Thank you for doing these unboxing / first impressions. It keeps the manufacturers honest. If their reels aren't smooth or poor tolerances we'll see it first hand.
@@pacman_17 hey pacman! I always try to be as honest, transparent and unbiased as possible with these reviews as I know that that is what I want as a consumer. I don’t want to watch overglorified advertisements that only emphasize the pros and glance over the negatives. Imho this is the best way to help people make educated decisions on whether or not they want to purchase these items. Thanks so much for the kind words and cheers my friend!
Hi Peter! Another nice video from my very favorite channel. The one thing I wonder about this new reel is whether the brake system is identical to the original Valiant Eagle 2. Did Kastking finally fix the overbraking? I "fixed" the overbraking in mine with strips of steel/zinc alloy, but I think Kastking should upgrade the reel to a real Pro version themselves. Not everybody likes tinkering with their reels! Looking forward to your casting tests. Keep up the excellent work!
Hey fishing! From their advertising material they seem to have potentially fixed the issue but I aim to find out if it’s actually true. I will say that the reel does feel quite a bit nicer than the first version of the ve2. Cheers my friend!
@@cemlpc hey Carlos! I appreciate the kind words! I absolutely love sharing new information with folks and showing them the pros and cons of these products. Cheers my friend!
Your channel is just amazing! Thank you for that! You never published the video of the Aldebaran BFS with the custom lighter spool, did you? Did you get lighter lures capabilities with it? :)
Hey Domenus! Thanks so much for the kind words! While I never published any videos of the alde with the KKR spool I can answer your question. Imho, I was able to cast slightly lures more consistently and with less backlashes after adding the KKR spool. From my memory, the lightest lure I could cast was 1g. I think the biggest improvement the KKR spool gave the Aldebaran was a lower backlash rate than with the mgl spool. Cheers my friend!
@@alexdashevsky2180 hey Alex! Look at the next video, towards the end you’ll see me getting into a few fish. Also, next time if you have a request please give me some more information on what you are expecting or would like to see as your statement is very vague… Btw, you always welcome to ask me questions about tackle before making your purchase. The point of these videos is to show you as much info as I can pack into a video but I am also a resource as well. Anywho, I hope you enjoy the reel. Cheers!
I have received my reel yesterday. What can I say. My reel is very sloppy made. Frame has rugh edges. I have talked to customer service couple days ago. They said this is maybe fake reel. They don’t have in USA market. I have said I have purchased from AliExpress Kastking store. Kastking told me this is may be fake store.
@@alexdashevsky2180 hey Alex! Kastking USA and the kastking store on aliexpress are two separate entities. Kastking USA is a distributorship and often times has no idea what Kastking China is doing. Furthermore, I can guarantee that the kastking aliexpress store is not a fake store and that the valiant eagle 2 pro is not a fake reel. The person that told you that they are possibly fake is extremely ill informed and spreading false information... I would reach out to the kastking aliexpress store and see if they can exchange or refund your reel for you. However, I know quite a few folks who are getting their v2pro copies and they have had no issues so yours may just be an unlucky defective unit. Sorry to hear that and I hope the kk aliexpress store is able to help you resolve your issue. Hope that helps and cheers my friend!
@@Fether_outdoors hey cass! I really appreciate the kind words! Imho, being honest and transparent is the only way that reviews should be done. Cheers my friend!
Hey Yong! So far it’s been fairly nice. I have a few minor gripes I’ll share in the follow up video and I really want to do a direct comparison to a few other reels that are similar to it. However, the reel does feel more premium than the previous ve2 and imho looks quite nice(looks aren’t everything though haha). Cheers my friend!
@fishingsure7078 hey fishing! Ah I see. Actually your last question was also a bit miscommunication. Any chance you can try having it translated one more time? Cheers my friend!
Sharp looking reel, I just hope it performs as well as it looks. I would be interested to see how you were able to purchase this reel. Thanks for the video!
@@Wyamike734 hey wya! Right on! Thank you for letting me know about your interest. I will consider putting a video together on this. Also, will be putting the reel through its paces and comparing it to other available options on the market. Cheers my friend!
