KastKing Bassinator Elite Baitcasting Reels, Palm Perfect Baitcaster Fishing Reel, Aluminum Frame, 10+1 Double Shielded SS BB, Centrifugal Brakes, 17.6 Lb Carbon Drag, Swing Wing Design

I waited a while before writing this review because I didn't want to jump the gun. After previously purchasing the Speed Demon spinning reel for my saltwater fishing (and being thoroughly satisfied with the reel and Kastking's customer service), I decided to give their freshwater baitcaster a shot. I am more than happy with my purchase. The Bassinator Elite is the perfect name for it. I have slayed the largemouth bass and the reel performs like no other that I have used. It's light weight, very smooth casting and retrievals, and it looks great on the rod. I have yet to have a birdsnest so bad that I've had to respool the reel (I fish atleast 6 days a week). If you're looking for a reel that compares to the big brands with the big prices, this is the reel for you! Kastking has set a new standard when it comes to quality and affordability.

I liked the $40 Royale Legend 2 so much I decided to try the top of the line reel from KK. Worth every penny, smooth as glass, easy to set up, casts a country mile with no effort. The pop-out side plate makes for easy adjustments of the brakes with no fear of dropping it in the lake. Grips are comfortable. Clicking spool tension knob is nice.As with all baitcssting reels you must practice with it before you go fishing. Most low star reviews are from people who didnt learn/practice properly and backlashed on the water and ruined their trip. Read the manual, practice, adjust, practice some more. Start slow and learn (like driving a 5 speed transmission) This is a quality reel. I cant wait for the Speed Demon Elite.

Kastking Bassinator Elite - Immediately liked the easy adjustability of the spool control. It has audible clicks. The feel of the cork handles is excellent. I have been practice casting, flipping and pitching with it for a few days. Works great - no backlashes. The flip open side plate cover stays attached so losing it will not be a problem. Can make long casts without back lash and then adjust adjust again for flipping/pitching with ease.I also have a Kastking Stealth Baitcaster - used it for about 2 years and have been happy with it. The Bassinator is much better product overall than the Stealth and it is reflected in the price. But still much lower price than comparable baitcasters. Top quality for great price.

What first caught my eye was the color. I have so many silver and black reels, so I wanted something different and eye catching! Like most, the 1st thing I did was the spool spin test and this reel is outstanding! Retrieve is also super smooth, comparable to a lot of flagship reels. Line lay was perfect when I spooled it up. It is also very light without having to employ a corrosion prone mg frame. Will update if I find any problems, but so far, so good. Great job Kastking!

I have owned this reel for almost a year now, and I have held off reviewing it because I wasn't really experienced with other reels at this price point. I recently purchased a Curado K, which is widely considered one of the best reels in the ~$180 range, so having fished with both I feel I can leave a more valuable and informative review.The bottom line is that the Bassinator Elite is a pretty good reel and I really like it. I would give it 4.5 stars if I could, and I think it would be a solid 5 if it were just a little cheaper.There are several features I really like with this reel. The shape and size of the frame are perfect - I have medium hands and it really palms nice. It's lightweight and the carbon fiber handle and cork grips are great touches. The overall feel of the reel is what I like most about it. The spool tension knob having click feedback is also really nice, it helps me gauge where I am when I go to adjust for different baits. By contrast, the Curado K is a bit heftier (but more solid), has the synthetic grips, and has a more typical spool tension knob with no feedback. Also note that the Bassinator Elite has nearly 18lb of drag pressure vs. the Curado's 11 lb.I only have a couple minor gripes with the Bassinator Elite reel. First, I think the brakes could be a little bit better. There are 6 centrifugal brakes, but there is no external fine tuning, so you are locked into one of only six possible settings. I can also feel the brakes in close quarters casts when the spool is turning more slowly - they could be a little smoother. The Curado by contrast has 4 centfigual brakes but has an external fine tuning dial that really lets you dial in the braking power. My only other complaint is that the Bassinator Elite just a has a bit more "loose" construction. There is a bit of axial play in the spool even when it's at a moderate tension. There is a lot of slop between the line guide and the worm shaft (?) that moves it, so you can actually wiggle the guide a bit in place. Overall, the reel performs just fine so these are only personal complaints, but this might matter to others as well.At the end of the day if you like the compact design and finer touches they've included in this reel, you will love it. However, if finely adjustable brakes and a heavy duty build are important to you, maybe look elsewhere. I think that it's a great reel overall and with the nice, heavy drag it serves me well for punching and bank fishing through the slop.

Im new to baitcasters but have fished for 20+ years. I was worried about learning to use baitcasters and let me say all I had to do was set breaks to half and ive had maybe 3 backlashes thats it. I paired it with 15lb braid and speed demon pro carolina rig rod. All around amazing reel. Simple to use, super smooth great reel for beginers. I have landed 20+ brown trout on it already.Despite haters kastking makes awesome gear. Keep up the awesome work guys.

This reel is really nice. Smooth operation and great look, BUT any bait caster reel is very difficult to master. These types of reals are not for the average fisherman. I tried casting this reel and ended up with many bird nests...Granted the three stars is not so much for the product itself but for the not so easy to use disclaimer not present...many adjustments need to be made prior to use as well as big learning curve.