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Customer Reviews for Abu Garcia Kalex
Abu Garcia Kalex
Spot on performance at the right price, the Kalex™ uses a fast retrieve and anti-distortion spool for extreme loads.
Average Customer Rating:
(17 Reviews) 17
Rating Breakdown 17 reviews
5 stars
11
4 stars
1
3 stars
0
2 stars
0
1 star
5
12 out of 17(71%)reviewers recommend this product.
Customer Reviews for Kalex
Review 1 for Kalex
Overall rating
Don't buy this one, spend your money elsewhere
PostedApril 23, 2013
Anonymous
Gear Feel (Smoothness)
1
/
5
Ergonomics
1
/
5
Casting Performance
2
/
5
Ease of Maintenance
1
/
5
Bought this reel and it is terrible. The clicker indicator is backwards compared to all my other abu garcia reels. In terms of ergonomics the clicker is also in the most awkward location on the reel and to engage or disengage it takes two hands and massive brute strength. Drag is also very lumpy and not smooth at all, wish I kept my box to return it!
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Response from Abu GarciaAbu GarciaApril 24, 2013
Good morning - sorry to hear that you are having some difficulty with your Kalex. All Abu Garcia reels are backed with a 1 year warranty as what you describe about the drag not being smooth & the difficulty engaging the bait clicker is not normal. One of our customer service representatives has already been notified about your specific case and will contact you at the email address that you provided with this review. If you ever need to get in contact with us directly, please don't hesitate to call us at 1.800.228.4272. We will be in touch with your shortly to get you back to fishing.
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Review 2 for Kalex
Overall rating
disappointed
PostedFebruary 19, 2013
Anonymous
Age:25-34
Favorite type of fishing:Freshwater
Number of times fishing per month:5+
Owns a boat:Yes
Experience:Expert
Gear Feel (Smoothness)
5
/
5
Ergonomics
4
/
5
Casting Performance
1
/
5
Ease of Maintenance
4
/
5
I have bought many reels from Abu Garcia this is by far the worst reel I have ever owned and will never buy another one
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Response from Abu GarciaAbu GarciaFebruary 20, 2013
Good afternoon, we are sorry to hear that you had an issue with your Kalex reel - we would like to learn more about your experience. One of our customer service representatives will reach out to you at the email address that you submitted with this review. If you ever need to get in touch with us directly, our customer service department can be reached at Tel: 1.800.228.4272. We are always here to help. Have a great day and we'll be in touch with you shortly.
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Review 3 for Kalex
Overall rating
Very disappointed
PostedDecember 22, 2012
Dale
Age:55-65
Number of times fishing per month:4
Owns a boat:Yes
Experience:Novice
Gear Feel (Smoothness)
1
/
5
Casting Performance
1
/
5
Ease of Maintenance
1
/
5
I bought a Kalex 51 one month ago. It is my very first reel and was excited to get on the river. Every time I casted I had to use an awful lot of energy to get out into the river and I hear the spool click each cast.There is no on/off slide switch visible to me. The manual supplied is very vague and is non spicific to this model. The word "on select models" is constant. What do I need to do to get rid of the noise, which I beleave will give me a smoother cast?
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Response from Abu GarciaAbu GarciaDecember 23, 2012
Thank you for reaching out to us. You shouldn't have an issue getting distance out of your casts if the spool tension knob (round knob next to the handle) is adjusted properly. From what you describe though with the "clicking" sound, something may not be working properly with your reel. The 50 size Kalex does not have the baitclicker option so you will not find an on/off switch. We are here to help and will work to get you back to fishing. All Abu Garcia reels carry a 1 year warranty - one of our customer service representatives has already been notified about your issue and will contact you at the email address that you provided with this review. Have a great holiday season and we will be in touch with you shortly.
