Kast King Reel Owners

[WTnPuddleJumper]

I know there is a few threads on the forum about this, but I couldn't really find the answer I was looking for.  Any of you guys that do own and use regularly one of the KastKing Baitcasters please chime in.  I currently am using Lews Laser MG reels, and so far they are doing  their job.  I used to use the Abu silver max but the level winds started going South halfway thru the fishing season.  First off I am rough on my gear (ask Road Warrior)  I fish a lot.  I use heavy braids and heavy mono.  I fish a lot of cypress holes and river runs.  I fish 20+ Tournaments per season.  Is the reel worthy of this type of load?  If so which model(s)?  Thanks for your input!!

[Jaderose]

I don't really know what is going on with all the KastKing threads or why there are so many of them but I DO know that seeing this name all over the place makes me want to NEVER buy one irregardless of how "great" they are.  Give it a friggin rest already.  It's a 50 dollar reel.  If you buy it and get 1.5 to 2 years of decent service out of it, you got your money's worth.

 

End of story.  

 

rant over.....get off my lawn

 

 

 

and btw.....I seriously doubt if someone that fishes 20+ tournaments a year is wondering about a 50 dollar reel

[hunterPRO1]

for 50 dollars theyre the best imo, are they going to compete with reels in the 150+ price range? not at all, but i will say for 50 bucks theyre dang good reels.

[roadwarrior]

1 hour ago, WTnPuddleJumper said:

I know there is a few threads on the forum about this, but I couldn't really find the answer I was looking for.  Any of you guys that do own and use regularly one of the KastKing Baitcasters please chime in.  I currently am using Lews Laser MG reels, and so far they are doing  their job.  I used to use the Abu silver max but the level winds started going South halfway thru the fishing season.  First off I am rough on my gear (ask Road Warrior)  I fish a lot.  I use heavy braids and heavy mono.  I fish a lot of cypress holes and river runs.  I fish 20+ Tournaments per season.  Is the reel worthy of this type of load?  If so which model(s)?  Thanks for your input!!

 

No, they are not for you.

 

As I have said before and have reviewed the reels, the KastKing are a good value at their pricing point.

[Yudo1]

If I was fishing 20+ tournaments a season, I wouldn't even think about a $50 Kast king reel.  I'm sure they are fine reel that fits a need for budget minded anglers or the occasional fisherman.

[TX-Deluxe]

Just a catchy name? 

[Oklahoma Mike]

2 hours ago, Yudo1 said:

If I was fishing 20+ tournaments a season, I wouldn't even think about a $50 Kast king reel.  I'm sure they are fine reel that fits a need for budget minded anglers or the occasional fisherman.

 

My thoughts exactly. I appreciate quality products and am willing to spend a little more money to get them, even for casual fishing and occasional tourney use. I d**n sure wouldn't be buying a cheapo $50 reel for that volume of tournament fishing. 

[WTnPuddleJumper]

Id still be using $50 Silver Max reels if the dern level winds wouldnt quit working.  Ive tried the $150 range reels and they lasted a little longer than the $50-$75 reels.  But not 3 times as long.  I can afford any of them, but choose to use the cheaper reels.  The $80 Lews are holding up fine so far, but I keep hearing about the KastKings and was wondering if they were as advertised or all hype.

 

P.s.  Jaderose--why such anger from a question? take a chill pill bud

 

[roadwarrior]

The KastKing are VERY nice reels right out of the box, but I have only fished them for a few months,

so I cannot really comment on longevity. For the price I think you should experiment with one of their

baitcasters and post a review, good or bad.

 

[lmbfisherman]

I find it hard to believe a 150 dollar can't hold up to you're fishing that much.  I guess if you never ever service them, take care of them maybe? Shimano usually grease/oil the heck out of their mainstream reels and they usually can hold up without servicing them for years.

 

...I guess get the Kastking, use them until they are dead and buy another if you want to use them.  

[jtharris3]

Lews LFS Speed Spool FTW. JMHO!

[Big Swimbait]

I've had my Demon for about 3 weeks now and 4 outings. It has been flawless. It casts as well and in a lot of cases better than my expensive baitcasters. It took about 2 casts to dial in the brakes/tension control. I haven't caught anything over 5.5 lbs yet to really test the drag, but I do snug it down pretty good anyway. As a lot have said, longevity will be the key. But at $70 for a 9.3:1 reel, if it lasts 2 years I'd be happy. I'm usually selling/upgrading then anyway.

