Kastking Reels 2024

Brett's_daddy reply :

Okay, are these Kastking reels for real? The one I happened to look at online is the Kastking Speed Demon 9.3:1 casting reel. I mean from the YouTube videos I saw the thing looks like an excellent deal for $70 compared to some of the reels that cost twice as much it doesn't look like it loses any ground. My big question would be durability over time. How about any of you that have one, how do they compare to the Curado's and Tatula's of the world?

J Francho reply :

I've been using a Kastking Assassin with their 50# braid since spring. It's held up to dozens of bass, at least once carp over 20#, and just this past Tuesday I was pitching a punch rig 2-3' into reeds for bass. That's some pretty heavy use. I'm actually trying to break this thing, and it's taken everything I throw at it. Would I compare it a Curado or Tatula? No, it's a $50 reel. It's not as refined as those. Is smooth, and casts easily without backlashing? Yes.

MasterBasser reply :

I'm wondering that too and you hear a lot of mixed things. It seems a lot of the nay sayers have no first hand experience with them. Money is tight, if I can save $30-50 and have a reel that works just fine, I'm all for that.

From what kastking claims, their reels are made just like everyone elses, they are keeping the markup low so the price is lower.

J Francho reply :

Here's what I was fishing in the past few days:

Catching average dinks from the bay:

Brett's_daddy reply :

On 8/4/2017 at 1:16 AM, J Francho said:

Would I compare it a Curado or Tatula? No, it's a $50 reel. It's not as refined as those.

So by not as refined what exactly do you mean? I have both of the reels mentioned (Curado I and Tatula Ct Type-R) and while i like both i am new to casting reels and basically all I care about is smoothness, ease of casting (minimal backlashes), cast distance and durability.

J Francho reply :

It isn't buttery smooth and silent casting. It works like any top shelf reel as far as functionality. The thumbar releases the spool confidently, reeling quickly engages the spool. The drag works well, though there's a bit cranking to ramp it up, and then all the sudden it's on lock down, so once you get it tightened, use small adjustments to get it where you like it. There's no index on the drag or spool tension, but I had no issue dialing that in. I'd say I've proved the durability aspect. In fact, I don't think I've touched it or the brakes since I initially set it. As far as the braid, it works as well as any 4-carrier braid I've tried.

kickerfish1 reply :

On 8/4/2017 at 1:16 AM, J Francho said:

I've been using a Kastking Assassin with their 50# braid since spring. It's held up to dozens of bass, at least once crap over 20#, and just this past Tuesday I was pitching a punch rig 2-3' into reeds for bass. That's some pretty heavy use. I'm actually trying to break this thing, and it's taken everything I throw at it. Would I compare it a Curado or Tatula? No, it's a $50 reel. It's not as refined as those. Is smooth, and casts easily without backlashing? Yes.

A 20# crap? Are you fishing the sewers again?

J Francho reply :

On 8/4/2017 at 1:25 AM, kickerfish1 said:

A 20# crap? Are you fishing the sewers again?

nice catch, lol.

NYWayfarer reply :

I have 4 Kastking reels (Mela II, Sharky II, Stealth and Spartacus) that I have been using exclusively this summer. I ordered the Assassin yesterday and will have it sometime next week. That's a replacement reel for my Spartacus. I was foolish enough to try opening the reel to grease it up. I dunked it a couple of times when kayak fishing and wanted to give it a cleaning and regrease. First time I have attempted this on my own and things were going well until I dropped it on the floor losing a lot of the internals. Disgusted, I threw it all back in the box and ordered another reel. A real shame as I caught my PB largemouth and smallmouth for this year on the Spartacus.

The Stealth is my hands down favorite baitcaster. I have Quantum, Abu, Pflueger and Daiwa reels in my arsenal to compare it to. It casts far and is pretty much backlash proof once you set the brakes. Line stops as soon as your lure hits the water. Can't wait to get my hands on that assassin reel.

As far as durability goes I can tell you they have held up so far with minimum maintenance. It has only been a few months but after thousands of casts my thought is they should hold up for the long haul.

Glenn reply :

I've been using the Assassin reel all season long for frog/toad fishing without any issues. Been throwing in some pretty thick stuff too, using 50lb braid. I have several videos out now that show me using that reel and catching fish with it.

I, too, have noticed a number of negative remarks from people that have no experience with them. Not sure what the motivation is there, but unless somebody can provide useful feedback based upon actual experiences - good or bad - irrelevant comments will be removed from this thread.

Yeajray231 reply :

I understand they are a sponsor.

I purchased the king royale . Used it for a couple weeks, and have pretty much put it up. My spool tension knob goes from very tight to super loose within an 1/8th inch turn of the knob, I don't care for that much. It's also pretty noisy and my cast button to engage the spool sticks. For 35 dollars it is a solid reel.

I recommend you look at Lews or Abu.

Steveo-1969 reply :

@Glenn The Joe Dirt picture that was removed was a joke in reference to the 20# "crap" that @J Francho caught, it had nothing to do with KastKing reels...

Brett's_daddy reply :

I already have a Lews Tournament Pro, Shimano Curado I and a Daiwa Tatula CT Type-R but I happened to stumble across the Speed Demon reel and the YouTube videos really look nice...easy long casting, good brakes with minimal if any backlashes and smooth retrieve. Just curious how it stacks up as maybe i would replace one of my reels with that in the future and save some cash.

Yeajray231 reply :

They are not anywhere near the quality of the reels you already own... But they are good for the price..

This is similar to owning a box full of war eagle spinner baits but you want to try the dollar spinnerbaits from Walmart... Do they catch fish ? Yes they do... But the quality is not the same.

