The 10 Best Baitcasting Reels in 2021 (Buying Guide)

This reel also features one of the heaviest duty drag systems of any reel on this list. The Piscifun Torrent uses an 18-pound carbon fiber drag system for substantial line control, even when tasked with fighting the most sizable of fish. This is perfect for anyone who regularly pursues striped bass, catfish, carp, and musky.

The Piscifun Torrent is also built to last and uses many high-quality components that you’d usually find in the industry’s most expensive baitcasters, like shielded stainless steel bearings, CNC machined brass gears, and an ultra-durable carbon fiber frame. It also features a side-mounted oiling port for regular maintenance and increased unit longevity.

Weighing in at only 8 ounces, this reel was designed with the angler’s comfort in mind. Much of the Piscifun Torrent’s weight reductive qualities can be attributed to the use of carbon fiber as the material of choice for frame composition.

The Royale Legend II is notable for its compact and lightweight design. At only 7.2 ounces, this reel will naturally be comfortable to use, even during long outings. It also offers 17.6 pounds of total drag adjustment to assist anglers when the time comes to fight a sizable striped bass or musky to the boat’s edge.

This reel comes in two different gear ratios: 5.4:1 and 7.2:1. This gives anglers the opportunity to select a reel that best suits their preferred style of fishing; it also meets the needs of those who employ specialty tactics in order to find success.

The KastKing Royale Legend II is built to last, given its wide array of durable components. More of its impressive features include an extra-hard stainless steel main shaft, a Hamai precision machined brass gears, a diamond-shaped ceramic line guide, and a CNC aluminum spool.

The Black Max also features a compact handle and recessed spool design, which is helpful for anglers who are tired of wrestling with older, more cumbersome baitcasters. To further aid in ease of use, this reel also includes a Power Disk Drag System, in which your drag can be set in an instant, without ever removing your hand from its handle.

Anglers are also likely to be fond of the Abu Garcia Black Max’s lightweight construction. It uses a single-piece graphite frame and graphite side plates to keep operational weight to a bare minimum and to optimize angler comfort. This is of significant value, as most serious anglers will quickly discontinue the use of a particular reel when it’s become too uncomfortable to use.

Also of note is this reel’s heavy-duty aluminum spool, which is sized to maximize line capacity, while at the same time also protecting all present lines. This enhanced line capacity gives anglers the opportunity to extend their casts and reach distant points of interest.

There are few baitcasters available today that are constructed as robustly as the KastKing Rover Round. This reel uses premium-shielded stainless steel bearings, brass precision gears, stainless steel components, and an oversized non-slip handle. Together, these components give anglers an incredible amount of power that they can depend upon, no matter the circumstance.

As previously mentioned, the KastKing Rover Round’s superior line capacity offers an additional level of versatility. This increase in available line is what makes this reel the perfect candidate for trolling across large inland fishery or bottom fishing along structure found in bays or on deepwater flats.

The KastKing Rover Round is also known for its lengthy list of user-friendly features and functions. Some of the most notable of these include a clicker style line-out alarm and an ergonomic thumb bar line out release. When combined with this reel’s obvious cosmetic appeal, it’s hard not to find some degree of favor in the KastKing Rover Round.

High atop the KastKing Spartacus’ list of notable features is its superior shielded 11+1 corrosion resistant ball bearing system. This system supplies the Spartacus with an ultra-smooth operation, during both casting and retrieval. Bass anglers in particular will love this level of precise operation since they spend the bulk of their time covering water at a rapid pace.

The KastKing Spartacus also features a highly versatile 6.3:1 gear ratio, which is ideal for a wide variety of techniques, tactics, and presentations. This middle ground ratio should be fast enough for crankbait and buzzbait use, while still moderate enough in speed for use when using any number of finesse style tactics. As an added benefit, this gear ratio also provides a fair amount of torque, which is fantastic for fighting larger species of fish, such as catfish, carp, and musky.

The use of corrosion-resistant components allows the KastKing Spartacus to be well suited for use in saltwater environments, as it prevents salt contamination from creating rust-related issues of almost any type. This trait will be of value to consumers who live in coastal areas, where both saltwater and freshwater fishing opportunities are typically plentiful.

