Kastking Stealth 2024
EGbassing reply :
I have two baitcasting rods and one reel (Daiwa Feugo) right now. I want to get another reel so I'll have two rods rigged, but I can't decide which one to get. I want to keep it definitely under $100, but preferably under $80. For that price, is the Kastking Stealth a good reel? It's 6 oz. which is really nice, but makes me wonder if it will hold up well. A lot of the reviews say it has insane casting distance. Thoughts on it?
ResoKP reply :
I would get SLX to contrast with your Fuego
NYWayfarer reply :
I have the Stealth for 2 years now. Mine is still going strong but keep in mind I don't use it every outing.
Of all the Kastking baitcasters I have it's the only one that backlashes from time to time. I think it has to do with the extremely light spool. It does cast very far, probably farther than any other Kastking baitcaster I own.
If you can get it on sale for under $40 I would say go for it. At full price there are much better reels on sale out there to consider. The BPS Pro Qualifier 2 normally $100 on sale for $50 comes to mind. Aluminum framed reel for less cost than the Stealth's graphite one.
It amazes me the price on this reel is still $56 for $3 more you can get the Assassin or the Megajaws. Better reels IMO for just $3 more. Again I would not buy these at full price. Kastking stuff goes on sale all the time, you just have to be patient.
EGbassing reply :
On 2/28/2019 at 2:40 AM, NYWayfarer said:I have the Stealth for 2 years now. Mine is still going strong but keep in mind I don't use it every outing.
Of all the Kastking baitcasters I have it's the only one that backlashes from time to time. I think it has to do with the extremely light spool. It does cast very far, probably farther than any other Kastking baitcaster I own.
If you can get it on sale for under $40 I would say go for it. At full price there are much better reels on sale out there to consider. The BPS Pro Qualifier 2 normally $100 on sale for $50 comes to mind. Aluminum framed reel for less cost than the Stealth's graphite one.
It amazes me the price on this reel is still $56 for $3 more you can get the Assassin or the Megajaws. Better reels IMO for just $3 more. Again I would not buy these at full price. Kastking stuff goes on sale all the time, you just have to be patient.
Thanks. What would you say is your favorite Kastking baitcaster under 100? Is the Assassin a good reel? And I thought about that limited edition Pro Qualifier but a lot of people say it's not as good as the standard Pro Qualifier.
Joshua van Wyk reply :
On 2/28/2019 at 1:45 AM, EGbassing said:I have two baitcasting rods and one reel (Daiwa Feugo) right now. I want to get another reel so I'll have two rods rigged, but I can't decide which one to get. I want to keep it definitely under $100, but preferably under $80. For that price, is the Kastking Stealth a good reel? It's 6 oz. which is really nice, but makes me wonder if it will hold up well. A lot of the reviews say it has insane casting distance. Thoughts on it?
Personally I would get either another Fuego or a Shimani slx, I love my slx, it's a great caster and super comfortable on all my rods. You can find them sub $80 on Ebay from time to time.
EGbassing reply :
On 2/28/2019 at 2:57 AM, Joshua van Wyk said:Personally I would get either another Fuego or a Shimani slx, I love my slx, it's a great caster and super comfortable on all my rods. You can find them sub $80 on Ebay from time to time.
I don't have a way to buy off of Ebay, but do you know if there's another place I get one below retail price?
Joshua van Wyk reply :
On 2/28/2019 at 2:59 AM, EGbassing said:I don't have a way to buy off of Ebay, but do you know if there's another place I get one below retail price?
You can get 10% off at American Legacy Fishing if you sign up for their newsletter.
EGbassing reply :
On 2/28/2019 at 3:29 AM, Joshua van Wyk said:You can get 10% off at American Legacy Fishing if you sign up for their newsletter.
$90 isn't too bad. I'll definitely consider it. Thanks!
BaitFinesse reply :
Don't bother with a Kastking or any other plastic reel unless it is under $50. For that price they offer good value for your money. I like the Spartacus personally. It has a real 6 pin centrifugal brake and can be had for $35 on Aliexpress. If you budget is under $80 then the Fuego CT is great. The Shimano SLX also might be able to be had for that budget as well.
NYWayfarer reply :
On 2/28/2019 at 2:53 AM, EGbassing said:Thanks. What would you say is your favorite Kastking baitcaster under 100? Is the Assassin a good reel? And I thought about that limited edition Pro Qualifier but a lot of people say it's not as good as the standard Pro Qualifier.
My favorite Kastking Baitcaster under $100 is my Speed Demon. I paid $35 for it regular price is $69
The Assassin is a good reel. I know @Bluebasser86 and @J Francho have the Assassin as well. Mine still performs great.