When you do the give away I want to be in on kestrel elite but not plain kestrel because I have 1 already. And the VE2 works good for me with the over braking. Lol yes I'm weird.
Hey Irvin! Haha yea I last find it odd that some companies sell on taobao before aliexpress but maybe has something to do with the fees that AE charges then. Anywho, this version of the reel is a definite upgrade over the first version. Cheers my friend!
Hey Patrick! Yea they did a really nice job with the star drag and clicking on this. Very solid feeling, very good positive clicks and a really good drag range. Cheers my friend!
So is there a way to purchase this reel if I wanted one? Also what was the price point , at full price? I have the Kestrel elite myself always wanted the Valiant Eagle 2
Hey Russel! I am not sure of what the price will be like when it’s available on aliexpress or if it ever comes to the states but I was able to pick it up from a Chinese vendor for about $85usd. Cheers my friend!
Hey jano! Right on! Gotta figure out the process myself and then will report back. I’m still trying out the process and am hoping to have it figure out soon. Cheers my friend!
Hey pejal! Well, considering that the Mansory pro is actually a DWU variant and this hopefully has had all of the issues with the first version fixed and is like only around $10 more I would cautiously say that this will be the better value/performer. Ofc I can’t really say that yet. Will have to get some more testing in. Cheers my friend!
Hey dbb! You are correct. Not available on aliexpress currently. I’ll make a video on how to procure one of these reels if there’s enough interest. Cheers my friend!
Excuse me sir... I want to ask you some help here.. I just lost my tension knob on my kastking valiant eagle 2 pro. Can i ask you for the dimension or size of the knob, so i can find the alternative replacement
Hey andrei! Yep! They have the kestrel elite pro available in China as well. It should have the same spool and brake assembly as this reel. Cheers my friend!
@@KastkingAngler hey kastkingangler! These use the same magnetic “dynamic” brakes that you find in the kestrel elite and kestrel reels. As for ordering, I am working on a video and vetting a process for getting these reels in the US. I just want to be sure that the process is legitimate before sharing. Alternatively, my guess is that kastking will be selling these as “mfs” reels but probably not this specific model. I believe they will be importing the higher priced kestrel elite pro as a kestrel elite “mfs” reel potentially. Cheers my friend!
@KastkingAngler hey Kka! Yep it also uses the FAF brakes possible tuned a bit different. The biggest difference though is the spool weight. This one has a much lighter spool than the current kestrel elite. Cheers my friend!
So this is an update to the black and red Valiant Eagle II that can be found on Tackle Warehouse? Is the black and red version the same as the previous champagne colored model?
@@takG6 hey tak! Yes this is an updated version of the initial valiant eagle 2. It is now called the valiant eagle pro or valiant eagle 2 pro. The original valiant eagle 2 came in a champagne red and a black and red version. This pro version only seems to come in a champagne red version that has more flake in it and makes it more sparkly in appearance. The other clear indicator is that the newer version has “valiant eagle pro” written on the side. Hope that helps! Cheers my friend!
Hey Jacob! Yea according to the info from kastking the bearings are all corrosion resistant. On top of that the frame isn’t even an alloy so I would say that yes the reel is salt ready. Now the only question is can it cast what they claim it casts and how well? Cheers my friend!
@@philnoel5839 hey Phil! I am not sure what the price will be if when it comes to aliexpress or to the US but I was able to purchase the reel at full price for $85 usd. I haven’t said where I managed to pick up the reel but if enough people are interested I will consider doing a video on it. Cheers my friend!
@@RicardoReview hey Ricardo! I actually don’t mind reels that have a bit of color. Something unique in a vast world of gunmetal silver and black colorways. Cheers my friend!
@@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL I'm the same, but some more mellow colors are not my favorite, today I fished with a sort of purple rod and loved the color and the contrast with the neon green line.
Pretty crazy how fast KK releases new updates of their reels. Improvements are always welcome. But at some point they've got too many variations of their BFS reels on the market. Kinda like Daiwa with their BFS reels.
