retrieve, controllable reel that is at home on the shore or on a boat then look no further! Okuma have produced a solid performer here and I think it’s better than a lot of the other reels out there including the mag series from Penn, I know some diehard fans may disagree but its horses for courses I guess but I see this as a clear cut better reel. The price point is still at around the £140.00 mark you may be able to save a few pounds if you look around, I have seen them for £127.00 This reel first appeared in 2017 and I haven’t heard anything damning about them from anyone or anywhere online and I guess they still hold the price they do as it’s a testament to the value and quality of the reel. This reel ticks all the boxes for myself and gets solid thumbs up.
REEL SPEC:
MODEL: Okuma ALC 20 CS MAG BEARINGS: 2+1 MSS for precision alignment GEAR RATIO: 4.7:1 CAPACITY: 230 meters 15lb mono or 50lb braid WEIGHT: 415grams DRAG: star PRICE: £130-£140.00
Pros: - Solid, tough, reliable - Sits low on rod blank - Very fast casting - 8 point mag break system - Aluminium body - Good fast retrieve at 6.2:1 - Versatile . - Light at 415grams
Cons: - If on a boat you may want some more line cap if not just UK fishing.