KastKing Crixus Fishing Rod and Reel Combo, Baitcasting Combo, IM6 Graphite Blank Rods,SuperPolymer Handle

I picked this up as my first baitcaster (and second KastKing combo) to complement my existing spinning setups. Much like the first KastKing combo I purchased, it came well-packaged, with the rod shipping in the mother of all cardboard packing tubes and the reel packaged in a retail-style box. No worries about broken or missing parts!Spun on a load of 15# braid with a fluorocarbon backer and leader and so-configured, it's a great largemouth bass setup. Once you get the brake and spool tension right, long dead-accurate casts become easy and 100% repeatable. The rod is just about perfect for your chunkier rigs, jigs and crankbaits, with just the right amount of feedback to let you know what's happening out on the business end of your line, while the reel delivers fast, smooth retrieves. Outstanding value for money and performed well beyond my expectations. It also doesn't hurt that everything is well-finished and looks sharp.Having used it pretty regularly for some time now, I have zero qualms recommending this setup to anyone looking for a solid baitcasting rig.

Update: A few weeks after this review I caught a 1 lb largemouth on this combo using a Ned rig and had zero issue landing it. See photo above.Kastking does it again! What a great rod/reel combo. This is my 2nd combo I've purchased from Kastking, the other was the cadet bait caster combo. For this one, I bought the 5'6" light spinning combo with the 2000 reel because I needed a lighter rod for pan fishing and trout fishing. The first thing I noticed was how light the rod was. It uses IM6 blanks which give it great strength while being super light. The moderate fast action bends about half way down. The reel is a nicely painted white, what I assume is aluminum body. The bail has a nice snap to it and the reeling action is very smooth. There's no reverse play whatsoever. It does have a reverse lever which is nice and the handle can be swapped to either side. I spooled it up with some 4 lb mono I had lying around and took it out. I was casting an inline spinner and the rod bombs it waaay out there! The drag has a nice ping to it and adjusts in a fairly consistent increasing resistance. The one thing I noticed is the drag knob does have some tilt/play/looseness when it is set on lower drag but I don't think it'll be an issue. I caught the world's tiniest largemouth bass on my 3rd cast but I guess I can't be mad since I bought this rod/reel to catch small fish. So, as far as I'm concerned it is doing exactly what I bought it for. I think Kastking has earned my business for good. I'll continue to buy their rods and reels as well as fishing line. I'm also interested in whatever other stuff they will be releasing!

Great inexpensive rod and reel combo. First time out, with a little help from me, this rod caught five nice LMB in about an hour. Casting and retrieve were smooth, and tangle free.Now, my complaint. Instead of listing left or right retrieve, as used by most reel manufacturers, has been replaced with left or right handed in the description. The accompanying photos show left-handed as right retrieve. This is what I ordered, as I cast with my left hand and retrieve with my right. This is not was received. I received a reel with the handle on the left, as would be used by a right-handed person.Since I was leaving on a fishing trip the day after the product was received, I had no other option, but to use it, instead of returning for replacement. Now I have to switch hands after casting. Frustrating! Please fix this!!!!Overall, the quality of the product is fantastic. If the selection of reel orientation were easier, I would have rated five stars, but have only given three because of this.

This is my second baitcaster. I’ve used spinning reels most my life but wanted to try baitcasting for the benefits of casting control. My first baicaster was a shimano slx XT combo, the rod i got with my shimano was a little too stiff for the lures i use so I decided to get a second baitcaster, so i went with this 6’ medium casting combo from kastking. I have other kastking reels and really like the brand so i was excited to try the crixus combo. I am very happy with it. It’s a great combo for the money. The rod is Very lightweight. The reel is easy to dial in and cast. I spooled with 40lb kastking braid super 8 and its very smooth. I dialed the tension knob and brakes in just a few casts.. Compared to my $200 Shimano, the crixus is not the same build quality, you can notice tighter tolerance and better quality in general with my shimano, but the performance is what really matters and the crixus performs very well for the money. I'd rather have two crixus combo's for the price of one shimano combo. Id definitely recommend this to someone who is trying to add another reel to their collection. The 6’ m rod cast a 1/2oz lure very well and is very portable. The guides are not super high quality but at this price point I can’t complain. Overall I’m very happy with this combo and will likely get another one.

My wife picked this combo up for me for a Fathers Day gift. I had been looking forward to trying out a bait caster and this seemed like a good choice. This was my first KastKing rod and reel and I must say, I will be purchasing more KastKing products. Great value for the price. Believe it or not, I have not done too bad as a newbie to the bait caster reel either. A couple of incidents of bird nesting, but most of those were my own fault for leaving the brakes lower than I should have for the weight of the lures I was using.If you are new to bait casters, this is a great set up that won't break the bank. It came safe and securely packaged and was easy to get set up. Make the purchase and happy fishing!