7 Best KastKing Fishing Reels: Spinning and Baitcaster

KastKing has enjoyed a meteoric rise in the fishing industry over the last decade and anyone who has used their products knows the reason behind their ascension. The brand is focused on providing quality fishing gear and tackle at a reasonable price and anglers have certainly taken notice of the quality and performance of their reels. 

In this article, I’m going to discuss some of the best KastKing fishing reels and how each of these products compare to one another, as well as how they match up against some of the fishing industry’s top manufacturers. 

KastKing Overview 

Anyone who has fished with KastKing reels is already aware of the high-quality components and outstanding performance they are capable of delivering. The brand was only established a few years ago in 2014, but it’s quickly gaining traction in the fishing industry as one of the best companies for making solid reels for anglers of all skill or experience levels. 

If you’re looking into purchasing your next reel, KastKing fishing reels certainly deserve a closer look right alongside brands like Daiwa, Lew’s, Shimano, and others. We will list our selections for the best KastKing fishing reels in the following sections and will include baitcasting and spinning reels in our lineup. 

1. KastKing Valiant Eagle Spinning Reel 

The KastKing Valiant Eagle Spinning Reel is our top choice for the best KastKing reel on the market today. It’s tough to narrow it down to one single reel from this brand, but the Valiant Eagle packs in a litany of great features in a reel that is relatively affordable for anglers of any skill or experience level. 

The Valiant Eagle’s housing is made with corrosion-resistant material and its drag system is fully sealed and water-tight, which means you can use this reel for either saltwater or freshwater fishing environments. The reel comes in four different size options that each have a fast 6.2:1 gear ratio that makes it possible to use a range of different types of lures and rigs. 

One of the most talked-about features of the KastKing Valiant Eagle is the fact that it possesses a stout drag system. The max drag on each model ranges from 17.6 lbs in the smallest 1000 size reel all the way up to 22 lbs of drag in the largest model. The Valiant Eagle’s performance is unmatched when it comes to reels that are in the same class and price range as the 10+1 bearing system giving it plenty of capability to lessen friction and allow for incredibly smooth casting and retrieval. 

If you want a high performance saltwater reel without spending a fortune, I recommend the Valiant Eagle.

Pros:

• Very smooth and strong drag 
• Smooth action 
• Good quality parts 
• Reasonably priced

Cons:

• Smooth casting performance is diminished with heavier line

2. KastKing Sharky III Spinning Reel

If you’re looking for a great quality saltwater fishing reel that can function as a surf fishing reel or inshore and offshore package, the KastKing Sharky III is ideal. What I like most about this reel is that it’s a true workhorse in saltwater fishing. The Sharky III is a sleek, well-designed reel that gives anglers a reliable 5.2:1 gear ratio that is perfect for cranking in heavy, hard-pulling fish either inshore or offshore. 

Like the Valiant Eagle, the Sharky III has an exceptionally smooth 10+1 bearing system that makes casting and reeling in your lure or bait a breeze. It comes in five different reel sizes that include a small 1000 model that’s great for lightweight inshore fishing all the way up to a large 5000 model reel that’s perfect for surf fishing. 

KastKing provided plenty of line capacity with the Sharky III, which makes it ideal for going after bigger saltwater fish. Another reason surf fishing and inshore anglers are raving about the Sharky III is that it’s made with corrosion-resistant material. With a price that just about any skill or experience level anglers can afford, it’s easy to see why KastKing’s Sharky III is so popular. 

I often recommend the Sharky III as one of the top value-for-money surf fishing reels.

Pros:

• A workhorse that can function anywhere in saltwater fishing 
• Smooth 10+1 bearing system 
• 5 different sizes for lightweight or heavy fishing 
• Affordable price 

Cons:

• Can be tough to cast long distances with heavy line, which is not ideal for big game surf anglers

3. KastKing Royale Legend II Baitcasting Reel 

It’s tough for beginner or novice anglers to find a reasonably-priced baitcasting reel once they get ready to move up from the cheaper, lower-tier reels available on the market today. When it comes to finding a well-made baitcaster reel that can perform in a way comparable to some of the top models, the KastKing Royale Legend II Baitcasting Reel is a product that bridges the gap between beginner-quality reels and premium-quality level material. 

