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Bass Fishing Forums => Reels => Topic started by: Curt on December 05, 2016, 10:07:35 AM

Title: Switching Up My Reels
Post by: Curt on December 05, 2016, 10:07:35 AM
During the last several months I have sold off many of my Shimano baitcasting reels and bought Abu Garcia reels to replace them.

But A few weeks back I replaced another one with a reel that I found on Amazon. It's called KastKing Royale

(https://www.bassboatboards.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbassfishingphotos.com%2Fimages%2F2017%2F01%2F05%2Fkastking-royale-legend.jpg&hash=85d295cb5afb516230d3b8cf3132716b79dc611c) (http://amzn.to/2h6fQpI)

This reel caught my eye because it has a really good rating in the Amazon reviews, despite the budget price. And with 11 Ball Bearings it was worth trying for what they wanted for it.

I got it a couple weeks back but haven't had the chance to try it on the water yet. It does feel pretty smooth with those 11 bearings.

What I found intriguing about it, though, is the braking system. It actually has a dual braking system, using both a magnetic brake and a centrifugal brake. This is the first reel I've had with that kind of brakes, so I'm curious to see how it handles casts with various sizes and weights of lures.

Kastking Royale (http://amzn.to/2h6fQpI)

Once I've had the chance to give it an on the water workout, I'll post back here and let you know how it works out.
Title: Re: Switching Up My Reels
Post by: frugalangler on December 05, 2016, 11:39:45 AM
This one appears to be an import model since it's available on AliBaba and DHGate and some other import sites. It appears Amazon has made a bulk order because their price beats what I see it direct from overseas sellers. It doesn't have dual adjustable, just dual brakes, and there are a few BPS (and others) that have that design. I've got a couple branded JohnyMorris BPS that work great also. If you read close, it says '4 pin long standing centrifugal brake' which is the Shimano (and others) centrifugal system where you must remove side cover and pop mag collars to adjust, and the magnetic brake is what is adjustable external on the dial.

I've tried a few of these low dollar imports, and they work pretty good, but seem to not last as well, but for the price it might be a reasonable deal to just replace all every so often. I've got some high $$ reels that are years and years old and still cast like new, they get cared for yearly though. If I were guiding and providing equipment, this might be a good alternative, you could expense the cost of replacing reels yearly and clients would be using 'new' gear every year!

I'm interested to hear how it performs, get it on some water or a parking lot and beat on it and let us know. Heck, I may just order one and find out myself.

EDIT-just did some searching and found on eBay for about $35 each in qty of 2 (extra 5% discount)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/291504395145?var=590574302551 (http://www.ebay.com/itm/291504395145?var=590574302551)
Title: Curt - RI
Post by: Curt on December 05, 2016, 03:08:44 PM
This one appears to be an import model since it's available on AliBaba and DHGate and some other import sites. It appears Amazon has made a bulk order because their price beats what I see it direct from overseas sellers. It doesn't have dual adjustable, just dual brakes, and there are a few BPS (and others) that have that design. I've got a couple branded JohnyMorris BPS that work great also. If you read close, it says '4 pin long standing centrifugal brake' which is the Shimano (and others) centrifugal system where you must remove side cover and pop mag collars to adjust, and the magnetic brake is what is adjustable external on the dial.

I've tried a few of these low dollar imports, and they work pretty good, but seem to not last as well, but for the price it might be a reasonable deal to just replace all every so often. I've got some high $$ reels that are years and years old and still cast like new, they get cared for yearly though. If I were guiding and providing equipment, this might be a good alternative, you could expense the cost of replacing reels yearly and clients would be using 'new' gear every year!

I'm interested to hear how it performs, get it on some water or a parking lot and beat on it and let us know. Heck, I may just order one and find out myself.

EDIT-just did some searching and found on eBay for about $35 each in qty of 2 (extra 5% discount)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/291504395145?var=590574302551 (http://www.ebay.com/itm/291504395145?var=590574302551)

@frugalangler I've also seen them with the 5% discount for purchases of two or more. And you're right. They would make great reels for my clients to use if they turn out to be decent for the price.

