I'm on a budget, and I don't want to spend over $55 on a reel
Torrent is cheaper in price
Our site sponsor Kastking has some very affordable reels you might look at. I just got my new Spartacus Plus in the mail today, and they're less than $50.
On 8/16/2017 at 4:19 PM, Bluebasser86 said:Our site sponsor Kastking has some very affordable reels you might look at. I just got my new Spartacus Plus in the mail today, and they're less than $50.
Id really like to know how this one performs. Been a fan of KastKing for a while now.
On 8/16/2017 at 9:16 PM, DroneFisher said:Id really like to know how this one performs. Been a fan of KastKing for a while now.
It's rigged and ready to rock for the weekly tournament tonight. Hopefully it gets a good workout.
x2 on the KastKing lineup.
Id avoid all that cheap stuff. a dadgum Shimano Caenan can now be had for $79.99 MSRP so Im sure you can find them cheaper than that.
BEWARE OF CHEAP BAIT CASTING REELS. Rumor has it that you get what you pay for. Kinda long ago, I bought a US Reel Supercaster Hidden 800 SX. I bought it because, throwing half ounce practice plugs in the parking lot, with a kind of tippy 6'6" rod (labeled MH but really more of a medium power & action) you could throw a long ways with reasonable accuracy.
Fast forward to real time, throwing any kind of bait on the water, and it don't work very well. Anytime your bait caught any air back lashes happened. I couldn't find a technique that it was even decent for and there was nothing it was good at.
I have a collection of cat fishing gear and the Hibdon Supercaster is in with that bunch of gear, early retirement as it were. I've used it twice in the 5 years I've owned it, I had a spread of catfish lines out and that Supercaster rig never got bit. I'm concerned what would happen if a decent cat or a bigger carp picked up the bait and made a run on that reel. I wouldn't be surprised if the gears disintegrated.
However, if you want to throw practice plugs in the parking lot, it is a good reel for that.
To reiterate - DON'T BUY CHEAP BAIT CASTERS.
On 8/17/2017 at 11:04 PM, Fishes in trees said:BEWARE OF CHEAP BAIT CASTING REELS. Rumor has it that you get what you pay for. Kinda long ago, I bought a US Reel Supercaster Hidden 800 SX. I bought it because, throwing half ounce practice plugs in the parking lot, with a kind of tippy 6'6" rod (labeled MH but really more of a medium power & action) you could throw a long ways with reasonable accuracy.
Fast forward to real time, throwing any kind of bait on the water, and it don't work very well. Anytime your bait caught any air back lashes happened. I couldn't find a technique that it was even decent for and there was nothing it was good at.
I have a collection of cat fishing gear and the Hibdon Supercaster is in with that bunch of gear, early retirement as it were. I've used it twice in the 5 years I've owned it, I had a spread of catfish lines out and that Supercaster rig never got bit. I'm concerned what would happen if a decent cat or a bigger carp picked up the bait and made a run on that reel. I wouldn't be surprised if the gears disintegrated.
However, if you want to throw practice plugs in the parking lot, it is a good reel for that.
To reiterate - DON'T BUY CHEAP BAIT CASTERS.
Define "Cheap Batcaster" please
On 8/16/2017 at 9:16 PM, DroneFisher said:Id really like to know how this one performs. Been a fan of KastKing for a while now.
Me too. I wish they did a better job of differentiating their products. All the manufactures. What is the difference in the plus other than $3 and less gloss?
On 8/17/2017 at 10:50 PM, CTGalloway21 said:Id avoid all that cheap stuff. a dadgum Shimano Caenan can now be had for $79.99 MSRP so Im sure you can find them cheaper than that.
I had a Caenan and Casitas and didn't like either of them. Both felt very cheap and strained under load of fighting a fish.
One thing that has to be taken into consideration with the "cheap" KastKing reels is they only sell online, so there is no middle man markup like there is with Shimano and all the other major brands (and I used to work retail, it's a pretty significant markup). So if you put the KastKing reels on the shelf of a BPS, they'd likely be priced the same as those 2 Shimanos, and maybe if they were priced higher they'd have more people believing in them because they weren't priced so cheap.
