Rapala cares about and understands social media marketing, but there are likely various business complexities that we don't know about. Wired2fish has also been a longtime marketing partner of 13 Fishing. We are not under contract in 2024. That said, we respect 13 Fishing as a brand (that'll continue to get love) and how Rapala runs their business. We wish them the best of luck integrating 13 Fishing under their umbrella. Congrats on KastKing - you'll be an asset. Wishing you the best in 2024, Gene!
IDK the only reason I'm considering an a 13 A2 and A3 reel is because of Chris Zaldain who they also let go. Anyway you slice it, to let go of the entire pro staff team just seems like a bad idea. That's literally the vanguard of your brand in the fishing community.
Gene, it takes cojones to share your story like that. You were integral in 13's success. They were lucky to have you! Think about how far the kayak fishing community has come... you have been a great ambassador for it. Your input will make their product better. May the Good Lord bless you and your family in this awesome new chapter of your life!🎣💪👊👍
im much more salt oriented now, but back in high school i bought more than a couple 13 fishing reels because of flukemasters video. they definitely benefited from him
The reason that I own at least 10 rods and reels by 13 fishing is because of Gene. When I made the switch from trout fishing to bass fishing, Gene was a big influence on me and what equipment I bought. What a shame that Rapala didn't do their homework.
It’s their loss. Not his. Rapala is no different than the folks at Capitol Hill. Old Blood! Times have changed and social media is the push when it comes to new products and business.
You got no clue what you're talking about. It's 13 fishing fault for not delivering to stores, I work at rapala, we bought out 13 to help them in all honesty. 13 fishing promised stores their product and couldn't deliver, rapala has the network and logistics to deliver the product. 80% of 13 fishing money usage was used on poor shipping
Congrats Gene, I was the same way with Kastking in the pass myself in the past few years I feel like they have really stepped up their game within the last few years. They have really stepped up their game and will be nice seeing a new fresh face talking about their great products.
Kind of like when the small craft breweries get bought by the big boys, their creativity and fun goes out the window. I have a handful of combos from 13 and love them. Guess I should start stocking up before they're gone.
I have rods and reels from lots of companies at price points all over the spectrum and I have to say the humble KK Crixus 6'6 ML is still one of my all time favorite rods. I literally buy them for new fisherman when they first get into things. Just amazing sensitivity for what it is and so fun to fight even smaller fish on it. I have actually landed a massive flat head on it once that bit my dropshot near a brush pile lol I spent the first minute thinking I was snagged before it started swimming away. I'm excited for this they have lots of great products!
Thanks guy! I bought a Kastking reel 6-8 years back and it was junk and said I’d never buy any thing else with that name on it. So I’m going to watch you close and see how their reels work out for you! With that said I truly hope things work out for you and the family and I hope the people at KastKing knows what a great person they have on their staff and how lucky they are to have you!
While they aren’t my primary reels, I have used some KastKing reels for a few years now & have never had an issue with them. Granted that may be because they are not leaned on heavily, but at the price point they’re sold reels.
I don't see why people hate on Kastking. They have affordable options for people who don't want to spend hundreds on a rod and reel. I have gotten 3 rods and reels from Kastking and they are great for the price. I even had a rod arrive with a broken cork handle and since they didnt have a replacement handle they sent me a whole new rod and told me to keep the other one thats cracked. Thats an awesome company. That rod still will work. It was basically cosmetic only. I have gotten awesome sun shirts and pliers and tools from them also that work just fine. Haters gonna hate!
Proud of you, Mr. Fluke! It’s often not easy to do the right thing and be honest about business struggles you’re going through. I tip my hat to you, sir
I also became familiar with 13 from watching Gene and others. I do still use a couple of my favs. I have gone back to shimano reels and st croix rods. I do use my kastking speed demon for frog reel
I’ve been a huge Kastking fan now for a few years! I like the things they are doing and where they are going! You can definitely tell they are about promoting and social media! Nikki’s shows are awesome and definitely help as well!
Thank you for your honesty. It's refreshing. Most guys try to cover it up in a different ways . You just came out and told the truth. And I also own a few rods and reels from kasking so far. They've been extremely good to me. Actually alot of my gear already is kastking , storage bags , pliers , rod racks , etc .
