Over the years I have owned some really fine spinning reels . The legendary Swedish Abu Cardinals were the bench mark I measured other reels to . I owned a Cardinal 57 and a Cardinal 55 . Each gave years of service until parts became hard to obtain . I owned Penn Spin Fishers and a couple of Shimano Stradics over my fishing journey .
This Kodiak from KastKing is the smoothest reel I have ever owned straight from the box . I purchased it for finesse fishing around the Werribee River . The drag on it blows me away . Not one but two sealed stainless steel bearings are contained in the mechanism . You just touch the spool and it gives line . Yet it as 15KG (33 lbs ) of drag setting to turn the big ones away from snags etc .
I did a tear down of the reel , as our American friends say , no teflon coated gears here to be smooth for six months until it wears off . Won’t name the manufacturer . Just well machined stainless and gun metal gearing and pinions . . I have a Fin Nor Ahab 8 and 12 spinning reels . To me they are the standard to measure all spinning reels by . They are no longer made but sell on Ebay for upwards of $600 for a good one . The KastKing Kodiak compliments them in my fishing arsenal . The Fin Nor Ahab 8lb IGFA class reel weighs in at 595 grm . When your casting soft plastics , crank and jerk baits in a fishing session that gets heavy . The KastKing weighs in at 365 grm yet still has the strength of an all metal body . It will balance nicely on my Shimano Stradic 6 ft 1-3Kg line weight spinning rod .
How good are these KastKings ? A Shimano Stella 2000 size would have cost me between $1100 and $1400 . A Team Daiwa much the same . I was on Ebay one night and KastKing in their fun loving way posted "Make an offer on this reel " I offered $47 and bingo I won . On Amazon I have seen the Kodiaks for $200+ . I believe now that Amazon are building more warehouses in Australia they will hold the price down to the Ebay price .
I’m looking at KastKing’s Zephyr Finesse Spinning reel for testing . It has virtually replaced the Kodiak in their reel line up . It has a Carbon fibre body and comes only in 1000 size . Geared more for the American Ultra light pan fishing scene i. e. Blue Gill and the various fresh water species of Sun fish .
As a disclaimer I have no links to KastKing by way of cash for comment etc . I buy the reels I test if they don’t perform I will let you know . If other manufacturers offer me reels to test I will do so in an unbiased way .