I have 5 or 6 KastKing reels now, they all get serious use right along side my more expensive reels, and they've all performed beyond my expectations. Not just saying it because they're a sponsor, I've only been given 2 reels by them to try initially, they've just impressed me enough to pay for the rest out of pocket.
Keep in mind that Bluebasser fishes more than most. I am lucky to get out once or twice a week for 3 or 4 hours. I bet he fishes several days a week or more with plenty of full days in the mix. He uses his equipment a good amount so if he seems to be impressed by something (especially since he has been using a few of those reels for months now) I would value his input. It is not like he fished them once or tossed them around in the backyard and then wrote a review. Plus he bought a few on his own dime which to me says something and it is much more than a mod pumping a sponsor product.
Also a few YouTubers I follow have been using the KastKing reels for a while and one as a frog set up. These guys are hard on their gear and fish a ton as well. They seem pretty satisfied as well. For what you pay for them I think folks would be pleasantly surprised. Will they last for years...that is the only question I would have but if they dont you aren't out much.
Other option would be to buy a used reel something that would have retailed for $100 can be had for $50-80 pretty easily.
On 8/18/2017 at 2:42 AM, MasterBasser said:Me too. I wish they did a better job of differentiating their products. All the manufactures. What is the difference in the plus other than $3 and less gloss?
Spartacus Plus has the rubber cork handles with the Kastking logo. It also mimic's the paintjob of it's big brother, The Spartacus Maximus. The regular Spartacus has the foam handles.
I had the Spartacus and loved it. It's retired now as I took it apart to clean it and dropped it and all the pieces. I put it back together but like Humpty Dumpty it will never be the same. I upgraded to the Assassin and couldn't be happier.
I have one of if not the cheapest Kastking baitcaster. The royale legend. I own three of them and paid full retail for all of them. 1 on a frog rod 50lb braid, 1 on my big worm/carolina rig rod 17lb copoly. And one spooled with 15lb copoly I keep as a back for any of my reels that may malfunction before I can fix them or buy a new one. I am very pleased. Have landed multiple catfish and gar up to 20 pounds when we made a random trip to the river.
KastKing or Piscifun reels are not "Cheap" reels. I still use my "Expensive" reels the most out of habit and because I like them, but I now have a few KastKing reels from baitcasting, round, and spinning I put on some lighting sticks and ugly sticks for friends, and all have taken a beating for months now, and they are still doing great. Piscifun has a good reputation but I have only held a few, never used one for long.
I purchased a Pro Max 3 Abu Garcia on Ebay about 6 months ago for $40 which came off a combo, and I have been super impressed with it.
If you want to stick with name brand, reels like the Trion, Black Max, Silver Max, Pro Max, Orra, BPS, Academy reels are all solid reels without breaking the bank.
Ebay has Daiwa Tatula's for $80, this is the time of year when you gen find clearance deals since all the new models are coming out.
Check out the Okuma Calera and Cerros reels. They are fantastic for the price, but Kast King is no different than any other company with the exeption of Daiwa and Shimano, and probably/maybe Lews.
When I first tried the Stealth, I figured for sure it was too light of a reel, the drag would not be good etc. since it was only $40 and looked so pretty. After 8 months? that reel has been spooled with heavy braid, 15-20lb Mono, and it has handled 10-15 pound Red Fish. I would love to find something wrong with them, but the bottom line is, they are only getting started, hard to find negative feedback on their stuff, Guys are based on Long Island and will replace anything, and just look at how many reels they sell each day on Ebay. They don't advertise much either, and each year they have nicer and nicer reels as they become more profitable.
KastKing is no different than buying a New Duckett reel or any other brand for that matter. Companies manufacture overseas and sell them here, KastKing is now creating new designs each year. I am not saying the Stealth at $40 is better than a Lews $100 reel, but I would put it head to head vs. the Carbon Fiber Lews reel any day which costs $60+? Just my take. Why do we consider China any different than Taiwan, Thailand, Korea etc. anyway. Every country has engineers capable of designing and making a good reel, KastKing stands by their products just like every other major company.