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Review 4 for Kalex
Overall rating
its horrible
PostedNovember 15, 2012
Anonymous
Age:18-24
Favorite type of fishing:Saltwater
Number of times fishing per month:3
Owns a boat:Yes
Experience:Expert
Gear Feel (Smoothness)
1
/
5
Ergonomics
1
/
5
Casting Performance
2
/
5
Ease of Maintenance
1
/
5
its horrible lasted one month and gears got grinded i serviced it and all over again it happend dissapointment
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Response from Abu GarciaAbu GarciaNovember 19, 2012
Hello - we are sorry to hear you are having and issue with your Kalex as what you describe is not normal. We would like to get the reel into our reel services facility and take a look at what is going on with it. All Abu Garcia reels are backed by a 1 year warranty that we stand behind. One of our customer service specialists has already been notified of your case and will be contacting you at the email address you provided with this review. We will work hard to get you back to fishing and if you ever need to get in contact with us by phone, don't hesitate to call us at 1.800.228.4272
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Review 5 for Kalex
Overall rating
Very good reel period.
PostedApril 9, 2012
Fishinman007
from Sacramento,Ca
Age:45-54
Favorite type of fishing:Freshwater
Number of times fishing per month:5+
Owns a boat:Yes
Experience:Intermediate
Gear Feel (Smoothness)
5
/
5
Ergonomics
5
/
5
Casting Performance
5
/
5
Ease of Maintenance
5
/
5
This aint no fish story, what I'm about to write is 100% real. I bought the Kalex 61 a little more than two years ago. I paired it with the Shimano Claris 6'6. I have pulled in a little over 400 striped bass and over 100 Salmon with this set up. Yes, I go fishing that much. The Sacramento river is in my back yard. This year I pulled in a 60" sturgeon with this rig. I was bait fishing for Striper. It took a while but we got it in. Listen! I've had NO problems with this reel. The Kalex series is a great all around reel. You can not buy a better or even match a reel at this price.
'
'
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Review 6 for Kalex
Overall rating
Best Impulse by ive ever had
PostedDecember 10, 2011
Cody
from Virginia Beach, VA
Age:Under 18
Favorite type of fishing:Saltwater
Number of times fishing per month:5+
Owns a boat:Yes
Experience:Expert
Gear Feel (Smoothness)
5
/
5
Ergonomics
5
/
5
Casting Performance
4
/
5
Ease of Maintenance
5
/
5
Love this reel to death, first time abu user im definently hooked, love the v in the spool i like my drag high so that sppool really help against compressing my line when i get something decent size, reeled in a 50lb flathead on this beast.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Review 7 for Kalex
Overall rating
Worked great for 6 months
PostedOctober 19, 2011
Anonymous
from texas
Age:18-24
Favorite type of fishing:Freshwater
Number of times fishing per month:5+
Owns a boat:No
Experience:Expert
Gear Feel (Smoothness)
5
/
5
Ergonomics
5
/
5
Casting Performance
4
/
5
Ease of Maintenance
1
/
5
it worked great for about half a year, then i used it in the salt water and it started locking up and casting poorly. had to take it apart and take the clicker out for it to work properly. then a month or so later my button to cast stoped working, it would cast but when you wanted to reel back in the button would not pop back into place you had to push it up manually. and now my levelwind stopped working because it somehow stripped itself. I ALWAYS KEPT IT CLEAN AND OILED.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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Comments (1)
Anonymous
..
Posted October 4, 2012
Clearly this was brought on by misuse. Put mine in a five gallon bucket with salt water for a week no problems at all for two hundred casts and retrieves still using it.
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Review 8 for Kalex
Overall rating
Great Bang For The Buck !!!
PostedOctober 7, 2011
big_NWsteel
from Florence, OR
Age:25-34
Favorite type of fishing:Saltwater
Number of times fishing per month:5+
Owns a boat:Yes
Experience:Intermediate
Ergonomics
5
/
5
Casting Performance
4
/
5
Ease of Maintenance
5
/
5
I have been an avid Abu user for all my 15 years that I've been fishing, and with every reel purchase I became more and more confident in the product. My go to salmon reels were always the 5600 and 6600 C4, but when times got tough and a new reel was need I turned to the Kalex. Many people warned me that the quality and performance was going to be nowhere that of the C4's in my past, however I beg to differ. Right out of the box I could tell I would have no problems, and 2 years later with countless amounts of salmon caught it still feels like a new reel. Most of its life it has been either in the ocean, or the bay trolling in the salt water, and has only seen just regular fresh water wash downs. Once I was a firm believer in the Kalex I began to spread the word to friends and family, and they too have all had nothing but great things to say. Killer reel for the money. Keep it up Abu, you have yourself another lifetime user and believer on hands !!
