KastKing Kapstan Elite Saltwater Spinning Fishing Reel, Up to 55LBs Max Drag, IPX6 Waterproof & Corrosion-Resistant Bearing System - Ideal Fishing Gifts for Saltwater Fishing

Got this for salmon fishing and it has held up well to some really big fish on strong fast runs. The drag is smooth and powerful for those 20+ lbs. fish

Some reels are listed as "salt water" reels because they use corrosion-resistant parts. This reel takes it to another level by also having waterproof seals that keep salt water out. The reel even has an IPX6 rating. The multi-disk carbon drag system is similar (or superior) to the aftermarket upgrades I've paid extra to add to other reels. It is buttery smooth but can apply some serious pressure! (30lbs. in the case of my 3000 size... that's double what my trusty Penn Battle has!) The shielded stainless steel ball bearings are in the right places to insure strength and smoothness, like on both sides of the crank and at the top and bottom of the spool. The gears are premium manganese-brass alloy. The reel body is aluminum. This reel is a tiny bit larger and heavier than some in its class. For just two ounces more weight than my old favorite saltwater 3000-size reel, this reel offers more bearings, an IPX6 waterproof rating, better gears, and double the drag stopping power. And I think it looks great, too. So far, I think this reel is unbeatable in its price range. If everything performs as expected, it should be a big winner! Time will tell, and I'll update my review with any positive or negative revelations.

I purchased this reel out of curiosity about the quality and performance. I have not used it fishing yet but plan to in the next two weeks and will update my review at that time. The reel arrived on time and well packaged. It has a great look and feel to it with very smooth cranking and bail closure. It seems balanced and the finish is really nice. It is set up so it can be used for right or left handed cranking. One minor thing is that I travel a lot and wish it had an extra cover for where the crank handle attaches. This would protect it from dust and protect my gear from the grease if the handle is off of the reel. The reality is that I will travel with it in the box as it is set up to protect the reel! Once again, nice reel and I look forward to getting line on it next week and then getting out on the water to test it more thoroughly!

I was not a fan of KastKing until this reel. Very Very nice. Yes, it's heavy but suck it up because it's worth it. Have already bought another variation.

Edit: Kastking tried to help solve my issues and suggested sending another one incase the one I got turned out to be defective. Happy to say the new one has been good so far, not sure what the deal was with the first one I got but overall pretty happy about the replacement. Thanks again. Sure its smooth out of the box but no really compared to the same price point of its competitors. For over 150 its feels like a scam. The quality is just not there with the very flimsy bait arm with crazy amount of flex to the subpar drag system. The line roller barely rolls and that is going to be a huge problem with braid. It does look cool but nothing screams buy me, just get a penn,shimano or daiwa

This is my smoothest and strongest reel. I like it better than the “big” brands. Feels solid like it’s one unit with the rod. Comes with power handle, excellent value!

Kastking has got me hooked! Quality products at affordable prices. Will continue to but from them!

Giving it three stars it feels good but a little hard to turn isn’t fluid but overall like it