I can cast my Stealth with the magnets on 8 farther than any other reel I own. I had a hard time getting it dialed in at first with both braking systems(Not sure why but it took longer than usual), but at 8, it is amazing how far it casts. I know casting distance is a stupid way to judge a reel, just sayin.
Last comment on Kastking.....When they were first starting out, one of the things they did was send free reels to many of the guides and outdoor writers on Long Island and NY. Since they do not pay for Advertising as Bluebasser mentioned, people just think they are cheap. If you go on youtube, watch the videos where guys break them down looking to "Find the cheap parts" and then listen to what they discover.
If that Picture above was Silver and said Pflueger President, I bet nobody would hesitate to pay $80 and call the President a steal. (I like Pflueger reels). How much is pure Fishing marking that reel up since it is a huge corporation who has a ton of overhead?
If it had a *** on the handle knobs, it would fetch 4x the price, only difference is *** has an office in Florida, KastKing in NY. Plus different designs, price point, and all are made overseas to the specs they pick. KastKing has expensive reels now as well, but for entry level, hard to beat them, although reasonable people can disagree and suggest an Abu,Shimano, Daiwa, Pflueger, Okuma and nobody is wrong.
On 8/18/2017 at 10:24 PM, Finesse Wayfarer said:
Spartacus Plus has the rubber cork handles with the Kastking logo. It also mimic's the paintjob of it's big brother, The Spartacus Maximus. The regular Spartacus has the foam handles.
I had the Spartacus and loved it. It's retired now as I took it apart to clean it and dropped it and all the pieces. I put it back together but like Humpty Dumpty it will never be the same. I upgraded to the Assassin and couldn't be happier.
Been there done that too! You learn to carefully remove everything lol.
Comparing Kastking or Piscifun to all cheap reels just because of a low price is like comparing the quality of all high dollar reels because of the high cost; you just can't do it. I have never owned a Piscifun but they have great reviews by real world users but I do however own 4 Kastking "3 Spinning reels & 1 Baitcaster" and I can attest to the FACT that these are among some of the best reels I have ever used. I am a country boy from way back and I do more bank fishing than boat fishing so my reels are subject to sand, mud, rocks, " which can be even more heartless during a rainstorm" and all the other elements that one can think of so it's not like they've been subject to the pampered lifestyle of ONLY boat fishing. I will say though, I do thoroughly clean my reels after each fishing trip and because of the rigorous activity I put them through... I oil and grease all my reels 3 times a year. I own, Abu Garcia, Shimano, Shakespeare, Diawa, Blue Marlin, Zebco, Libra, and Kastking and I give them all the care & maintenance they should receive. That's where your longevity comes from. I totally break down all my reels and I can honestly say the craftsmanship and quality of all my reels are wonderful but Kastking actually has all them beat, even my Abu Garcia Catfish Series "which I'm pretty sure is also made in China now" has absolutely nothing on my Kastking Rover 60R. Being more than an avid fisherman, actually I have been called a fishing nut by my lady who just doesn't know how to get up with me certain times of the year... I feel I have more than an average view of whats good and not good when the quality of what I use is in question. I am by no means a know it all and I constantly research anything I want to try new. Places like this are the best resource for such research because no one should depend on any merchants reviews of their own equipment. I hope this helps.
I’ll try to keep mine short, you won’t get a quality baitcaster for less than $80 unless on sale. Spring sales are around the corner, just wait to see what’s available. Abu Garcia makes quality reels for a decent price. I think saving your money for a Shimano Casitas would be your best option. The Casitas is better than the caenan, it’s lighter and has a better braking system. Buying a decent reel will save you money in the long run.
Daiwa Fuego CT on the big auction site for $67.
