All categories/Fishing & Aquariums/Spinning Reels/KastKing/KastKing Sharky III
KastKing Sharky III

KastKing Sharky III

Scored on 58 verified owner verdicts, from 317 comments read across 6 communities
TL;DR
Owners overwhelmingly call the Sharky III a standout budget reel: remarkably smooth, with a strong drag and saltwater corrosion resistance that punches well above its price. The main caveat is durability, as a few owners report thin internal gearing or the reel coming apart, and some notice it loses a bit of smoothness after a year of heavy use.

81% of 58 verified owners recommend the KastKing Sharky III, based on real owner verdicts aggregated from Reddit, enthusiast forums, and YouTube.

See the problems 7 owners report →

What 58 owners say
317 comments reviewed · scored on the 58 clearest verdicts
81%
Recommend
47 owners
7%
Neutral
4 owners
12%
Don't recommend
7 owners
Source
Score
N
Counted in the score
Reddit
78%
27
YouTubeiowner comments
83%
23
Other forumsBassresource, Bdoutdoors
100%
7
Independent blogsino affiliate links
0%
1
Reviewed, but not counted — and why
Affiliate blogsipaid commission
100%
1
No clear verdictiSetup, tips & quirks
1

Affiliate blogs here say 100% recommend, while the owner-based score is 81%. They earn a commission on every sale — so we show them for transparency but never let them move the score.

The headline score reflects owners (Reddit, enthusiast forums), independent lab tests, blogs with no affiliate links, and YouTube owner-comments when they line up with owners. Affiliate blogs is shown for perspective but kept out here — hover the i for why.

What owners like
  • Holds up to saltwater with little corrosion thanks to sealed bearings · 9 · 16%
  • Excellent value for the low price · 8 · 14%
  • Remarkably smooth casting and retrieve, smooth as butter · 8 · 14%
  • Durable through years of regular freshwater and saltwater use · 6 · 10%
  • Strong, reliable drag that handles bigger fish · 5 · 9%
What owners flag
  • Internals can give out, with a couple owners reporting the reel falling apart · 2 · 3%
  • Thin main gear seen as a likely eventual failure point · 1 · 2%
  • Gets slightly less smooth after about a year of frequent fishing · 1 · 2%
Who it's for
A great fit if
  • Budget-minded anglers wanting strong value
  • Saltwater fishing needing corrosion resistance
  • Anglers landing bigger fish like catfish or snapper
  • Both freshwater and saltwater use
Look elsewhere if
  • Anglers wanting reels that stay smooth without maintenance
  • Those needing proven long-term gear durability

Synthesized from what KastKing Sharky III owners say — not a spec sheet.

How buyers rate it elsewhere

Retailers' own star averages, for comparison — separate from our vetted owner-verdict score above.

Top quotes, sourced

317 reviewed · 59 shown
Sentiment
Community
Sort
YouTube▼ don’t recommend

My anti reverse is going out of my 2000

YouTube▲ recommend

But a great purchase.

Reddit— neutral

I own a kastking sharky III gold 5000, bought on sale for $59, and it's OK at that price.

Reddit— neutral

It reels smoothly, and I think if you maintain them regularly it should stay that way, but after a years worth of frequent fishing mine are starting to be slightly -less- smooth.

YouTube▲ recommend

I’ve had no issues

Reddit▼ don’t recommend

My Kastking sharky III fell apart. I removed the spool because the line was tangled up and suddenly all the parts came falling out.....

YouTube▲ recommend

It’s my workhorse and I am happy with it

Trout Resource▼ don’t recommend

The main gear is very thin, which I suspect will be an eventual failure point. At the current price, I do not recommend the Kastking Sharky III.

Reddit— neutral

Now the regular sharky 3 doesn’t have this as a known problem. But it’s a gamble as I have seen plenty of videos of this thing holding up for years, and being tortured, while still being perfectly fine. And then other reviews (not video) saying something has gone wrong.

YouTube▲ recommend

It’s actually a pretty good real

Reddit— neutral

Because of it I bought a larger sharky iii from them but have not been as impressed

YouTube▼ don’t recommend

The lack of cranking power is what made me sideline it for the Spartacus II Plus

Reddit▼ don’t recommend

I’d buy a Pflueger President over that Sharky III 100 times out of 100.

YouTube▲ recommend

Worth it! I got 4 of them!

YouTube▲ recommend

Kastking makes outstanding reels. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a quality reel.

YouTube▼ don’t recommend

Mine does not cast very far

YouTube▼ don’t recommend

Horrible reel

YouTube▲ recommend

fell in love with it

YouTube▲ recommend

Kastking is blowing some of the bigger companies out of the water with such a good quality reel for such a low price

YouTube▲ recommend

Still happy I bought this reel

YouTube▲ recommend

Very smooth I love it

Reddit▲ recommend

I really like the kastking sharky III for $100. It’s small enough to take camping and very strong.

YouTube▲ recommend

the quality for the dollar is with Kastking

YouTube▲ recommend

I've had no problems with it

Showing 124 of 59

Common problems & things to know

Practical notes owners raise — setup, quirks, and issues to watch for. They don't say whether the person likes the product, so they're not counted in the score, but they inform the pros, cons, and who it's for.

BassResourceⓘ good to know

I think the reel feels more solid than the Sharky III does.