Okuma Tesoro Speed Jigging Rods

The Tesoro speed jigging rods are a long awaited replacement to the Cedros jigging rod lineup that Okuma had for years, the new rods feature a thinner and lighter blank while delivering more pulling power than the older series. The new rods are plenty capable of pulling in big yellowtail, yellowfin and bluefin especially paired with a nice and power jigging reel like the Alijos 12N or Tesoro 10S. We’ve played around with the rods a bit and the jig ratings are quite accurate on the speed jigging rods, but as always with US market jigging rods ignore the braided line rating entirely and do not let it influence your decision on which rod to go with. None of these rods are capable of fishing 200lb, 150lb or even 130lb line and there are no reels that will pair well with these rods capable of fishing those line classes with appropriate line capacity. The XXH model is perfect for daytime and some nighttime tuna jigging here in California, as well as jigging for bluefin in other parts of  the country like the north east and North Carolina. Your best bet is to pair it up with around a PE5 or 6 line, or a US spec 60lb braid, that way you get less scope and still have plenty of pulling power to get most fish in quickly. The two lighter models I’d be confident in using anywhere from PE2 to PE4 line to get the best performance out of the jig ratings they offer.

These rods feature Fuji T-DPS22 so you won’t have a problem fitting the US spec conventional reels that have a larger reel foot. They also come with Seaguide MRG stainless guides which look great and provide plenty of strength. The overall fit and finish of these rods is extremely impressive considering the price, these rods feel on par with the $300+ offerings available from the other big manufacturers and significantly better than any of their budget offerings.