Bang for your buck = A +

Compared to the reels you already have.. not so much.

WestBranch reply :

I have the stealth, assassin and speed demon.

The stealth is my favorite, the speed demon my least favorite, mainly due to the noise ( a whir) when reeling it in.

I also have a lews, a couple abu's and a tatula ct type r. I keep coming back to the stealth

kadas reply :

On 8/4/2017 at 2:51 AM, Brett's_daddy said:

I already have a Lews Tournament Pro, Shimano Curado I and a Daiwa Tatula CT Type-R but I happened to stumble across the Speed Demon reel and the YouTube videos really look nice...easy long casting, good brakes with minimal if any backlashes and smooth retrieve. Just curious how it stacks up as maybe i would replace one of my reels with that in the future and save some cash.

Can not imagine you would be happy after what you have been using no matter the price but that is JMO--no reflection on actual product because I have not used one

david in va reply :

On 8/4/2017 at 6:24 AM, kadas said:

Can not imagine you would be happy after what you have been using no matter the price but that is JMO--no reflection on actual product because I have not used one

Kadas, I am with you on this, You cant compare the Kastking with those reels. I don't have a speed demon, but do have a stealth and an assassin . I also have Curados and Tatulas

You get what you pay for. The Kastkings are good reels for the price but do not compare with the 150 - 200 dollar reels

flyfisher reply :

I have a speed demon that i picked up kind of on accident because i left it in my amazon cart and i bought something else. I think i paid $60 for it and for that price it is a decent reel. The handle is pretty are and long and it is kind of heavy but it isn't bad. I put it on my 7'H and have been using it as my frogging rod primarily and it has done a decent job. It took me a little while to get the brakes set up correctly as I am a Shimano user primarily and the set up is different. It casts well but is noisy and I am not super impressed with the drag but it has pulled a fe wish out of the pads for me.

All of my other reels are Citicas of various vintages and they are a better reel but for the price, I think it is as good as i have seen out there.

1201vilbig reply :

I have 4 - 2 Demons & 2 Assassins. After reading others experience, I cleaned the factory gunk out & greased/oiled it like you should do any new reel. No noise, very smooth, cast control is awesome. I am actually disappointed because shoulder issues may have me switching to spinning gear. I will try the KastKing spinning reels for sure.

Bluebasser86 reply :

I have a Speed Demon and Assassin baitcaster, a Kodiak and Sharky II spinning reel. All have been very good reels for the price, with the Assassin being my favorite so far. Looking forward to trying the Spartacus Plus when they become available. The Assassin is one of the furthest casting baitcasters I've own, especially if we're talking a stock reel.

Kastking only sells online, so there is no middle man markup. I believe if they sold through retail stores, we'd be seeing them priced closer to the $100 range. They're not a Curado or Tatula, but you're not paying Curado or Tatula money to get a very serviceable reel.

kickerfish1 reply :

On 8/4/2017 at 7:40 PM, Bluebasser86 said:

I have a Speed Demon and Assassin baitcaster, a Kodiak and Sharky II spinning reel. All have been very good reels for the price, with the Assassin being my favorite so far. Looking forward to trying the Spartacus Plus when they become available. The Assassin is one of the furthest casting baitcasters I've own, especially if we're talking a stock reel.

Kastking only sells online, so there is no middle man markup. I believe if they sold through retail stores, we'd be seeing them priced closer to the $100 range. They're not a Curado or Tatula, but you're not paying Curado or Tatula money to get a very serviceable reel.

The last paragraph probably sums it up best.

Looking for the big one reply :

I have never personally held a kastking, and I don't intend to. With so much positive feedback they seem to be making decent products for a great price, but my problem with them is that they aren't really producing their own product. They are rebranding mass produced reels, they can't stand by "their" products. I will continue to by Shimano and Daiwa because they innovate and produce their own products.

NYWayfarer reply :

On 8/4/2017 at 10:01 PM, Looking for the big one said:

I have never personally held a kastking, and I don't intend to. With so much positive feedback they seem to be making decent products for a great price, but my problem with them is that they aren't really producing their own product. They are rebranding mass produced reels, they can't stand by "their" products. I will continue to by Shimano and Daiwa because they innovate and produce their own products.

I think standing by "their" product would be providing excellent customer service when "their" product has an issue. Kastking does that. I know from personal experience.

Had an issue with my Mela II's drag knob. I sent them a picture and had a new knob in my possession before my next fishing outing.

J Francho reply :

On 8/4/2017 at 10:01 PM, Looking for the big one said:

I have never personally held a kastking, and I don't intend to.

Then don't bother commenting. Your points are irrelevant. Millions of products are private labelled, produced by some other company for another company that sells them. Locally, Wegman's grocery store has their brand of just about every product that you'd find in a store, and their products have a reputation of being very good quality, sometimes better (in the case of their ice creams, lol) due to their high standards. They stand behind their products with an unconditional satisfaction guarantee. So, what your saying, that isn't good enough, because Danny Wegman doesn't actually churn the ice cream. Is this starting to sound silly, or is it me?

I don't have a problem with your choice of Daiwa and Shimano. They're my favorite brands too. I'm never going to be in the market for a $50 reel. That said, the ones I've been able to test are better than most $80-100 reels from some big names. The company is run by Syracuse University graduates that like to fish, but as students, could not afford the high prices of tackle, and couldn't find any budget priced options that had any support or quality. In other words, you are not their demographic.

Oh, bye the way, another sponsor made a pretty big name for itself making private label rods and reels. Who? Okuma.

Looking for the big one reply :

I completely understand your point. Kastking does have great customer service according to what I have read. They seem to be doing well as a company.

and that's all I've got to say about that.