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Review 9 for Kalex
Overall rating
Weekend Slayer
PostedAugust 11, 2011
Jess
from Calckamas Co., Oregon
Age:25-34
Favorite type of fishing:Freshwater
Number of times fishing per month:3
Owns a boat:No
Experience:Intermediate
Gear Feel (Smoothness)
5
/
5
Ergonomics
5
/
5
Casting Performance
4
/
5
Ease of Maintenance
5
/
5
I love this reel, especially for the price! I don't get to go fishing as often as I would like these days, but I like knowing when I get a chance to throw a line in my gear is ready and reliable! Has a great reeling action and holds a good amount of line. The best part about the reel though is the drag settings do not need to be adjusted and fiddled with as much as some of my other reels, which makes a difference when you only have a minute!
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Review 10 for Kalex
Overall rating
Amazing
PostedAugust 5, 2011
Bigfish
from southern ohio
Age:18-24
Favorite type of fishing:Freshwater
Number of times fishing per month:5
Owns a boat:Yes
Experience:Intermediate
Gear Feel (Smoothness)
5
/
5
Ergonomics
5
/
5
Casting Performance
4
/
5
Ease of Maintenance
5
/
5
I purchased the Kalex 60 on a whim and it's the best impulse buy of my life. Used it to bring in multiple 30+ catfish last season. The only drawback is that sometimes these l large lakes in my area are often hard to reach the center.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Review 11 for Kalex
Overall rating
Perfect Reel
PostedAugust 4, 2011
CatFisher
from North Dakota
Age:35-44
Favorite type of fishing:Freshwater
Number of times fishing per month:5
Owns a boat:No
Experience:Intermediate
Gear Feel (Smoothness)
5
/
5
Ergonomics
5
/
5
Casting Performance
5
/
5
Ease of Maintenance
5
/
5
I searched and searched for the right reel. I soon decided on Abu Garcia. I then researched another month over which one i wanted. I chose the Kalex 60, and mounted it on my TeamCatfish rod. OMG... This reel is perfect, and better than i could have imagined. Smooth,Clean,Bulletproof. Im using mine for catfish, but im sure it would take down almost anything. Matter of fact its so well made, i bet i could use it for self defense.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Review 12 for Kalex
Overall rating
My First New Reel in 25 yrs,.
PostedMay 10, 2011
2RCHA
from Toronto,ON,Canada
Age:45-54
Favorite type of fishing:Freshwater
Number of times fishing per month:2
Owns a boat:Yes
Experience:Intermediate
Gear Feel (Smoothness)
5
/
5
Ergonomics
5
/
5
Casting Performance
5
/
5
Ease of Maintenance
5
/
5
I just bought my New Abu Garcia "Kalex" 50 reel last month, my trusty old Shimano Bantam finally gave up after 30+ year's of reliable service. I mounted the Abu-Garcia Kalex50 on my Browning SilaFlex 5'6" Musky rod, and it's like they were made for each other,I couldn't wait to get out on the water, and get a nice Pike, or Musky to peel some line out, and see this reel perform,First time out, I got a nice 4lb Smallie, Nice drag on the Kalex50, 2nd time out a nice 10pd Northern, and Boy' the reel did not disappoint in the least, Can't wait for something bigger next time out. Cheers, and Good Fishin', Andy.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Comments (1)
2RCHA
Toronto,ON,Canada
My Second New Reel in 25 yrs,.
