KastKing Spartacus II Spinning Reel, Size 2000 Fishing Reel, IPX5 Waterproof Rating,Spindrift

This review is for the 2000-sized Spindrift IPX5 reel, which is a perfect size for bass, trout, walleye, basically any freshwater game fish... If you're spooling with braid, I'd recommend using a narrow strip of electrical tape on the spool to prevent line slippage. This is fairly common unless the spool has built-in traction specifically for braided fishing line. Or just spool with mono or fluorocarbon. Very precise and reliable drag system, as good as $100+ reels I've used in the past. The 2000 sized reel has 17 lbs of drag force which is more than enough to slow down and reel in a 15-30 lb fish. A king salmon however may be a little much, so I'd suggest sizing up to the 3000-4000 size if you're fishing for kings. As with any new reel, take the spool off and add a few drops of light-weight oil to the main shaft. Also add a few drops to the areas where the bail opens and closes. Retrieval speed is plenty fast, the reel is well-constructed, made of metal. At its current price point, this reel is a solid buy. Seems to rival quality and build of reels that cost 4-5x as much. Hopefully Kastking keeps producing reels of this quality while keeping the price down, and I'll continue to buy their rods and reels. I own many Kastking products, probably a dozen or so of their rods, and at least 15-20 of their reels. None of which have been a disappointment.

I finally had a chance to use this reel on my vacation in New Jersey. We went fishing for Fluke in the bay and I must say the reel performed flawlessly. Zero salt water got inside ( did load entries with Penn grease). Great line lay with braid and caught a few fish. Would recommend to anyone. Was a nice reel to fish with.

Excellent for light fishing 6 to 10 pound test. Drag is very smooth. Well worth the price. In fact I bought another one after testing this one out.

Awesome reel, will definitely buy again. Half the price of more well-known brand names. You know who you are.

First impressions are very positive. Smooth reel, seemingly smooth and responsive drag. If this reel will survive a summer of saltwater fishing then I will be buying many more! If you are just getting into fishing, looking to build an inexpensive combo, or just want a reel your not afraid to abuse this one looks like it will do the trick!