DroneFisher reply :

On 8/4/2017 at 1:19 AM, J Francho said:

Here's what I was fishing in the past few days:

Catching average dinks from the bay:

Wildy ProStaff? Nice, what boat do you fish from?

NYWayfarer reply :

On 8/4/2017 at 10:51 PM, J Francho said:

The company is run by Syracuse University graduates that like to fish, but as students, could not afford the high prices of tackle, and couldn't find any budget priced options that had any support or quality. In other words, you are not their demographic.

To be completely honest I would not have given Kastking reels a second look until I learned about the Syracuse origins on these forums. I was always a Pflueger, Shimano, Daiwa and Quantum guy.

I wanted to give some fellow NY'ers a shot so I ordered a Sharky II Once I saw the quality of the reel at the price they were selling it I ordered a Mela II then the baitcasters. I have not been disappointed yet.

DroneFisher reply :

On 8/4/2017 at 2:38 AM, Yeajray231 said:

I understand they are a sponsor.

I purchased the king royale . Used it for a couple weeks, and have pretty much put it up. My spool tension knob goes from very tight to super loose within an 1/8th inch turn of the knob, I don't care for that much. It's also pretty noisy and my cast button to engage the spool sticks. For 35 dollars it is a solid reel.

I recommend you look at Lews or Abu.

Just to be clear, you "put it up" instead of reaching out to customer service? Maybe that would be a great transparent experience to find out how the warranty and return system works. I had a BX1000 years ago, one of their first reels, broke the worm gear on it. Reached out to them and they sent a brand new one a few days later. I also dunked a Spartacus in saltwater and had to get a new one...(not under warranty due to my error). I now have a majority of KastKing gear and have been fishing this brand for a while. Hope this helps the OP.

J Francho reply :

On 8/4/2017 at 11:24 PM, DroneFisher said:

Wildy ProStaff? Nice, what boat do you fish from?

I used to work for them, but not anymore. Ride 115x and Commander 140. My next boat might be a Commander 120. I'm not too fancy about my kayak fishing.

Sorry for going off topic...

Back to reel talk!

NYWayfarer reply :

On 8/4/2017 at 11:30 PM, DroneFisher said:

Just to be clear, you "put it up" instead of reaching out to customer service? Maybe that would be a great transparent experience to find out how the warranty and return system works. I had a BX1000 years ago, one of their first reels, broke the worm gear on it. Reached out to them and they sent a brand new one a few days later. I also dunked a Spartacus in saltwater and had to get a new one...(not under warranty due to my error). I now have a majority of KastKing gear and have been fishing this brand for a while. Hope this helps the OP.

Sounds like he put it up because he didn't care for the reel not because it was broke.

To be fair the Royale Legend is the cheapest baitcaster Kastking makes. I would not expect a lot out of it. The lowest priced reel on their tier of baitcasters I would go would be the Stealth. It's a lot of reel for the money at $56

Yeajray231 reply :

@DroneFisher yep...

@Finesse Wayfarer you're right. Like I said , it's a bargain for the money... But.. the reel just feels exactly like what I paid for it.. if that makes sense.

Thunder Dan reply :

Bought a Sharky II for my wife and liked it so much I had to have my own. Smoothest, most solid feeling spinning reel I've ever used. Now I have 3 Sharky II's and just got the Stealth. Used it this morning for the first time and think it will soon become my favorite baitcaster.

As much as i like the reels, i think i like their Mega8 braid even more. Makes other braids seem like wire. I may buy other brand reels, but I won't buy any other braid after using this stuff.

BassNJake reply :

I bought the Speed Demon this year to use on my Buzz frog/Toad rod.

After looking at many so called high speed reels, I picked this one because of the inches per turn it will pick up.

I also wanted to test this brand as what I had read about the former college kids and their business model was promising.

I have been out close to 50 times with it, 4-6 hours a time and throw a buzz frog at least 75% of the time.

(more times than not it was probably closer to 90%)

This reel has held up to everything I've put it through so far.

Issues:

It is louder than my Shimano's or my Daiwa reels but a $100 louder, definitely not.

However, those reels were broken down, cleaned, lubed/oiled at the beginning of the season.

The Speed demon was just taken out the box and put into use.

I had to tighten the line guide as that knob had become loose.

Sometimes the bail will close suddenly as if it did not get fully depressed, this rarely happens with my other reels so i'm not convinced this is a case of user error.

I consider these all very minor issues and I am very happy with this reel.

Based on my budget and experience with this reel, I would buy another KastKing reel in a heartbeat.

NYWayfarer reply :

On 8/5/2017 at 3:38 AM, Thunder Dan said:

Bought a Sharky II for my wife and liked it so much I had to have my own. Smoothest, most solid feeling spinning reel I've ever used. Now I have 3 Sharky II's and just got the Stealth. Used it this morning for the first time and think it will soon become my favorite baitcaster.

As much as i like the reels, i think i like their Mega8 braid even more. Makes other braids seem like wire. I may buy other brand reels, but I won't buy any other braid after using this stuff.

I bought the Sharky II 1500 and it's a bit small for my taste. I use it for dropshotting and ultra light fishing. It's one of the disadvantages of KastKings online only shopping. You can't see or touch the reels before purchasing.

I want to buy the 2000 or 3000 model but I was watching the Icast vids and saw the Sharky III will soon be available. I am going to wait it out.

Arlo Smithereen reply :

I made a big mistake and decided to give their Assassin reel a try. After two hours it started making a God awful noise like bearings were rattling around inside it. Maybe I just got a bad one, but I'm done with Kast King.

