Okuma Custom Black Match 13ft Medium rod review

There are loads of fantastic new rods that have come onto the market recently, so, when Okuma’s Custom Black Match rod arrived alongside a few other goodies, I’d volunteered for the job even before the delivery driver had managed to chuck the box out of the van.

With the box of treasures on board, Tony Grigorjevs from Improve Your Coarse Fishing and I set off for a testing day on Warren Lake at Meadowlands, a pool full of silvers and carp and, most importantly, with a consistent depth of 3ft to 5ft.

Out of the bag I was greeted by a well-furnished carbon blank with a comfortable cork handle and EVA grips. While rigging up I noticed the classy titanium oxide-lined steel guides and a polished butt cap.

The action of the Black Match surprised me a little. It’s a mid-priced rod, and that restraint presents designers with a number of issues.

It needs that soft top end for cushioning fast strikes and protecting lighter hooklengths, but with enough ‘whip’ lower down to flick lighter floats the required distance. Achieving this without using the sort of quality carbon fibre that would have Formula One teams running to the bank manager is no easy feat, yet somehow Okuma had managed it.

After careful examination of the blank, with its subtle textured print over the raw carbon, I noted a slightly thicker than expected butt section. Presumably this is to stiffen the lower end and create that magnificent action. This did make the rod feel a little heavy lower down, but with the reel in place the balance was perfect.

I was more than happy with this trade-off, which gave me an action far better than anyone would have expected of a rod at this price point.

I found I was able to give each bite a fast, sweeping strike and, no matter what the weight of the fish, the resulting battle curve softened the blow and kept my hook in place.

THE VERDICT

I’d not enjoyed a day on the bank as much this for a while, because I never knew whether my strike would be met by the fast, scrappy fight of a pastie, the mellow plod of a skimmer or the pure power of a good-sized carp. Roach, perch and even a tench got in on the action too, every one of which the Custom Black handled superbly. Not only that, but the rod looked every inch the part.

The rod itself has a fast, crisp action that you’d expect from more expensive rods, with a lovely soft tip that will stop you bumping smaller fish yet the backbone in the lower part of the rod allows you to quickly subdue any larger carp.

Understated graphics showing stunning attention to detail leave you with the sense you're holding a far more premium rod than you actually are, with Okuma seemingly striking the balance between cost and performance perfectly.

If you’re looking to sample a bit of pellet waggler action this summer without hurting the wallet too much, you won’t go far wrong with a Custom Match Black 13ft.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THIS PRODUCT AND OTHERS FROM OKUMA HERE.

TECH SPEC

- 30T + 40T balanced carbon blanks

- Okuma’s unique Bopp blank protective film

- Quality stainless steel frame guides

- Polished titanium oxide guide inserts

- Okuma DPS pipe reel seat

- Quality cork and EVA handles

- Quality rod bag

- Also available in 13ft Medium/Heavy and 14ft Medium versions

Our pick of the alternatives

Author Dan Webb first became involved in angling journalism in 2015 and has worked as Tackle Tester at Angling Times since April 2021. He is a fanatical all-round match angler and former England Youth International.