This reel is usually priced affordably, which makes it one that virtually anyone can afford, but it will likely surprise any angler that handles it for the first time. I love that the KastKing Royale Legend II is offered in two different gear ratios that include a steady 5.4:1 or a much faster 7.2:1. These two different gear ratio options are offered as the two sizes anglers can select, as well as left-handed or right-handed versions of each. 

The 5+1 bearing system provides adequate smoothness regarding the reel’s casting and retrieval ability with fluoro, mono or braided fishing line.

The KastKing Royale Legend II is a great blend of performance and affordability that comes in as a near-perfect entry-level baitcaster. 

Pros:

• Lightweight reel 
• Two different gear ratios for various applications 
• Ideal for beginners or budget-minded anglers 

Cons:

• Requires regular maintenance 
• Some durability concerns 

4. KastKing Speed Demon Pro 

If you’re a serious angler who isn’t interested in anything outside of premium quality gear, the KastKing Speed Demon Pro is worth a closer look. This reel absolutely lives up to its Speed Demon namesake as it delivers a blazing-fast 9.3:1 (35.2” per turn) gear ratio that makes fishing with topwater lures, jerkbaits, and soft plastics much more productive. 

In addition to having a reputation for being one of the fastest baitcasters in the industry, the KastKing Speed Demon Pro is also well-known for its buttery-smooth action. Personally, a baitcaster’s smoothness is what sticks out to me as the true testament to quality and KastKing obviously poured in countless hours of research and testing to combine speed and smoothness in the Speed Demon Pro. 

The reel tips the scales at just 6.5 ounces, making it one of the most lightweight options KastKing produces right now and ideal for anglers who don’t like handling a heavy reel all day when they’re focused on filling their limit or winning a tournament. One of the only downsides to this reel is that KastKing had to implement a smaller spool in order to keep the weight down and ensure that the spool was light enough to be capable of delivering the kind of speed they wanted to give anglers. 

This is one of the lightest baitcasting reels on the market, but it doesn’t sacrifice performance.

Pros:

• Blazing-fast speed 
• Lightweight reel 
• 12+1 bearing system for smooth action 
• The magnetic braking system is easy to adjust 

Cons:

• Smaller spool than other models 

5. KastKing Megatron Spinning Reel 

For anglers that require the biggest, toughest tackle to handle monster-sized saltwater fish, many brands offer products that claim to provide what they need but fail to deliver on the goods. The KastKing Megatron spinning reel isn’t one of these reels as it is certainly a surf fishing angler’s dream in terms of drag capability and durability. This reel is built for raw power and is ideal for any serious angler’s budget. 

The Megatron is designed with a fully-sealed 7+1 steel ball-bearing system that is smooth enough to allow anglers to cast out well past the breaking waves. Saltwater fishing enthusiasts—inshore or offshore—should be impressed by the characteristics KastKing provides in the Megatron spinning reel. It comes in sizes that range from a lightweight 2000 all the way up to a monster-sized 6000 reel that’s well-made to handle giant fish that lurk in the ocean’s depths or around the coastline. 

The max drag of the KastKing Megatron spinning reel is an impressive 33 pounds in the smaller 2000 size and 39.5 pounds in the biggest two versions, including the 5000 and 6000 size reels. It has plenty of line capacity to confidently let you go after the ocean’s largest predatory game fish. 

If you are looking to target tarpon or tuna and don’t want to spend a fortune, the Megatron is a great option.

Pros:

• Outstanding drag capacity 
• Plenty of line capacity 
• Built for raw power 
• Specially-made for catching big fish 

Cons:

• Smooth casting, but not smooth retrieval 

6. KastKing Kodiak Spinning Reel 

We could probably have the KastKing Kodiak higher up on our list of the best KastKing fishing reels, but the price puts it slightly outside what most average anglers are willing to pay for a spinning reel of this class. However, if you’re willing to invest the money and purchase the KastKing Kodiak, you certainly won’t be disappointed as this reel is one of the true masterpieces from the emerging brand. 

The KastKing Kodiak is named after the Kodiak brown bear, a massively powerful beast that rules the forests and mountains of Alaska and Canada. The reel is aptly named as it is also incredibly powerful and allows anglers to go after the biggest saltwater game fish species without worrying whether their tackle can withstand the fight. 

