My wife and I use "telescopic rods" for fishing out of our kayaks. This rod collapses to a good managable size, and is only 4'6" extended (perfect for our use). The problem is this item is described as having "stainless steel guides with smooth ceramic inserts"! It absolutely does not have inserts, ceramic or otherwise!! This was one of the main reasons for buyingShakespeare® Telescoping Spinning Rod this rod over Eagle Claw's "Pack it". Very disapointing as this was bought for specific trip; too late to get something else. Shakespeare Medium Action Travel Mate Spinning Rod (6-Feet 6-Inch)
Even the guides in the picture are not ceramic. They are very thin and look like they would put a lot of pressure on the line. I got an email back and they said I could pay for shipping both ways and they would give me my money back - not worth it.
That was a couple months ago and they have still not changed the description. The rest of the rod is great but the guides ruin it.
I bought this rod as a combo 6 or so years ago. I have caught a ton of trout in streams, rivers and even on the lake with it. It is not my primary rod when fishing a lake, but I do use it as a backup. Also caught smallmouth and bluegill out of ponds and local private areas. I sometimes keep it in my vehicle and it works great for that.
It fits perfectly in the backpack with a small tackle set, and that is what I got it for. Have caught lots of trout on this rod, up to 4lbs no problems. It finally broke off the tip when I lent it to my brother, but his 4 year old is pretty hard on things and he didn't break it fishing, just around camp somehow. Still works, but without the end segment it is even stiffer than before(see my Cons below). I feel I have gotten my money's worth 2 or 3 times over.
There are two cons I find to this rod:
1: It is not as flexible as standard rods. Don't expect it to bend like a 4' Ugly stick. It simply won't. That's not to say it is not flexible enough, it is, but it's not the same. Once you are used to it there is no problem.
2: If you pull the extensions out too tight, they are a real pain to get it collapsed again. Just don't pull it out more than needed to keep the rod from sliding back and you are good to go.
Because of these two things I give it 4 stars, but it's not that I feel it is a bad product, I just reserve 5 stars for truly flawless gear.
Pretty much you either use this as the cheap option, or bring a rod protector for your nicer setup when hiking.
I bought this rod as a combo about 7-8 years ago. It lived in the glove box of my old truck and now lives in a side pocket in the door of my new truck. I keep it with a small tackle box. I use it mostly for trout and have caught fish to 20 inches with it. This rod has never failed to perform less than perfectly. It casts well and sets hooks well. I love this rod.
Purchased 4 of these for a trip to the Bahamas fishing in the Sea of Abaco. These FAR exceeded my expectation for the price. We used 12 lb test on them and pulled in countless 1-2 lb yellow snapper off junk structure. At one point we started getting hits from somthing that was snapping our lines, so we tied on 40-lb leaders. We then hauled in two ocean triggerfish that were in the 3-5 lb. range. Finally, one guy hooked onto a monster that we'd guess was ~5-8 lbs. We didn't have a net big enough to handle it. He fought the fish for 3-4 minutes with the drag screaming and rod at some points bent over 180 degrees. I would have expected a fish like this to snap the rod. We got it to he boat, took a picture in the water, and then cut the line. We later had a bigger net with us and landed a 5 lb snapper as well.
The rod does flex a lot at the tip... we found it cast well for 1/4-3/8 oz. lures. The rod guides showed zero corrosion after 2 weeks out on the boat in saltwater never being rinsed off. Overall, I am incredibly satisfied with this purchase.
ps - as others noted, it is not a combo at this price - just the rod. We purchased ~$30 reels and am glad we did - I'm not sure the combo reel would have survived some of the larger fish. During a couple of those fights, the reel was still the part I was most worried about holding up.
The 4'6" model works real well for kids. Too small for adults. Well made product, stores real easy for travel. Only 1' long when fully broke down. Bought one of these a couple years ago and like it so I ordered a few more online.
I ordered this rod for my husband. He keeps it in his golf bag so that he can fish on the course ponds. This rod is perfectly sized so that it is easy to transport, but functional enough to fish small ponds.
The description states:The Travel Mate comes with a seven-piece, 6-foot-6-inch medium-action telescoping rod, along with a size 35 graphite spinning reel with a single ball bearing and line. The rod and reel cast just like one- and two-piece rods, but collapse into a 15-inch footprint for storage in the handy Travel Mate case. The case also includes six built-in, adjustable storage compartments for your tackle, so you don't need to bring along a separate tackle box.
When ordered I only received the telescoping rod.
NO size 35 graphite spinning reel with a single ball bearing and line.
NO handy Travel Mate case.
NO case that also includes six built-in, adjustable storage compartments for your tackle.
I am a bit surprised. i didn't think it would be as good as it is but I needed a collapsible rod for easy travel in my kayak. So far it works great!! My only complaint is that it does not have lined eyes, just bare steel. Regardless I have really enjoyed it and caught quite a few fish. - Fishing Gear - Travel Rod - Backpack Rod - Telescopic Fishing Rod'
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