@@jimwoomma hey Jim! Appreciate the comment! However, for a space that is relatively new I think updating and improving is great to see. As far as daiwa and shimano are concerned, their main customer base is an island nation of people who fish for all sorts of different species. So… having a lot of variety with their product line up might almost be expected? That said, I don’t think kastking really has too much in the way of their bfs lineup? Afaik they have the zephyr, valiant eagle 2, kestrel and kestrel elite. They recently just released the “pro” versions of the valiant eagle 2 and the kestrel elite. Imho, the ve2, kestrel and KE are all “sister” reels though as they share very similar frames and components. In any case, I think it’s great to see them bring more products to market and to see them improving upon their designs. Now we’ll have to see if these actually live up to their marketing claims. Cheers my friend!
@@patrickhartman6818 hey Patrick! It’s been so hot and the fish aren’t really biting much. Not the best weather to get out and film =\. Will see what I can do though! Cheers my friend!
@patrickhartman6818 hey Patrick! It really is! I think I still prefer the silver feather and the cormorant but this is quite a nice reel. Cheers my friend!
I personally hate when a manufacturer just change the paint job and slaps a couple of bearings where they used to be plastic bushings call it a pro or elite and ripp everyone wallet for a product that is supposed to be like the pro or elite in the first place,i mean i get it is for profit but come on
Hey Victor! Haha yea I know. However, in this case I think it was warranted as their original ve2 didn’t live up to the manufacturer claims. This I think will and it does feel like a much more premium reel. I do wish they had updated the frame a bit and given us a few more changes but what can you do… just gotta hope that this newer updated version lives up to the new marketing claims. I aim to find out! Cheers my friend!
Hey John! Any chance you can clarify your comment? I think it’s a great thing that there are so many options out there for the public. Don’t think I’ve ever heard of people complaining of having so many options to choose from when it comes to products that they are wanting to buy? Sorry I just think it’s a bit of an odd statement? Cheers my friend!
Hey antin! I actually tried this and it doesn’t quite work out. Additionally, the pro model has a good number of updates over the older model that it is essentially a different reel now. Cheers my friend!
Thank you for doing these unboxing / first impressions. It keeps the manufacturers honest. If their reels aren't smooth or poor tolerances we'll see it first hand.
@@pacman_17 hey pacman! I always try to be as honest, transparent and unbiased as possible with these reviews as I know that that is what I want as a consumer. I don’t want to watch overglorified advertisements that only emphasize the pros and glance over the negatives. Imho this is the best way to help people make educated decisions on whether or not they want to purchase these items. Thanks so much for the kind words and cheers my friend!
Hi Peter! Another nice video from my very favorite channel. The one thing I wonder about this new reel is whether the brake system is identical to the original Valiant Eagle 2. Did Kastking finally fix the overbraking? I "fixed" the overbraking in mine with strips of steel/zinc alloy, but I think Kastking should upgrade the reel to a real Pro version themselves. Not everybody likes tinkering with their reels!
Looking forward to your casting tests. Keep up the excellent work!
Hey fishing! From their advertising material they seem to have potentially fixed the issue but I aim to find out if it’s actually true. I will say that the reel does feel quite a bit nicer than the first version of the ve2. Cheers my friend!
Thanks for sharing such a great info video, Dude!!!
Hey wirin! My pleasure and glad I could get my hands on this reel to share with you all! Cheers my friend!
@@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL Cheers Dude.
You are awesome in bringing and discussing new bfs reels! Thanks
@@cemlpc hey Carlos! I appreciate the kind words! I absolutely love sharing new information with folks and showing them the pros and cons of these products. Cheers my friend!
I’m from Brazil, I like your vídeos!! Kastking is a better reels in my Fishing. Nice vídeo.
@@AndradeFishing hey andrade! Thank you so much for the kind words! I appreciate the support and cheers my friend!
Great video with nice info. Love all of your videos keep them coming.
Hey Jeff! Appreciate the kind words and support my friend! Cheers!