Lures'n'Liberty reply :

I have 2 Sharky baitfeeders and I love them. One of the 2 came with a manufacturing defect and was junk right out of the box, as a person may expect from a cheap reel. Kastking customer service wasted little time in sending me a new replacement, some baits, and a free hat. Good reels for the price, excellent customer service.

primetime reply :

When I went Pier fishing with a few guys from work, I was surprised to see KastKing reels on probably a dozen rods while I was there. Since they are not sold in stores and do not advertise, It seems that the people who own them really like them, and other people must go out and buy one after hearing the price cause every reel looks too good to be true.

I don't like spending more than $50 for any reel I use in Saltwater, and I purchased the Okuma Ceymar as my main saltwater reel this year, and I really like it. I only expect to get 2-3 years out of it (I am lazy with maintenance on Saltwater reels) but after fishing the Mela a few times, I have to say....I like the feel and performance of the Mela better.

I can't speak to longevity, but every reel seems to be legit. I think if they changed the name of that Red spinning reel from Sharky to something better, it would gain more "Street Cred". That is the reel that everyone seems to love. I get why people are skeptical, It is hard to believe that you may be getting a reel for $40 that could be the same or better than your favorite brand that costs 2-3x the money.

KastKing has now been around for about 4-5 years, and their brand is only getting better, If the reels were not any good, they would not be so popular right now.

If you look at a reel like the Ardent Wire which was a reel that won the best spinning reel award in China several years ago, Some companies in Europe sold it for the same as Ardent, then one company similar to KastKing sold the identical reel for $79, now $55. Call it the Iron Man, Ardent Wire, Steel....Its made by Yolo and all are identical. Reel market is changing, so are the rods.

I noticed the New Daiwa BG is made in China, and I love that reel, Why is china any different than Thailand or Malaysia, or Korea anyway??????? Engineers are just as smart in China as they are in any other country, Plus Daiwa, KastKing, Quantum etc. All design the reels and have quality control. KastKing has a few reels they sell for $100, I bet those reels are really nice but People are just not comfortable with a Toyota or Nissan yet.

BaitFinesse reply :

On 9/19/2017 at 8:34 AM, primetime said:

When I went Pier fishing with a few guys from work, I was surprised to see KastKing reels on probably a dozen rods while I was there. Since they are not sold in stores and do not advertise, It seems that the people who own them really like them, and other people must go out and buy one after hearing the price cause every reel looks too good to be true.

I don't like spending more than $50 for any reel I use in Saltwater, and I purchased the Okuma Ceymar as my main saltwater reel this year, and I really like it. I only expect to get 2-3 years out of it (I am lazy with maintenance on Saltwater reels) but after fishing the Mela a few times, I have to say....I like the feel and performance of the Mela better.

I can't speak to longevity, but every reel seems to be legit. I think if they changed the name of that Red spinning reel from Sharky to something better, it would gain more "Street Cred". That is the reel that everyone seems to love. I get why people are skeptical, It is hard to believe that you may be getting a reel for $40 that could be the same or better than your favorite brand that costs 2-3x the money.

KastKing has now been around for about 4-5 years, and their brand is only getting better, If the reels were not any good, they would not be so popular right now.

If you look at a reel like the Ardent Wire which was a reel that won the best spinning reel award in China several years ago, Some companies in Europe sold it for the same as Ardent, then one company similar to KastKing sold the identical reel for $79, now $55. Call it the Iron Man, Ardent Wire, Steel....Its made by Yolo and all are identical. Reel market is changing, so are the rods.

I noticed the New Daiwa BG is made in China, and I love that reel, Why is china any different than Thailand or Malaysia, or Korea anyway??????? Engineers are just as smart in China as they are in any other country, Plus Daiwa, KastKing, Quantum etc. All design the reels and have quality control. KastKing has a few reels they sell for $100, I bet those reels are really nice but People are just not comfortable with a Toyota or Nissan yet.

To be fair Kastking does not design reels. They not the same as a Daiwa. They purchase reels from existing product lines from a chinease manufacture. You can purchase the same reel as a Kastking branded as a Johnco, Seaknight, Shishamo, Fishdrops ect. The Kastking reels while they run a little higher than the other brands they do come with a warrenty and good US based customer support which makes them more appealing than other brands offering the same reel.

I've been eying the manufacture's product line and there are a few interesting new reels that may find their way into Kastking so keep on the lookout for new reels.

DroneFisher reply :

On 9/19/2017 at 12:18 PM, BaitFinesse said:

To be fair Kastking does not design reels. They not the same as a Daiwa. They purchase reels from existing product lines from a chinease manufacture. You can purchase the same reel as a Kastking branded as a Johnco, Seaknight, Shishamo, Fishdrops ect. The Kastking reels while they run a little higher than the other brands they do come with a warrenty and good US based customer support which makes them more appealing than other brands offering the same reel.

I've been eying the manufacture's product line and there are a few interesting new reels that may find their way into Kastking so keep on the lookout for new reels.

Interesting... KastKing does not design any of their reels?

J Francho reply :

No, they purchase them direct from an OEM, and sell direct. This is where they reduce a ton of markup and overhead.

Glenn reply :

Well, not quite. KastKing's reels are built to their specs. They pick and choose what components to include in their reels, from a selection of thousands of parts.

This process is not unique to KastKing. They're just upfront and honest about it.

webertime reply :

On 9/19/2017 at 8:34 AM, primetime said:

I noticed the New Daiwa BG is made in China, and I love that reel, Why is china any different than Thailand or Malaysia, or Korea anyway??????? Engineers are just as smart in China as they are in any other country, Plus Daiwa, KastKing, Quantum etc. All design the reels and have quality control. KastKing has a few reels they sell for $100, I bet those reels are really nice but People are just not comfortable with a Toyota or Nissan yet.

