OHUB Review: KastKing Royal Legend ll
Keith Lusher 04.22.24
When it comes to baitcasting reels, price is a major factor for most anglers. With advancing technology, these reels are getting to be quite pricey. I recently had the chance to take a step back from testing “premium” reals or “tournament grade” reels and take a look at a more affordable reel: The KastKing Royale Legend ll. After testing bait casters that cost over $400 I have to admit that I wasn’t expecting much from the Legend ll, However, it far exceeded my expectations when it came to torque and retrieve.
When selecting which model I wanted I was faced with two reels with gear ratios of 5.5:1 and 7.2:1. I chose the 7.2:1 and headed to the river for a little bass fishing. I tied on an MR-6 Crankbait made by Bill Lewis Lures and focused on running it down a ledge that was in 18 feet of water.
There were a few bass gathered down off the ledge so I needed this reel to pull the crank deep.
The Royale Legend ll rose to the challenge as the 7.2:1 gear ratio quickly picked up the fishing line at 29.8” per turn.
Let’s talk about the torque. I was very impressed as it pulled the lure through the water with little effort on my part. For a reel that costs under 80 bucks, it had a very smooth retrive. It’s got six bearings which is a lot for a budget baitcaster. The retrive was quiet and the casts were smooth.
While the Cross-fire Magnetic Braking System, which has 8 magnetic buttons for adjusting the levels of braking power, took a little time to get used to, I was able to line it up with the crankbaits weight, it casts like a dream.
I barely had to use my thumb to stop the spool at the moment the lure hit the water.
There were a few downsides, however, as I struggled to throw light crankbaits and had to adjust the braking system more than I cared for.
Honestly, this reel felt very similar to KastKing’s more expensive Royale Legend Elite reel but is considerably cheaper.
All-in-all, the KastKing Royal Legend ll overachieved for being a budget reel and delivered where it needed to. It makes for a great starter reel for someone who is just starting out in the bass fishing world or for those looking to get away with an economy bait caster.