Posted June 10, 2011
I loved my *New* Abu-Garcia "Kalex 50" so much, I went and got another one, except this one is the "Kalex 60" , and let me say that It's one Heck of a great reel, and the Bait-Clicker is a very nice up-grade from the "Kalex 50". Both reel's, the 50, or 60 literally cast a country mile, and the extra line capacity on the 60 is fantastic, and comes in handy when you're trolling, I like to "Flat-Line" around a 100 yds, or so, and knowing that you still have at-least 100 more yds in your reel to work with is great!
Either reel, the 50 or 60 is a definite must for any one who's serious about their fishing. There definitely are more expensive reel's on today's market, but none can hold a candle to these truly great offerings from "The House of Garcia"
Cheer's, and Good Fishin', Andy.
Either reel, the 50 or 60 is a definite must for any one who's serious about their fishing. There definitely are more expensive reel's on today's market, but none can hold a candle to these truly great offerings from "The House of Garcia"
Cheer's, and Good Fishin', Andy.
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Review 13 for Kalex
Overall rating
awesome reel
PostedMay 3, 2011
Anonymous
Age:Under 18
Favorite type of fishing:Freshwater
Number of times fishing per month:5+
Owns a boat:Yes
Experience:Novice
Gear Feel (Smoothness)
5
/
5
Ergonomics
5
/
5
Casting Performance
5
/
5
Ease of Maintenance
5
/
5
My dad bought one of these almost 20 years ago and just recently gave it to me to use. The only thing we have replaced is the line guide pawl and that was really easy to replace. I'm only 16 but i am already really into bass fishing and pike fishing. I would recommend this reel to any one out there.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Review 14 for Kalex
Overall rating
Great Steelhead reel
PostedApril 8, 2011
Barefoot T
from Utah
Age:45-54
Favorite type of fishing:Freshwater
Number of times fishing per month:Less than 1
Owns a boat:Yes
Experience:Intermediate
Gear Feel (Smoothness)
5
/
5
Ergonomics
5
/
5
Casting Performance
4
/
5
Ease of Maintenance
5
/
5
On the water, drifting the salmon river on day 1 of a 3 day trip and my Shimano reel literally just fell apart. I finished the day with a loaner from my bud and bought the Kalex that night at the local store. Great reel, can't wait for next year when we get back up that way!
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Comments (1)
buzz
wv
Posted April 20, 2011
junk!!!!!! seriously
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Review 15 for Kalex
Overall rating
my first musky reel
PostedApril 3, 2011
Leloup
from Laurentides, Quebec
Age:35-44
Favorite type of fishing:Freshwater
Number of times fishing per month:5+
Owns a boat:Yes
Experience:Intermediate
Gear Feel (Smoothness)
5
/
5
Ergonomics
5
/
5
Casting Performance
4
/
5
Ease of Maintenance
4
/
5
This is my first musky reel i bought and it feel like it is going to last quite a long time! A robust, easy to use reel. I love it!
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Review 16 for Kalex
Overall rating
Great Reel
PostedFebruary 26, 2011
Popeye
from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
Age:45-54
Favorite type of fishing:Freshwater
Number of times fishing per month:5+
Owns a boat:Yes
Experience:Expert
Gear Feel (Smoothness)
5
/
5
Ergonomics
5
/
5
Casting Performance
4
/
5
Ease of Maintenance
4
/
5
I've been looking for a reel for Muskie fishing, but did not want to break the bank. This reel fits the bill with a reasonable price a strong design, low profile and sits low in the rod and handles great.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Comments (1)
Anonymous
Posted January 10, 2013
where can i fish for muskie in fla
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Review 17 for Kalex
Overall rating
Kalex 50 reel
PostedFebruary 3, 2011
Plumber Bob
from Portland, Or.
Age:55-65
Number of times fishing per month:4
Owns a boat:Yes
Experience:Expert
Gear Feel (Smoothness)
5
/
5
Ergonomics
4
/
5
Casting Performance
5
/
5
Used this reel to catch a 12# steelhead, saturday. Also an 18# This reel worked great, not bad for a medium priced reel.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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