I don't know what the standard Pro Qualifier is like but the Pro Qualifier 2 is a nice reel. Got to use it while on vacation as my friend bought one. Well worth the $50 he spent on it. Reminds me of my Lew's LFS but $50 less and has dual brakes unlike my magnetic only LFS.
J Francho reply :
Yep, mine is still kicking butt.
EGbassing reply :
On 2/28/2019 at 5:24 AM, J Francho said:Yep, mine is still kicking butt.
Does it have a good braking system?
Russ E reply :
Kastkings most popular is the royal legend elite. it costs anywhere from $69.00 to $75.00. Depending on which gear ratio you choose. It only has magnetic brakes, but from personal experience they work well. It is also very smooth.
If setup correctly backlashes are very rare. It will actually cast farther than my Tatulas.
the speed demon pro is also a nice reel, but if you have small hands it may be uncomfortable to palm.
plus the 9.3 to 1 gear ratio is a little faster than I like, on anything except jigs and worms.
Brent Chapman has been testing their newest baitcaster called the bassinator.
not sure what it is going to cost. Not yet on the market.
Bluebasser86 reply :
My Assassin has been put through everything I could think of and it's still going strong. Over 2 years of year round use and spending a lot of time each winter catching fish that fight way harder than any bass and it's still one of the furthest casting reels I own.
NYWayfarer reply :
On 2/28/2019 at 5:31 AM, EGbassing said:Does it have a good braking system?
Dual brakes. It's rare I get a backlash with this reel. 100% of the time I do it's my fault.
J Francho reply :
On 2/28/2019 at 5:31 AM, EGbassing said:Does it have a good braking system?
They work fine. It's a dual brake system. I must have have set them at one point, but I really don't remember. All I know, it's easy to cast.
NYWayfarer reply :
On 2/28/2019 at 6:48 AM, Russ E said:Brent Chapman has been testing their newest baitcaster called the bassinator.
not sure what it is going to cost. Not yet on the market.
Horrible name. Don't these companies google the names they want to give their reels. At least to see if it's on Urban Dictionary.
MN Fisher reply :
On 2/28/2019 at 9:51 PM, NYWayfarer said:Horrible name. Don't these companies google the names they want to give their reels. At least to see if it's on Urban Dictionary.
I don't pay attention to anything Urban Dictionary comes up with...most of their definitions were made up by 40 year old 'boys' still living in their mother's basement.
greentrout reply :
ratherbfishin1 reply :
I would recomend a lews speed spool lfs personally. It retails for $100 but they are at sale at Scheels by my house for $70 or $80 so they might be on sale other places. I think they came out with a “new” one so they might be clearing out the old ones??? I had a fishing buddy that used them and I can assure you it is an amazing reel. Fishes quite similar to my tournament pro lfs which retails for $200.
Russ E reply :
On 2/28/2019 at 9:51 PM, NYWayfarer said:Horrible name. Don't these companies google the names they want to give their reels. At least to see if it's on Urban Dictionary.
What about mega jaws. That is their latest baitcaster. I have a couple royal legend elites. They are nice.
I will never buy a mega jaws. Mainly for the fact it is called mega jaws, and the ridiculous looking teeth on the reel.
It looks like something a kid would use. A baitcasting snoopy reel.
NYWayfarer reply :
On 3/1/2019 at 10:16 AM, Russ E said:What about mega jaws. That is their latest baitcaster. I have a couple royal legend elites. They are nice.
I will never buy a mega jaws. Mainly for the fact it is called mega jaws, and the ridiculous looking teeth on the reel.
It looks like something a kid would use. A baitcasting snoopy reel.
Good marketing strategy if they are targeting the younger demographic. Plenty of companies are doing this, Lews, 13 fishing and Favorite come to mind, with their colors and designs aimed at the young angler (Or big kids like me)
Buffdaddy54 reply :
On 2/28/2019 at 1:45 AM, EGbassing said:I have two baitcasting rods and one reel (Daiwa Feugo) right now. I want to get another reel so I'll have two rods rigged, but I can't decide which one to get. I want to keep it definitely under $100, but preferably under $80. For that price, is the Kastking Stealth a good reel? It's 6 oz. which is really nice, but makes me wonder if it will hold up well. A lot of the reviews say it has insane casting distance. Thoughts on it?
What hand retrieve are you? I have a Brand New tatula 100 Left Hand retrieve Im selling for 80.00 shipped. Just a little too small for my big hands. Let me know, Its also spooled with 30lb braid. It has never seen the water.
