j_blaze14

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.

the spartacus plus is a solid reel, the cork handles are the best ive used. the reason for all the bearings in the knobs is for the smoothness, but if they get dirty im sure it would be a huge problem. ive never used mine for flipping, just worms and jigs, but its held up to bowfin and turtles, so it should get them out of heavy cover for sure. the only recommendation i would give is to clean off the stock grease and use your favorite lubes in there, the stock grease is a little heavy.

aaahhh, beat me to it. i have an old coastal tough catfish baitcaster that works perfect for this, huge spool, tension knob, works perfect. you can count revolutions of reel to know how much youve used.

fluoro is another animal, im still going through growing pains since i started using it. it seems to "slip" a bit at the knots, you need to leave a longer tag end. as for the fg, it seems to loose some strength when you friction weld it to the braid tightening at the end. im a huge fg fan but ive been using the improved alberto for a few weeks with good success (12lb kastking fluoro) and have not lost a fish since i switchd to alberto and longer tag ends.

knobs are the first thing i look at when purchasing a reel, its gotta feel right

theres a gear under the main gear with big teeth, make sure its lining up with the clicky part that engages the spool. i noticed putting mine back together the teeth line up right on the edge of it and it theres 1 or 2 mm of play it will do what you are saying.

my bmax and promax are still newer, maybe 200 casts each, and they still cast a mile. im still getting used to the smaller size reel. 1 thing i did with them is i took out the tension knob bearing. it just seemed like overkill with the other 2 big bearings on the spool. a little less than half on the brakes with the knob loose and i can get 50 yard casts with a 3/8 jig or medium square bill. for under $40 if they last a couple years illbe happy.

try the improved alberto, the fg is getting beatup coming in the first guide at a 90 angle. fg knot once its tightened properly it gets this like 3/4" stiff portion of line, the alberto is more compact and just a bit wider. if that fails, try a dark 20# braid with no leader.

i have the spartacus plus with oversized cork grips. best handle ive felt by far on any reel. if they put these grips on carbon fiber i would buy 4 for all my other kk reels, and 1 for the abu. check the centrifugal pins, i always run 1 in, 3 out and then fine tune with dial. if that doesnt help check the side bearing. as a last resort they have a great warranty.

i got about 20 years of LH spinning rod use and 15 years of RH baitcasters. last month i got a lefty just to try it out, i figure no big deal, $25 baitcaster on ebay cant hurt. turns out im a lefty all the way. my right hand should have always been my rod hand. a couple more months of muscle memory and i can make the switch all around. i can do a lot more things with the rod using a LH reel.

i had this happen once. line was rolling to the right cuz it was too loose. spool it in with more tension.

learn the fg knot, learned it about 6 months ago and it has changed my world of fishing. all the sensitivity of braid with the invisibility of fluoro. i only run straight braid on topwater now.

what is your distance? with the black max 3 i can cast a 6" lizard with a 1/8 oz bullet weight about 50 yards on a 7ft medium heavy fast rod. brakes are 2 clicks down from center, tension knob loose and tension knob bearing removed. just touch the spool with your thumb right before the bait hits the water. i also flick cast, where i push the upper handle as i pull the lower handle, not the old basball swing cast style. to set the brakes just keep lowering them 1 click at a time from max with each new bait until you get a backlash, then go back up 2 clicks. never failed me on any rod/reel/line combo.

ive used both, and own both. the black max is tiny compared to the stealth, if size is a consideration. the stealth has a far superior handle. the black max also is labeled as a 6.4:1 but it feels like a 5:1, not sure why. they are both smooth, cast a mile, and reel in big fish. for the money, i prefer the kastkings. just a bit better features at the same pricepoint as other reels, which was their goal all along. i put a kastking royal legend handle on my bmax3 and now love it.

braid and fg knots, dont know how i ever fished before