As for the centrifugal brake, it is very similar to what Shimano uses. And it is actually adjustable by removing the side cover and sliding any of them to the on or off position.

I had my Curados for 5-7 years (or a bit longer) and really liked them overall, but they had one nagging problem that finally caused me to sell them. The Abu reels that I bought aren't as well made as the Curados, but they also cost about 1/3 the price. And when I ship them to Abu for service, they turn them around in a week or so and I don't pay a penny except what it costs me to ship them to their service center.  :thumbup:

Like I said, I'll definitely follow up here to let everyone know how they work once I spool some line on them
Title: Re: Switching Up My Reels
Post by: JackJ on December 05, 2016, 04:09:52 PM
What kind of problems were you having with the Curdaos? 
Title: Re: Switching Up My Reels
Post by: frugalangler on December 05, 2016, 04:18:12 PM
As for the centrifugal brake, it is very similar to what Shimano uses. And it is actually adjustable by removing the side cover and sliding any of them to the on or off position.
What I meant was they were not EXTERNALLY adjustable centrifugal, where BPS Carbonlite and Browning (apparently now discontinued) were actually externally adjustable (I have some of both).
Title: Re: Switching Up My Reels
Post by: Curt on December 05, 2016, 06:55:01 PM
What I meant was they were not EXTERNALLY adjustable centrifugal, where BPS Carbonlite and Browning (apparently now discontinued) were actually externally adjustable (I have some of both).

Ahh.. OK. Thanks for clearing that up.  :nod:
Title: Re: Switching Up My Reels
Post by: Curt on December 05, 2016, 06:58:09 PM
What kind of problems were you having with the Curdaos? 

@JackJ I had an ongoing problem with every single one of my Curados that would only happen if I fished in heavy rain. If I had the reels on the deck during heavy rain, I would have the worst time with backlashes. It never happened with other reels, even under the same exact conditions. Only the Shimano reels. And it wasn't just one of them. It was ALL of them!

After they had sat and dried out they operated perfectly. And I know it wasn't user error. I have been using baitcasting reels since back in the late 80s. It's just some kind of weird behavior that they exhibited and I had finally had enough of it this season. So I sold them all.
Title: Re: Switching Up My Reels
Post by: sbg on January 02, 2017, 12:59:03 PM
Did you send them to a reputable reel guy to get cleaned and tweaked on?  Ive seen the cheapo chinese knockoffs on facebook. They look like a knockoff from the DOYO reel plant in China. Thats where most of your lower end reels come from. Abu, bass pro, lews and even some of the cheaper diawa's and shimano's all come from the same place. To each their own but I wouldnt waste my money on a chinese knockoff reel. Stick with the name brands. You can get some great reels for $100 and more. But when you go below that $100 mark your quality suffers tremendously. And thats with all of the manufacturers.
Title: Re: Switching Up My Reels
Post by: frugalangler on January 02, 2017, 01:18:36 PM
Hey, David, I agree if you buy the /knockoffs/ from a US source, but when imported directly you all of the middle-man profits. I buy a LOT of electronic stuff direct from overseas, same stuff you can buy off the shelf local, but at about 1/10th to 1/4th the price. I've bought a couple of different imported reels and found that if you compare to a local purchased product of equal price they beat the quality hands down. A $40 imported direct reel (if you select the proper ones, some ARE junk) is usually comparable to that $100 one you buy, so I don't care so much about boat rash or all. My only complaint is that it takes weeks not days to receive the goods, especially this time of year when customs is inundated with freight, but in the hundreds of items I've ordered I've only had 2 issues with lost goods and those were quickly replaced by the seller - they bend over backwards w/ customer service unlike US vendors.