This reel comes in four different sizes that range from 2000 up to 5000 and each one provides an incredibly-smooth 11-bearing system that makes casting out great distances as easy as ever. The reel comes with a steady 5.2:1 gear ratio and delivers a max drag of 33 pounds in the smallest version and 39.5 lbs of max drag weight in the 5000 model.

It’s slightly heavier than some of the brand’s other spinning reels, but the all-metal body is rigid and won’t bend or budge when you’re fighting trophy-sized giants of the deep and around the surf. 

Pros:

• Rigid metal body 
• Smooth 11 bearing system 
• Plenty of max drag in large or small versions 
• Built for raw power

Cons:

• Slightly heavy
• Not made with stainless steel parts
• Might not last as long as other brands’ products of similar design

7. KastKing Brutus Spincast Reel 

We’ve all probably started our fishing career, at one point or another, using a push-button spincast reel. However, it’s incredibly tough to find one of these style reels that is made to perform at a high level or last longer than a few years. The KastKing Brutus is a true diamond-in-the-rough compared to the many other spincast models and brands. It’s a quality-made reel that is exceptionally easy to use and is just as fun as any reel in the industry. 

Compared to brands like Zebco, Pflueger, and others well-known in the spincast arena, the KastKing Brutus spincast reel matches up quite well with these other brands. It feels and behaves like any other spincast reel, but performs with smoothness and toughness that you might expect from a baitcaster thanks to the fact that the Brutus is designed with 5 MaxiDur ball bearings to lessen the overall amount of friction in casting and retrieval. 

In addition to the smooth performance, you can spool the KastKing Brutus with any fishing line from 4-pound fluorocarbon to 12-pound test monofilament and get a nice, easy-to-use functionality that makes this reel incredibly versatile. 

You can use it to catch trout in the small mountain streams or to go after big, heavy catfish in slow-moving rivers. You won’t have to worry about any internal tangling of your line as the KastKing Brutus is well-crafted and features a Dual Pickup system to quickly and effortlessly collect the line back onto the spool.

It’s well worth the investment to purchase a KastKing Brutus for your young or beginning angler to help them learn the ropes of fishing with an easy-to-use reel. 

Pros:

• Very well-designed 
• More durable than other spincast models 
• Versatile enough to be used with light or heavy line
• Perfect for beginners or young anglers 

Cons:

• Slow 4.0:1 gear ratio
• Drag isn’t well-suited for bigger fish
• Some quality issues with internal parts and components 

Performance

The performance score is how well this product fulfills its primary purpose. Does it have all the features and optional extras you need to catch the target species? I also interview expert anglers on their experience to build a more comprehensive view of the performance under multiple conditions.

I take all reels down to my local freshwater lake for bass, or inshore fishing off the beach for redfish.

• Test 1: I confirm that the max drag meets the manufacturer’s specifications using a calibrated scale.
• Test 2: I test the maximum casting distance using a 1.0-ounce lure.
• Test 3: I test the accuracy by casting 10 times into a 3 ft diameter circle at 30 yards.
• Test 4: I check the versatility and the ability to handle multiple uses by field testing with 3 different lures and baits, by actually going fishing.

Durability

Durability refers to how long the product will continue functioning. I twist, bend, and break all the products to check their longevity. This score is for the construction materials, the workmanship quality, and the servicing requirements. There are also bonus points for manufacturers’ warranty.

For products I can’t test for long enough, I also consult experts who have been using them for decades to judge their longevity.

• Test 5: I pull it apart to check the grease and oil levels, how difficult it is to maintain, and whether sand or salt has deposited after use in saltwater.

Value for Money

The final aspect of the scoring system is the price or, more specifically, the value for money. Value for money is a comparison against the closest alternative products, both by the same manufacturer and other brands.

Overall Score

Finally, I average the three scores of performance, durability, and value for money to give the overall score of each product reviewed.

To see more details, please read the complete guide on how I test and evaluate fishing products.

Conclusion

There are plenty of other baitcaster, spinning, or spincast reels we could add to this list, but the 7 models we chose to include are some of the absolute best KastKing fishing reels you’ll find on the market today. Many of these function as ideal options for beginners or young anglers who are new to fishing and KastKing does an exceptional job at balancing quality with a reasonable price on all their products. 

Once you try these reels out for yourself, you’ll see why so many anglers are becoming loyal to the up-and-coming KastKing brand as the best is yet to come with this great company.