E Glass isn’t the typical material you’d choose for a blank when building a quality rod. Most rods these days use graphite, or a blend of carbon fiber and fiberglass. In terms of rod blanks, E Glass is cheaper to manufacture, heavier, and slower than other material. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t have its uses. The nearly indestructible nature of E Glass lends itself perfectly to Okuma Cedros Jigging Rods. Made for braid, Cedros E Glass blanks absorb the nastiest of high speed strikes.
Okuma Cedros Jigging Rods
Product: Okuma Cedros Spinning & Casting Jigging Rods.
Overall Ranking: 88 out of 100.
Price: Medium Low Range.
Owner: Okuma Fishing Tackle Corp.
Website: OkumaFishingUSA.com.
Intro To Okuma Cedros Jigging Rods
Besides blank material, Okuma Cedros Jigging Rods have action for specific weight jigs. Each rod has a range of lure weights that match its design. That rod action translates to a perfect jig swim, getting the most out your lures behavior. Okuma puts some thought into the design of the butt section as it pertains to jigging. En finale, quality Alps reels seats and line guides bring confidence in components to Cedros spinning & casting jigging rods.
Cedros Jigging Rod Models, Specs, & Features
Okuma Cedros Jigging Spinning Rod Models
• CJ-S-601M • CJ-S-601MH • CJ-S-601XH
• CJ-S-701M • CJ-S-701MH
Okuma Cedros Jigging Casting Rod Models
• CJ-C-561XH • CJ-C-601H • CJ-C-601M
• CJ-C-601MH • CJ-C-601XH • CJ-C-661H
• CJ-C-661M • CJ-C-661MH • CJ-C-701MH
• CJ-C-701ML • CJ-C-801L • CJ-C-801M
• CJ-C-801MH • CJ-C-801ML
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Okuma Cedros Jigging Spinning Rod Specs
You anglers that approve of reels such as the Daiwa Saltiga Dogfight or Penn Battle 2 may want to take a closer look at Cedros jigging spinning rods. Okuma puts out 5 spinning models in two different lengths, either 6 or 7 foot. Action on these rods is either medium or medium fast, depending on the power you choose. Power ratings are at the end of the model numbers. You have the option to go medium, medium heavy, or extra heavy in one of the 6 foot models.
Cedros jigging spinning rods handle a range of braided line from 30 up to 200 pound test. They also rate for jig weights starting at 30 grams and reaching as high as 500 grams. That’s a big ole jig for the 6′ extra heavy rod. Okuma Cedros jigging spinning rods are all 1 piece blanks and weigh between 12.4 and 17.6 ounces. Finally, 6 foot models use 5 guides plus tip while 7 foot spinning rods use 7 line guides and the tip.
Okuma Cedros Jigging Casting Rod Specs
Enter the world of conventional reels and you’ll need a rod to match. Whether you’re jigging for lingcod, yo yo fishing for yellowtail, or dropping a flatfall to hungry bluefin tuna, Cedros jigging casting rods bring advantages to the table. Instead of the five choices Okuma offers in spinning models, you have 14 Cedros casting rods to pick from. Fasten a Daiwa Saltiga Hyper Speed reel or Shimano Talica 2 Speed to a Cedros jigging casting model and complete a highly effective setup.
14 Cedros jigging casting models provides a better range of choice in rod lengths, power, and action. Casting models start with a double extra heavy 5’6″ rod and get as long as 8 feet. Power ratings range from that short XX heavy to light in one of the 8 foot models. Again, the power of each Cedros jigging casting rod shows at the end of the model number. Action on the Okuma Cedros Jigging casting rods is either medium or medium fast.
Cedros Rod Butt Specs
The best way to get a grip on the handles of Okuma Cedros Jigging rods is to check specs on the Okuma website. There are 4 different styles of butts, depending on which rod has your interest. Okuma matches them with a letter system and the following key:
A – Model with split EVA butts.- B – Model with split butt and aluminum gimbal.
- C – Graphite butt with aluminum gimble.
- D – Hypalon butt with Alps reel seat.
Key Features Of Okuma Cedros Jigging Rods
E Glass Blanks
Adding on to the initial discussion about E Glass, it brings two clear benefits to anglers. First, it absorbs the sudden impact put on the rod when a powerful fish hits braided line. The second benefit revolves around the Okuma Cedros Jigging Rod price tag. E Glass brings the cost of making Cedros rods down right from the start. Okuma passes this savings directly to anglers.
Alps High-Rise 316 Guide Frames
Cedros Jigging Rods use Alps high-rise guides. These 316 stainless steel guides a single point up top and split shafts that come up from the bottom to secure the guide ring. The prominent feature of Alps high-rise line guides is their lift. The high-rise design keeps braided line up and off the rod shaft. Check out the guides over at Alps and you’ll see how much higher they lift when you compare them to other types.