And, btw, those $100 reels you buy come from offshore anyway, and can be bought for $20 overseas, so go figure. I've only seen a few quality reels US made, and those are no better in my opinion. Last BPS Pro Qualifier I bought was a Chinese product that I could find the exact one for $22 direct. Granted, I can't take it to the local store if it screws up, but at the price difference I keep a couple on the shelf for those occasions and still save money.

Title: Re: Switching Up My Reels
Post by: sbg on January 02, 2017, 09:13:31 PM
I can see your point if your having luck with it go for it!  I guess Im a little gun shy on buying stuff from overseas from anyone. There are a couple of Japanese stores online that Ive heard that are trustworthy and will help you out. Heck if somebody was a painter they could make a killin selling baits from overseas. You can buy the exact baits, say a lucky craft Sammy in clear plastic without hooks for a couple of bucks. When the same bait the the name brand label sell for upwards of $15 or more. Crazy how prices are all over the place.
Title: Re: Switching Up My Reels
Post by: frugalangler on January 03, 2017, 10:42:53 AM
I've even bought LuckyCraft in retail packages - not knockoffs - from offshore for less than 1/2 the going best price onshore!

I've considered setting up airbrush capability, but that's for my retirement LOL, I've got plenty to keep me busy now. I do pour all my own lead items, I've now got about 14 different molds and also a flow-bath for powder coating in a few different colors. I just wish there was an easy way to deal with tungsten as that stuff is way too pricey.

BTW, if you ARE looking for a high end reel - and there are some great models that aren't imported to US - check out http://japantackle.com (http://japantackle.com). There is one Diawa CASTING reel that I can't find in OEM version that is incredible - I use it to throw 1/16th to 1/8th ounce ned rigs ususally further than my buddies can on a spinning rod with greater accuracy, so that is one where I had to drop the $$ to get the quality and performnace - nearly $250 a copy, but worth every penny. Otherwise, I've generally started replacing damaged name brand reels w/ OEM versions - yep it works for me.
Title: Re: Switching Up My Reels
Post by: Curt on January 03, 2017, 11:57:33 AM
Did you send them to a reputable reel guy to get cleaned and tweaked on?

This wasn't just one reel. It happened with ALL of my Curados!

Now I don't have to worry about it though  (nope)
Title: Re: Switching Up My Reels
Post by: Curt on January 05, 2017, 10:22:22 AM
I had a chance to try out the KastKing reel yesterday for a short time.

I was very pleasantly surprised at how smooth this reel was. It was like butter on the cast and on the retrieve.  :nod:

I didn't play much with the braking system, so I didn't get a 100% feel for how well that works with regard to adjustability, etc. I just turned the magnetic brake up to 100% and started casting. Distance was awesome with no backlashes or even a hint of backlashing, and with no thumb action at all.

I didn't get to catch any fish on it, so I didn't get a feel for how it felt when playing a fish or with regard to the drag. But if this reel lasts even two or three years, which I have no doubt that it will, it was well worth the $39 I spent on it.  (yes)
Title: Re: Switching Up My Reels
Post by: frugalangler on January 12, 2017, 09:41:26 AM
Well, I finally received my new KastKing - I chose the Stealth Carbon Fiber - and to say in one word: IMPRESSIVE

As i posted previous, I purchase a lot of products from off-shore direct from source, so it was no surprise it took a while to receive, but it's here and all I can say is if you need a new reel this year, give this one a shot!

A couple things about this one is that it's all carbon fiber - even the handle, which makes it feather light for a full size low profile reel - 5.9oz which is what most of my compact reels weigh. Don't think that makes a difference? Put one of these on the exact same rod as say a BPS Pro Qualifier at 8.8oz and start with it, then after a few hours, switch to this one and there is a huge difference.

The other part - it's brake is superb - it's a dual adjustable mag external and centrifugal pin internal system is better than most - I've been disappointed in mag brakes before but I believe they've improved this by their addition of more magnets.

Since the water here is hard, I've not actually used it yet, but just doing a bench compare to other reels I've got, this is a winner for sure. Enough so I've ordered a couple more to replace some older heavier reels that are showing age.

