KastKing Adds Pro Anglers to Team
Category: article
Mar 1st, 2022 by Keith Worrall
Modified Mar 1st, 2022 at 11:45 AM
KastKing Welcomes New Pro Anglers from the Tournament Circuit
KastKing adds four more Pro Anglers to Team KastKing for the upcoming Major League Fishing (MLF) Toyota Series, ABA (American Bass Anglers), Bassmaster Open, Bass Fishing League (BFL), National Professional Fishing League (NPFL), and National Walleye Trail (NWT) this season.
Mar 1, 2022 – Garden City, Long Island NY KastKing (kastking.com) has once again expanded their Pro fishing team to cast a wider net for bringing home the wins and putting KastKing in the spotlight.
Eight-year veteran Pro angler Robert Branagh, of Palm Bay Fl, signed with KastKing after winning the 2022 MLF Toyota Series Opener on Lake Okeechobee. Branagh had been fishing KastKing reels that he purchased himself for the last couple of seasons. Specifically, KastKing MegaJaws baitcasting reels carried him to the MLF Toyota Series win.
Branagh has been consistent in ABA, BASS Opens, and BFL Tours with four Top 10 finishes. In other career highlights, he has served as the captain for the Bobby Lane Tournament for Teens, and took the second place win in the ABA National Championship.
After signing Branagh, Al Noraker VP of Business Development at KastKing said, “All of us at KastKing are extremely proud to officially welcome Rob to Team KastKing! He has been using our reels for a couple of years simply because he loves the reels and the value that KastKing brings to tournament quality reels. And now, Rob will be fishing a full line of KastKing reels including the MegaJaws Elite, Bassinator Elite and new models that will be launched in March of 2022. He has also placed his confidence in KastKing fishing line and will be using our KastPro braided line for casting reels and our new KastPro 13X Finesse for spinning applications. We look forward to celebrating more wins and high finishes from Rob as he competes in the MLF Toyota Series tournaments.”
With five years spanning the Fishing League Worldwide (FLW), BFL, Bassmaster Opens, FLW Toyota Series Tours, Ross Rhodes, who competes in the NPFL also joins the KastKing Team.
Al Noraker says, “We are so proud to introduce our first NPFL Angler, Ross Rhodes. He is a tournament veteran and a skilled angler who we have a high level of confidence in. He will be fishing exclusively with both casting and spinning reels from KastKing as he competes at the highest level on the NPFL. We are looking for big things from Ross and we’ll be there every day to make sure he has everything he needs to succeed.”
Ross with three Top 10 tournament finishes, is out of PawPaw, MI. He lists his favorite KastKing gear as the KastKing Bassinator Elite and Speed Demon Elite reels.
Jake Chauncy, with two years of Pro angling experience in the MLF Toyota Series, BassChamps, Media Bass, Collegiate FLW – will compete under the KastKing flag in NPFL. Chauncy’s tournament record includes four wins and twelve Top 10 finishes.
Jake says, “To this point in my career my proudest accomplishment has to be getting the collegiate bass fishing team started at Southeastern Oklahoma State University. I was a college football player at the university and following my last year of eligibility (still had a year of school left) I wanted something more. Bass fishing is my passion and the college fishing thing was starting to boom at this point (2009). After doing my research as to what was needed to complete collegiately, I was able to convince the university to allow me to create a fishing team to represent the university on the FLW circuit. I’m proud to say that the team is still going strong and is now a legitimate program, with a full-time coach, and scholarship program.”
“A big welcome to Jake, our second NPFL Pro Angler!” says Noraker. “The NPFL is a new and rising league and full of quality anglers. We’re proud to have Jake on Team KastKing and look forward to all that he brings to the table for KastKing and anglers across America who want to learn from the best. We are especially proud of Jake’s efforts to help grow the sport of bass fishing by working hard to help build the collegiate program at Southeast Oklahoma State University. That was important to his personal growth but is also important to our youth everywhere and to our industry. KastKing is committed to growing the sport from the grassroots level, so we greatly appreciate what he has done. Welcome Jake and Fish Strong!”
Jake, who hails from Texarkana, TX recalls his favorite fishing moment, “It was definitely my very first pro tournament. It was surreal, I still remember it so vividly. The fact that I cashed a check was just the icing on the cake which made me feel like I belonged.”
Rounding out the new additions to Team KastKing is Chad Halvorson of Okanagon, WA who fishes the NWT. He has an impressive record with five tournament wins and 23 Top 10s. His career highlights include breaking the all-time Banks Lake Record – 2019 tournament with 52.81 lbs. and his career-best 18-lb. 3-oz. walleye caught on the Columbia River.
Al Noraker says, “We are so proud to welcome Halvorson to Team KastKing! He has already amassed five wins with only one year of professional tournament experience! He lives and fishes in eastern Washington along the Columbia River which happens to be one of my favorite places in the world. It is also in the heart of the best walleye fishing anywhere. Chad is stepping up this year to compete against the best walleye anglers in the world on the NWT and will be using all KastKing WideEye rods, KastKing reels, and of course, KastKing fishing line including braid, Kovert 100% Fluorocarbon, and monofilament line. The competition will be tough, but we know that Chad is up for the challenge, and we wish him the best!”