Zirconium Guide Inserts
Highly resistant to corrosion from saltwater, zirconium is an impressive material. It’s very smooth like ceramic, but zirconium is a form of metal. The obvious benefit of using zirconium over ceramic is a more durable insert that is just as smooth for allowing braided line to pass through. Notice that casting and spinning models use the same Alps guides and inserts. The inserts are a nice addition on both, but the guides greatly enhance the casting rod models. Okuma Cedros Jigging spinning rods use more line guides though design could be better with a different choice in guide style. The concern is that braid can catch easier when the guides stick up so high.
Alps Pyramid Reel Seat
Made from marine grade anodized aluminum material, Alps Tri Reel Seats are some of the finest in the industry. They lock in reels with a huge amount of strength and an ergonomic design makes them comfortable on the rod. They don’t get in the way or rub on your hand while holding the reel. Okuma made one of their better decisions by choosing the Alps Tri Reel Seat in Cedros design.
Ribbed EVA Foregrip & EVA Rear Grip
The split butt handles of Okuma Cedros Jigging Rods have slightly different design up top than down below. Okuma puts comfortable EVA foam on both but adds a ribbed grip on the top handle.
It’s a well-thought out design since the bottom handle goes inn your tummy, rod belt, or stomach. The top handle is where you need some extra grip, especially during drawn out battles.
Jig Clincher
Might as well mention what Okuma calls the jig clincher. Keep that sharp needle point of your hook from swinging all around while you’re on the move. Okuma mentions it’s for use while running, though running with your rod in hand is probably not the best of ideas to begin with. Still, the jig clincher is a handy little feature that captains may appreciate. They keep jigs from knocking against the outside cabin walls.
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Pros & Cons Of Okuma Cedros Jigging Rods
Pros
Right off the bat the price stands out. It’s low enough to give these rods a chance and feel them out for yourself. Okuma Cedros Jigging Rods bring even more value in their choice of Alps components. Like Fuji, Alps makes top of the line rod parts.
The most noticeable difference about Cedros Jigging Rods is their action. Most jig rods today will have fast action, but Cedros go medium to medium fast. This certainly helps with absorbing impact on strikes with braided line. Medium fast action may be a better choice if you want a bit more backbone to the rod.
Cons
While it makes sense that E Glass absorbs impact efficiently, you have to wonder why a carbon fiber composite (mix) couldn’t do the same. Especially if you gave it medium action. The way manufacturers design rod blanks these days, you certainly could find the same qualities in a better performing rod. In fact, the medium fast action of the St. Croix Mojo Jig Rod might be that better choice.
Other than the E Glass blank material, the rod uses quality components. Some other Alps guide besides the high-rise might have been a better choice for Okuma on the spinning rod models. It’s not necessary to keep the line off the blank on a spinning rod and braid can catch up on guides that stick out too much. There are reports of issues with the size of the Alps reel seat not fitting larger offshore reels. It’s also worth noting complaints about the flimsiness of the rods, though this is how medium action rods work.
Who Gets The Best Use Out Of Okuma Cedros Jigging Rods?
Taking a look at the overall value as it applies to the price tag, any angler that likes to jig for bass or larger pelagic species can benefit from using Okuma Cedros Jigging Rods. You can’t discount the fact that for the most part, these rods work with braided line. There are the longer casting models that use mono and are a good choice for lighter bass fishing applications. Inshore halibut would also be a good target species with the longer Okuma Cedros Jigging casting rods.
Okuma Rod Support
No need to worry about manufacturer defects with Okuma Cedros Jigging Rods. They come with a lifetime warranty. Okuma provides a customer service area on their website where customers can register their equipment, find service centers, or contact the company. In they event something does go wrong with your rod, Okuma is more than happy and willing to assist with its replacement.
The Cedros Jigging Rod Wrap Up
Overall Ranking: 88 out of 100 users approve of Okuma Cedros Jigging Rods.
Okuma Cedros Jigging Rods lose ground because of the cheaper E Glass rod blank material. There’s also a couple of areas where design isn’t necessarily flawed, but could be better. Cedros loses a few points there as well. Customer complaints about the reel seat size is another point dropping concern.
On the up side is the price, bring the value of Cedros Jigging Rods forth. Okuma puts excellent quality components in the rod, which also helps its overall ranking. In the end, the positives bring Okuma Jigging Rods back to 88 out 100. Not great, but not unreasonable for the asking price.
Do you own or use an Okuma Cedros Jigging Rod? What thoughts or opinions do you have on their performance? FishtFight reader are hungry for information so don’t hold back. Leave a comment of any length below.
Thanks again for joining the discussion. Geoff@FishtFight.com.
Quote, “these rods work with braided line.”. Please EXPLAIN.
What would happen if 40#mono were to be used on a Cedros 35-65#, or a 50-100# rod?
Why would this not be acceptable.
I was looking to buy one until I saw this article.
Thank you for your time.
Bill. Sept. 28, 2018
Hey Bill, good question. Do not worry about using mono with line guides that “work for braided line.” I suppose I could have explained that better. Mono will work fine on these types of guides. It’s the reverse you want to be more concerned about. That is, using braid on guides that are not sturdy enough for its force. Even standard guides will still work for braid, but they will tend to wear or even break much faster than with normal mono line wear.