Title: Re: Switching Up My Reels
Post by: Curt on January 12, 2017, 04:12:59 PM
Well, I finally received my new KastKing - I chose the Stealth Carbon Fiber - and to say in one word: IMPRESSIVE

As i posted previous, I purchase a lot of products from off-shore direct from source, so it was no surprise it took a while to receive, but it's here and all I can say is if you need a new reel this year, give this one a shot!

A couple things about this one is that it's all carbon fiber - even the handle, which makes it feather light for a full size low profile reel - 5.9oz which is what most of my compact reels weigh. Don't think that makes a difference? Put one of these on the exact same rod as say a BPS Pro Qualifier at 8.8oz and start with it, then after a few hours, switch to this one and there is a huge difference.

The other part - it's brake is superb - it's a dual adjustable mag external and centrifugal pin internal system is better than most - I've been disappointed in mag brakes before but I believe they've improved this by their addition of more magnets.

Since the water here is hard, I've not actually used it yet, but just doing a bench compare to other reels I've got, this is a winner for sure. Enough so I've ordered a couple more to replace some older heavier reels that are showing age.



So your initial impressions match my first impressions also. And like I said, my first on the water test was equally pleasing.

BTW, @frugalangler where did you purchase yours from? If you'd rather not post a link publicly, don't sweat it.
Title: Re: Switching Up My Reels
Post by: frugalangler on January 12, 2017, 05:34:54 PM

So your initial impressions match my first impressions also. And like I said, my first on the water test was equally pleasing.

BTW, @frugalangler where did you purchase yours from? If you'd rather not post a link publicly, don't sweat it.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/291333470513 (http://www.ebay.com/itm/291333470513) Here's my current choice, taking advantage of the 5% and these are actually on-shore in NY
Title: Re: Switching Up My Reels
Post by: Curt on January 12, 2017, 06:49:36 PM
Thanks! That carbon fiber reel sounds really appealing, being so light.

Your link is for a lefty. I'll be looking into a righty model, maybe soon.  :nod:
Title: Re: Switching Up My Reels
Post by: frugalangler on January 12, 2017, 07:30:30 PM
Uh you mean you'll be looking for a wrongy Lol
Title: Re: Switching Up My Reels
Post by: Curt on January 12, 2017, 09:31:35 PM
Uh you mean you'll be looking for a wrongy Lol

And how do you figure that?  (shrug)
Title: Re: Switching Up My Reels
Post by: frugalangler on January 13, 2017, 08:55:49 AM
from my perspective, the crank handle will be on the WRONG side
Title: Re: Switching Up My Reels
Post by: Curt on January 13, 2017, 09:45:44 AM
from my perspective, the crank handle will be on the WRONG side

That's what I figured  (yes)
Title: Re: Switching Up My Reels
Post by: Curt on April 09, 2017, 11:53:38 PM
I finally got to log some hours with this new reel on the water this past week and this weekend.

I have to say that for the $39 I spent, I got a heck of a bargain. This reel is butter smooth and performs well. In fact, it performs every bit as well as my Curados, which cost me $189 back in the day when the 200 E7 was on the market. Seriously. It's that good.

Now, as for durability and longevity, only time will tell. But performance wise, this reel is definitely impressive.
Title: Re: Switching Up My Reels
Post by: Curt on April 15, 2017, 06:50:16 PM
Spent a lot more time on the water this past week, and this reel got used a LOT. In fact, with the bladed jig bite being so hot, this reel saw probably 90% of the action.

So far it has performed flawlessly with regard to fighting fish. It has performed almost flawlessly with regard to casting.

What do I mean by almost flawlessly? Well, with 11 bearings, the spool is extremely free-spinning. So this reel requires an extra bit of tweaking in order not to backlash it. Basically what I have done is max out the magnetic brake and the internal centrifugal brakes. And then I use the spool tension  knob to make fine adjustments to compensate for conditions (casting with the wind or casting into the wind).

