Kastking Stealth

[EGbassing]

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]

I would get SLX to contrast with your Fuego

[NYWayfarer]

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]

13 minutes ago, 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]

1 hour ago, 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]

1 minute ago, 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]

28 minutes ago, 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]

2 minutes ago, 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!

[NYWayfarer]

1 hour ago, 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]

Yep, mine is still kicking butt. 

[EGbassing]

6 minutes ago, J Francho said:

Yep, mine is still kicking butt. 

Does it have a good braking system?

[Russ E]

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]

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]

16 hours ago, 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]

16 hours ago, 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]

15 hours ago, 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]

1 hour ago, 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]

 

[ratherbfishin1]

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]

12 hours ago, 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]

12 hours ago, 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]

On 2/27/2019 at 12:45 PM, 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]

33 minutes ago, 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]

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]

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.