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Ceymar/Ceymar A is a nice reel but different budget range.

One other reel I picked up is Handing M1 500 for my old Zebco Dock Demon rod - another kid setup. It's similar to the Piscifun Viper X, but somehow feels smoother/more solid. Really impressed with this little thing. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CHVQSN86

This is actually a pretty nice setup. I checked it out at my local Walmart last night and ended up buying it. I think I need help...

Quick update: after checking out most of the reels mentioned here, I've decided to go with KastKing Royale Legend II. Its overall feel and fit and finish seemed the best to me, with Piscifun Viper X being very close behind. Lew's American Hero would have been quite nice as well if not for the faulty bail behavior. Thanks everyone for the suggestions.

Interesting to see the different drag mechanisms in KastKing Royale Legend II (left) vs Centron (right): [img]https://i.imgur.com/xs5iEnM.jpg[/img] Is there a benefit to having one vs the other? The one in Royale Legend II is very quiet - almost too quiet for my liking. Thanks. I will check out the Flame as well.

Just FYI, in case anyone's looking at these, the bail action on this Lew's AH 200 is awful - half the time it doesn't want to lock in the open position. Maybe they're not all like that, but the one in my possession definitely is. The Royale Legion should be here tomorrow.

Thanks! I found a brand new one for the same price. I think I'll give it a try.

Putting together a basic setup for a kid, and considering these two reels: KastKing Centron 2000: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06ZZ29RH4 Lew's American Hero 200: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B012GUMJ5U Both under $25 at the time of writing. Planning to use braid line. Any opinions on either one of these? Thanks!

Thanks. That's a bit more than what I was hoping to spend. Sahara won't do?

Just realized there are models of Daiwa Legalis with shallow spools: LT2000S-XH and LT2500S-XH. Thinking the 2500 one might be the one to get...

I'm not really set on 4000. I bought one without considering all the pros and cons. I've read somewhere that larger reels cast further. I'm still within a return period, so I'll send it back if it's not the right fit.

Another shallow spool reel I came across: Daiwa Legalis LT 2000S-XH: https://reelcatalog.com/brands/daiwa/17-legalis-lt/17-legalis-lt-2000sxh Line capacity: Nylon (MM/M): 0.23/100 | Braid (MM/M): 0.10/200 I'm guessing it would roughly be big enough to fit about 100 yards of 15 lb braid.

Thanks for this. Looks like KastKing Zephyr 1000 SFS could be another shallow spool option... https://kastking.com/products/kastking-zephyr-1000-sfs-spinning-reel

Thanks. Do you use a leader with that braid?

On the Ceymar A, yes. But interestingly on the Exceler LT, it's the 2500 that has a higher line pickup compared to their 4000.