Doing that allows me to use it with only a couple backlashes if I forget that I am casting into high winds and forget to compensate for it.

I'm sure with a bit more use I will become more familiar with it's quirks and the backlashes will go away completely.

As far as fighting fish, I have landed at least a couple dozen bass up to 4 lbs. on it and I haven't had a single problem with it, nor do I have any complaints about how it handles these fish.  (nope)

As of right now, this is looking like a great $39 purchase  :nod:
Title: Re: Switching Up My Reels
Post by: frugalangler on April 24, 2017, 10:52:18 AM
I'm experiencing similar - the thing is so free that I've had to max the mag and centrifugal drags also, kinda wish there was some more there, but the spool tension is critical, once you realize to add a little more than on other reals, this thing is incredible. It will cast 2 county miles, and yes it does require a little finesse of the thumb, but once you get familiar it's great. I opted for the 'Stealth' which is very very light.

My only issue with it at this point, if you do over-spool it, and are using light line (small diameter) it has enough gap between the frame and spool that the line sometimes gets between them :(. I'll likely use it with much heavier line until I get more time on it, but for throwing a weightless senko it's incredible! Long casting a deep diver gets it out there so far I've had to spool more main line and less backing since I was getting down to the joiner knot - something I've never done with the same line/backing ratio I've used on other reels.

My next outing (not in a tournament) where I can play more I'm gonna try this on my Ned rod, I currently have a 3/4 size Diawa Alphas on it, the KK is almost the same weight but full size, so I'm thinking I may get more distance with the Ned I throw using it. So far, I'm impressed - it's just different and is taking some retraining, but that's not a bad thing.
Title: Re: Switching Up My Reels
Post by: Curt on April 24, 2017, 11:16:53 AM
The fact that we're seeing similar results tells me that the quality from one reel to another is consistent, which is good  :nod:

And I agree.. I wish there was a bit more brake to be applied instead of using the spool tensioner. But if these reels last a reasonable period of time they will be a great value for sure  :thumbup:
Title: Re: Switching Up My Reels
Post by: The dude on June 02, 2017, 09:01:51 AM
Its nice to see you guys take the plunge and try those out. I think most people get turned off since they know so little about them. I have a plethora of reels some expensive some that are hand me downs from my dad bought 2 years ago. Although there is nothing like the feeling of a new reel. To me it is equally enjoyable to tinker and tune up the old ones. Im glad to see you guys are having good luck with those reels. So i guess what im saying is. At either 40 bucks or 140 they all have bearings gears and a frame so im sure with care and maintainance you can have years of good service out of them.😊

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Switching Up My Reels
Post by: The dude on June 02, 2017, 09:02:41 AM
20 years not 2 lol

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Title: UPDATE: Switching Up My Reels
Post by: frugalangler on June 02, 2017, 09:26:10 AM
I spent the Memorial weekend using my KastKing almost exclusively, had it mounted on a 6'6" Cherrywood by Berkley rod spooled w/ 14# mono. I was throwing a 4" Yum Dinger weightless, and it worked great. I did have both brakes on max, and the friction drag set normally where the bait would just drop if the tip was twitched, but would not drop on it's own, and it had great range and control. The fighting drag worked very well, so over all after getting some time with them, they are a keeper. I still have not tried one on my NED rod yet, hopefully this weekend, but will also try one on a Razor rods ML and a Quantum Smoke M/XF that feels more like a ML for wacky rigs based on my experience last weekend (I don't have that rod available right now, it stays at my country home).
Title: Re: Switching Up My Reels
Post by: Curt on June 04, 2017, 08:33:00 PM
I have been using my KastKing almost exclusively for fishing bladed jigs, so it's gotten a good workout the last two months.

I have learned that I need to use my thumb with this reel in light of the fact that the 11 bearings make it so free-spooling on the cast, even with both brakes maxed out.

I really like it and definitely believe it's well worth the $40 I spent on it. I may consider buying more in the future when I'm in need of a new reel  :nod:
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