It is no secret my love for freshwater bass fishing, however, growing up on Long Island, NY and being surrounded by saltwater also gave me the opportunity to hit the salty side a lot. In fact, in my younger years, I was an avid saltwater angler, plying the open beaches by buggy, bays by boat, and the docks and piers around the "Island. When it comes to saltwater fishing, the reel needs to be another notch up in the build department as far as I am concerned. Saltwater is a beast, and it can definitely damage your saltwater fishing reel. What I mean by beast is saltwater fishing requires the use in "saltwater," the killer of all mechanical items. Saltwater will ruin the best gear, especially your fishing reel. For saltwater fishing, KastKing has a number of great options, beginning with their high-end Kapstan Elite High Speed Saltwater Spinning Reel. This baby comes in at close to $200, and is a really great reel. That number may be a little high for some saltwater anglers, so once again KastKing has solved the dollar issue. The new KastKing ReKon Saltwater Spinning Reel comes in under $100 bucks (Sizes 2500, 3000, 4000, 5000 and 6000), and believe me, this is a solidly built reel that will last. Let’s dive inside and see what this saltwater fishing reel has to offer for all those wanting a quality build without spending a lot.

Before you go out and buy the entire lineup of ReKon Saltwater Spinning Reels because the price is right, ask yourself a few questions. We all know, buying fishing tackle is what fisherman do…well, just because we can! But then again, you probably will only need one or two of these to round out your saltwater fishing reel needs.

• Where are you fishing – Beach, Boat, Inshore or Offshore
• What length fishing rod do you plan on using
• What weight line and lures/bait will you be using

These are some of the factors I consider before choosing any fishing reel, and especially on the saltwater side. Like I said, I used to fish the Long Island Coast a lot (In fact, if you want to fish Long Island, check out my book, "Fishing the Long Island Coast" available through Amazon or Burford Books). My main foray of trips were out of my four-wheel drive truck, probing the beaches. For this I was usually throwing lures from 1-1/2 ounces up to 5 ounces, depending on conditions and baitfish predators were chasing. The reel size I used was similar to the Penn 704Z or 706Z, Van Staal 250 or 300 or similar. For the ReKon, that would be the 6000 or 8000, depending on your preference, but probably closer to the 6000 size wise.

Drag Power and More…

As with virtually every KastKing reel, especially on the saltwater fishing reel side of the spectrum, the drag smoothness and power is a given, and the ReKon is no different. The Rekon saltwater spinning reel comes in six different sizes with the three smaller ones – 2500, 3000, 4000 incorporating a double disc carbon fiber system which offers up to 30 pounds of drag pressure. The larger 5000 and 6000 uses a triple disc system that ups the pressure to 40, with the largest – 8000 size used a quadruple disc offering 55 pounds of maximum drag. The drag was also impressively smooth while tangling with some near shore Florida fish – snappers, sea bass, hogfish, etc. on a recent trip.

NyliTech Body

Another KastKing first is the NyliTech frame construction. NyliTech is not so much a raw material by itself, but rather a nylon material that is glass infused. This process adds to its strength and rigidity, making for the perfect light-weight fishing reel that offers resilience and power, especially during a fight with whatever species you encounter. The rotor reduces weight while not affecting its overall performance. The reel comes standard with a CNC aluminum handle arm and oversized TPE power handle knob. This knob also aids on the control side when the weather is not cooperating, or if you fish the beach, where waves come into play. Lastly, the deep spooled braid ready reel means backing is not needed. Although this is a great feature, in my opinion, using backing is still a wise choice as braid can be costly investment. Backing with an inexpensive mono that stays well below your maximum "spool dump" is all you need.

Saltwater Tough

As with all the saltwater fishing reels in the KastKing line-up, the Rekon is no different and built to repel the saltwater environment, keeping the reel working great for years to come. The ReKon comes with EverSeal rubber rings positioned in vital component areas to minimize water intrusion. The seamless one-piece bail is tough as nails and is a precision piece of equipment.

KastKing did not stop on this build. The ReKon saltwater fishing reel has a high strength (HRB86) pinion gear and CNC heavy-duty hardened brass main gear (HRB72). Add in the extra-strong stainless main shaft and you have a reel that beats the toughest environments.

The Rekon is also super smooth operationally which is a direct result of the five MaxiDur double-shielded stainless steel ball bearings, and a specially designed polymer roller bearing, and an 8-pin stainless steel one-way bearing to prevent reversals. The gear ratios are common among the sizes with higher ratios on the smaller reels, and slower, more powerful ratios on the larger sizes. 

The Bottom Line

KastKing offers some really great saltwater fishing reels and all have their place. If you are looking to either get started in the saltwater game, or just want to add another reel to your line-up, then I highly recommend the Rekon in whatever size fits your needs.