Your channel is just amazing! Thank you for that! You never published the video of the Aldebaran BFS with the custom lighter spool, did you? Did you get lighter lures capabilities with it? :)
Hey Domenus! Thanks so much for the kind words! While I never published any videos of the alde with the KKR spool I can answer your question. Imho, I was able to cast slightly lures more consistently and with less backlashes after adding the KKR spool. From my memory, the lightest lure I could cast was 1g. I think the biggest improvement the KKR spool gave the Aldebaran was a lower backlash rate than with the mgl spool. Cheers my friend!
@@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL Thank you 🥰
@domenus my pleasure!
I have ordered this reel today. I don’t want to be disappointed. I didn’t see you have tested this reel on water.
@@alexdashevsky2180 hey Alex! Look at the next video, towards the end you’ll see me getting into a few fish. Also, next time if you have a request please give me some more information on what you are expecting or would like to see as your statement is very vague… Btw, you always welcome to ask me questions about tackle before making your purchase. The point of these videos is to show you as much info as I can pack into a video but I am also a resource as well. Anywho, I hope you enjoy the reel. Cheers!
I have received my reel yesterday. What can I say. My reel is very sloppy made. Frame has rugh edges. I have talked to customer service couple days ago. They said this is maybe fake reel. They don’t have in USA market. I have said I have purchased from AliExpress Kastking store. Kastking told me this is may be fake store.
@@alexdashevsky2180 hey Alex! Kastking USA and the kastking store on aliexpress are two separate entities. Kastking USA is a distributorship and often times has no idea what Kastking China is doing. Furthermore, I can guarantee that the kastking aliexpress store is not a fake store and that the valiant eagle 2 pro is not a fake reel. The person that told you that they are possibly fake is extremely ill informed and spreading false information... I would reach out to the kastking aliexpress store and see if they can exchange or refund your reel for you. However, I know quite a few folks who are getting their v2pro copies and they have had no issues so yours may just be an unlucky defective unit. Sorry to hear that and I hope the kk aliexpress store is able to help you resolve your issue. Hope that helps and cheers my friend!
Very interested in purchase video. Great again. Doc 1/5 Cav
Hey doc! Am definitely considering making that video as a few folks have expressed interest. Hopefully people will find it helpful! Cheers my friend!
Always a thumbs up.
Hey Patrick! Appreciate the kind words and support as always my friend! Cheers!!!
Thanks Peter once again for a great video. My goto channel for all my insight and "HONEST" reviewing!!
@@Fether_outdoors hey cass! I really appreciate the kind words! Imho, being honest and transparent is the only way that reviews should be done. Cheers my friend!
I would be interested in getting this reel after your on the water test
Hey Yong! So far it’s been fairly nice. I have a few minor gripes I’ll share in the follow up video and I really want to do a direct comparison to a few other reels that are similar to it. However, the reel does feel more premium than the previous ve2 and imho looks quite nice(looks aren’t everything though haha). Cheers my friend!
The magnet is powerful. It looks like the spool isn't slipping. It's all closed and it's still good to throw it out.
Hey fishing! The reel casts well and I am looking forwards to comparing it to other similar reels on the market. Cheers my friend!
@@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL 5555 Might have miscommunicated. It's great even with the magnets turned off. Which victim should I send?
@fishingsure7078 hey fishing! Ah I see. Actually your last question was also a bit miscommunication. Any chance you can try having it translated one more time? Cheers my friend!
@@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL 5555 Open the magnetic damper number 0 and still be able to send the bait well and not happen
Backlash
Sharp looking reel, I just hope it performs as well as it looks. I would be interested to see how you were able to purchase this reel. Thanks for the video!
@@Wyamike734 hey wya! Right on! Thank you for letting me know about your interest. I will consider putting a video together on this. Also, will be putting the reel through its paces and comparing it to other available options on the market. Cheers my friend!
I’m interested to see how to get this reel.
Hey southwest! Thanks for letting me know! I think I will make that video on how to get one of these reels. Cheers my friend!
When you do the give away I want to be in on kestrel elite but not plain kestrel because I have 1 already. And the VE2 works good for me with the over braking. Lol yes I'm weird.
@@patrickhartman6818 hey Patrick! Haha sounds good my friend! Cheers!