Gregg
EGbassing reply :
On 3/1/2019 at 10:44 PM, Buffdaddy54 said:What hand retrieve are you? I have a Brand New tatula 100 Left Hand retrieve Im selling for 80.00 shipped. Just a little too small for my big hands. Let me know, Its also spooled with 30lb braid. It has never seen the water.
Gregg
Unfortunately I'm right hand retrieve. I wouldn't hesitate to buy that if I were left hand retrieve though.
Bluebasser86 reply :
Put my biggest bass of the year so far in the boat today on my Assassin. She was a serious puller but it handled it no problem. Was my biggest bass on a KK reel to date as well.
Russ E reply :
caught my personal best last summer with a KastKing speed demon pro baitcaster.
biggest bass for 2019 was on a speed demon spinning reel. they do make reliable reels.
NYWayfarer reply :
On 3/2/2019 at 11:25 AM, Russ E said:
biggest bass for 2019 was on a speed demon spinning reel. they do make reliable reels.
I am a big fan of their spinning reels. So many folks ask about their baitcasters but IMO Kastking spinning reels are the superior product. The Kastking Sharky 3 is one of the best spinning reels I own.
EGbassing reply :
I've decided to get a Shimano SLX but I still want to try a Kastking Assassin at some point.
Eynt reply :
Last year I got back into bass fishing. Bought two KK pro tournament bass rods. 1 Sharky spinning reel and 1 speed demon reel. Have to give them credit on looks, they are attractive.
Less than 10 times out on the water, one rod started to make cracking sounds and the sharky reel started to act up. The paint on the speed demon reel rubbed off but still cast really well. But the tension nob was so loss that I had to constantly double check it.
Bought three KK large spools of braid line. The most expensive spool with x8 strands have random clumps.
During the same time I bought some lews reels and daiwa rods and had not a single problem.
My point is their quality control is pretty bad.
greentrout reply :
On 3/3/2019 at 9:03 AM, Eynt said:Last year I got back into bass fishing. Bought two KK pro tournament bass rods. 1 Sharky spinning reel and 1 speed demon reel. Have to give them credit on looks, they are attractive.
Less than 10 times out on the water, one rod started to make cracking sounds and the sharky reel started to act up. The paint on the speed demon reel rubbed off but still cast really well. But the tension nob was so loss that I had to constantly double check it.
Bought three KK large spools of braid line. The most expensive spool with x8 strands have random clumps.
During the same time I bought some lews reels and daiwa rods and had not a single problem.
My point is their quality control is pretty bad.
baloney ...
Eynt reply :
Whats baloney about my statement? I have nothing against KK. They look good and are cheap but you do get what you pay for. That's all i'm saying.
I can't remember the exact line I bought but it was in yellow and was clumpy. I think it was the wax or paint. But when I pick at it, the line frays. Does not give me confidence so I don't use it. I still use the other spoils of line and will continue to do so. But I'm going to give J-braid and Power Pro a try next just for comparison. Again, i'm getting back into the sport so really behind.
Bluebasser86 reply :
Never heard of a rod making "cracking", sounds or "clumpy", line? Also not sure how a tension knob can be so loose that you have to constantly check it? It shouldn't need to be set that loose to begin with.
I've got probably a dozen KK reels now, a few rods, and a bunch of spools of their braided line. Only issue I've had was a Sharky III that had kind of a weak bail spring. At any rate, an email to their CS department and I had it swapped out with a brand new one in a week.
Some things are bound to get through the cracks in any mass produced products, but for a company offering more budget minded products, I think they actually have really good QC.
NYWayfarer reply :
On 3/3/2019 at 2:00 PM, Bluebasser86 said:Never heard of a rod making "cracking", sounds or "clumpy", line? Also not sure how a tension knob can be so loose that you have to constantly check it? It shouldn't need to be set that loose to begin with.
I've got probably a dozen KK reels now, a few rods, and a bunch of spools of their braided line. Only issue I've had was a Sharky III that had kind of a weak bail spring. At any rate, an email to their CS department and I had it swapped out with a brand new one in a week.
Some things are bound to get through the cracks in any mass produced products, but for a company offering more budget minded products, I think they actually have really good QC.
I agree. The few issues I had with any of my dozen plus Kastking reels and rods were solved with an email to their service department.
They even vent sent me some free stuff for the inconvenience.
BTW I watch Brett’s vid on Facebook about the Bassinator reel. It a dual SPEED baitcaster?!!! Kastking used to have the Triton which was a 2 speed spinning reel. This is their first 2 speed baitcaster.
greentrout reply :
On 3/4/2019 at 10:10 AM, NYWayfarer said:BTW I watch Brett’s vid on Facebook about the Bassinator reel. It a dual SPEED baitcaster?!!! Kastking used to have the Triton which was a 2 speed spinning reel. This is their first 2 speed baitcaster.
