TackleTour Reviews the Kistler Series 1 Reel

Kistler Enters the Reel Market with Their Series 1 Casting Reels

Total Score: 7.8 - GOOD

Introduction: Though the majority of anglers won't admit it, for many, the task of matching rod to reel has grown far beyond performance considerations. Custom colors, handles, knobs all enter into the equation when trying to coordinate a one of a kind look to your set up(s). While we often joke about the ultimate taboo of matching a Daiwa rod or reel to that of a Shimano and how that combo will some day disintegrate due to the competitive karma, brand matching is an even more complex and intricate game. It used to be simple when there were only a hand full of reel manufacturers from which to choose, but now there are at least three handfuls listed on the pages of TackleWarehouse alone.

Read the full review on TackleTour's Website Here.

Introducing Kistler Custom Rods's Series 1 Casting Reel

Validating the dilemma anglers face trying to match the correct brand of reel to their fishing rods, a handful of the reel manufacturers actually started out as rod manufacturers. If you think about it, just about every reel manufacturer makes rods, so why not vice versa?

This isn't an attempt to grab any kind of significant fishing reel market share, Kistler simply wants to offer options for those dedicated fans that like the idea of matching their Kistler rods with a reel bearing the same name

 Enter Kistler Custom rods and their foray into this very segment of the market for 2021. Trey Kistler admits, their goal isn't to take over the market or even make any significant dent in market share. Rather, they simply want to offer options for those dedicated fans that like the idea of matching their Kistler rods with a reel bearing the same name. Naturally, I had to get my hands on one of these reels to see for myself, how it stacks up. Here's our look at Kistler Custom Rods's Series 1 casting reel. 

Impressions: Kistler Custom Rods offers their Series 1 reel in both a 100 and 200 size. Unfortunately, only the 100 size is available in both right and left hand retrieve. Fortunately for me, I only had interest in the 100 size anyway. The manufacturer plans to offer three retrieve ratios but at the time of this writing, only one was available, 7.3:1.

Starting things off with a carbon handle and line weight reminder is a nice touch

The reel comes in an all black motif and has a very comfortable, if not somewhat familiar form factor. Little touches like a line size reminder on the handle nut cap, a nice long, 100mm carbon handle, and a deep spool with a line tying port demonstrate some thought went into conveniences. I see that as a kind of Kistler trade mark dating back to my first Helium stick and that open ended hook keeper.

So is a line tie port in the middle of the spool

The reel comes in an all black motif and has a very comfortable, if not somewhat familiar form factor. Little touches like a line size reminder on the handle nut cap, a nice long, 100mm carbon handle, and a deep spool with a line tying port demonstrate some thought went into conveniences. I see that as a kind of Kistler trade mark dating back to my first Helium stick and that open ended hook keeper.

Not wanting to play favorites, I matched my Kistler Series 1 with an ARK rods Reinforcer

Real World Tests: Not wanting to give this new reel any preferential treatment or let it benefit from the good karma of matching it with a Kistler fishing rod, I chose a neutral party in my ARK Rods RFC72MHXC Reinforcer for its tests. For line, I chose 10lb Sufix Advance FC and tied direct to that little port in the spool. I usually just tie an arbor knot - even on a fully ported shallow spool because I'm paranoid about bending something. However, the little port in this spool is obviously provided for the purpose of securing your line, so I thought I'd try it out.

The Series 1 features an externally adjustable brake system

 Casting: Kistler's Series 1 casting reels come with an external dial on the non-handle sideplate that allow you to adjust braking force. Inside the removable non-handle sideplate, you'll find four (4) centrifugal brakes on the spool. The brakes themselves operate similar to the flying brake arms on an Abu Garcia's IVCB's equipped reels in that the brakes swing out instead of sliding like the Shimano SVS brakes.

Beneath the sideplate we find centrifugal brakes

These brakes can be turned on or off by simply flipping the wide, outer brake flange towards the center of the spool for off, and away, as shown, for on

Given the Series 1's deep spool, signaling to me, it's a general purpose reel, I didn't really concern myself with its lower limit capabilities but rather, I just wanted to test how well the braking system works, and how it feels during a cast. My primary bait with which to conduct these tests was a Megabass Vision OneTen +2 jerkbait where my first cast revealed a very capable, if not a little noisy caster.