Another interesting feature found on the KastKing Crixus is its use of a U-shaped spool, which enables longer casts and greater line capacity. This makes it a great option for bass fishermen who usually make use of longer distance retrieves when covering large expanses of water, such as when using a crankbait.

Anglers using this reel are also treated to 17.6 pounds of drag adjustment, which will likely be a favorite feature of those attempting to reel in feisty muskies or hard-fighting smallmouths. This substantial amount of drag offers greater line control and helps to minimize the occurrence of line breakage.

The KastKing Crixus uses a convenient, all-purpose, 6.5:1 gear ratio, which means that this one reel can be used for multiple applications, as opposed to being forced to switch rigs on different occasions.

This reel also features a top-notch magnetic drag system, which includes 8 Cross-Fire magnets for excellent braking capacity. This is great for those who are constantly on the go and don’t really have time to circumvent repeated cases of backlash. In theory, this high-quality braking system should minimize angler downtime and maximize efficiency when on the water.

The KastKing Royale Legend GT is also built to be extremely durable. It houses a 5+1 double-shielded stainless steel bearings, a Hamai precision-cut brass 37 mm main gear, brass pinion gear, a brass main shaft, nickel-plated brass worm shaft, and stainless steel hardware. With all these features, one is most unlikely to experience any occurrences of untimely equipment failure.

Those who like to cover as much water as possible would favor the KastKing Royale Legend GT, as this reel features a 7.2:1 gear ratio. This means it allows for quick and efficient line pickups and can maximize the potential of depth-based lures, such as deep diving crankbaits.

The KastKing MegaJaws features a specialized funnel-shaped line guide that minimizes friction as line departs from the reel’s spool. This reduction in friction drastically reduces the effort required to reach tough spots like distant docks, the backs of winding creeks, and any other number of promising locations that cannot be accessed as closely as one would like by boat.

Another key characteristic of the KastKing MegaJaws baitcasting reel is its robust construction. It features several internal components of substantial strength and fortitude such as 11+1 double-shielded stainless steel bearings, brass pinion and main gears, and a nickel-coated brass worm gear. This level of durability will be well-received by those who love nothing more than to boat trophy-sized fish.

The KastKing MegaJaws also spares no expense when it comes to additional features and user-friendly functions. This reel includes a CNC aluminum spool and handle, rubber cork handle knobs for comfort, and a lightweight graphite body for an all-day-long performance.

The X2-Craftic alloy frame of the Abu Garcia Revo X is lightweight in construction, yet offers robust overall strength and durability. The X2-Craftic frame is also highly resistant to corrosion. This is an attribute that many anglers will appreciate, as the Revo X should be unsusceptible to the rust-related issues that plague a significant number of baitcasters in today’s market.

The Revo X’s MagTrax brake system is another feature that many anglers are likely to find favor in. This system provides consistent pressure that regulates line dispersal rates to a higher-than-average degree of reliability. This plays a big role in minimizing time-consumptive backlash episodes. By drastically reducing, or even eliminating backlash, an angler can make the best possible use of their time spending more time boating fish and less time untangling hopelessly twisted lines.

This reel also features a super-smooth drag performance, far beyond that of the roster of reels offered at a similar price point. The Abu Garcia Revo X’s Carbon Matrix hybrid drag system uses a series of carbon clutches to provide even tension — free of the slippage that is quite common in drag systems of subpar reels.

The KastKing Royale Legend Elite features a 17.6 pound drag system that includes 5 element magnetic brakes and a total of 10 individual adjustment settings. The sheer adjustability of this drag/brake system will likely minimize, if not completely eliminate the occurrence of time-prohibitive backlash, allowing you to get down to business and put more fish in the livewell.

This reel is also built to withstand the test of time and is constructed with only the highest grade of internal components. The KastKing Royale Legend Elite features double-shielded, stainless steel ball bearings, brass gears, and a stainless steel main shaft and kick lever. The presence of these components will provide anglers with the peace of mind to fish for long periods of time without worrying about untimely reel failure.

The KastKing Royale Legend Elite is offered in four different gear ratios, giving anglers a variety of choices when deciding on a particular model that best suits their individual style of fishing. From slowly crawling soft plastics through cover to burning up large areas of water with a lipless crankbait, there is a model of KastKing Royale Legend Elite that meets every perceivable need. 5.3:1, 6.6:1, 7.3:1 and 8.1:1 models are all available for purchase.