Thanks for sharing. You inspired me to start my own kayak fishing channel Yakventures and I’ve had a few complications with sponsorship deals that have soured me from what I’m trying to do. Hey we have the same life jacket and I find my GoPro rides up on it. Tight lines.
Don’t matter what brand you work with Gene. I’m here for the great content and fishing knowledge your sharing with us. Blessings on your new business venture 🤙🏼
Nice man. I love kastking. I use all their stuff. I’m not one to spend a fortune on big name fishing stuff. I have a fly rod from them that I catch more steelhead on then any other rods. Excited for bass season up here.
I love KastKing products. I have rods, reels, gloves, shirts, coats, tools. Very few products (in the past few years) have been bad. Most everything is great now. I've caught so many fish with their lower end Criuxus rod. It's a work horse that is cheap. I'll be interested to see which rods and reels you're using the most and your thoughts on them.
Thank you for being honest with your viewers. I really appreciate your teaching and straight forward approach. Good luck in this new adventure. God Bless
I'm glad you found an alternative... sadly I'm not ready to trust Kastking after the success I've had with 13 Fishing. Rapala bought them for a reason. I love Rapala, but I'm with you that they should look out for the obviously experienced people out there, like you obviously are. It's a win-win for them, no matter how big of a company they are.
Gene - Thank you for the info and I think you made a good choice. As a retired USCG captain, I ran charters for over 20 years in saltwater, nearshore and offshore. I used to use some Kast King, and I have notice their commitment to quality over the years, and in particular over the last 2 years. With your experience, I am sure you made a good choice. I now fish recreationally, from my kayak and have learned a TON of useful info on Freshwater fishing from you. Thank you and keep them coning. Tight Lines and Best Regards, FlecthMan
So glad you joined Team Kastking. Remarkable people with a remarkable product. I’ve been an ambassador for 6 years and using their products pretty much exclusively for about 8. Its amazing how far the company has come
Good to hear that you have a new sponsor. And also hope that you can start going in depth a little more on their rods and reels. I looked in the purchasing some in the past and their power and action compared to lure in line rating seem to be off compared to other companies. Hopefully you can do some clarification in later videos
Sounds like you made a good changeover with a sponsor that aligns with what you bring to the table. I’ve been purchasing more KastKing products over the last 2 years. I would like to hear your thoughts on the MegaJaws Elite. I’ve been looking at them pretty closely.
I have one on my swimbait rod and yesterday I had to best big bass day of my live. I had 13 bass over 6 lbs and 4 more today. It surprised me that it could hold up to a 3 oz bait all day every day for the past 3 days.
Thanks for the update. You were one of the reason's I looked at 13 Fishing rods when I got back into bass fishing in a big way 2 years ago or so now. I have about 20 Omen Black, Muse, and Fate Black rods in my line up which I love. I can't wait to see what you showcase from Kast King and would love to see your thoughts on the budget BFS reel from Kastking as well as there high end option. Also would love to see what you recommend for cranking reels and rods to flipping and pitching reels and rods for jigs and plastics! Thanks from Stouffville, Ontario, Canada!
8 years ago, i was new to fishing and kayak fishing, I ended up buying some 13 fishing because i was influenced by your videos. Some were good, and some were not so good. Good luck with this new endeavor
I’m not happy that Rapala bought 13 fishing out. I’ve had stuff that wasn’t major happen & before 13 would take care of it no problem. Now Rapala doesn’t care about the little man. I will be looking for another reel & rod brand to use as I replace my equipment.
Bought my first Kastking bait caster about 2 months ago, liked it so much I bought 3 more. I’ve never been married to one brand and probably have 30 different combos made by different companies. I look for value for my dollar and the new Kastking products are working great. Haven’t tried their rods yet. Keep up the good work, enjoy your content.
Gene, Congrats !!! You are an amazing teacher here in RU-vid land. I have learned a ton by watching your vids. You get how and what it takes, simplicity. I'm very happy for You, and I just started using CastKing, I look forward to a long and happy life of fishing with You and them. Good Luck
I’ve purchased a couple of kast king baitcasters in the past 2 years. I’ve got to say, I’ve been pretty impressed!! I avoided the entry level priced reels and went for their “higher end” line. Still only mid 100s per unit. I fished the shit out of them and have had ZERO ISSUES!! Looking forward to seeing what they can come out with next. PLEASE KEEP THEM FOCUSED ON PRICE POINT. If I wanted to spend $300 I’d just go get a high end name brand, not KK. Good luck sir!! Love the content
Congratulations on the new sponsor! I've been watching your content for a few years now . I always liked the fact that your channel is not like a game show with all the craziness that some of the other channels have.
