Okuma Makaira Yellowfin Tuna Special Edition Reels

The Makaira SEa is the reel the long-range fleet reaches for when the target is a cow, and this Yellowfin Tuna Special Edition dresses that proven two-speed lever drag in a finish built for the fish it was made to chase. A custom multi-color anodizing runs through electric blues, metallic sheens and the vivid yellow of a lit-up yellowfin, with a tuna etched into the side plate. There is no performance gimmick here; it is the full Makaira SEa platform underneath, just unmistakable on the rail.

These are the Special Edition (SE) reels, the same big-game machines the boat regulars asked Okuma to sharpen for long-range work. Every SE runs open spool bearings with TSI-301 oil for roughly 2 to 2½ times the freespool of a standard Makaira, so a flylined bait swims out naturally to spooky grade tuna. The rest of the bearings get a full grease pack for longevity, the frames are machined out for extra spool-to-crossbar clearance, and the handles are stepped up for leverage, the 15T wears MK-20 knobs, the 20 and 30 run the 50-size arm and knobs, and the 20/30 sizes get a lower 1.3:1 low gear to help winch a big fish off the bottom.

Built to go the distance

The platform is a rigid 6061-T6 machined aluminum frame with forged side plates and 17-4 stainless steel, helical-cut two-speed gearing. Shift it under load and it changes like butter being sliced. At the heart is Okuma's Carbonite Dual Force Drag, a Tiburon-engineered pull-bar system dressed with Cal's universal drag grease: because the drag is pulled rather than pushed, the open-top models (15TII, 16II, 20II, 30II and 50II) don't fight the frame flex that plagues conventional designs, so you get smooth, high-end drag pressure without piling on mass. Four ABEC-5 Sapporo stainless ball bearings spin the spool, a custom thrust bearing takes the side load off at heavy settings, and a silent double-dog anti-reverse kills handle backplay. The whole reel is treated with Okuma's CRC corrosion-resistant coating. Cold-forged Type-II anodized spool, patented T-Bar handle with an Easy Roll graphite insert, forged aluminum foot and clamp, and a 5-year warranty behind all of it.

Model lineup & specs

All eight sizes retrieve right-hand. Line capacities show mono and braid in yards/test; drag is listed at strike (working) and full.