[Bluebasser86]

Since KastKing doesn't sell in stores, they have less overhead, so they can sell their reels for cheaper. What that means is these reels you're paying $50 for, would probably cost 70-100 if they were sold in stores. So you're getting a better reel than what $50 would typically buy. 

At the same time, I think a lot of people are hoping for $200 performance and durability, out of a $50 reel, which is just unrealistic.

I've put my Assassin through a lot and it's still going strong. The wipers I wore out with it this winter put more strain on a reel than any bass ever will. I've started to break my Speed Demon in, and really like it so far. It has several dozen solid largemouth and smallmouth to it's credit so far and I really like it. If you're going to try one for what you described, that would be the one I'd be putting my trust into. 

[primetime]

On 5/4/2017 at 3:04 PM, WTnPuddleJumper said:

I know there is a few threads on the forum about this, but I couldn't really find the answer I was looking for.  Any of you guys that do own and use regularly one of the KastKing Baitcasters please chime in.  I currently am using Lews Laser MG reels, and so far they are doing  their job.  I used to use the Abu silver max but the level winds started going South halfway thru the fishing season.  First off I am rough on my gear (ask Road Warrior)  I fish a lot.  I use heavy braids and heavy mono.  I fish a lot of cypress holes and river runs.  I fish 20+ Tournaments per season.  Is the reel worthy of this type of load?  If so which model(s)?  Thanks for your input!!

I know this is an old thread but I have been spending the last few months, maybe a year researching all Chinese Reels on the market since I import products from China & other countries to sell part time. I am familiar with the Korean Company & 2 others which help create the image of "Not Made in China" but Taiwan, China, outside the USA all the same to me for most part.

When I say Chinese reels, I have been testing reels like *** (In my town and started the company at the same time as the 4 guys from Kastking. 99% of the reels we fish are from China and other countries not in the USA unless you are looking to go deep sea fishing and use Avet. Reels from Lew's,Abu, Daiwa, Okuma etc. may have R&D Offices in the USA, Sweden, but they simply outsource the reels to factories elsewhere which makes sense. Obviously all companies have different Quality Control & different specs so I am not knocking any company, but I can pick a reel from a catalog, order 500, call it anything I want, and simply add a new color to a $200 reel and just mark it up for much less, or use cheaper bearings etc. Not too much goes into R&D anymore, and KastKing is no different than say a company like Duckett or Quantum,BPS etc. They give free reels to everyone, focus on Customer Service, and simply do not mark up reels at 400%.

 

Most reels we fish are sold in other parts of the world under different names, The Ardent wire spinning reel is sold as 8 different reels I believe. Bottom Line, Chinese reels under Chinese names are coming like Japanese Cars. The China Fish International show was all New reels from China and you still often get what you pay for, but just because you pay $300 for a Duckett Reel, or Quantum, does not mean it is worth $300. Every company makes cheap reels, Kastking has a few models in the $100 Range now, but I would put their casting reels for $50 on par with any $100 reel, I would argue the Pro Max for $49 online is the best value under $100, Advertising, Sponsership, add cost, Eposeiden is selling reels cheaper by using Chinese Factories & using Proven Technology to keep costs down, then they do not mark them up so high. The Academy Meddle is $60 and if I gave that reel a new name, some new paint, Titanium coating on the line guide, It could sell for $150 no complaints if KVD fished it. All reels have issues after a few years.

 

Kast King is based on Long Island and they are using the same factories and frames as other Chinese reels, They are based on Long Island like *** is based in Florida, both do the same things when ordering reels, only Kast King has better customer service. Eposeidon which is Kast king now has $100 reels but they are no different than buying from Quantum, they all pick em out of catalogs and then import them.

 

Chinese reels are going to be like Japanese Cars. China fish International the biggest fishing show in the world is usually 2 years ahead, and it was all Chinese Reel Companies, branded in China, going to be Sold In America. Why not cut out the middle man? Japanese cars are pretty good after a tough start. Kastking is an American company so if a Silver Max was working for you, you are tough on your stuff, Expect a good 2-3 years from a Kastking just like you will get from your Lew's Laser.