But it's Daiwa's factory in China/Malaysia/Korea, not Dai Yung Industries (tee hee). For the $, Kastkings are great, I like their braid just fine. But there is no comparison (In my experience with fishing and MANY outdoor recreation products) between a "sourced/OEM" product and one built by the same company that designed it.

BaitFinesse reply :

On 9/19/2017 at 11:00 PM, Glenn said:

Well, not quite. KastKing's reels are built to their specs. They pick and choose what components to include in their reels, from a selection of thousands of parts.

This process is not unique to KastKing. They're just upfront and honest about it.

That makes sense. The Assassin has lighter spool with additional porting not found on other brand reels using the same platform. Others have a 20 gram spool and the Assassin has a 14.8 which is a significant reduction.

j_blaze14 reply :

yes, they are for real. just got my 6th kk reel yesterday, spartacus plus. im just blown away so far. huge cork grips, semigloss finish, easy brake system, long casts. $34 on aliexpress. i put ceramic bearings in my royal legend but im not sure this one needs ceramics. ill keep buying these at these prices, they have not let me down yet. only issue ive had is the centrifugal brake on my legend stopped clicking in place, trying to fix it i lost some very small parts. i could have sent it back but running magnets only with ceramics it casts a mile. plus it looks sweet with a carbon fiber handle and cork grips. i have a spartacus, mela ii 3000, lma200, all have run great. just clean out the factory grease and lube them properly, all they need.

Buffaloe reply :

The Assasin being less than 6oz for less than $60 piqued my interst so I bought one just for the heck of it. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it and have had no complaints / issues whatsoever. Time will tell if it holds up, but so far it’s been solid and handled everything thrown at it. Only routine maintenance performed on it thus far, and likely will keep it going if taken care of. It’s functioned just as well and done it’s job just the same as my Chronarchs and Curados thus far.

Dirtyeggroll reply :

On 8/4/2017 at 9:14 AM, 1201vilbig said:

I have 4 - 2 Demons & 2 Assassins. After reading others experience, I cleaned the factory gunk out & greased/oiled it like you should do any new reel. No noise, very smooth, cast control is awesome. I am actually disappointed because shoulder issues may have me switching to spinning gear. I will try the KastKing spinning reels for sure.

No noise!? Not even from the centrifugal brake? I just got an Assassin and it is down right loud whenever I turn the centrifugal brake up from “0”.

care to elaborate on the detail of the cleaning?

OnthePotomac reply :

These comments remind me of those years ago when BPS marketed their Pro Qualifier series and were referred to by some as "junk". Boy, were they wrong.

J Francho reply :

Depends on which PQ. There were some that weren't that great. I think it part of a combo deal, not as a separate reel, sold as a "Pro Qualifier Combo."

1201vilbig reply :

On 2/6/2018 at 12:27 PM, Dirtyeggroll said:

No noise!? Not even from the centrifugal brake? I just got an Assassin and it is down right loud whenever I turn the centrifugal brake up from “0”.

care to elaborate on the detail of the cleaning?

Nothing that I don't do to any new reel. Disassemble, clean out all of the assembly lube with Simple Green, put it back together & lube/oil like any other reel. I do use Lucas oils.

boudroux reply :

In our families arsenal we have 3 Royale Legends. I got 2 upfront for my sons as I didn't want to fork out 100 bucks for their first baitcasters. I personally have a couple curado's, a tatula and a citiga.

One of my boys broke his reel trying to "see what's inside" so we replaced it with another of the same model. They have held up to the abuse my 7 and 9 year olds have thrown at them. However, they both sound like a bucket of bolts when casting and the spool tension knob has been a problem on all 3 reels. The knob has backed off on all of them. I fixed it myself by wrapping the threads with some teflon tape but it sure seems like there should be a spring under the knob or something to keep them from spinning off unexpectedly.

Noisy as all heck but I can cast either of my kids kast kings significantly further then any of my more expensive reels i use. Without a doubt I'll be buying a couple more for the boys this spring.

BryantEustice2 reply :

I bought a kastking legend royale as my first baitcaster and I loved it. I think it was $30 on ebay and was a great one to learn on. Never had any complaints and I still use it to this day.

desmobob reply :

On 8/4/2017 at 2:51 AM, Brett's_daddy said:

I already have a Lews Tournament Pro, Shimano Curado I and a Daiwa Tatula CT Type-R but I happened to stumble across the Speed Demon reel and the YouTube videos really look nice...easy long casting, good brakes with minimal if any backlashes and smooth retrieve. Just curious how it stacks up as maybe i would replace one of my reels with that in the future and save some cash.

Lew's TPs are my mainstay reels and I have a nice selection of other brands; some high-end. I tried a KastKing Royal Legend (or something like that) awhile back... it's now hanging in the garage on a loaner rod. The reel is functional, but definitely not what I'd want to fish with if I had the other reels you mention. Hats off to KastKing though for offering these reels at such an affordable price.

Tight lines,

Bob

J Francho reply :

It's really unreasonable to compare them to reels that cost three times as much.

ratherbfishin1 reply :

On 3/6/2018 at 3:04 AM, J Francho said:

It's really unreasonable to compare them to reels that cost three times as much.

I think they know it won’t be close but they just want to get an idea of how good they are compared to reels they own to know if it’s worth the money they pay for nicer reels. But I do agree that it is unreasonable to compare them. I personally have never tried one but plan too because they have some cool reals from what I’ve seen.

desmobob reply :

On 3/6/2018 at 3:04 AM, J Francho said:

It's really unreasonable to compare them to reels that cost three times as much.