Now all i have to do is wait till it is available in my region...hehehe my ve2 is getting a little rusty...cheers my friend 👍🏻👍🏻
Hey Irvin! Haha yea I last find it odd that some companies sell on taobao before aliexpress but maybe has something to do with the fees that AE charges then. Anywho, this version of the reel is a definite upgrade over the first version. Cheers my friend!
Drag is lower then ve2 and I like you can hear drag clicker the ve2 can't be heard unless by your ear.
Hey Patrick! Yea they did a really nice job with the star drag and clicking on this. Very solid feeling, very good positive clicks and a really good drag range. Cheers my friend!
So is there a way to purchase this reel if I wanted one? Also what was the price point , at full price? I have the Kestrel elite myself always wanted the Valiant Eagle 2
Hey Russel! I am not sure of what the price will be like when it’s available on aliexpress or if it ever comes to the states but I was able to pick it up from a Chinese vendor for about $85usd. Cheers my friend!
I’d love to have one
Hey user! Thank you for letting me know. I will highly consider making that video on how to get one of these reels. Cheers my friend!
Nice reelll
Hey udin! It definitely looks and feels nice! Hoping it will perform nicely as well. Cheers my friend!
Looks very temting. Would love to know how to source one of these.
Hey jano! Right on! Gotta figure out the process myself and then will report back. I’m still trying out the process and am hoping to have it figure out soon. Cheers my friend!
Hello. Does this reel suffer from the problem of an active brake for left-handed versions?
If so, what solution was used?
Hey fazz! This reel does not suffer from the issue you are mentioning. Cheers my friend!
Valiant Eagle Pro
Seasir Mansory Pro
Which one better at cost and performance?🤔
Hey pejal! Well, considering that the Mansory pro is actually a DWU variant and this hopefully has had all of the issues with the first version fixed and is like only around $10 more I would cautiously say that this will be the better value/performer. Ofc I can’t really say that yet. Will have to get some more testing in. Cheers my friend!
Where did you pick it up at? I heard it was coming out, but I haven’t saw it on AliExpress yet.
Hey dbb! You are correct. Not available on aliexpress currently. I’ll make a video on how to procure one of these reels if there’s enough interest. Cheers my friend!
Excuse me sir...
I want to ask you some help here..
I just lost my tension knob on my kastking valiant eagle 2 pro.
Can i ask you for the dimension or size of the knob, so i can find the alternative replacement
Hey mr! I think we talked about this but were you able to get this resolved? Let me know! Cheers my friend!
So will there be a new Kestrel Elite version as well?
Hey andrei! Yep! They have the kestrel elite pro available in China as well. It should have the same spool and brake assembly as this reel. Cheers my friend!
What kind of brakes on this reel? AMB? Magnetic? Centrifugal? Would love to know how to order theses from the US.
@@KastkingAngler hey kastkingangler! These use the same magnetic “dynamic” brakes that you find in the kestrel elite and kestrel reels. As for ordering, I am working on a video and vetting a process for getting these reels in the US. I just want to be sure that the process is legitimate before sharing. Alternatively, my guess is that kastking will be selling these as “mfs” reels but probably not this specific model. I believe they will be importing the higher priced kestrel elite pro as a kestrel elite “mfs” reel potentially. Cheers my friend!
@@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL Kestrel elite has FAF or flyout arc finesse braking. If ve2 has that type of braking, it will be a great reel.
@KastkingAngler hey Kka! Yep it also uses the FAF brakes possible tuned a bit different. The biggest difference though is the spool weight. This one has a much lighter spool than the current kestrel elite. Cheers my friend!
So this is an update to the black and red Valiant Eagle II that can be found on Tackle Warehouse? Is the black and red version the same as the previous champagne colored model?
@@takG6 hey tak! Yes this is an updated version of the initial valiant eagle 2. It is now called the valiant eagle pro or valiant eagle 2 pro. The original valiant eagle 2 came in a champagne red and a black and red version. This pro version only seems to come in a champagne red version that has more flake in it and makes it more sparkly in appearance. The other clear indicator is that the newer version has “valiant eagle pro” written on the side. Hope that helps! Cheers my friend!
@@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL sure does! Thanks!
Really seems like a perfect reel to be honest. Seems it would be salt water safe also?
