Better Kastking or Piscifun?

[MN Fisher]

6 minutes ago, NorthernBasser said:

How close is it to the 100 in hand?

Pretty darn close - I can't tell the difference physically...though it is a tad lighter. My Patriarchs are still my lightest reels though.

[Eric 26]

@NorthernBasser If you have any tackle shops that carry the Daiwa C-Series reels CC, CR it’s a Japanese version of the CA80 which I have and love. If you can’t find one of those it’s pretty much a Doyo platform reel pretty dang close in physical size and shape to a Lews LFS which I think everybody carries for you to compare the size to. As long as you realize it’s magnetic braking only no mag force I think at the price you found I may buy another 😉

Edited April 6, 2024 by Eric 26
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[MN Fisher]

11 minutes ago, Eric 26 said:

@NorthernBasser If you have any tackle shops that carry the Daiwa C-Series reels CC, CR it’s a Japanese version of the CA80 which I have and love.

I'd stick to the CA - the others are different frame materials despite everything else being almost identical

CR - Resin Frame

CC - Composite Frame

CG - Graphite Frame

CA - Aluminum Frame

[Eric 26]

@MN Fisher I was certainly not suggesting buying any of the others just trying to reassure NorthernBasser that the frame size is identical if not extremely close in size which is why I also referenced the LFS for what it’s worth. Also why I said I’m seriously considering grabbing one at the price he found it at.

[tcbass]

Thanks.

 

I ended up with 2 Piscifun Carbon II's and 1 Piscifun Prism.

[Dan N]

Just thought I’d add, I just bought this Kastking reel, strictly as a trial just to check out a cheap reel. It was only 48$ delivered to my door. I gave it a try yesterday and was impressed. Very smooth, great casting distance, no backlash issues at all. I do realize it will probably not last too long, and I only got it for light duty- small cranks, but first time using I was impressed. Interested to see how it holds up.spartacus 2 is the model

[Eric 26]

@Dan N I have a question for you, how would you describe the spool? As I’ve said I have a Royal Legend 2 that I enjoy being a 5 speed lefty which I’m not looking to replace with a high priced reel but man the spool literally feels like it will be crushed if I hooked into anything with weight or a hard charging fish such as as a northern pike. BTW I’m really digging the color match on the combo 😉

[Dan N]

I guess I didn’t notice anything wrong with spool, it’s not a shallow spool. I tied the line thru the holes in spool and wound on the line. It’s on a medium rod for cranks, with 12lb test , so there will not be much pressure on it with the drag set on the lighter side. And I agree, it was a nice match to the rod. Interested to see how it holds up.

[Bigbox99]

As someone who owns more cheap amazon/aliexpress reels that I care to admit to if you are going to that route then get something of substance like a reel with an aluminum frame, or better yet an aluminum frame and handle side plate with a double supported pinion.  I'd recommend the Histar Black Mamba Max/Max Pro for a 100 size reel  and the Johncoo Ares for a 300 size reel. 

[Bigbox99]

The Piscifun Alloy M is also worth considering but not at Amazon prices.  For what Amazon sellers are upchanging get the Lews LFS for peice of mind.  If you do want one then go to the source on Aliexpress and get one for $50 or less.  I have one and I haven't given it a fair chance to shine yet so I can't honestly review it.  I tried to make it a jig skipper on flouro and then a frog bomber on braid but it left a lot to be desired.  I think I need to move down a power in rod and let that light weight spool shine with weightless plastics.

[Dan N]

[Buzzbaiter]

On 4/4/2024 at 10:33 AM, NorthernBasser said:

Tell us more...you have this reel? 

I’ve been using the Bass X for a short while, only a few months. It’s a pretty good reel. It casts well, brakes well, and does the job. It does decently with light lures. My one minor grievance with it is that I generally like to have little to no tension on the spool; if you back the tension all the way out on the Bass X, it can interfere with the drag, which I tend to keep locked down. The interference isn’t enough to stop the function of either the tension or the drag, but it does create a bit of noise, so I usually have to tighten my tension down a hair (to a degree which most fishermen would probably prefer their spool tension to be at) or lighten my drag slightly. Other than that, I like it a lot. I prefer it over my Abu Black Max, which it replaced. 

My opinion is that the Daiwa Bass X is a good reel for the money. Having said that, I’m more of a spinning rod/finesse person, and I’ve only had the reel for a short while. My experience with the Bass X is far from exhaustive, so take it with a serving of salt. 

[Bankc]

I've never used a Kast King or Pascifun reel.  But I do have a Kast King rod that's quite nice.  Not top-of-the-line, but better than its price point would suggest.  I also have a Pascifun bag that's pretty good quality.  Honestly, I would put them both on the same tier, as good value for your money, but not high-end products.  I'd get either before I got something from a brand I didn't know.  My guess is either reel would last you at least several years of use.  And by the time they needed to be replaced, you'll probably be ready to upgrade to something more expensive anyway.  

 

Also, don't listen to all of this talk about plastic versus aluminum reel frames.  My sturdiest reel has a plastic frame (Abu Zata), and my wimpiest reel has an aluminum frame (Bass Pro Qualifier 2).  There's a lot more to what makes a reel durable than just the raw materials that go into it.  Of course, the Zata costs nearly double the PQ2, and even the PQ2 has lasted me 5 years now without fail.  It's just starting to feel a little geary if I don't use a thicker grease on the gears.   But I've abused that Zata and it's never given up so much as a whimper.