Absolutely... but that's what the OP is likely going to end up doing... he already owns three more expensive reels.

After reading this thread, I went out in the backyard (in the snow) and made a bunch of casts with my Legend Royale. Considering the price, that reel is very impressive. I don't regret the purchase at all. It will be a great loaner, back-up, or gift for a kid or someone in need.

I love messing around with bargain reels. I just ordered a Tsurinoya XF-50 reel from China. It's a "BFS" baitcaster that's priced at about sixty bucks and is getting great reviews. I don't expect it to perform like my Daiwa PX-R or SV105, but I know I'll have fun with it.

Again, hats off to Kastking for making fishing affordable.

Tight lines,

Bob

desmobob reply :

I just ordered a Stealth!

I admit... I have a reel problem.

Tight lines,

Bob

nosdog2 reply :

MY opinion on them as I have way to many hobbies that are expensive (hunting, shooting, fishing) and I need to be somewhat frugal when I do my purchases.

I have the Stealth, Speed Demon, and the Assassin and by far I like the Stealth the best. It just works, with little effort it casts a mile, has zero backlash issues, and hauls the fish in great. Heck I can even skip it now (thanks @ww2farmer ).

The Assassin works ok, hard to explain but it just doesn't feel right in my hand and doesn't seem to work as well. I know that isn't some breaking review, but I think it boils down to a lot of personal hand feel. I did put this reel on a rod for my sons to start learning to use a baitcaster and it works great for them.

The Speed Demon was a big disappointment to me. I waited for this one to come in stock for a while and I really had high hopes for this reel as I am a huge spinner bait fan. It does cast well, it is obviously fast to retrieve, VERY fast in fact. However, the drag was/is horrible in my opinion. Catch any fish over 3-4 lbs, I really noticed it with some larger Pike, and the drag just felt very weak and 'slippy' to me.

NYWayfarer reply :

On 3/7/2018 at 3:19 AM, nosdog2 said:

The Speed Demon was a big disappointment to me. I waited for this one to come in stock for a while and I really had high hopes for this reel as I am a huge spinner bait fan. It does cast well, it is obviously fast to retrieve, VERY fast in fact. However, the drag was/is horrible in my opinion. Catch any fish over 3-4 lbs, I really noticed it with some larger Pike, and the drag just felt very weak and 'slippy' to me.

The solution to this might be how your reels drag spring washers were installed. Known issue with the Speed Demon found by one of our own Bass Resource forum members, Tuna. If you switch the washers around it should solve this problem.

Link to thread:

nosdog2 reply :

Well dang! I need to check this on mine.

Drew03cmc reply :

I have a Stealth and a Royale Legend. They are both amazing values. The Legend is on my crankbait rod with 10 YZH and the Stealth is on my MH with 30# Superpower braid. I also run their 15# Superpower braid on my spinning rod. I'm sold. The Stealth is easy to skip and get my baits where they need to go.

boudroux reply :

I've now had a chance to fish the assassin and the Sharky III. I received them both last week and have caught fish on both now.

I think the assassin is a much better reel then the royal legend. I caught a decent 4.5 pounder on it and have no complaints. It certainly has a different feel then any of the big name reels I have but I wouldn't call it bad, just different.

The Sharky III I'm still undecided on. It feels solid and smooth and looks nice. I'm not sure if it is me, the new rod I put it on or the reel but I had a very hard time getting in sync with this reel over two days of fishing it. It got to the point that I almost put it away and picked up a different spinning combo. New reel on a new Lews TP1 spinning rod and I just struggled with distance, accuracy and pretty bad line twist. I slowly motored while letting all the line off the reel with out a lure to get the twist out but after about an hour it was back and worse. I'll be fishing both days this weekend and will give this Sharky it's fair shake again and will see.

All in all I'm a huge fan of the casting reels.

Dirtyeggroll reply :

On 2/6/2018 at 12:27 PM, Dirtyeggroll said:

No noise!? Not even from the centrifugal brake? I just got an Assassin and it is down right loud whenever I turn the centrifugal brake up from “0”.

care to elaborate on the detail of the cleaning?

I’m over the noise. The Assassin casts fantastic. I finally got to take it out today (ice out finally!) and toss a Megabass vision 110 with it. Paired with my Cabela’s ZX topwater rod, I could really launch the Vision 110 and NO BACKLASH!

Paired with the ZX it makes for a really light combo and IMO nice setup.

desmobob reply :

Just to clarify for a few guys, the brake inside the side cover of the Kastking is not a centrifugal brake. It merely brakes the spool shaft at a constant rate, regardless of spool speed; most similar to the spool tension knob than anything.

It works, though to me, it seems to have very little effect. But it does it without adding the weight of the brake to the spool itself...

Tight lines,

Bob

NYWayfarer reply :

On 3/9/2018 at 10:51 AM, desmobob said:

Just to clarify for a few guys, the brake inside the side cover of the Kastking is not a centrifugal brake. It merely brakes the spool shaft at a constant rate, regardless of spool speed; most similar to the spool tension knob than anything.

It works, though to me, it seems to have very little effect. But it does it without adding the weight of the brake to the spool itself...

Tight lines,

Bob

To further clarify, the Kastking reels that have the "centrifugal" brake in the side cover are the Royale Legend, Whitemax and Stealth. The Spartacus and Assassin have a centrifugal dial on the spool itself.

BaitFinesse reply :

On 3/9/2018 at 10:51 AM, desmobob said:

Just to clarify for a few guys, the brake inside the side cover of the Kastking is not a centrifugal brake. It merely brakes the spool shaft at a constant rate, regardless of spool speed; most similar to the spool tension knob than anything.