1:28
Bluebasser86 reply :
On 3/4/2019 at 10:10 AM, NYWayfarer said:I agree. The few issues I had with any of my dozen plus Kastking reels and rods were solved with an email to their service department.
They even vent sent me some free stuff for the inconvenience.
BTW I watch Brett’s vid on Facebook about the Bassinator reel. It a dual SPEED baitcaster?!!! Kastking used to have the Triton which was a 2 speed spinning reel. This is their first 2 speed baitcaster.
I'm not sure if it's a 2 speed baitcaster, or if it's available in 2 speeds? Kind of unclear from what I heard in the video.
Honestly, I spent most of it trying to see what brand bladed jig he was throwing. Brent isn't, or at least historically hasn't been a fan of bladed jigs. Last time I saw him I gave him a handful of my baits, including a black and blue, which was the color he was using in the video and it appears to be a bait that the blade is connected by a split ring like mine, made me wonder.
Russ E reply :
On 3/4/2019 at 12:45 PM, Bluebasser86 said:I'm not sure if it's a 2 speed baitcaster, or if it's available in 2 speeds? Kind of unclear from what I heard in the video.
Honestly, I spent most of it trying to see what brand bladed jig he was throwing. Brent isn't, or at least historically hasn't been a fan of bladed jigs. Last time I saw him I gave him a handful of my baits, including a black and blue, which was the color he was using in the video and it appears to be a bait that the blade is connected by a split ring like mine, made me wonder.
I wondered the same thing. it also looked like it was a centrifugal brake reel, instead of the magnetic brakes of the RLE.
If your baits are getting used on the MLF circuit that would be cool. They work pretty good for some of us amateurs.
J Francho reply :
Shimano had a 2-speed reel. Finicky thing.
redmeansdistortion reply :
Abu made the 5500 and 6500 in a 2-speed too. It was pretty popular with musky fishermen because it would retrieve a bait at 6.3:1, and when you hooked up, it would switch to 3.8:1 to winch the fish in.
Paul Roberts reply :
If you are at all concerned about braking I'd steer clear of the Stealth. I'm not new to BCing, and regularly use reels from 35 to 1 yr old. All work perfectly well, the newer ones quite a bit smoother. Except the Stealth (EDIT: The Stealth is a smooth reel, but...) The brakes appear to be virtually non-existent on it. It is VERY easy to backlash compared to all my other reels.
The talk is that it's the super-light spool. Maybe. But I'd think you could makes brakes commensurate. To be fair, I still have to try something else with it: I could be over-powering my casts. And it might pair best with more forgiving rod actions. Anyway, lots of reels out there that cast far and... brake easily. Maybe the Stealth will cast a bit farther? Remains to be seen.
EGbassing reply :
On 3/4/2019 at 11:34 PM, Paul Roberts said:If you are at all concerned about braking I'd steer clear of the Stealth. I'm not new to BCing, and regularly use reels from 35 to 1 yr old. All work perfectly well, the newer ones quite a bit smoother. Except the Stealth. The brakes appear to be virtually non-existent on it. It is VERY easy to backlash compared to all my other reels.
The talk is that it's the super-light spool. Maybe. But I'd think you could makes brakes commensurate. To be fair, I still have to try something else with it: I could be over-powering my casts. And it might pair best with more forgiving rod actions. Anyway, lots of reels out there that cast far and... brake easily. Maybe this one will cast a bit farther? Remains to be seen.
Thanks. I went with a Shimano SLX. It seems pretty nice so far.
lmbfisherman reply :
On 3/5/2019 at 12:18 AM, EGbassing said:Thanks. I went with a Shimano SLX. It seems pretty nice so far.
I hear nothing but good things about the SLX, so I'm sure you will be happy and I'm glad Shimano listened to the market. Although I probably won't get one myself as I'm biased towards the Curados and Chronarchs.
Paul Roberts reply :
On 3/5/2019 at 12:18 AM, EGbassing said:Thanks. I went with a Shimano SLX. It seems pretty nice so far.
If brand means anything anymore -here's to hoping it does- Shimano makes great reels. I have/had Daiwa's, Abu's, Quick, Shimano, and BPS. All have been good. My very first was a Shimano Bantam Mag I bought in, I believe, 1984. I still use it regularly! I love that reel. ❤️
I've been kinda lusting after the Curado's. But, I don't need another reel.
EGbassing reply :
On 3/5/2019 at 12:32 AM, lmbfisherman said:I hear nothing but good things about the SLX, so I'm sure you will be happy and I'm glad Shimano listened to the market. Although I probably won't get one myself as I'm biased towards the Curados and Chronarchs.
