Any Kastking fans out there?

[Big Swimbait]

3 hours ago, GRiver said:

I want to get the Zephyr BFS Baitcaster, just haven’t pulled the trigger yet. It’s really good to hear so much positive feedback on them. 

I have it and a 2 piece light action Lightning Rod in a travel case. It has been flawless the dozen or so times I have used it. One bit of advice I read on another forum. Set the brakes and cast control in your back yard or driveway first. It did take about 20 minutes to dial it in. But then I could cast 1/16 oz baits as far as I wanted.

 

[Alex Ball]

2 minutes ago, Big Swimbait said:

I have it and a 2 piece light action Lightning Rod in a travel case. It has been flawless the dozen or so times I have used it. One bit of advice I read on another forum. Set the brakes and cast control in your back yard or driveway first. It did take about 20 minutes to dial it in. But then I could cast 1/16 oz baits as far as I wanted.

 

    If I get one, it's gonna be for my crappie baits. Neat idea. Bfs I mean.

4 minutes ago, Big Swimbait said:

I have it and a 2 piece light action Lightning Rod in a travel case. It has been flawless the dozen or so times I have used it. One bit of advice I read on another forum. Set the brakes and cast control in your back yard or driveway first. It did take about 20 minutes to dial it in. But then I could cast 1/16 oz baits as far as I wanted.

 

Also, Piscifun just dropped the carbon x rods. They have a ulight rod for casting. Would pair well with it I think.

[GRiver]

Since we’re on the Kastking subject…. Anybody know anything about their telescopic casting rod? Going on a trip out west and was thinking about pairing the zephyr bait caster and the 6’8” telescopic casting rod.

[NYWayfarer]

4 hours ago, GRiver said:

Since we’re on the Kastking subject…. Anybody know anything about their telescopic casting rod? Going on a trip out west and was thinking about pairing the zephyr bait caster and the 6’8” telescopic casting rod.

I have both the KK Blackhawk II and the Compass telescopic rods. Out of the two I can recommend the Blackhawk. It has floating guides that take some getting used to is the only complaint I have. They have to be adjusted every few casts.

 

The Compass has fewer guides. It’s has the sensitivity of a wet noodle.

 

As far as Kastking reels go. I agree with the above response that their spinning reels are where they shine. The Sharky II is a great reel. I lost the handle cap on mine or it would still be in my rotation. The baitcaster to look at IMO is the Crixus Armor X with an aluminum frame and Winn Grip knobs for under $90

[Alex Ball]

4 hours ago, NYWayfarer said:

I have both the KK Blackhawk II and the Compass telescopic rods. Out of the two I can recommend the Blackhawk. It has floating guides that take some getting used to is the only complaint I have. They have to be adjusted every few casts.

 

The Compass has fewer guides. It’s has the sensitivity of a wet noodle.

 

As far as Kastking reels go. I agree with the above response that their spinning reels are where they shine. The Sharky II is a great reel. I lost the handle cap on mine or it would still be in my rotation. The baitcaster to look at IMO is the Crixus Armor X with an aluminum frame and Winn Grip knobs for under $90

    Thanks for the post brother. Was hoping you'd weigh in. The CAX is beastly according to my buddy. It's his favorite "everything" reel. The original Crixus is his least favorite. Weird how that seems to be the consensus suggestion on a caster from KK, the CAX. I'm a 5 and 6 guy so it's a bit fast for me. 

    On the spinners, how the heck is the Sharky only $55? Just got one. It's unreal how good it is. Zeps too, way underpriced IMO. 

17 hours ago, the reel ess said:

I have a Crixus rod. I like it but the golf club grip is starting to peel off. Sure, you get what you pay for. But I've got older, cheaper rods that still hold up.

    I have 2 Crixus rods. 5'6" LMF. I like em. The grips on mine are a bit suspect as well. Great for creeks.

17 hours ago, the reel ess said:

 

 

[flyfisher]

i bought one baitcaster, speed demon or something.  It was heavy, got grindy really quickly and i put it in the take apart and clean bin and it is still there.

I do like their braid though.

 

[Alex Ball]

3 hours ago, flyfisher said:

i bought one baitcaster, speed demon or something.  It was heavy, got grindy really quickly and i put it in the take apart and clean bin and it is still there.

I do like their braid though.

 

Ya the OG speed demon wasn't great. It's funny how fast they improved. You probably got that 3-4 yrs ago. KK wasn't great then. The assassin was good but they were just getting going. 

     The new generation is way better. I buy the calamus bastion braid religiously. My favorite braid. That's the sister brand. Haven't tried their braid yet. I'll pick up some 15 next time.

[zell_pop1]

The Kast King Hiwassee sunglasses are the best under $30 you can buy. 

