PLUSINNO Telescopic Combo Review: a compact starter rod that fits in a backpack

I picked up this PLUSINNO telescopic rod and reel combo mainly as a throw-in-the-car setup for quick after‑work fishing. I already have a couple of regular 2‑piece rods, but I wanted something that could sit in a backpack without sticking out like a spear. This one is the 1.8 m / 5.9 ft version with the reel included, but no line or lures. So it’s basically the bare minimum to get started if you already have some basic tackle at home.

First impression out of the box: it looks like a typical budget combo, nothing fancy, but not like a toy either. The rod collapses down to about 40 cm, which is genuinely handy. I can toss it in a small bag, in the trunk, or even a suitcase without thinking about it. That’s really the main reason someone would go for this kind of telescopic rod instead of a normal 2‑piece rod.

I’ve used it mainly for freshwater — small bass and trout in local ponds and rivers — and tried it once from a pier in saltwater just to see how it holds up. I’m not a pro angler, just someone who fishes a couple of times a month when the weather is decent. So my view is more: does this thing work for casual use, or is it just cheap gear that will annoy you after two trips.

Overall, it’s not perfect, and there are a few things that clearly show it’s a budget combo. But it does the job for light to medium fishing if you set your expectations right. If you’re thinking of getting it as a gift for someone who’s just starting, or as a backup rod you don’t mind knocking around, it makes more sense than if you’re already deep into higher‑end gear.

For the price, I’d say this PLUSINNO combo offers pretty solid value if you know what you’re buying. You get a compact telescopic rod and a usable reel that together are good enough for casual fishing. It’s not going to compete with separate mid‑range rods and reels, but it’s also cheaper and much easier to carry around. If you just want something handy that you can throw in the car and forget until the next sunny weekend, it fits that role well.

Compared to buying a cheap 2‑piece rod and a separate budget reel, you might be able to get slightly better performance if you shop around, but you lose the super small pack size. That’s the trade‑off here: you’re paying a bit for the convenience of the telescopic format. If packability matters to you — travel, hiking, limited storage — the value feels pretty good. If you always fish near home and have space for regular rods, you might be better off with a standard combo instead.

As a gift for someone who’s curious about fishing but not obsessed yet, it makes sense, especially if you add line and a few lures. It looks decent, doesn’t feel like a toy, and is simple to use. For a kid, teenager, or adult beginner, it’s a reasonable starting point. For someone who already has good gear, this is more like a backup or travel option they won’t cry over if it gets lost or damaged.

In short, the value is there as long as your expectations stay realistic: it’s a budget, portable combo that gets the job done for light to medium fishing. If you want long‑term durability and top‑notch performance, you’ll need to spend more and skip the telescopic format. If you want something compact and affordable that simply works, this is a fair deal.

The whole point of this combo is the telescopic design. Collapsed, it’s about the length of a forearm, which makes it super easy to stash in a backpack or car door pocket. Compared to my regular 2‑piece rods, it’s way easier to carry when I’m biking to a pond or hiking a short distance to a river. I don’t have to worry about rod tubes or snagging branches on the way.

That said, telescopic rods always come with compromises. You’ve got multiple thin sections that slide into each other, and that adds extra flex points. With this PLUSINNO rod, you feel that immediately: the tip is fairly soft, and the bend feels more spread out than on a standard 2‑piece rod. Casting light lures (like small spinners or soft plastics) works fine, but if you try to really whip a heavier lure, the rod doesn’t feel as controlled. It’s not unsafe, but you can tell it’s not as crisp as a regular one‑piece or two‑piece rod.

On the design side, I do like the folding handle on the reel and the compact profile when everything is collapsed. The reel seat is stainless steel hooded, and it grips the reel firmly — I didn’t have any wobbling issues, even after a few hours of casting. The EVA foam grip is basic but comfortable enough; it doesn’t get too slippery when wet and doesn’t chew up your hand. It’s not luxurious, but it’s way better than those hard plastic handles you sometimes get on cheap combos.

