Royale Legend II Fishing Reel - 5.2:1 Gear Ratio Spinning Reel, Up to 22 Lbs of Carbon Drag, 5+1 Stainless Steel Ball Bearings, Graphite Frame, Asymmetric Spinning Reel Rotor Design

Smooth action - great replacement for an older reel.

I just got the reel & haven't fished with it yet. I just want to give my initial impressions. I'll update my review after I've used it a few times. The first things I noticed were, first of all, unlike some of the other Kast King spinning reels I've bought this one only comes with one spool. That's not a problem for me since the spare spools are usually not the best quality anyway. It's just nice to have a backup if you only bring one reel and happen to get spooled. The reel also has an anti reverse switch, another thing I never use, and one more thing to go wrong, but I know they're people who do like to use it. It should be fine as long as it's kept clean and free of salt or sand. When I put the handle on I realized that it doesn't fold. I rarely fold my handles anyway, but it can be a useful feature at times. Otherwise this reel seems like a great little reel for the money. It's very smooth and feels solid. It's possibly a little heavy for a reel of it's size, but I consider that a trade-off for the aluminum spool and solid frame, which I'd choose over plastic all day long. The description says the reel has a carbon fiber drag and stainless steel main shaft and double shielded ball bearings. This reel should last a long time and perform well with a little bit of routine maintenance. This should be a great little all purpose reel for fresh and salt water.

Good quality, durability, and smoothness so far. Great reel for the money.

I waited almost a year of saltwater to write this review. I beat the ever-loving life out of this reel, paired on my UglyStik GX2. I dropped it, stepped on it, carried it in my truck bed, got rained on multiple times, and it still works great. I go fishing 2-3 times a week and always bring it with me. I actually took it apart to re-lube all the immediate components in the reel and handle and its good as new. If there is one thing I would change, it would be to actually reduce the drag and spread it out over more "turns". It goes from loose to tight very fast, so it can be easy to overtighten and lose fish if you are not experienced on larger fish. FYI I am super critical of my gear, so this is not something I would normally go out of the way do.

Very sturdy and smooth. Great for teenager.