KastKingKestrel 1000 SFS Spinning Reel Carbon Body, Lightweight and only Weighs 4.6 Oz, Full Carbon Fiber Frame, 10+1 Stainless-Steel Double Shielded Ball Bearings, 6.2:1 Gear Ratio, 28.4 IPT

I usually always fish saltwater, which meant I was a little worried for this reels size and build. I usually use a 3000 series spinning reel. That being said, out of the box this is a beautiful reel! Very well built, compact, and solid. I used the reel with a ML spinning rod while wade fishing in the flats. I spooled it up with 10lb KastKing hammer braid. The first thing I noticed was how smooth the reel casted. The bail was easy to flip as well. The retrieve on the lures was easy and smooth. I ended up catching some undersized speckled trout that day around 12"-13" but this reel performed flawlessly. I know most people who buy this reel probably will be fishing lakes and rivers; however, this thing did fine in the saltwater. I've had it a few months and has zero problems from the salt. If you're looking for a compact, light tackle reel for your setup, give this thing a try! You won't be disappointed.

I am really impressed... this is everything you could hope for in an ultralight spinning reel: extremely light, solid and precise, smooth carbon drag, and full ball bearing support of everything that moves.These are things that are preferable, but KastKing also added some innovative features like the second stabilizing rod to keep the gear train in alignment under load and the grooved spool lip to reduce line friction on casting. Ball bearing count can be meaningless if cheap bearings are used, but the bearings in the Kestrel are stainless steel and fully shielded. It is buttery smooth and should stay that way.This reel feels way more "solid" than my other UL spinning reels, despite being so light. It also has a reasonable line capacity instead of holding three times more line than necessary like a lot of other spinning reels. I prefer to use old-school monofilament line on ultra-light spinning reels and this reel makes it economical and convenient to replace that line often. Switching to braid increases the capacity and the spool is braid-ready, having a rubber insert so the line grips the spool.I bought my first KastKing baitcasting reel several years ago and found it was an incredible value. I've added a few more since and have noticed increases in quality, materials and design. My impression after getting this new Kestrel is that KastKing is no longer a budget alternative, but a direct competitor to the big names.I have the reel mounted on a 6' ultra-light rod that weighs 2.6 ounces and it makes for "magic wand" kind of handling. I'm loving it so far!

The Kestrel 1000 SFS Spinning reel from KastKing is fantastic! The frame being made of carbon fiber and aluminum Make it very light and the drag is infinitely adjustable, and it works awesome and smooth. I love the line clip to hold the end of the line from unraveling. It's midrange speed of 6.2 gives it a good balance of speed and torque that fits all lures. This spinning reel from KastKing will be a perfect match for my lightweight rod.

The first thing I noticed on unpacking was how good it looks and the excellent construction. For example all the reels I own are assembled with screws. This reel has allen screws (or bolts) which are much better than screws as they don't strip out. They really paid attention to detail on this one. The color scheme is really nice with the orange and black.I paired it with a 5'6" ultra light rod and 4 lb line.It is smooth! There is no play anywhere. The bail flips with a positive click. The drag has a sweet clicking sound. It's 1/2 the price of the big name similar reels.I highly recommend it!

Looks GREAT, can't wait to try it out. Smooth and powerful is the feel I get from it. I will edit my review after I try it out.