It works, though to me, it seems to have very little effect. But it does it without adding the weight of the brake to the spool itself...

Tight lines,

Bob

If you want to bother with a Kastking reel then stick to the Spartacus/Assassin platform for the real deal 6 pin centrifugal brake. There are also shallow 14.5 gram spools for the platform for $10 on Aliexpress if you want to cast light weight baits.

Bluebasser86 reply :

On 3/10/2018 at 5:06 AM, BaitFinesse said:

If you want to bother with a Kastking reel then stick to the Spartacus/Assassin platform for the real deal 6 pin centrifugal brake. There are also shallow 14.5 gram spools for the platform for $10 on Aliexpress if you want to cast light weight baits.

I bought one of these spools and added it to my Spartacus Plus and spooled it with 8lb mono. I was casting a 1/8oz hair jig and shortened 2" power craw with ease with that reel with that spool. Very sweet little low cost BFS reel, especially for someone like me that has no real need for one, other than having one just because it's fun to play with.

desmobob reply :

On 3/7/2018 at 1:50 AM, desmobob said:

I just ordered a Stealth!

I admit... I have a reel problem.

Tight lines,

Bob

On 3/10/2018 at 5:06 AM, BaitFinesse said:

If you want to bother with a Kastking reel then stick to the Spartacus/Assassin platform for the real deal 6 pin centrifugal brake. There are also shallow 14.5 gram spools for the platform for $10 on Aliexpress if you want to cast light weight baits.

Good grief... now it's looking like I'll have to order yet another reel!

The KastKing website doesn't have a lot of detailed information or a comparison feature. I ordered a Stealth but now I can't really find the differences between the Stealth and the Legend Royale I already have. I clearly should have ordered the Assassin so I could try a KastKing having true centrifugal brakes and take advantage of the availability of an inexpensive aftermarket shallow spool.

It's on my list for next month.

Tight lines,

Bob

Dirtyeggroll reply :

On 3/10/2018 at 11:09 PM, desmobob said:

Good grief... now it's looking like I'll have to order yet another reel!

The KastKing website doesn't have a lot of detailed information or a comparison feature. I ordered a Stealth but now I can't really find the differences between the Stealth and the Legend Royale I already have. I clearly should have ordered the Assassin so I could try a KastKing having true centrifugal brakes and take advantage of the availability of an inexpensive aftermarket shallow spool.

It's on my list for next month.

Tight lines,

Bob

The Assassin is a great reel for the price. Arguably the best for the price.

NYWayfarer reply :

On 3/10/2018 at 11:13 PM, Dirtyeggroll said:

The Assassin is a great reel for the price. Arguably the best for the price.

I agree if it was sold in brick and mortar stores it would be marked up to $90 to $100 easy. Maybe more considering the weight, mag and centrifugal brakes, 12 shielded bearings and a carbon fiber handle. $60 everyday price is a steal and when it’s on sale, it’s almost theft.

@desmobob the Stealth is lighter than the legend, made of carbon rather than graphite. You can feel the difference in quality when you handle and cast them. Stealth is much better IMO

johnD. reply :

Does kastking have a low profile reel built on a metal frame , or are they all graphite / plastic ?

georgeyew reply :

On 3/11/2018 at 1:06 AM, johnD. said:

Does kastking have a low profile reel built on a metal frame , or are they all graphite / plastic ?

They have the spartacus maximus that is a aluminum frame.

desmobob reply :

On 3/11/2018 at 12:50 AM, NYWayfarer said:

I agree if it was sold in brick and mortar stores it would be marked up to $90 to $100 easy. Maybe more considering the weight, mag and centrifugal brakes, 12 shielded bearings and a carbon fiber handle. $60 everyday price is a steal and when it’s on sale, it’s almost theft.

@desmobob the Stealth is lighter than the legend, made of carbon rather than graphite. You can feel the difference in quality when you handle and cast them. Stealth is much better IMO

My Stealth came today and I agree... after a bit of casting out in the snow it seems to feel and cast better than my Royale Legend. I tried them back-to-back on the same rod using the same line. Next comes an Assassin...

My old Lew's and Daiwa reels have nothing to get jealous about, but I do enjoy messing around with these KastKing reels. I'll be putting some serious fishing time on the Stealth and hopefully, an Assassin this spring to see what I really think.

Tight lines,

Bob

Edit to add: I forgot to mention it... the fine folks at KastKing threw in a gift: a 300 meter (327yd.) spool of their copolymer line in 20lb. test.

nosdog2 reply :

On 3/7/2018 at 4:49 AM, NYWayfarer said:

The solution to this might be how your reels drag spring washers were installed. Known issue with the Speed Demon found by one of our own Bass Resource forum members, Tuna. If you switch the washers around it should solve this problem.

Well @NYWayfarer I checked my SD and sure enough the washers were installed incorrectly! Switched them around and we will see how well it does when the weather gets a bit nicer! Thanks again.

Dirtyeggroll reply :

On 3/11/2018 at 4:19 AM, desmobob said:

Edit to add: I forgot to mention it... the fine folks at KastKing threw in a gift: a 300 meter (327yd.) spool of their copolymer line in 20lb. test.

I learned of this AFTER I bought my Assassin, but they gave me 4-lb line. I will never use it. I did learn that you CAN request the size you want when you order the reel. I would have loved some 10 or 12 lb.

At least 20-lb is useful for heavy cover ????????

punch reply :

Wow, Kast King signed an elite pro... who'da thunk it.

desmobob reply :

I got the vibe that he wasn't really too happy about doing that video, or KastKing, or life in general that day...