I love it so far. The handles are perfect.
BaitFinesse reply :
On 3/4/2019 at 11:34 PM, Paul Roberts said:If you are at all concerned about braking I'd steer clear of the Stealth. I'm not new to BCing, and regularly use reels from 35 to 1 yr old. All work perfectly well, the newer ones quite a bit smoother. Except the Stealth (EDIT: The Stealth is a smooth reel, but...) The brakes appear to be virtually non-existent on it. It is VERY easy to backlash compared to all my other reels.
The talk is that it's the super-light spool. Maybe. But I'd think you could makes brakes commensurate. To be fair, I still have to try something else with it: I could be over-powering my casts. And it might pair best with more forgiving rod actions. Anyway, lots of reels out there that cast far and... brake easily. Maybe the Stealth will cast a bit farther? Remains to be seen.
The light spool thing is bogus. Yes they start up faster but they are also easier to control due to the light weight. Larger diameter spools also start up slower and at 36mm the Stealth is pretty big spool. The problem is the cheap weak magnets and garbage fake centrifugal brake. That THING they call a centrifugal brake on that platform is actually just 4 tabs that drag on the spool shaft continuously and is clearly an add on to address the braking complaints. The reel is also gigantic. The platform is just garbage. The other platform they use for the Spartacus and Assassin is much better. With a real 6 pin centrifugal brake and lower profile those are the $30 and $50 reels to get from Kastking.
greentrout reply :
Paul Roberts reply :
I'm bringing this one back up, bc I've come to terms with my Stealth. I clicked on all 4 of those brake tabs on the spool shaft, and... simply don't over-power the cast. My older reels seem to need some oomph, and my newer ones don't, but they can handle it. The Stealth casts well, with a gentle stroke. And my thumb is right there. It's a bit noisy (but so is my Daiwa CT) when all those shaft tabs are engaged. Less so when I go easy with it.
K.Mac reply :
On 3/1/2019 at 9:14 AM, greentrout said:
Now thats what I'd call a great testament on this real!
dodgeguy reply :
Get a Lews lfs from sportsmans outfitters for like $85.
NYWayfarer reply :
On 2/26/2020 at 6:41 AM, dodgeguy said:Get a Lews lfs from sportsmans outfitters for like $85.
That's a great alternative choice.
Kastking has a real contender now with the Crixus Armor X IMO. It is an aluminum framed reel with lots of bells and whistles plus Winn Grip knobs for under $90. I could have gotten one for $60 on an inner circle deal. I am kicking myself for not pulling the trigger on that one.
NOC 1 reply :
On 3/3/2019 at 9:03 AM, Eynt said:Last year I got back into bass fishing. Bought two KK pro tournament bass rods. 1 Sharky spinning reel and 1 speed demon reel. Have to give them credit on looks, they are attractive.
Less than 10 times out on the water, one rod started to make cracking sounds and the sharky reel started to act up. The paint on the speed demon reel rubbed off but still cast really well. But the tension nob was so loss that I had to constantly double check it.
Bought three KK large spools of braid line. The most expensive spool with x8 strands have random clumps.
During the same time I bought some lews reels and daiwa rods and had not a single problem.
My point is their quality control is pretty bad.
The year before last I thought I'd save some money and bought all KastKing mono and Flouro with which to re rig my gear. I don't remember exactly how many spools of what I bought but I usually buy 18-20 300yd. spools, a mix of 6,8,10,12,15,and 20lb. lines. I'm sure the KK mix was similar.
I lost so many lures on that stuff that at the end of the year I bought 18-20 more spools of the P-Line Flourocoat that I had been using before. I don't normally like to knock different products, but in this case I feel justified. I had seen the reviews of the KK line warning me that it had problems and I had bought the stuff anyway and it was IMO even worse than what people had said. In places you could actually see the thin spots. I know I lost over $100 of lures due to line breaks. Hands down the worst and most unreliable line I've seen in my 63 years.
I didn't have the problems before using the KK line and I didn't have the problems after getting rid of the KK line...Maybe that isn't scientific proof, but at this point, I know what I know and I know I'll not be buying any more KK lines.
ike8120 reply :
On 2/26/2020 at 10:03 PM, NYWayfarer said:That's a great alternative choice.
Kastking has a real contender now with the Crixus Armor X IMO. It is an aluminum framed reel with lots of bells and whistles plus Winn Grip knobs for under $90. I could have gotten one for $60 on an inner circle deal. I am kicking myself for not pulling the trigger on that one.
I bought 2 of them The Bassinator on a budget
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