In day‑to‑day use, the design is clearly focused on convenience rather than high performance. This is the kind of setup you throw in the trunk “just in case” or bring on holiday where space is limited. If you’re expecting the same feel as a dedicated 2‑piece graphite rod, you’ll probably be a bit underwhelmed. But if your priority is compact size and ease of transport, the design does what it’s supposed to do without being a total gimmick.

Comfort‑wise, this combo is actually better than I expected for the price. The EVA handle is simple but shaped well enough that you can grip it different ways depending on how you like to cast. I did a couple of 3–4 hour sessions with light lures and didn’t get any hot spots or weird pressure points in my hand. It’s not super cushioned, but it’s not rock‑hard either, so it lands in a decent middle ground.

The overall balance of the rod and reel is okay, especially on the 1.8 m version. The reel isn’t overly heavy, so the combo doesn’t feel tip‑heavy. That helps when you’re working lures slowly or twitching small baits, because your wrist doesn’t have to fight the rod all the time. If you’re used to very light, high‑end gear, you’ll notice the extra weight, but for casual use, it’s perfectly manageable.

The reel handle is ambidextrous and easy to switch sides. The knob is fairly small and basic, but it doesn’t dig into your fingers. Cranking under light load is smooth enough. When you hook into a stronger fish, you do feel a bit more resistance and a slight roughness, but nothing dramatic. The drag knob is accessible and easy to adjust on the fly, even with slightly wet fingers. I didn’t have it slip suddenly or lock up, which is the main thing I care about.

One thing to keep in mind: because it’s a telescopic rod, the blank diameter near the handle is a bit thicker than on a regular 2‑piece rod of the same length. If you have very small hands, it might feel slightly chunky, but I got used to it pretty fast. Overall, for a compact, budget combo, the comfort is actually one of the nicer surprises. It’s not luxurious, but it doesn’t fight you while you fish, and that’s what matters most.

The rod is advertised as carbon fiber mixed with fiberglass. In hand, that checks out: it’s not super light like a high‑end full carbon rod, but it’s also not a heavy fiberglass broomstick. For the 1.8 m version, the weight is manageable, and I didn’t feel fatigued even after a few hours of casting small lures. The blank has a bit of heft, but it doesn’t feel like it’s going to snap if you look at it wrong.

The guides use aluminum oxide inserts with metal frames. They’re not fancy, but they handled mono and light braid without grooves or weird noises during my tests. One thing with telescopic rods is that the guides can sometimes get misaligned when extending the sections. With this one, you do have to manually line them up every time you set up, otherwise your casting feels off. The good news is they stayed put once aligned; I didn’t have them twisting mid‑session.

The reel seat is stainless steel hooded, which is a plus, especially if you plan to use it in saltwater from time to time. I did one short saltwater session from a pier, gave everything a rinse with fresh water afterward, and I didn’t see any rust or corrosion starting up. The EVA grip is basic but fine. It doesn’t soak up water like a sponge, and it gives a reasonable grip even when your hands are a bit slimy from handling fish or bait.

The reel itself is clearly built to a budget. The body feels like a mix of metal and plastic, and while it doesn’t feel like it’s going to fall apart right away, it’s not super tight either. There’s a tiny bit of play in the handle and rotor, which is normal at this price. The spool is aluminum, which is good, and the line lay is acceptable. If you’re used to mid‑range reels, you’ll notice the difference, but for an occasional or beginner setup, the materials are good enough to get the job done without screaming “toy.”

Durability is usually the weak point of cheap telescopic rods, so I paid attention to that. After several freshwater trips and one short saltwater session, the rod sections still extend and collapse smoothly. I didn’t see any cracks or weird play between the segments. The key is not yanking on them and not forcing them if they get a bit of grit or sand. I got some dirt in there once; a quick wipe and it was fine again.

The guides are still straight and the inserts haven’t chipped. I always check them with a cotton swab to see if anything snags, and so far it’s clean. The finish on the blank hasn’t started peeling or bubbling, even after getting splashed and then dried in the sun. The stainless reel seat hasn’t shown any rust, but I did rinse everything with fresh water after the saltwater test, which I’d say is mandatory if you want this thing to last.