On 2/4/2018 at 12:55 AM, Jeff Baker said:Comparing Kastking or Piscifun to all cheap reels just because of a low price is like comparing the quality of all high dollar reels because of the high cost; you just can't do it. I have never owned a Piscifun but they have great reviews by real world users but I do however own 4 Kastking "3 Spinning reels & 1 Baitcaster" and I can attest to the FACT that these are among some of the best reels I have ever used. I am a country boy from way back and I do more bank fishing than boat fishing so my reels are subject to sand, mud, rocks, " which can be even more heartless during a rainstorm" and all the other elements that one can think of so it's not like they've been subject to the pampered lifestyle of ONLY boat fishing. I will say though, I do thoroughly clean my reels after each fishing trip and because of the rigorous activity I put them through... I oil and grease all my reels 3 times a year. I own, Abu Garcia, Shimano, Shakespeare, Diawa, Blue Marlin, Zebco, Libra, and Kastking and I give them all the care & maintenance they should receive. That's where your longevity comes from. I totally break down all my reels and I can honestly say the craftsmanship and quality of all my reels are wonderful but Kastking actually has all them beat, even my Abu Garcia Catfish Series "which I'm pretty sure is also made in China now" has absolutely nothing on my Kastking Rover 60R. Being more than an avid fisherman, actually I have been called a fishing nut by my lady who just doesn't know how to get up with me certain times of the year... I feel I have more than an average view of whats good and not good when the quality of what I use is in question. I am by no means a know it all and I constantly research anything I want to try new. Places like this are the best resource for such research because no one should depend on any merchants reviews of their own equipment. I hope this helps.
Noticed that this was your first post and just wanted to welcome you. You'll find that these forums are full of ordinary down to earth people who's skill set ranges from beginner to professional. I found your viewpoint on economical reels refreshing.
I use a shimano Casitas almost daily and it cast very smoothly with minimal to no backlashes, it's an inexpensive reel but it does feel chinky plasticy and a bit clunky on the retrieve if your looking for a solid reel for an inexpensive price and want magnetic brakes I would look into kastking there's nothing but good reviews on it.
cant complain about the kk reels either. early on price is what i was looking for, i went on ebay and saw a lot of $20 baitcasters and almost got one. after going on youtube i saw the kk royale legend. got it, used it and was blown away. casting distance, smoothness and feel are not what i was looking for but got it. the handles on the kk reels are superior to all the other <$150 reels ive looked at, hands down. i even went out and upgraded my black and pro max reels handles after seeing how good the kk reels are. bottom line, kk reels will draw you in with price, then keep you with quality. and if there is an issue their customer service is top notch. im looking at the speed deamon next myself.
I am looking for my first baitcasting reel (in italy spinning reel are more spread) because i need a good control over heavy lure (30-80gr 1-3oz) cast to win stream and whirpool .
I cant afford to spend to much so i am considering kastking Assassin.
If I can criticize kastking is in regard of poor differentiation between model.
More Spool capacity and gear ratio available is the way not corky handle!
I picked up a couple of KastKing Royal legends a couple of Piscifun Torrent reels just to review them. Initial impression on both reels, they are very impressive for the price point. Much too early to speak to the longevity of the reels but my opinion has always been maintenance is key to longevity. In comparison at this point I notice the kastking casts further and the piscifun has less backlash when throwing into the wind. Piscifun has an easy oiling port which I find convenient. I do like the clicking spool tensioner knob on the Piscifun. The KastKing has more bearings and the Piscifun has sealed bearings so as of now I'm using the kastking on freshwater lakes and the Piscifun in the Chesapeake Bay.
Hello all,really enjoy the conversations and advice here. With that said I purchased a Piscifun Saex Elite with a bfs spool during there thanksgiving sale for under $100.00 although weather has been too cold here in Illinois to use it I am impressed with the quality of the reel. I just started with baitcasters and used a bps carbonlite 2.0 and a cabelas arachnid last year and I feel the Piscifun is on par with the arachnid and only time will tell but better built than the carbonlite.
Just bought the same ! Tried it finally?
Does anyone know where I can get a oil screw fir the piscifun torrent? Lost mine in the grass :(
On 12/29/2019 at 4:46 AM, Onthebank247 said:Does anyone know where I can get a oil screw fir the piscifun torrent? Lost mine in the grass
Reach out to customer service. They sent me a new handle nut when the one I had on was cross threaded from the factory. They sent it at no charge. Torrent is a great lil reel for the price. It has landed me a few toads.
I have been 100 percent satisfied with the 3 Kastking reels I have used last summer..I also used a couple Diawa Fuego's... I personally liked the Kastkings very well over my shimanos / abu garcias...