 

Sorry for the rant, Obviously Lews makes a good reel and they "Design" some nice reels, but so does Kastking, ***, and Abu Garcia. After trying dozens of reels, I would say the ORRA and Pro max are best reels for heavy fishing, good drags, if you go that way again. Lew's are great, but at $50 every company has a comparable reel, some companies just sell them for 4x the price.

Check out Browning Reels. Saving a ton of money if you buy the one's that are a year old or so. Unless BPS lies about the Specs, hard to beat a Browning reel. Then again, they don't advertise like Kast King so they only sell for $80 same Internals as a Jonny Morris?

 

[lmbfisherman]

Shimano, Daiwa and Okuma? I believe don't have OEM manufacturers like the others so I beg to differ on your opinion regarding the reels are being made.  They are quality controlled by their companies.  Further I'm surprised Doyo and/or Shimano hasn't gone after some of these companies that knocked off their design.  Read some of the specs, marketing on the boxes...pretty blatant.  The Kastking is based off the Doyo reels, with specs Kastking asks for made by this Chinese manufacturer.  Having said all of this, who knows maybe one day Kastking or another company lifts off and brings out a great product.  I'll be in line if they last as long and perform better than my Shimano reels.  Right now though after seeing what's inside a Kastking, Shishamo, Trulinoya...etc I'll not buy one, even for the price.  

[primetime]

3 hours ago, LowRange said:

Okumas are Banax and Kastkings are Trulinoyas.  Not that this changes anything.  

The first Kast King reels were sold as the LMA 200 which is made by Trulinoya or at least sold by several distributors in China under the trulinyo name. I see all the Korean reels being sold in China, Most companies make reels in multiple factories which is why you see the same reels being sold under 8 different names.

 

It;s super complicated these days. I don't know how it works between the 2 Korean Reel Companies since plenty of places (Legit Factories which show Import sales to the USA in huge quantities) and they are sold as a Doyo reel, and then they have the same reel under a china label. No company puts all their Eggs in 1 basket, they use multiple factories for different models etc. Quality control, and for cost reasons, so things are always changing.'

 

Pretty sure many of the Japanese companies also outsource except maybe the reels over $300. I have seen all the Tatula's and legit ones sold in China but they are with the legit companies and they won't sell them in bulk unless you keep them as a Daiwa.

 

I know Banex was making some of the Okuma reels and now several other factories are making them, but Trulinyo and a few other companies usually have reel frames that are all different brands. In the City of Wehia in China their are over 250 Reel OEM's alone. Most will tell you who they make the reels for, it is usually public info, or info you can find, but you have to be careful for knock offs or OEM reels that are defective etc.

 

Best part of China is you can order overstocks and refurbished reels in bulk at crazy low prices at times. they somehow get Shimano reels, usually the lower End ones.

 

I am still trying to figure out where Ryobi fits in. They have really nice reels that  are identical to high end models, The Okuma reels are easy to spot since they have that dial system and shapes are easy to spot. I think Tica used to make them as well, China is a complicated place, that is why I would rather trust Quality Assurance to reputable companies.

[primetime]

5 hours ago, lmbfisherman said:

Shimano, Daiwa and Okuma? I believe don't have OEM manufacturers like the others so I beg to differ on your opinion regarding the reels are being made.  They are quality controlled by their companies.  Further I'm surprised Doyo and/or Shimano hasn't gone after some of these companies that knocked off their design.  Read some of the specs, marketing on the boxes...pretty blatant.  The Kastking is based off the Doyo reels, with specs Kastking asks for made by this Chinese manufacturer.  Having said all of this, who knows maybe one day Kastking or another company lifts off and brings out a great product.  I'll be in line if they last as long and perform better than my Shimano reels.  Right now though after seeing what's inside a Kastking, Shishamo, Trulinoya...etc I'll not buy one, even for the price.  

It's complicated, I am still trying to figure it out. The Shismano and identical reels that are like 18 bearings are shelf reels that get picked up by distributors and small OEM's and re branded or stripped down to get the price low. The Original kast King's were Trulinyo LMA 100's, but I think Trulinoyo makes reels for a bunch of different companies, plus I think they distribute. The Doyo site lists reels as LFS, and now I just saw the new Kastking in their Catalog. Its the same frame as many reels. I see the Pro Qualifier sold under a bunch of different names, They don't keep it a secret, I know what lFS means, and if I want to start copying them, I just need to get the MOQ money, not call it lew's, and change at least the color. I think Shimano has a Patent on their system, same with some High End Daiwa but all the other stuff  is free game to  "Re-Design".