I hope he does well and the relationship with KastKing is positive for all involved!

Tight lines,

Bob

punch reply :

On 3/16/2018 at 1:02 PM, desmobob said:

I got the vibe that he wasn't really too happy about doing that video, or KastKing, or life in general that day...

I hope he does well and the relationship with KastKing is positive for all involved!

Tight lines,

Bob

I've never heard of the guy before today, but he's only done 14 tournaments.

Bluebasser86 reply :

New Speed Demon is coming out soon. Makes me glad I didn't order another yet after seeing it, looks sweet!

NYWayfarer reply :

On 3/16/2018 at 11:17 AM, nosdog2 said:

Well @NYWayfarer I checked my SD and sure enough the washers were installed incorrectly! Switched them around and we will see how well it does when the weather gets a bit nicer! Thanks again.

Your welcome, but @Tuna deserves the thanks for discovering this in the first place. Mine were installed incorrect as well. I noticed a big improvement after I switched mine. No more slippage.

On 3/16/2018 at 3:21 PM, Bluebasser86 said:

New Speed Demon is coming out soon. Makes me glad I didn't order another yet after seeing it, looks sweet!

I saw the Speed Demon rods with the Winn Grips both Pro and species specific versions and they look great. I had not seen the new reel though! Just noticed that's called the Speed Demon PRO. Maybe they will still offer the regular speed demon and this is an upgraded version, hopefully with an aluminum frame!

NYWayfarer reply :

On 3/16/2018 at 11:24 AM, punch said:

Wow, Kast King signed an elite pro... who'da thunk it.

I commented on this vid that I was shocked that Bill uses the Spartacus for flipping and the Stealth for everything else. I use the Speed Demon for flipping and the Assassin for almost everything else. My stealth is used for weightless stickbaits most of the time.

Dirtyeggroll reply :

On 3/16/2018 at 3:21 PM, Bluebasser86 said:

New Speed Demon is coming out soon. Makes me glad I didn't order another yet after seeing it, looks sweet!

Hopefully they've fixed the problem with the tension knob not staying where its set. That is my only complaint with my current Speed Demon. Maybe they will let me exchange my current Speed Demon for some credit toward a new one since the one I currently have is less than 6 months old.

Glenn reply :

You can win one right here!

https://www.bassresource.com/giveaway/kastking-speed-demon-giveaway.html

BaitFinesse reply :

When the 1st one looked little too much like a Steez LTD I was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt but this is just obvious.

NYWayfarer reply :

On 3/17/2018 at 9:21 AM, BaitFinesse said:

When the 1st one looked little too much like a Steez LTD I was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt but this is just obvious.

Haha the new Speed Demon pro looks like what would happen if a Steez and a Lew’s Mach Crush could have a baby.

jtharris3 reply :

On 3/16/2018 at 1:02 PM, desmobob said:

I got the vibe that he wasn't really too happy about doing that video, or KastKing, or life in general that day...

I hope he does well and the relationship with KastKing is positive for all involved!

Tight lines,

Bob

I didn’t get the impression at all.

Brett's_daddy reply :

On 3/16/2018 at 10:01 PM, Glenn said:

You can win one right here!

https://www.bassresource.com/giveaway/kastking-speed-demon-giveaway.html

Who won the reel?

desmobob reply :

My Assassin came today (no complimentary spool of KastKing line included in the package this time) and I brought it out in the yard to mess with it. It is as incredibly light as the Stealth; actually lighter, according to the specs.

I was excited about the Assassin having real centrifugal brakes vs. the spool spindle brakes on my Royale Legend and Stealth. The centrifugal brake noise was irritating to me; you can even hear them hissing on the retrieve. I'm sure I'll get used to it.

I installed a shallow spool I picked up on AliExpress and I was immediately impressed with the amount of free-spool I was getting. I wound on some Yo-Zuri Hybrid 6 lb. line. I tied on a 1/4 oz. casting weight, tightened the spool tension just enough to take out side-play, set the centrifugal brakes to "6" and the magnetic brake to "Max" and let her rip. The result was a professional-grade over run.

I was surprised, but not overly so. I did notice when unboxing the reel and playing with it that both the centrifugal and magnetic brakes had a minimal effect compared to the brakes on other reels I use. Even with both brakes turned up all the way, I could still get a couple of seconds of free-spool.

After messing around a bit more, I was casting OK and had the centrifugal brakes down to "3" and the magnetics turned down a little. Distance was not what I had hoped, but considering it was 25* outside and the Yo-Zuri line was stiff as wire, it was fine. I'll try again with the reel spooled with braid.

I'm pleased with the reel and I'm looking forward to trying it out on the water. At this point, I think I prefer the Stealth but have only done some back yard casting with the reels. Time on the water casting lures instead of weights will be a better test, I'm sure.

Tight lines,

Bob

BaitFinesse reply :

You might want to try a little more spool tension than what is needed to eliminate side to side play and 4 of the centrifugal brakes on. That is what I ended up doing with mine.

DroneFisher reply :

On 3/16/2018 at 8:33 PM, NYWayfarer said:

Your welcome, but @Tuna deserves the thanks for discovering this in the first place. Mine were installed incorrect as well. I noticed a big improvement after I switched mine. No more slippage.

I saw the Speed Demon rods with the Winn Grips both Pro and species specific versions and they look great. I had not seen the new reel though! Just noticed that's called the Speed Demon PRO. Maybe they will still offer the regular speed demon and this is an upgraded version, hopefully with an aluminum frame!

I think it is a carbon frame. Kind of like the Assassin or Stealth frames. Overall lighter reel.

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