Hey Jacob! Yea according to the info from kastking the bearings are all corrosion resistant. On top of that the frame isn’t even an alloy so I would say that yes the reel is salt ready. Now the only question is can it cast what they claim it casts and how well? Cheers my friend!
@@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL now if only it had a salt colourway, then I'd buy 2!
@@yep.fishinghey Jacob! Haha what’s a salt colorway ooc? Cheers my friend!
What Price ? and how do I get 1?..
@@philnoel5839 hey Phil! I am not sure what the price will be if when it comes to aliexpress or to the US but I was able to purchase the reel at full price for $85 usd. I haven’t said where I managed to pick up the reel but if enough people are interested I will consider doing a video on it. Cheers my friend!
The color is growing on me.
@@RicardoReview hey Ricardo! I actually don’t mind reels that have a bit of color. Something unique in a vast world of gunmetal silver and black colorways. Cheers my friend!
@@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL I'm the same, but some more mellow colors are not my favorite, today I fished with a sort of purple rod and loved the color and the contrast with the neon green line.
Out fishing now lol 1 small bluegill so far
@@patrickhartman6818 hey Patrick! Awesome to hear that you’re out fishing today. Hope you get into some good ones and cheers my friend!
Pretty crazy how fast KK releases new updates of their reels. Improvements are always welcome. But at some point they've got too many variations of their BFS reels on the market. Kinda like Daiwa with their BFS reels.
@@jimwoomma hey Jim! Appreciate the comment! However, for a space that is relatively new I think updating and improving is great to see. As far as daiwa and shimano are concerned, their main customer base is an island nation of people who fish for all sorts of different species. So… having a lot of variety with their product line up might almost be expected? That said, I don’t think kastking really has too much in the way of their bfs lineup? Afaik they have the zephyr, valiant eagle 2, kestrel and kestrel elite. They recently just released the “pro” versions of the valiant eagle 2 and the kestrel elite. Imho, the ve2, kestrel and KE are all “sister” reels though as they share very similar frames and components. In any case, I think it’s great to see them bring more products to market and to see them improving upon their designs. Now we’ll have to see if these actually live up to their marketing claims. Cheers my friend!
how do i get
Hey chai! I will release a video showing how to go about getting one of these. Cheers my friend!
@@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL Waiting anxiously
@chaiyoh5672 hey chai! Got some more testing in today. Hopefully will get a short term impressions out soon! Cheers my friend
Still waiting on casting review lol
@@patrickhartman6818 hey Patrick! It’s been so hot and the fish aren’t really biting much. Not the best weather to get out and film =\. Will see what I can do though! Cheers my friend!
@@BFSFISHINGCHANNEL your getting overwhelmed with things to do lol. It is one of the better looking reels I have seen in quite a while.
@patrickhartman6818 hey Patrick! It really is! I think I still prefer the silver feather and the cormorant but this is quite a nice reel. Cheers my friend!
Did you receive the 99g
@patrickhartman6818 hey Patrick! No not quite sure when that will arrive!
I personally hate when a manufacturer just change the paint job and slaps a couple of bearings where they used to be plastic bushings call it a pro or elite and ripp everyone wallet for a product that is supposed to be like the pro or elite in the first place,i mean i get it is for profit but come on
Hey Victor! Haha yea I know. However, in this case I think it was warranted as their original ve2 didn’t live up to the manufacturer claims. This I think will and it does feel like a much more premium reel. I do wish they had updated the frame a bit and given us a few more changes but what can you do… just gotta hope that this newer updated version lives up to the new marketing claims. I aim to find out! Cheers my friend!
Too many variations on the market.
Hey John! Any chance you can clarify your comment? I think it’s a great thing that there are so many options out there for the public. Don’t think I’ve ever heard of people complaining of having so many options to choose from when it comes to products that they are wanting to buy? Sorry I just think it’s a bit of an odd statement? Cheers my friend!
It looks like we need only new spools for the old reels)
Hey antin! I actually tried this and it doesn’t quite work out. Additionally, the pro model has a good number of updates over the older model that it is essentially a different reel now. Cheers my friend!