[Yuddzy]

Slightly off topic of reels, but how do you guys like KastKing monofilament line? I have a 600yd spool from last summer. It looks very similar to Berkeley Big Game Mono, but the color is a bit different for their green variety. 

[Eric 26]

1 hour ago, Yuddzy said:

Slightly off topic of reels, but how do you guys like KastKing monofilament line? I have a 600yd spool from last summer. It looks very similar to Berkeley Big Game Mono, but the color is a bit different for their green variety. 

I’ve been using their monofilament for about 5 years now, I use the 4 lb monofilament on my panfish rods and I absolutely love it, no issues whatsoever. It’s limp holds a trilene knot well and the red color is awesome. Just bought a spool of blue which is just as nice as I expected.

[ike8120]

On 5/4/2022 at 9:23 PM, Alex Ball said:

  I'd love to have a discussion about Kastking reels with other fans or critics. I'm very happy with my reels from them and wanted other thoughts, good or bad. I like the "Amazon brands because I live in the middle of nowhere and Walmart kinda sucks on reel selection. KK has so many choices and they're all affordable for most people.

    Just want to see if anybody else has a collection of them or opinions about them.

Thanks, 

     Al

All my reels are KK and 90% of rods are KK Also use all the different KK lines. Msg me 

[flyfisher]

On 5/6/2022 at 11:10 PM, Alex Ball said:

Ya the OG speed demon wasn't great. It's funny how fast they improved. You probably got that 3-4 yrs ago. KK wasn't great then. The assassin was good but they were just getting going. 

     The new generation is way better. I buy the calamus bastion braid religiously. My favorite braid. That's the sister brand. Haven't tried their braid yet. I'll pick up some 15 next time.

yeah unfortunately when the initial run is that bad I am super hesitant to get another one when I am perfectly happy with whay I currently am using.

[Tatulatard]

Some of these cheap chinease reels can be very good performers but I have some questions about their longevity and serviceability.  I had a kk assassin a few year back from their official store for under $60.  It was lightweight and had a great casting 14 gram spool with a centrifugal brake.  It was a very good casting reel and leagues better a caster than any mag only reels I have used including the lews LFS.  It would sling baits out there and toured a ML up to a H frog rod.  It was big, clunky and very unrefined reel but the performance was very good for the money.  I bought it as a curiosity and gave it to a buddy as his 1st centrifugal reel to learn on.  It had magnets too but they were really weak.  For the $56 I paid for it I was a satisfied but that money would have been better spent on a fuego ct or slx to get an aluminum frame and availability of parts.  

[HaydenS]

I won a Kastking Speed Demon pro rod, and a speed demon reel.  Nothing special about the reel, feels like you would expect, cheap.

However, I have been very happy with the rod, which is the spinnerbait model.  I’ve thrown spinnerbaits, senkos, and flatside on this rod, and it has handle them all well.  The rod is incredibly light.  I enjoy using it, despite it being a kastking rod.  

 

I’ve got a piscufin torrent I use for frogging.  Piece of junk, super loud casting, oil screw fell out.  But, it does it’s job.  

[Deleted account]

Their braid is good, everything else I've tried from them ranges from meh to bad.

[Alex Ball]

On 5/8/2022 at 9:46 PM, Tatulatard said:

Some of these cheap chinease reels can be very good performers but I have some questions about their longevity and serviceability.  I had a kk assassin a few year back from their official store for under $60.  It was lightweight and had a great casting 14 gram spool with a centrifugal brake.  It was a very good casting reel and leagues better a caster than any mag only reels I have used including the lews LFS.  It would sling baits out there and toured a ML up to a H frog rod.  It was big, clunky and very unrefined reel but the performance was very good for the money.  I bought it as a curiosity and gave it to a buddy as his 1st centrifugal reel to learn on.  It had magnets too but they were really weak.  For the $56 I paid for it I was a satisfied but that money would have been better spent on a fuego ct or slx to get an aluminum frame and availability of parts.  

Might be getting an old assassin. Thanks for the detailed analysis. It'd be a beater reel. They literally just dropped the new verus assassin this week. Dual brakes, 8.1 gear ratio. Looks interesting. 5.4 oz reel. $55 bucks .

[Bird]

Have a Sharky ll and Speed Demon pro.

The spinning reel has been fantastic, the Speed Demon caster works fine but has a complaining sound on the cast.

 

Have other products from KK, scales, pliers and all appear quality.

 

Note: The baitcaster with Heavy action 7'2 rod sees limited action.

 

Overall give KK products a B, not bad.

[Tatulatard]

29 minutes ago, Alex Ball said:

Might be getting an old assassin. Thanks for the detailed analysis. It'd be a beater reel. They literally just dropped the new verus assassin this week. Dual brakes, 8.1 gear ratio. Looks interesting. 5.4 oz reel. $55 bucks .

