Last updated on July 22nd, 2019 at 10:18 am

In years past, low profile fishing reels dominated the large freshwater fishing market, primarily in bass fishing applications. Fishing for bass and other similarly sized fish calls for fishing line rated at twenty pounds or less. Because of this, most low profile baitcast reels were primarily made in the 100 and 200 sizes. In contrast to their round baitcast cousins, low profile baitcast reels are smaller in size, thus easier to palm and hold while fishing. However, as larger, heavier baits began to hit the market, demand grew for slightly larger low profile fishing reels that could handle heavier line and more capacity. Manufacturers began producing 300 and 400 size low profile baitcasters. Low profile reels, such as the Okuma Komodo SS, are no longer just for bass fishing. Musky and northern fishermen are now also users of low profile baitcaster reels.

Previously, when looking at some of the best musky reels for sale, we had looked at some of the Okuma round baitcast reel options. Today, we provide an in depth review of the Okuma Komodo SS low profile baitcasting reel.

Okuma Komodo SS Review – Quality, Ergonomics, And Design

The Okuma Komodo SS is finished with an attractive grey paint, and we found the craftsmanship of the sideplate and frame to be on par with other reels in it’s class. We really like the fact that this reel comes in both a Power handle and Twin Paddle option, and we really enjoyed the overall length of the handle, coming in at 100 mm long. We felt that the knob on the Power handle could be improved by making it a little flatter, rather than it’s current very round design. This would make it easier to grip and crank. Therefore, we do prefer the Twin Paddle option better. It’s 300 size makes it a bit more uncomfortable to palm compared to a 100 size reel, but that is the price one must pay for the ability to use a larger reel for bigger fish and bait. Tolerances in the frame and sideplate are very tight, but the handle and knob tolerances could use a little more refinement.

This musky reel weighs in at 10.9 oz for the 364 model, which is about average in this class. Teardown and maintenance is simple and straightforward on the Komodo reel.

Okuma Komodo SS 364 – Performance

Casting: Due to it’s larger size, the Komodo 364 performs better when casting larger, heavier lures. It will be able to handle even your biggest lures with no problems. That said, it certainly can handle throwing smaller bait. However, the musky rod and line test that you are using will also play equal parts into how a bait will cast. Overall, we were pleased with the casting performance of the Komodo reel.

Retrieve: The Komodo’s retrieve is smooth comfortable with only a tiny bit of “looseness” caused by the tiny amount of backplay in the reel’s handle

Power: The long handle on the Komodo SS provided a lot of cranking power and leverage, and the internal gears responded nicely, as well. Even when throwing our largest baits, such as Bull Dawgs and Bucktails, the reel performed remarkably well. While we didn’t have any luck with landing any larger muskies on the day that we tested this reel, we have no doubt that it would perform well with even the biggest monster musky.

Drag: We found the drag was both smooth and reliable on both high and low settings. We have no complaints with the drag on the Okuma 364.

Brakes: The Okuma Komodo utilizes a centrifugal braking system that we found to be adequate and easy to access for maintenance. Just before to try to do all maintenance and adjustments prior to heading out into the water, so as to reduce the chances of losing any parts. The system is reliable and simple to adjust.

Okuma Komodo SS 364 vs 463

We would like to point out that this reel also comes in a 400 size option. The differences between the Okuma Komodo 364 vs 463 can be seen in the table below.

MODEL	GEAR RATIO	BEARINGS	WEIGHT (OZ.)	LINE RETRIEVE	MAX DRAG PRESSURE	PRICE & AVAILABILITY
KDS-364P	6.4:1	6HPB + 1RB	11.6	31"	25-lbs
KDS-463P	6.3:1	7HPB + 1RB	16.5	33.5"	30-lbs

Okuma Komodo SS Final Thoughts

The biggest strength of this musky reel is for casting big, heavy baits – no matter if bucktails, Bull Dawgs, or crankbaits, this is where the highlight of this fishing reel lies. Additionally, thanks in large part to it’s built in on/off clicker, this muskie reel is built for serious fishing. In our opinion, Okuma Komodo SS 364, is an extremely reliable, high performing musky feel, who’s performance would excel even further with a more ergonomic, flat knob design. Being that the knob is the only fault that we could find with the Okuma Komodo SS 364, we recommend that you give it a try if you’re looking for a mid-prices, solid musky reel. You can check current pricing and availability here.

Okuma reels continue to gain angler confidence, thus gaining acceptance and recognition in a very picky muskie fishing community. While there is no shortage of low profile baitcaster reels today, a good affordable reel like the Okuma Komodo SS is nice to have as an option.