Kalex1499523 XL3-L Low Profile Left Handle Baitcasting Fishing Reel

To be quite honest, this reel is a surprising value for the money. I started out today and caught 3 bass on it, 2 of which were over 2 pounds and it had no issues. I am used to $100+ reels, I have a concept Z, slx 150dc, and quite a few more, not meaning to brag or anything, and this reel felt surprising good. I was going to buy it as a joke, and ended up liking it a lot. The retrieve is smooth, the casting could be smoother, and is a little noisy (you can tell the bearings are not the best by all the noise), but it casts quite far. That’s what I was doing later today was testing with a 1/4 ounce weight. Anyway, I was surprised with this reel, and I’ll be using it in the future. The drag is also good, near what is advertised. If anything occurs I’ll update this review, as for now I’ll continue using it.

UPDATED (Aug 23): Finally got around to spraying a little bit of penetrating chain lube around the spool axle and sidewalls. Wiped up drips and drops to remove excess. After letting it sit for about five minutes, she was casting beautifully.I was casting a 1/8 oz bait and weight about 30 yards with nominal effort....if any effort. Then, I just put a light rubber cork on the line in place of the bait, and I could easily cast it 20 yards with nominal effort after adjusting brake settings. Most of the clanky and grindy noise from the retrieve is now gone, too. I guess the liquid chain lube worked. The reel only needed some TLC.‐-----------UPDATED: (Aug 20). I used this reel with both a weighted plastic worm and a swimbait on 15lb braid while kayak fishing. It simply doesn't cast very far. If the magnets are set to lower than 7, then backlashing happens even with thumbraking. The spool tensioner is almost useless, too. I can loosen it to the point that the cap is about to fall off, but a 1/8 oz lead-weighted plastic worm will barely fall.Not sure if I have a defective reel or not, but I have yet to try adding lubricant to the spool. I might also have to remove line as it seems that the line loosens around the spool with every susequent cast and retrieve.All of that said, it is still a durable and beautiful reel. I just can't seem to dial this one in for some reason. My other baitcasters were much easier.‐-----------ORIGINAL: I would pit this reels against an Abu Garcia SilverMax or Picsifun Torrent any day of the week. In fact, I just did. It is wickedly fast when brakes are off, easy to control when brakes are, smooth as silk when reeling in, and palms perfectly (for me). My only "complaint" is that the brake panel release button is a little stiff, and there aren't any arrow indicators telling you which way to turn the panel in order to remove it. Other than that, this is a TERRIFIC reel, especially for the money.

My son thought he was ready to transition to a baitcaster and the Kalex XL3 looked like a good value entry level reel. I tuned the reel to a specific lure and I could cast it just fine in about 5 minutes. I enjoyed it so much, I bought the exact same reel for me! My son, however still needs a little more practice with it. Adjusting to a baitcaster can be a challenge.I used this reel on a throw-away 2 piece 7' Zebco rod, with Yozuri 12# hybrid line and caught some nice Walleye, Small Mouth Bass and Northern Pike in the BWCA of Minnesota. One Walleye was about 6lbs and fought like a banshee while we were trolling at about 1.5 mph. I did not want to take an expensive set-up into the wilderness canoe area in case the rod & reel got smashed on a portage or broke camping.* The most appealing aspect of this reel is the value. You will not find a better baitcaster for less.* The next best thing is the durability. I wrangled some decent size fish on this reel and it withstood the test. It is a solid reel even after a year of abuse now, see update.* I also like the aggressive 7.2 gear ratio. It really makes crankbait lures show off their action. Retrieves effortlessly.* It is easy to tune to a specific lure. Separate drag, brake and spool tension knobs just like the expensive big boys. Plenty of videos out there on tuning baitcaster.* The low profile of this reel is nice. The geometry of the line on the cast and retrieve is very efficient.* It looks sleek and modern. I normally don't fall for "fashion first" but this reel is fashionable and functional.* Bird's nests and back lashes are inevitable but the spool is easily accessible to sort out a mess of line.I would most definitely buy this reel again though I don't imagine it wearing out anytime soon.I hope this helps you make an informed decision!~MahaloUPDATE 6/16/2021I added a picture of a 28 inch Northern Pike I caught late spring in MN. She weighed every bit of 8 pounds. I used the Kalex XL3 baitcaster with Yozuri hybrid 12# line (treated with KVD line conditioner) on an Abu Garcia 2 piece rod. She didn't fight savagely but was very strong and consistent. She tried to cross under my canoe but I tightened up the drag and redirected her aft and into a net. After over a year of abuse and very little maintenance I still recommend this reel.I can't help but wonder if some of the lower reviews are from folks that are not yet die hard baitcaster users... Or maybe they are snobby which I don't understand since this is made by the same company (Pure) that makes Penn, Abu Garcia and Berkely.Perfect, no. Great value, YES!

I Purchased this real March 8 2021 For $21 and some change to make a first Bait casting set up For my friend. For $21 it was worth it for sure especially if you are looking to get into baitcasting on a budget, it casts decent, reel is smooth, not the greatest but it would get the job done and have fun doing it. The thing is that didn't say it was on sale or nothing but for $63 I'd stay far away get a kastking For $45 Far superior. I wouldn't pay more than $30 for this reel. I hope this helps anyone looking at this product.

This reel has become my “go to” everyday reel. It’s relatively small, holding about 120 yards of 8# line, BUT the handle is full sized and the rubber pads are high quality and have a nice feel. The drag is strong and the knobs are easy to turn. Along with the great price this reel checks all the boxes.

Good budget friendly bait casting reel with some complaints. The internals look to be of quality materials. They didn't have much lubrication on the gears which made it feel a bit gritty (a few drops of oil fixed that). The drag system is the friction crush washer style. I had trouble getting it set just right. The drag seemed to be a all or nothing setting.Biggest complaint is when contacting the company, I have had zero response from them (phone and email).