I think that $55 is better spent towards an slx mgl or tatula elite spool for a tatula 100 or fuego ct.  The performance and light weight of the assassin was good but I have heard those reels have issues with clutch springs and level winds not laying on line well.  I'm sure they are great for a few years (mine was) but they are disposable plastic chinease reels.  They are not built for the long run and I don't even know how to get parts for one if KK told me they don't support it anymore.  I know the oem that makes it but have no email or number from them to use to get a hold of anyone.  You could potentially buy $35 reels using the same frame and parts then cannibalize them to keep an assassin running I suppose.

 

[Abby]

I have a couple spinning reels that have done well for the pricing. I have a couple different baitcasters that seem ok. I did just get 2 new Mega Jaws but have not been able to try them out yet. I have 2 rods that I have yet to try.

[Alex Ball]

On 5/15/2022 at 10:28 AM, Abby said:

I have a couple spinning reels that have done well for the pricing. I have a couple different baitcasters that seem ok. I did just get 2 new Mega Jaws but have not been able to try them out yet. I have 2 rods that I have yet to try.

Lmk how you like the Megajaws. What spinners and casters did you get?

[Drew03cmc]

I have 8 KK casters. My favorites are the Royale Legend Elites, but the Speed Demon Elite Skipping reel is really nice, as is the Megajaws Elite. The Upgraded is pretty nice as well. I also have 3 regular Megajaws, 1 5.4, 1 6.5, 1 7.2; and they're all 100% serviceable. The 5.4 and 6.5 have Abec 7s in them and cast further than I can. 

[Abby]

I got a couple Lancelot spinning reels that have done good for walleye / smallmouth..Looking to try the megajaws in a week on a trip..

[Alex Ball]

17 hours ago, Abby said:

I got a couple Lancelot spinning reels that have done good for walleye / smallmouth..Looking to try the megajaws in a week on a trip.

The Lancelot is the reel that got me into KK. Fantastic for cranking. Smooth as butter. $15 when I got it. Best value ever for me. It's been hammered and abused and it just laughs it off. Love that reel. Wish they made a 1000. Centron 500 is a good light slow spinner.

On 5/21/2022 at 10:27 PM, Drew03cmc said:

I have 8 KK casters. My favorites are the Royale Legend Elites, but the Speed Demon Elite Skipping reel is really nice, as is the Megajaws Elite. The Upgraded is pretty nice as well. I also have 3 regular Megajaws, 1 5.4, 1 6.5, 1 7.2; and they're all 100% serviceable. The 5.4 and 6.5 have Abec 7s in them and cast further than I can. 

Thinking hard about grabbing the upgraded version. That or the new verus assassin. Agreed in easy maintenance. Might grab some Abecs. Hadn't thought about that. Thanks 

   I'm in the process of switching to lefty's on casters. Got the MJ54 and the RLGT rn. Really more of a spinner guy. That's where KK shines. Best spinners I've used. Dropped all my Lew's and Pfluegers in favor of the Zephyr and the Valiant Eagle. The VE is a bit picky outta the box, but 5 minutes and it's a smooth mofo. 

     Please gimme some feedback on the RLEs really like the stats. 

Thanks friend,

    Al

[Drew03cmc]

23 minutes ago, Alex Ball said:

The Lancelot is the reel that got me into KK. Fantastic for cranking. Smooth as butter. $15 when I got it. Best value ever for me. It's been hammered and abused and it just laughs it off. Love that reel. Wish they made a 1000. Centron 500 is a good light slow spinner.

Thinking hard about grabbing the upgraded version. That or the new verus assassin. Agreed in easy maintenance. Might grab some Abecs. Hadn't thought about that. Thanks 

   I'm in the process of switching to lefty's on casters. Got the MJ54 and the RLGT rn. Really more of a spinner guy. That's where KK shines. Best spinners I've used. Dropped all my Lew's and Pfluegers in favor of the Zephyr and the Valiant Eagle. The VE is a bit picky outta the box, but 5 minutes and it's a smooth mofo. 

     Please gimme some feedback on the RLEs really like the stats. 

Thanks friend,

    Al

Honestly, I have a 7.2 and 8.1 RLE and have the 7.2 on an all purpose MH rod with 17lb fluoro for jigs, Texas rigs and other techniques and the 8.1 on a 7' H for Buzzbaits, toads, light cover frogs, swimming worms, etc . That's got 40# braid on it. 

[NYWayfarer]

I forgot to mention. Kastking Superpower is my go to braid.

 

I also have several Kastking tools. Pliers, scales, knives, line spooling station, grippers, and scissors. All but the scissors are decent quality.