Spring has come and gone, and summer season is blasting its warmth, pushing fish deeper. I needed to catch the large bass, however didn’t have a terrific setup for large lures (like swimbaits and deep-diving crankbaits) till a couple of months in the past.
KastKing provided to ship the Megatron 200 baitcasting reel to check this spring and summer season. I’ve taken it to a number of of my favourite fishing holes, together with my pond and native lake, to toss round crankbaits, swimbaits, and different massive lures, trying to find that large chew.
I used to be skeptical at first as a result of cheaper price. I’ve used numerous low-cost baitcasting reels prior to now and have all the time wound up pissed off as a result of they chook’s nest each different forged, are uncomfortable, or break in the midst of my journey.
In brief: The KastKing Megatron 200 has blown previous my expectations by casting effectively with a buttery clean retrieve and loads of energy to haul in big fish, however I’ve additionally discovered a couple of issues that may simply sway you away from shopping for it.
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Cheap ($75) -
Easy retrieve -
Versatile -
Effectively-built for the value -
Energy to winch in large lures and massive fish
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Cumbersome -
Braking system takes time to dial in -
Not nice with light-weight crankbaits -
Cork handles
KastKing Megatron 200 Baitcasting Reel Assessment
I’ve solely used the KastKing Megatron 200 to focus on bass to date. Nonetheless, I plan to make use of it to focus on striper and catfish from my kayak. I’ve zero doubts that it’ll be capable of deal with 20+ pound fish and the large lures and baits it takes to catch ’em. I paired it with a KastKing Pace Demon Professional Deep Crankbait 7’10” rod.
Construct High quality
I have to admit that KastKing has made important progress in the previous couple of years. KastKing rods and reels didn’t used to carry up effectively, however they’ve undoubtedly upped their sport since I first began utilizing KastKing merchandise. The Megatron 200 reveals simply how far they’ve come, with out skyrocketing the costs of their gear.
The CNC aluminum U-shaped spool offers anglers extra line capability in comparison with 100-size reels. The eight-button magnetic system helps cut back overruns (chook’s nests), with out bringing your forged to a screeching halt simply 10 ft out.
The aluminum deal with with 3A cork knobs is comfy and offers you slightly additional leverage for battling large fish. I’m not a fan of cork knobs as a result of they’re not as sturdy as EVA foam. However these handles are fairly comfy. I’ve left the protecting plastic on them, so the cork has an added stage of safety. The Triple Disc carbon fiber drag system ensures a clean drag while you want it and the flexibility to crank it as much as set the hook on large fish.
The graphite low-profile body has withstood bouncing round in my truck for the previous couple of months, however I’ve protected it with a reel cowl whereas transporting it, so it nonetheless seems to be new. I anticipated a reel of this dimension to be heavier, however it’s simply cumbersome (which needs to be anticipated from a reel known as Megatron), not excessively heavy.
To date, the reel has withstood the everyday abuse I topic my fishing gear to. I’m excited to proceed utilizing it for the remainder of the summer season and into the winter with an Alabama rig.
On-the-Water Efficiency
I tied on a bladed jig for my first forged with the KastKing Megatron 200 and rapidly had the brakes dialed in. Although the Megatron isn’t designed for bladed jigs, it dealt with it effectively, and I caught a few bass.
It’s a bit cumbersome, which makes casting and reeling slightly awkward while you’re used to low-profile 100-size reels. I wouldn’t need to forged all of it day because of that bulkiness. I used it for a few hours every time I went out and acquired extra accustomed to it with every forged.
Probably the most irritating time was once I tried utilizing a light-weight crankbait at my pond. It took me a number of casts to get the brakes good and keep away from making a chook’s nest, however once I did, I couldn’t forged the crankbait so far as I needed. I settled for not over-muscling my forged, and it labored out for the remainder of the journey.
What the KastKing Megatron 200 Does Effectively
The KastKing Megatron 200 is designed for casting large lures and dealing with large fish, and it excels in each areas. When a lure has sufficient weight to it, dialing within the brakes is a breeze. I loved the sleek drag whereas combating large fish, although I’m utilizing 30-pound braid and didn’t want it to keep away from breaking my line.
I’m additionally a fan of the 6.4:1 gear ratio as a result of it forces me to decelerate, however ensures my lures are appearing as they need to to entice a chew. The center-of-the-road gear ratio additionally helps winch in big fish or when the small ones get tangled within the weeds.
The place I See Room for Enchancment
The 2 areas the place I want to see this reel enhance are the braking system when casting lighter lures and the bulkiness. Nonetheless, it wasn’t designed for light-weight lures, and it’s a dimension 200 reel, so I can’t complain an excessive amount of.
It was slightly more difficult to make use of with a medium-diving crankbait tied on than I’d choose. Nevertheless it casts deep-diving crankbaits, massive swimbaits, and bladed jigs very effectively.
Who Ought to Purchase It
The KastKing Megatron 200 is ideal for anglers who take pleasure in throwing large swimbaits and spend most of their funds on the lures. It’s priced completely for the typical angler to afford it with out promoting a kidney on the black market.
In case you’re searching on your subsequent PB, then this reel will enable you to winch it in with ease. Nonetheless, I don’t assume it’s as much as the requirements of most match anglers.
Conclusion: KastKing Megatron 200 Assessment
I’ve loved casting and reeling in fish with the KastKing Megatron 200 baitcasting reel. It has withstood being tossed within the truck, rattling round in my rod field on my kayak trailer, and the final abuse rods obtain whereas fishing.
It’s fairly priced at $75 and has additional opened up my arsenal of lures, particularly as fish transfer into deeper waters for the warmth of the summer season. I can’t wait to see what I catch subsequent with the KastKing Megatron 200.