 

I know many Okuma reels are made in China, I am pretty sure every company Outsources, One Small city in China has over 250 Reel OEM's, so things are always moving around. That is why it often makes sense to pay for Quality Control. The guys from Kastking went over to China when they first started, they also used to be a distributor for Abu Garcia and Daiwa until they won the Icast award and now they left the Eposiedon site. Doyo and Dawon are in Korea, I don't know how much they actually make, not that it matters, I find Chinese made Okuma Reels to be just fine. I just buy them here.

 

I just laugh when kastking gets hate yet they are an American Company who started small and are now doing really well. They are doing what Duckett, and every other Reel Manufacturer does. They just found the sweet spot. Light reels made with Carbon, Drag power that is crazy high even though you only need 10lb for Marlin Fishing. Specs sell, I am 99% certain Japan outsources most reels as well, at least the popular ones.

 

all the main reel companies seem to come up with good ideas every year with R&D. Heck, Kastking did a 9:3 and a 5.6 oz reel with 19lbs of drag? The frame for most reels starts out super cheap, then you choose the options and get a price. Anyone can do it, you can find Carrot Stix, Falcon and other companies reels that never made it all over the place cheap. Many companies take Disco'd reels and Re-Brand. Shimano seems to run the tightest ship, the Lews, Abu,BPS, Ardent, Even the Daiwa frame from the Exceller is everywhere now. You never really see Shimano knock offs that can be taken seriously.

 

Buying a Shismano is like buying a Bolex watch on 42nd street in NYC. You know its fake. At least they make it easy for you.

 

After seeing how kastKing and Piscifun are doing, heck BR sponsers kast King now, Guides in Florida are sponsered by Piscifun, and on reputable sites you see reels from Noeby getting ranked in the top 5 which is crazy.

[CroakHunter]

To the op, I have 3 kastking royale legends have had them for 2 yrs. The 36 dollar ones. And although bulky compared to my tatula ct's they have been solid reels. Have used them for every application that I use. I prefer them as a swim jig/spinnerbait reel and also have one on my frogging setup. The other is used as a spare spooled up with 50lb braid in case I need to use braid instead of fluorocarbon on my Texas rigs or jigs.  

[primetime]

1 minute ago, CroakHunter said:

To the op, I have 3 kastking royale legends have had them for 2 yrs. The 36 dollar ones. And although bulky compared to my tatula ct's they have been solid reels. Have used them for every application that I use. I prefer them as a swim jig/spinnerbait reel and also have one on my frogging setup. The other is used as a spare spooled up with 50lb braid in case I need to use braid instead of fluorocarbon on my Texas rigs or jigs.  

That's good to hear, 2 years and kast king has only improved since then. They still sell a ton of Royales for a reason. I have the Royale and the Stealth but don't use them much since I spend my spare time trying to fish all the other reels I keep trying. Kind of thinking about importing reels with my own label, Just can't mee the MOQ of the reel I want. I found lots of Junk in China, but also some Gems for under $15. I am blown away with how cheap it is to buy good reels in bulk, even from reputable OEM's, they will do 10 reels we all recognize for fraction of the price, changing the specs and getting a new name on it is the tough part. Most of these companies will handle your parts and service as well, no wonder Kast king replaces everything, same with Okuma.

 

the 4 guys from Kastking started out buying a "Cheap" reel in China, selling it for $40 so probably paying $15 landed, started with cheap braid, Frogs etc. Until they could get the money to get with an OEM who could do what they wanted.

 

Smart guys. THey realized bearing count matters most to buyers, Carbon and light weight matters just as much, and then toss in crazy drag ratings higher than most competitors. They also nailed the cosmetics and good for them.

 

If you ever watched You Tube there was a video of a guy who was going to take apart a Kast King to show how cheap it was but he had a break down about 20 minutes in when the bearings were exactly what were advertised. Not saying they are $300 reels, but Hard to beat $30 for that Mela Spinning reel, they practically advertise that it is an Ardent Wire Clone by saying its Manufacture in China directly to your door to cut costs.

 

The next big reel will be the Piscifun reels. Guys down here are sponsered by them and they also make a good reel like the Kast King. KastKing seems to sell more reels than Duckett and good for them.