One or two casts later, under the suspicion that the noise was coming from the brakes, I flipped open the non-handle sideplate to two flip two them to their off position. On my next cast, not only did the OneTen +2 fly noticeably further, the reel was much quieter on the cast. So depending on your settings with this reel, those brake arms can rub against the non-handle sideplate just enough to make a slight buzzing sound. I suspect turning the external dial to a lower setting would have achieved the same results, but as with most centrifugal braking systems, once I set the brakes where they worked for me, I forgot about them.

Retrieve: After the first few retrieves, another area you kind of forget about or take for granted with this reel is smoothness of retrieve. Not to say it's buttery smooth, but also pointing out it's not a grind fest either. The Series 1 feels like the majority of reels out there and in a good way. The reel has a somewhat connected feel that reminds me of earlier Daiwa and Shimano product only I don't think those early reels that I used had aluminum frames. Believe it or not, I haven't always been an "enthusiast."

Power: Where this reel does stand out is that stock carbon handle. It measures 100 millimeters center of knob to center of knob and a good deal longer than I would expect. What's more the knobs are a very comfortable shape, so the reel affords you very good leverage while cranking away. I tied on a Megabass Big M7.5 for a couple retrieves and liked the way the Series 1 was able to pull it through the water, but I didn't fish it extensively because the ARK Rods RFC72MHXC was too stout for my liking with this bait.

I found the Series 1 to have sufficient power to support a variety of applications including deep cranking with the afore mentioned Big M7.5, and fishing traditional and bladed jigs in and around grass where I had to pull fish away from the cover after the hook set.

Drag: Speaking of pulling fish, Kistler's Series 1 casting reel comes with a rated max drag of 19lbs. I didn't fish at close to max drag considering I was only using 10lb fluorocarbon, but I can say it was more than sufficient for my needs and was smooth and consistent in its operation. Internally, the stack consists of 3 carbon washers and two metal washers (one keyed) nestled securely within that main gear.

The standard array of drag washers

This is a pretty standard array of washers with proven performance across several brands who use a similar design. The only real differences I've seen is in the number of keyed washers. Joining the trend of recent years, the Series 1's drag also has a clicker for that audible "ziiiinggg!" when a fish is pulling line.

Design & Ergonomics: I mentioned at the beginning of this article that the Series 1 has a familiar profile. I can't quite put my finger on what reel from a different manufacturer it reminds me of though. I get Shimano, Daiwa, and Abu Garcia vibes from different parts of the reel which is no real surprise since it's obvious Kistler is not building this reel in their shop at Magnolia, Texas. The only reel manufacturers that have their own facilities are Shimano and Daiwa anyway, so familiar aspects in design, shape, form are inevitable.

A button at the front-bottom of the non-handle sideplate releases that sideplate for access to the spool and brakes

All that aside, the Series 1 100 series is very comfortable to palm and while that 100 millimeter handle looks a little out of proportion with the reel, many will approve of that extra bit of leverage it provides. The externally adjustable brakes are a nice touch, but I'd prefer if that non handle sideplate didn't detach. Oh and yes, the cast control knob and drag both have micro-click adjustment.

Price & Applications: Retail price for Kistler's Series 1 reel is $250 and at this time, it is available direct from their website only. It's a good option for a general application reel especially if you want to match brands with your Kistler Rod or just want to try something different. There is also a more economical version in the Series 2 that retails for $150 and both series come with a one year warranty.

Conclusion: Back to that idea of leveraging that good karma from a symbiotic rod and reel pairing, if you're a fan of Kistler Custom Rods, you now have a solid choice in a low profile casting reel to match up with your favorite Kistler stick(s). I'm only sorry they don't offer this reel in blue so I can pair one with my vintage, original Helium He69APC with the blue Zirconium guides - yes, I still have one - but that kind of karma would likely be too unfair to the fish. On the other hand, the great thing about black is that it matches everything, so if you want to break from the norm, try something different, yet still fish a solid performing reel with a few thoughtful touches, Kistler's Series 1 casting reels might be right up your alley.

 SHOP KISTLER SERIES 1 REEL