Al Noraker: KastKing’s debut in conventional retail stores is ‘big news’

E-commerce fishing brand KastKing has made its first move into conventional retail with a line of casting and spinning reel combos created exclusively for Academy Sports + Outdoors.

Almost 100 of the popular retail chain’s 259 stores will stock KastKing’s Resolute and Crixus combos as well as a selection of reels and lines.

“It’s big news,” said KastKing’s VP of Business Development, Al Noraker. “Up until now, we’ve only been at Amazon and on our own website, www.kastking.com, but the big news for 2021 is that you can now find KastKing products at Academy Sports + Outdoors stores.

“We know people love shopping at Academy because of its assortment and great prices and KastKing is now part of that, and with the Crixus and Resolute series there are even more reasons to shop there this year. We are proud to be part of the Academy assortment.

KastKing’s Chief Marketing Officer, Tom Gahan, said his company was delighted to be in so many locations. “Academy Sports + Outdoors is among the finest and most respected retailers in the world. Although we got our start in e-commerce, this is a new avenue for KastKing that we feel will benefit the consumer by giving them shopping options. We aim to maintain our strong position in e-commerce online sales.”

All of KastKing’s combos are suitable for both freshwater and saltwater fishing. The brand’s reels featured at Academy include the Bassinator, the Crixus Armor-X and the Speed Demon Elite, described as the world’s fastest baitcasting reel with a 10.5:1 gear ratio.