Hell yeah, Gene! Welcome to the team. I've been working with Kastking for a couple of years now. It's been a great experience. If you have not used the MG12 on the Speed Demon Pro Rod, you gotta! It's a perfect setup for weightless flules. Too much fun!
Welcome to the team! Been one of KastKing's brand ambassadors for going on 2 years now and really enjoy working with them and the company. Love their products. Having only started with KastKing 2 years ago i dont have the bad experiences that people from early on had, all of mine have been great! Never a bad product!
Are you still with Alumacraft? Haven't seen any videos out of the boat unless I've missed some, do you still have the boat? No matter, definitely keep doing your thing, you're awesome!!!!!!
I have not tried Kast King spinning or baitcasting equipment, I do have rod holders, pliers and fly rod. What I do have from them is not junk. I will keep buying their product. Glad to see you as a spokesman for them. Like to see them branch out from other than Amazon. FYI, I have a fulfillment company, we are in 3 states, if the need arises. Tn-Mi-Ca.
Glad to hear about the new sponsor. KK gets a lot of hate from extremely opinionated and biased people, but they make pretty awesome gear these days. I've been extremely pleased with all their gear I own.
Honestly, I like kastking. I've got a crixus armor x paired with the matching rod and it's my favorite combo. Can't find the rod anywhere now as I want another.
Kastking has definitely come a long way for sure. I'm personally a big fan of SixGill fishing when it comes to those smaller, online companies. Question...is your boat gone? It's been a while since I've seen you on a boat. Congrats on the new deal.
We're extremely impressed with kastkings the last several years, they've improved the products tremendously! And the line is not bad at all! Enjoy your videos brother keep it up!
Congrats on the new Sponsor. I'd love to hear more about that's changed in terms of their product quality over the years from your initial thoughts vs. now. I had a Spirale rod that broke a tip and it was like pulling teeth to get a replacement but they finally did. I've got a Speed Demon Frog rod now that works great.
Congratulations on the move in sponsorship. Kastking does put out a great product. I haves couple of their rods and they haven’t given me any issues. Glad to hear you have moved to a company that believes in you.
Kastking has come a longggg way my man. They make solid gear IMO! I’m a super high end user but I’ve got a lot of interest in Kastking’s “DC” type reel and the Kastking Deadbolt. The reel without a drag, it’s completely locked down with no adjustment for flipping, pitching, frogging etc…
I love my two Crixus ArmorX reels!!! Amazing quality for under hundred bucks. I love their apparel also. I also stopped at the fishing candy store a couple weeks ago after watching your video. Wow!!! That store is amazing!! Bought a couple new brand lures that I've never heard of and can't wait to use them on the water.
Congratulations Gene, I really enjoy KastKing products. I've got 2 of the demon spinning reels, the speed is really fast and the casting can't be touched. I'm thinking about getting a rod later in the year.
I have been a Kastking fan for a long time. Even early on, they had some very good equipment and it has only gotten better. Not an infomercial, but I just broke a pair of glasses I had for over 6 years from them, and I am crushed. Fillet knives, reels, rods, glasses…..my go-to for all of it.
I bought a 13 rod and reel after watching your videos, but snapped the rod on my first trip out. I don’t blame anyone but them. Appreciate you keeping it real 👊
Well good! Look maybe you can twist some arms over at kastking on their tackle trays. I have two of them like the Plano style they made., but I need them to make a deep customizable one and a jig tray! They need some blacked out rods. I can’t do all that orange and reds, it’s two much 😂
There are a few things about my Plano boxes that drive me crazy. Maybe after I've been with KastKing for a while they will let me help design some products.
@@Flukemaster that will be awesome. I honestly can’t see keep spending 25+ for tackle trays, idc how well they’re built. It’s getting ridiculous in the fishing industry because a 7-5:30 4 days a week, house mortgage, family man I can’t afford some of this stuff that I would like to have. Yeah I can save but good lord, 250$ for some trays , get real people 😂😂😂
Welcome to the KastKing family Gene! Super stoked to have you on board. I knew something was up when you popped in and started commenting on one of Nikki's live broadcasts. Very cool having you on board.
