KastKing Zephyr Bait Finesse Baitcasting Reel, Magnetic Braking System Baitcaster Reel, Double Shielded Stainless Steel BB, 7.2:1 Gear Ratio Fishing Reel

I may be late to the show, but I'm starting to realize that KastKing is definitely one of the best kept secrets in this fishing gear industry. This reel is actually quite good if not even excellent! I really don't know why other reviews claim this reel isn't smooth. I own a few other higher end baitcasters for 4x the price that are not as smooth as this Zephyr. Longevity may very well end up being a factor, but new out of the box and after two long days of fishing, this reel is still the smoothest reel in my arsenal. The best part about this reel has to be the magnetic braking. This reel simply does not backlash, and trust me -- if anyone can get a reel to backlash, it's me. Baitcasters have always been a curse for me. I love using them, but when (not if) I lose just a little bit of focus while using them I end up with a birds nest. Typically, it's just a temporary showstopper and I'm able to sort it out, but of course by then my lure is usually on the bottom snagged and I have to then resolve that issue. I actually tried to backlash this reel and it wouldn't. I put a heavier swimbait on it, set the brake to zero, and casted it into 15mph wind. Nothing. No backlash at all! The only time I came close to a "backlash" with this reel is when I pressed the spool release button to tie on a new lure the line kind of spooled out on me similar to a backlash (but not really a backlash). So the brake on this reel does its job when it's supposed to -- during casting. However, with the spool released if you just lightly pull on the line you could get a bird nest if you're not careful.I agree that the only caveat to this reel is the casting distance. Because the magnetic brake works so well to virtually eliminate backlashes, the reel has a shorter casting distance. This mostly applies to lighter lures though, because when I put heavier lures on it the casting distance was about the same as I get from all baitcasters (maybe slightly less). I'm actually fine with it, though. Even if my casting distance is a little shorter for say a 1/4 oz lure, it's worth it not having to focus so much on backlash prevention.This reel does not seem to have a lubrication port??? Maybe I'm just not finding it, but in the maintenance directions they do say that over-lubing this reel will have a negative performance impact, and they highly recommend using minimal lube. I tend to rinse the heck out of my reels (especially after using them in saltwater), so I'm not sure how I feel about this. I guess if there isn't a lube port then there's less chance of (salt)water getting into the reel...??? Maybe???? Time will tell.Overall, just an excellent, inexpensive reel. A real surprise, for sure! Definitely a pleasant experience and real joy to use. I paired it with an excellent, but also inexpensive rod in the Daiwa Laguna 701MHF (7', one-piece, medium-heavy, fast action), and this is now probably my favorite combo. I bought the rod because of my Lews Mach 2 and Mach Crush rods started failing (grips falling apart and a couple of broken eyelets), and decided to try a new reel since my Lews Mach 2 and Mach Crush reels are starting to also show their age a bit (7 years). I think the Daiwa Laguna/KastKing Zephyr combo (at $68) is vastly superior to the Lews combos ($180-270), and I've really enjoyed using the Lews combos. Also, good on KastKing for producing a lefthand baitcaster (like they do for most/all of their baitcaster models), as most inexpensive reel manufacturers don't produce lefties.

I'm going to break this down based on pros and cons. I want to start out before that and cut to the chase and say that it is an amazing value.Pros:The magnetic break is VERY strong. This is so strong; It was almost impossible to backlash. I was super impressed with how strong the magnet was. Night and day from many of the others I have tried in the past.Most of the parts are carbon fiber, aluminum or not magnetic metals. This leads to less corrosion long term. Would I bring this for saltwater fishing? No, but there are very few magnetic metals that could lead to corrosion.I love the tri-spoke design of the magnetic break. Super easy to grip and change.The thumb button has a rubber pad for grip and comfort and has a metal bar on the back part for a longer life. I had a Kast King reel that lasted a long time before the thumb button broke. It was so old, parts were no longer available, but it appears the newer design would not have broken the same way.The drag is smooth. This is way better than the ones I've had in the past and 18 lbs. will hold up to the occasional catfish or large fish I snag occasionally.Neutral:I'm not a fan of EVA grips, but some are. I prefer rubber as they tend to last longer to me. I will say that EVA tends to be a bit more comfortable.I prefer the drag star to be straight out, but there is nothing wrong with the bent spoke design. I just have a preference of the straight spokes.Cons:It was not buttery smooth like my go to (Daiwa SV TW) which is almost 4 times the price. I took it apart, lubed some of the parts and the "grittiness" was gone quickly. It resulted in a much better feeling reel.Free spinning the reel isn't resistant free. If you turn the magnets down all the way and loosen everything up, spin the reel, it will go 5 to 8 spins freely. MyOverall, I'd give it a 4.5 out of 5. Since I can't give it a 4.5, I'm rounding up. The .5 is mostly lost with the fact that I had to clean and grease out of the box and the ability for the reel to spin freely is less than others. This is probably the best beginner reel I've used and will be giving it to my daughter to learn baitcasting as the backlash is next to none.

Love the weight of the reel as well as the smoothness…and asthetically love the lime green

Really nice casting bait caster. I use this now over my $400 shimano Calcutta.