This is the reel I am working on hopefully getting with a few changes. Also known by some as a Pinnacle only they have a few better features than this version from Korea/China/Thailand.

 

[primetime]

Looking at this Doyo/China reel which is also sold as a Pinnacle for $200 but it has better internals than I can afford but I am learning how to adjust them to get the cost right. I need to figure out what to change besides color. I want the 2 reels to start but need more money to get the gear ratio up and also get silver/White instead of red, and change some of the internals. Maybe I can get Lucky if I can think of a new name better than KastKing which I thought was bad. Most names have been tried already or being used elsewhere, may just go with nothing written on reel & have unique colors. I think Red won't be good for a startup, Needs to look original and this one also needs some Lews style holes on the top. White reels also sell better from my smaller flea market ventures.

Also like this Doyo and China reel, Since the Quantum Energy is gone, maybe this rainbow color can be good since more reels need to look different imo. Not sure about the handle but that is a cheap modification and can be done seperately, Pinnacle struggles in the high range area since they made all the inexpensive reels for years.

[CroakHunter]

The reel handle knobs confuse me, but it looks nice. 

[Jon G]

If you are looking for a cheaper reel, I personally would go on eBay and would look for used reels. You can get really solid reels for a great deal. They even have NIB Tatulas for $90 and free shipping.

[Bluebasser86]

Not having any issues with either of mine. My Speed Demon was doing some heavy lifting in a bad neighborhood on Thursday.

[Jeff H]

On 5/4/2017 at 3:22 PM, Jaderose said:

I don't really know what is going on with all the KastKing threads or why there are so many of them but I DO know that seeing this name all over the place makes me want to NEVER buy one

We went through this same bs with Pinnacle, even worse actually. Felt the same way.

[earthworm77]

On 5/4/2017 at 3:04 PM, WTnPuddleJumper said:

I know there is a few threads on the forum about this, but I couldn't really find the answer I was looking for.  Any of you guys that do own and use regularly one of the KastKing Baitcasters please chime in.  I currently am using Lews Laser MG reels, and so far they are doing  their job.  I used to use the Abu silver max but the level winds started going South halfway thru the fishing season.  First off I am rough on my gear (ask Road Warrior)  I fish a lot.  I use heavy braids and heavy mono.  I fish a lot of cypress holes and river runs.  I fish 20+ Tournaments per season.  Is the reel worthy of this type of load?  If so which model(s)?  Thanks for your input!!

 

No they are not worthy of anything more than light duty for a guy who fish's sporadically a few times a year. If you fish 20+ tournaments a year, you likely should be way more interested in a quality reel. If you are willing to spend 50.00 every 12 to 18 months to replace a cheap reel, why not pick up a few Curado I's for about 100 to 120 used each. They will last way longer than that, perform much better and I assure you are not going to break down.

 

I have heard horror stories about these reels, literally having the guts inside fall apart or out when the side plate is opened. It is kind of shocking to me that you wouldn't be using the best you can afford when money is on the line.

21 hours ago, lmbfisherman said:

Shimano, Daiwa and Okuma? I believe don't have OEM manufacturers like the others so I beg to differ on your opinion regarding the reels are being made.  They are quality controlled by their companies.  Further I'm surprised Doyo and/or Shimano hasn't gone after some of these companies that knocked off their design.  Read some of the specs, marketing on the boxes...pretty blatant.  The Kastking is based off the Doyo reels, with specs Kastking asks for made by this Chinese manufacturer.  Having said all of this, who knows maybe one day Kastking or another company lifts off and brings out a great product.  I'll be in line if they last as long and perform better than my Shimano reels.  Right now though after seeing what's inside a Kastking, Shishamo, Trulinoya...etc I'll not buy one, even for the price.  

 

 

This is a perfect assessment of the cheap reels.

 

I personally love Kuying light tackle rods, I have 4. They essentially are JDM spec rods assembled in China for cheap. That said, the reels, have a way to go before I could ever recommend them.

26 minutes ago, Jeff H said:

We went through this same bs with Pinnacle, even worse actually. Felt the same way.

Pinnacle is just garbage, I had 6 deadbolt reels break down because the gears started to disintegrate within 6 months of each other, they were less than 2 seasons old. Shimano reels only for me fellas. There is no compromise there.