Okuma Ceymar fishing products are excellent quality spinning reels from Taiwan. The Okuma Ceymar Spinning Reel is one of the best-engineered products, crafted especially for professionals.
The reel is extremely well manufactured with a metal body, aluminum handle, bail wire, and spool. This compact design is strong and durable. Extremely well crafted, the 8 bearing system makes it smooth to operate. This reel is very popular due to its RESII computerized balancing rotor.
It is an ultra-lightweight favorite for panfish. At only 8 ounces in weight, you can cast this reel all day without tiring. I wasn’t sure whether I would like the Ceymar, but I was pleasantly surprised at its performance at this price point.
In this review, I will highlight all the pros and cons identified after extensively testing this reel.
- Saltwater Ready
- 7+1 Ball Bearings
- Multi-disc Drag System
- Extremely Lightweight
Read more about how our scoring system works.
Table of Contents
Okuma Ceymar Overview
Durable for Saltwater Fishing
The Okuma Ceymar Spinning Reel is one of the best lightweight reels available. The aluminum blades and handles make it light weight and ideal for all weather and fishing conditions due to its corrosion resistance.
The Ceymar also has the proprietary Cyclonic Flow Rotor – this creates airflow around the internal gearing which allows the reel to dry faster whenever moisture gets inside the casing. Eliminating moisture from inside your reel is the best way to avoid corrosion.
Outstanding Casting
Ceymar is a trusted range by Okuma, having been established over a decade ago. It is known amongst professional anglers for its casting accuracy and has a line capacity of over 110 to 310 yards depending on the model. I like to test the casting distances of various reels to identify the internal friction the reel applies to the line unraveling from the spool.
The high-speed RESII computerized balancing rotor makes the reel run very smoothly. Depending on the model, the drag settings available range between 11 lbs and 15 lbs.
Anti-Reversing Effect and Gearing Support
The exceptional drag performance arises from the multidisc design. There are 7 stainless steel ball bearings for smooth operation and 1 additional bearing for anti-reversing support. The roller button and this 8th gear enables instant stopping and great protection from slippage.
Anti-reversing features are not available in every reel but they are great to get a better ‘hook set’ particularly on scared fish that might not take a full bite.
Choose the Right Reel for You
C-10 is the base Ceymer model perfect for fishing 2-6 lbs in freshwater lakes. This reel effortlessly casts up to 110 yards and is perfect for catching smaller fish.
C-30 is the next model up, for 6-8 lbs fish and C-40 will catch 10-12 lbs fish easily. The casting range is between 160 and 190 yards. It is suitable for bass, walleye, catfish, and carp.
C-55 is outstanding for saltwater fishing. It casts up to 240 yards and is rated for a 15 lb catch. The C-55 is ideal for bass, snook, and redfish.
C-65 is the largest model available, it has the same drag weight as the C-55 but the casting range increases to 310 yards. The largest reel is perfect for times when you want a lot of line capacity or heavier line, such as pier fishing.
Pros
- The corrosion-resistant aluminum bladed body design makes it compact and lightweight (8.2oz).
- 2-tonne aluminum spool and brass pinion gear makes the reel durable and smooth
- Computerized bearing mechanism – 7 ball bearings for smooth performance and an additional 8th bearing for anti reversing support.
- There are multiple models so you can select the size you need.
Cons
- Gear functionality differs between model sizes.
- Balancing issues can be experienced especially in strong winds due to the reel being so light
- This is a lightweight reel that I have found is only suitable for panfish
- Saltwater Ready
- 7+1 Ball Bearings
- Multi-disc Drag System
- Extremely Lightweight
Okuma Ceymar Specifications
| Model | Gear ratio | Bearings | Weight (oz) | Line retrieve(in) | Max drag force (lb) | Mono line capacity (mm) |
| C-10 | 5.0:1 | 6BB+1RB | 6.0 | 21 | 7 | 0.10/260, 0.14/150, 0.16/115 |
| C-20 | 5.0:1 | 6BB+1RB | 6.7 | 24 | 7 | 0.15/250, 0.20/140, 0.25/90 |
| C-25 | 5.0:1 | 7BB+1RB | 8.0 | 25 | 15 | 0.15/295, 0.20/170, 0.25/110 |
| C-30 | 5.0:1 | 7BB+1RB | 8.2 | 25 | 15 | 0.20/200, 0.25/130, 0.30/100 |
| C-35 | 5.0:1 | 7BB+1RB | 9.5 | 30 | 17 | 0.25/195, 0.30/135, 0.35/100 |
| C-40 | 5.0:1 | 7BB+1RB | 10.0 | 30 | 17 | 0.25/240, 0.30/170, 0.35/125 |
| C-55 | 4.5:1 | 7BB+1RB | 14.2 | 31 | 32 | 0.30/325, 0.35/240, 0.40/185 |
| C-65 | 4.8:1 | 7BB+1RB | 20.7 | 38 | 33 | 0.35/340, 0.40/260, 0.50/160 |
Alternative Comparison
I wanted to give some comparison between the Ceymar and another lightweight panfish reel. The competitor I selected was the Shimano Sedona. The Sedona uses a lightweight carbon composite material and aims to push as much technology into a small body as possible.
This comparison is looking at the 1000 sized models.
| Features | Ceymar | Sedona |
| Max Drag | 7 lb | 7 lb |
| Ball Bearings | 6+1 | 3+1 |
| Retrieve Rate | 21 in | 26 in |
| Weight | 6.0 oz | 8.6 oz |
| Gear Ratio | 5.0:1 | 5.0:1 |
I do like that the Ceymar has a great combination of low weight but still manages to fit in 6+1 ball bearings which I feel give it smooth retrieve and performance.
Conclusion
The durability and smooth function are the key highlights of this reel but the maximum drag weight of 15lbs is a bit limiting. I would be reluctant to use a reel with such a low drag if there was any possibility of hooking a lunker. I also didn’t like that there was some mild resistance in the retrieve.
The Okuma Ceymar is one of the top quality ultra lightweight reels available. This does come at the expense of durability and smoothness of casting and retrieval due to the smaller internal gears.
But it depends on your personal circumstances – if you are going to be doing a lot of casting for panfish then the Ceymar is the absolute ideal fishing reel.
If you own a Ceymar and can add some wisdom of your own for your fellow anglers then please leave a comment below. I hope you have enjoyed my review after testing this reel in the field.
Happy fishing!