Congrats!! KastKing is such a great company and like you said, they get the social media aspect. You’re gonna love work with Jose Cinco! Awesome human being! Cheers.
I bought my first KastKing spinning reel about 3 years ago; I was so pleased with it I bought 5 more. I’ve never had a problem with them. Smooth as silk.
KastKing make an interesting line of telescoping fishing rods. I've used other brands of telescoping rods when bike-fishing, i.e. going to the water and bank fishing with my gear in panniers on my bicycle. I'd be curious to hear your opinion on these.
Man I’ve never used their rod and reels but they got these nice fishing shirts with a hoodie and a face shield built in and I swear by them they are great
I fish Shimano, Diawa, Dobyns mostly, but I do have some kastking stuff for my kids, catfishing, and Great Lakes salmon trolling and they have come a long way. Their higher end stuff is pretty decent.
I do agree, Kastking has come a long way over the past few years! I have 3 Kastking reels and they’ve held up nicely over the past couple of years. Still smooth and still, zero backlash! I’ve have higher end reels that fell apart before my Kastkings! I’m not sure about Kastking rods but I’m willing to give one a try. 🎣
As a kastking brand ambassador i am pumped to here your on the team!!! The team at kastking has been amazing to work with!! Everyone is always available and encouraging on how to help everyone succeed!!
That's weird because my sponsorship with 13 just transferred to a deal with Rapala after 13 was bought by them. So now I have 13 rods and reels and all of Rapalas brands.
A friend of mine i fished with and helped him when he had a trial content sponsor with them got some nice feeling gear from them but he didnt run with it and i dont understand why. I would have been more than appreciative. I remember getting their early day royal legend. Keep fishing and filming buddy.
I’m a fan of the new Kastking products. I have a few of their low end reels (Spartacus and Crixus. I kayak fish tourneys and just rec fishing and I haven’t had an issue with any of their reels so far🤷🏾♂️. I also have high end Shimano/Lews/Diawa also. But I’m never out fishing without my Kastking reels💯
Hey Gene:: Great video always love your honesty. Like any other industry when companies get bought out a lot of times you loose the relationships you had. All the best…🎣😯😎🐝
I’ve recently heard more and more about KastKing and their impressive improvements in quality and have some good products. I ordered their 9.1 megajaws elite and should get it later this week. I’m interested in their faster spinning reel. I look forward to hearing about specific rods reels. I’m fishing most every day in Florida and it’s awesome. Thanks for your channel
I have both KastKing and 13 fishing reels. I use a numerous different brands of rods. But, I will tell you that when I cast with my KastKing’s I do not have to use my thumb because their settings and breaks are that good.
Thanks Gene for the honesty. Out of all the Braided line I've tried Kastking is the best. The others from what I've tested break well below their advertised weights and I get fewer wind knots with KastKing Braid too. Also the price is to good to pass up. So you should try their Braid as well. I like it better then Daiwa J and a ton more then over priced Seagaur. It's like powerpro quality at Berkley Big game prices. Which Big game is the best mono too in my opinion..
I talk about that in the video. They've always been a joy to be around and talk with but now they finally make good products that I will use with confidence and the average person can afford.
I dont know why anyone would be upset. If you want to make videos on the internet full time you have to promote a company, thats your job. Its the viewers job to sift the good information out of the videos. I own an abu, a shimano, a daiwa, a piscifun, 13 fishing, raven helix, penn... they all make good and bad stuff.
Recently bought the ireel amb and just got their new tripolymer line. Ordering the MegaJaws Elite next then the kestrel! It’s great to see people who inspire me to get out and fish working with the same brands!
I have the kastking royale legend 2 baitcaster reel and something happed to it talked to them and sent it in to have it fixed or replaced and I believe in them I know it's one of the cheapest reels they have but I am just starting in to bass fishing and baitcaster's
Idk about it. You take a rod and reel manufacturer that doesn't know what they're doing, that then only begins to make quality products after purchasing a manufacturer that did know what they were doing. They didn't learn to make better product through trial and error, nor customer feedback. Standing on the shoulders of giants.
