My Kastking reel & the 24" Trout

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Dandydon
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My Kastking reel & the 24" Trout

Post by Dandydon »

Yesterday was active as I played disc golf, followed by a fast 15-mile bike ride, then Shoffer called to go night-fishing. The recent reports from Impulse & Yak Boi had fired us up to hit Sea Isle. We launched about 8:30pm to fish the solunar minor window.

After checking out Impulse's underwater lights we headed for the big surface lights out in the bay. About 5 bay houses were lit up, so Shoffer began the fun landing a legal speck at light no. 1.

I made a few casts, then pedaled to light no. 2 illuminating many fish swirls and splashes. On my first cast with my new cheap Kastking baitcaster, I hooked what I thought was a slot Redfish until I felt the headshakes of a big Trout.

It made 3 drag-pulling runs before I could turn her around into my waiting net. She was fat and 24 inches. My white Down South paddletail was shredded, but I had visions of more big Specks. Too bad that was my only legal fish of the night...

We headed into the canals and I hooked up 5 undersized throwbacks. Shoffer caught a couple more legal trout, but I'll let him tell his story.

It was a fun nighttime trip on the waning hours of Easter Sunday. The lights held tons of tiny glass minnows, and we saw a few shad in the mix, a sign of better fishing to come.

I'm happy with that new $40 Kastking which I installed on my new Castaway Invicta rod. The rod used to be 6:9 until Shoffer broke the tip off, making it a handy 6-ft. model, ha ha. It still works.

Belated happy Easter to all. ImageImage

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Ron Mc
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Re: My Kastking reel & the 24

Post by Ron Mc »

Thanks for the report and photos - great outing and result.
(I'll refrain from comparison to Susie's 25" on XUL).
When you first see that black tail and realize you have a hog trout instead of a slot red, the fight always turns to pandemonium.

Those 15-mi bike rides are perfect. They pay for 2 beers, and don't leave you wanting to eat everything in sight like a 25-mi bike ride will.
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Dandydon
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Re: My Kastking reel & the 24" Trout

Post by Dandydon »

Thanks, Ron. The bike rides are fun, but don't match the exhilaration of hooking a fat, sassy Speckled Trout. That one fish made my trip.

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shoffer
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Re: My Kastking reel & the 24

Post by shoffer »

I caught an 18, a 17 and a 16 in the overhead bay lights, and a 23 inch red in Impulse's lights. White Down South Glo on the 1/8oz was the ticket for all of the fish but one - the 17 fell for a silver Le Le.

After the minor faded off, the fishing got slow and it was Dink City until we called it about 12:30 am.
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OldTownYakBoi
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Re: My Kastking reel & the 24

Post by OldTownYakBoi »

Wonderful report Dandydon, and nice Trout! Next time when the bite slows down throw you on one of them glow tube lures from Mirrolure, You might pick up a few more of those big girls :lol:

Until next time, Tight lines!
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Rob R
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Re: My Kastking reel & the 24

Post by Rob R »

Cheap reels work. I have a $32 Sougayilang I use for bass fishing and I've been wanting to see how it does inshore. It has 22 lbs of drag. My high end Shimanos only have 11 lbs!
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Ron Mc
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Re: My Kastking reel & the 24

Post by Ron Mc »

I plead the 5th

Image
SWFinatic
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Re: My Kastking reel & the 24

Post by SWFinatic »

DD thanks for the report and the feedback on the reel. I'm kinduva cheapskate when it comes to fishing gear and at times tools in general. I believe there's a lot of gear out there that will perform at a pretty high level for helluva lot less than the high end stuff. Good to know the KK is performing well for under 50 bucks.
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Ron Mc
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Re: My Kastking reel & the 24

Post by Ron Mc »

frugality vs. quality is its own brand of politics.
How you treat your reels from the salt affects their life, reliability and the question of investing in good tackle.
How you plan to use a reel is a factor in what reel you may want for your specific niche.
Some may pick a reel so it won't sting so bad if they drop it from a kayak in the dark.
I had a guide buddy who never rinsed a reel, and just fished them until they quit working.
I'm pretty sure DD also owns a Metanium or two.
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Dandydon
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Re: My Kastking reel & the 24" Trout

Post by Dandydon »

Thanks, men, for your kind words. I confess to making millions as a lawyer but grew up kinda poor until receiving the first full scholarship at Kinkaid High School. In 1965 the yearly tuition was about $4,000; I could barely afford the used textbooks I had to buy... Image

But we know money can't really buy happiness or long, smooth casts! Hell, ask Shoffer about the rich heiress I married last June for four days... Yes, a man can sober up when faced with two crabby sisters who both will be living with him and wreaking emotional havoc.

I could have bought a million Curados with their money, and even today own four good old ones maintained by Capt. Shoffer. But I had the marriage annulled and began the happiest phase of my charmed life.

Admiral Wilchek taught me to screw the Eastblishment and find inexpensive gear that works, at least a season or two. I watched him outfish us all with $30 on-sale Okuna spinning reels. That led me to research and buy the $50 Canadian Cadence and $40 Chinese Plusino spinning reels I love so much. They both work on dinks AND hogs.

On level-winds I fished for years with Red Ambassadeurs, then silver/black ones, then the expensive Curados and Lew's reels. Yeah, they performed well if kept very clean & lubed. Hassle.

Today I enjoy and get good performance from that new $40 red Spartacus II Kastking, made in Vietnam. It's light as a feather.

Sunday night with Shoffer I was casting it much further than my spinning outfit, maybe 150 ft? Pairing it with my Shoffer-designed 6-foot Castaway shorty rod made me feel like a tournament bass pro. The star-drag worked smoothly on that 24-inch fat trout. I'm sold on the bargain bins.

In about two months it will be almost too hot to day-fish. Come join us while the air & water temps are nearly perfect. Soon the birds will work, and so will I. Talley ho.Image

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Dandydon
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Re: My Kastking reel & the 24" Trout

Post by Dandydon »

Yak Boi, I'll follow your advice, son. Seems to work for you. Must go find some of them, or shall we say "GET SOME!"

You have replaced Admiral Wilchek as the "Man Who Outfishes All. "

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