KastKing Sharky Baitfeeder III Spinning Reel 10+1 Shielded Stainless Steel BB - Carbon Fiber Drag for Live Liner Bait Fishing Action

I recently took a trip to the Canary Islands and decided to pack light, opting for the KastKing Sharky 3 baitcaster paired with the KastKing Valiant Eagle Passage travel rod. With limited luggage space, this combo was perfect. The rod breaks down into multiple pieces, making it easy to pack without needing an oversized rod tube, and I didn’t have to worry about extra baggage fees.The Valiant Eagle Passage travel rod impressed me with its strength and sturdiness, despite its compact size. It has a solid construction that held up well under various fishing conditions. I used it for a few days of fishing, and it handled everything from casting in the surf to reeling in fish with ease. The sensitivity of the rod was great, allowing me to feel subtle bites and changes in the water, which made it effective for targeting a variety of species.Paired with the Sharky 3 baitcaster reel, the combo offered a smooth, reliable fishing experience. The Sharky 3 features a smooth drag system and solid build, making it capable of handling bigger fish without skipping a beat. It was easy to adjust and offered great performance throughout the trip. The reel's performance paired perfectly with the travel rod, providing the ideal balance of power and precision.After this trip, this setup is now my go-to travel rod and reel. The convenience of having a rod that breaks down into multiple pieces and a reel that provides consistent, smooth action makes it ideal for travel. No more oversized rod tubes or extra fees. This combo is strong, reliable, and compact—everything you need for a hassle-free fishing experience on the go.

Edit: May 29, 2024I purchased the KastKing Sharkie BaitFeeder III in the 4,000 series and paired it with a Shakespeare Big Water. Ladies and gentlemen, this is in my opinion the absolute best combination for pier fishing. Why do I say that? Well, most people's methods of fishing from a pier is what I call "passive" fishing, including myself. I use what's called a High Low Rig, or a Crappie Rig as Eagles Claw calls it (the famous brand that sells hooks at your local Walmart), so you basically tie your line to a barrel swivel and that barrel swivel has a thick line about 3 feet long maybe, with two hooks spaced equally apart, and at the end is a heavy sinker of your choosing. I cast out, let the weight hit the bottom, stick the pole in a holder and reel in until the line is tight and with a regular reel you would set the drag pretty light so if a fish takes your bait and runs, your pole won't get sucked into the water. The line will just strip. Now this presents a problem because if a big fish takes the bait and runs, you have to pick up the pole and sit there turning the drag up until it's tight enough that you can fight the fish. This wastes time right? Enter the KastKing Sharkie BaitFeeder III and it's ingenious design. Now with this reel you have a dual drag system that are independent of each other! You have your normal drag in the front that you would set as if you hooked a fish, so decently tight, but in the rear is another drag! So with this now, you cast out and let the weight of the rig hit the bottom, stick your pole in a holder, reel in until the line is tight and instead of messing with the main drag in the front, you flip the lever in the rear of the reel and that engages the secondary drag. You turn the knob on this end until the line is so light that if a fish took your bait and ran, it'll just strip line. Simply pull your pole out of the holder while the line is stripping and as soon as you begin reeling, you'll feel a slight resistance in the handle and the lever will click over switching and activating your main drag! No time wasting messing with the drag with this thing. Set your primary drag in the front to how you would normally fight a fish and then flip the lever in the rear and adjust the knob to how light you want the secondary drag. I never heard of such a reel until I got one of these and I loved it so much that I bought another one in the 3,000 series to pair with a Shakespeare GX2! These are fantastic reels and for a great price! I've had the 4,000 series since December 10th 2023 and have used both starting in January of 2024 and they've held up great so far. I did catch a double header with two stingrays and that was a pain to haul in from the height of the water to the railing. I'd estimate that to be at least 15 feet and maybe 10+lbs of dead weight dangling in the air and the 4,000 series handled it. That has been the heaviest haul so far. I put 30lbs Trilene braid on the 4,000 and 20lbs braid on the 3,000 and with the 4,000 I can easily cast about 80 yards underhand on the pier but again, that's about 15 feet up. Reeling in feels smooth and the only thing I hear is the tension of the line. A couple things I appreciate from KastKing is including a manual with actual part names which I assume can be used if you were to ever lose a part or break a part and need warranty work or something. If you look at one of the photos I shared, I tried to showcase how the handle mounts and I couldn't believe to see they added grease which speaks volumes to how they want their customers to have the best experience. They've also included stickers you can write on for the type of fishing string you're using and stamp it somewhere on the reel. I made a sticker for each of the spools and snuck them on the inside portion of each spool so in the future, like next year probably, I can see what type of line is on there and how old it is. I'm just saying, they didn't have to include that but it's nice they did. I also tried to show exactly how large these reels are and the only poles I have to compare them to are a Penn Fierce which is a 6,000 series and an Ugly Stik GX2 which I'd say is maybe like a 3,000 or 4,000. If you look at one of their images, they show the sizes of their reels and it appears the 5,000 and the 6,000 are the same size so I personally went with the 4,000 to pair with my heavy Ugly Stik Big Water and compared to the Penn Fierce, it is just slightly smaller but perfect for the Big Water pole I think. And the KastKing 3,000 is comparable to the GX2, which is one of the most popular poles/reels in America, is about the same size. So you can compare and hopefully see which one would suit your needs. I absolutely recommend these reels and I don't think you could find a better price. I will continue to update this review so long as these reels hold up. Oh yeah, and I'm fishing the Pacific Ocean which means saltwater and there doesn't appear to be any corrosion yet but like I said, I'll keep updating.

