Designed and priced to compete with mid-range offerings from the likes of Falcon, St. Croix, and Lew’s, how does the KastKing Speed Demon Pro stack up?
Let’s find out!
Analysis and Results
Blank, power, and action
KastKing sent us their crankbait-specific, 7-foot medium/moderate rod.
The blank is made from a composite of S-glass and high-modulus graphite, using the lighter and stiffer material at the center and wrapping that core in more supple fiberglass. S-glass is a very high-strength, high-stiffness fiberglass that’s ideal for blank making when you want a softer action - as you do with treble-hooked crankbaits. When combined with a stiff core, it provides excellent sensitivity while still cushioning hooksets.
KastKing bills this Speed Demon Pro as medium-power and moderate-action, and as we put it through its paces, that felt right to us.
The tip is very sensitive, while the blank is noticeably slower than a graphite model of the same diameter. Under load, it bends relatively easily until about ⅓ back from the tip. At that point, you encounter the backbone of this rod, and rest assured, it’s fight ready!
The combination of a sensitive tip and a moderate-action blank are just perfect for crankbaits, and if you haven’t been working your lures with a fiberglass composite rod, you’ll be impressed by how much better the lock up is after a bass bites down on those sharp treble hooks.
Guides
KastKing equips the Speed Demon Pro with Fuji LN guides.
These are excellent rod components in their own right, and they’re installed properly by KastKing.
As you no doubt already know, guides do two things. First, they transmit vibration to the blank, translating what’s happening on your line to your hands. And second, they protect your line from friction - and ultimately heat - during a fight.
Good guides are super smooth, reducing friction and saving your line from failure-inducing heat.
To test the Fuji LN guides on this Speed Demon Pro, we used a short length of light mono to saw at the first guide, putting plenty of pressure on the line. The Alconite inserts worked perfectly, and even when we did our best to create ridiculous amounts of friction, the thin mono was undamaged.
On the water, that kind of performance is going to translate into simply outstanding protection for your line.
Handle
The Speed Demon Pro comes equipped with a well-designed custom WINN golf style grip.
The butt is rounded and shaped to ensure a positive grip even when wet or slimy, and there’s plenty of space for hard fights and oversized hands. When our hands were wet, we didn’t feel like we lost any control at all.
The grip just behind the reel seat is comfortable, and with a reel in place, feels really good while casting.
Reel seat
KastKing uses a Fuji reel seat on the Speed Demon Pro.
It’s secure and stays tight, so there’s no danger of losing an expensive reel to vibration from long boat rides.
Casting
When we tied on a few of our favorite crankbaits, we found that the combination of S-glass and graphite loaded well, resulting in great casting distance and accuracy.
Now to be fair, we paired the Speed Demon Pro with KastKing’s MegaJaws Elite, and its auto-adjusting magnetic brake is anything but a gimmick. The result was impressive to say the least, and we could cast light lures like nobody’s business!
Heavy, aerodynamic lures could hit the next area code!
Final Verdict
Competition in the mid-range can be fierce, and quality components, reliable build quality, and an excellent price-to-performance ratio are critical to standing out in this crowded field.
KastKing’s Speed Demon Pro sports an outstanding composite blank that’s ideal for crankbaits. It casts and fights well, providing a winning combination of sensitivity and cushioned hook sets.
The Fuji and WINN components are first-rate, too, and the rod is well executed from butt to tip.
Overall, we think that KastKing’s Speed Demon Pro is a worthy rival for rods like Lew’s David Fritts Perfect, Falcon’s Lowrider, and St. Croix’s Mojo Bass Glass.