The reel is holding up reasonably well for what it is. After a few sessions, there is a tiny bit more play in the handle, but nothing crazy. The retrieve is still acceptable, maybe a hair rougher than day one, but fully usable. No grinding noises or obvious damage. The drag still works, and the bail spring hasn’t weakened yet. I wouldn’t expect this reel to last for many years of heavy use, but for occasional weekend trips, it seems fine.

Overall, I’d rate durability as decent for casual use, limited for heavy abuse. If you throw it around, drop it on rocks, or never rinse after saltwater, it will probably show its limits quickly. If you treat it reasonably, extend and collapse the sections carefully, and rinse after salty sessions, it should last long enough to justify the price. It’s not a heirloom piece, but it’s not disposable junk either.

In terms of actual performance, I’d say this combo is solid for light to medium freshwater use and occasional saltwater pier fishing, as long as you don’t push it too hard. I mainly used 8–10 lb mono and small to medium lures (spinners, small crankbaits, soft plastics). Casting distance is decent, not mind‑blowing, but enough to reach the spots I usually target from shore. The rod loads fine with lures in the lower to mid range; go too heavy and it starts to feel overloaded and sloppy.

The reel drag is better than I expected at this price. It’s not super smooth like something more expensive, but it’s consistent enough. I landed a few 1–2 lb bass and a couple of decent trout without drama. The drag gave line steadily and didn’t lock up or jerk. I wouldn’t trust it for big saltwater fish or anything that runs hard for long, but for typical pond and river fish it’s okay. The instant anti‑reverse works; I didn’t notice any annoying backplay when setting the hook.

Line lay on the spool is acceptable. I didn’t get many wind knots or tangles, but I also took my time spooling it properly the first time and made sure not to overfill it. If you rush that step, any reel in this price range will give you problems. The bail snapped shut reliably on most casts. I had it close mid‑cast once when I really tried to bomb a lure, but that’s happened to me with other budget reels too.

Overall, the performance is good enough for beginners and casual anglers. It’s not super precise, you won’t be casting ultra‑light stuff with surgical accuracy, and it’s not meant for big game. But if your plan is to hit the local lake, toss some lures, and catch bass, trout, or panfish, it works. If you already have better rods and reels, this will feel like a step down, but as a travel or backup combo, it’s totally usable.

The listing can be a bit confusing, so let’s be clear: this specific version is just one rod and one reel. No line, no lures, no little tackle box. In the box I got the telescopic rod, the HA3000 spinning reel already mounted on the rod, bubble wrap around the guides, and that’s basically it. If you’re a total beginner, you’ll still need to buy line and at least a small kit of hooks and lures before you can actually fish.

The rod I tried is the 1.8 m (5.9 ft) version. When folded, it’s about 40 cm long, which is pretty compact. The sections slide out smoothly enough, and there’s a clear sequence to extend them, but you do have to pay attention to fully extending each segment so it doesn’t collapse while casting. The action is labeled as medium power, and in hand it feels about right for small to medium fish — bass, trout, panfish, maybe light inshore saltwater if you’re not chasing anything huge.

The reel is the HA 3000 model with a 5.2:1 gear ratio. It’s a front‑drag spinning reel, ambidextrous handle, and a spool that claims to hold 240 m of 0.20 mm line, or 200 m of 0.25 mm. In real use, I put on around 120–130 m of 10 lb mono without any issue. The reel doesn’t feel premium, but the handle folds, which is nice for storage, and the bail closes reliably most of the time. You can tell it’s not high‑end, but it’s functional.

So, in practice, this package is more like a starter base or a compact backup setup than a full kit. If you’re buying it as a gift for someone who’s never fished, maybe add a spool of 8–10 lb mono and a small tackle kit so they can actually use it right away. On the flip side, if you already have line and lures lying around, this is enough to get you on the water quickly without extra clutter.