Update 12/28/19: Something shifted in the back of my truck and this reel snapped off the rod it was on, right at the reel stem. Now, I am probably going to order it again but I might wait and see if they come out with a new version that fixes the flex issues. I still recommend it for the money but beware that it is weak at the stem. It is my fault the reel broke, but thats what you get when you buy a plastic reel.Update 5/4/19: So far so good. Reel performed well during the Spring striper run here in the northeast as a bait reel. I have not dunked the reel but it has been sprayed heavily on jetties and in the surf. With a light freshwater rinse afterward the reel has been just fine. For sixty bucks with the baitrunner feature you could do a lot worse IMO. I am considering ordering a second.I bought this reel because I wanted to try a liveliner/baitfeeder dual drag reel for throwing bait but did not want to take the plunge on a Shimano Baitrunner just yet. I bought these reel to do double duty as a catfish reel and inshore reel for stripers and bluefish. I have used it on four outings since getting it in the mail and it has performed as I would expect for a sixty dollar reel. I'll try to update my review somwhere down the line. Here are my observations for what it's worth.Size: I have the "6000" which is the largest size they offer. It is about the size of my Penn Slammer 5500. I would say it's about a 5000 size reel from most manufacturers. Gimmicky marketing, but ok. Why not just call it what it is?Fit and Finish: It's plastic. Yup made out of plastic but it's nice, it feels nice anyway. My copy had no flaws or defects from the factory. Heard horror stories about sharp edges around the anodized lip of the bail--- not so on mine. For a cheapo reel I'd say the finish is dang worth the money.Drag: I have caught about ten fish on it so far to around ten to twelve pounds. The reel performed very well. When fishing a pier with the rod just leaning up against the railing the secondary drag is a very nice thing to have. I can turn my back on the rod and know it's more than likely not going to get pulled over because the fish can run with the bait. The main drag felt great on the small sample I have to review from. There's a video online of a guy in UAE fighting Barracuda and Trevale with it no sweat... I think it's fine. Again I will update down the road.Line Capacity: I dunno sorry, was not paying attention. I spooled it off a 600ish yard spool of 30 lb Kast King Superpower Braid (wanted to get the full KK experience lol). I would imagine it's a tad overstated or on point. All manufacturers do that, including on my Slammer which was 3X+ the price. They give you a second spool for FREE. FREE. That is awesome. The second spool may just be intended for mono but you could rig it up with braid with a little tape or backing. That's a major plus for me to have the second spool because nobody likes having to leave early say if you get spooled by a ray/shark or experience line problems. The line lay on my copy was fair. It is not perfect but it is not lopsided either. Again, sixty dollars....Saltwater Worthiness: This reel is supposed to be designed to withstand saltwater but I would not bet my sixty bucks on it, meaning I would not dunk it. Take care of your equipment and it will take care of you. It's not designed for that level of abuse. I fish off piers and jetties with it.Important Notes: Reel flex at the rod seat area. I knew about this going in and still bought it because I don't anticipate fighting gigantic fish with it (although I'm sure it would be fine). Believe the hype, it is a real issue (puns....). When I put the reel on a rod I can push down with force and make the reel move toward the rod. They need to fortify the stem a little better. That being said, I accidentally hook into rays sometimes while hunting other fish. If it breaks, I'll comment back. It doesn't really cause me much concern. It's a sixty dollar reel and to me the pros of the reel outweigh the cons.In Sum: Smooth reel out of the box. Fit and finish on mine was pretty great for the money. Drag systems work well. Reel flex is a legit issue and the stem needs fortification but that would probably drive up the cost. If it snaps off I'll be sure to update my review. Until then I'll be enjoying the reel. For my money, this reel allows me to try something normally only available on more expensive reels at a fraction of the cost. I think it's worth the money I paid for it.