PLUSINNO Telescopic Combo Review: a handy starter kit you can throw in the trunk

I picked up the PLUSINNO telescopic rod and reel combo mainly because I wanted something cheap and compact I could leave in the car. I’m not a pro angler, but I fish a few times a month in lakes and occasionally off a pier. My main goal was simple: a rod that doesn’t take up space, already comes with a reel and some basic tackle, and that I wouldn’t cry over if something broke.

Over a couple of weekends, I used this 1.8 m (5.9 ft) version on small ponds for bass and panfish, and once on a brackish canal. I also messed around extending and collapsing it a dozen times just to see if anything loosened or jammed. I’ve got a couple of regular 2‑piece spinning rods at home, so I could compare how it feels and how the reel behaves.

Right away, you can tell this kit is made for beginners or casual users. It comes with pretty much everything: rod, reel, line, a few lures, hooks, and a carry case. You really can go from unboxing to fishing in under 20 minutes if you’ve tied a knot before. That’s the main strength here: convenience over performance.

It’s not perfect, and you can feel the limits when you hook into a stronger fish or try to cast very precisely. But for the price and the all‑in‑one aspect, it’s honestly a pretty solid beater setup. If you already have good rods and reels, this will feel basic. If you’re just starting or want a backup/travel rod, it’s decent and gets the job done.

In terms of value, this kit makes sense for two types of people: beginners who want a full setup without thinking too much, and more experienced anglers who want a cheap travel/backup rod that lives in the car or suitcase. You get the rod, reel, line, basic tackle, and a carry case, so you can actually fish right away. That alone justifies the price for casual users.

Compared to buying everything separately, you could probably build a slightly better setup if you hunt for deals, but that takes time and some knowledge. Here, you pay partly for the convenience. The rod and reel are the main value; the included lures and accessories are more like a starter bonus. If you plan to fish more seriously, you’ll likely upgrade the line and add better lures pretty quickly.

Is there better gear out there? Sure. If you’re ready to spend more, you can get a smoother reel and a more sensitive rod. But for the current price range and the fact it’s one of the top‑selling combos, the price/performance ratio is decent. It’s not a steal, but it’s not overpriced either. It sits in that “good enough and convenient” zone.

If your goal is to buy one combo and hammer it hard in saltwater for big fish, I’d say look elsewhere. If your goal is casual freshwater fishing, teaching kids, or having a ready‑to‑go kit in the trunk for spontaneous trips, the value is pretty solid. Just go in with realistic expectations: this is a practical starter kit, not pro gear.

The main design point is the telescopic rod. The 1.8 m (5.91 ft) version collapses down to about 40 cm (around 16 inches), which is honestly pretty handy. I could fit it in a backpack and in the side compartment of my car door. Extending it is simple: you just pull each section out until it stops. Collapsing it back in takes a bit more care so you don’t slam the tips together, but after a couple of times it becomes automatic.

One thing you notice is that the guides don’t always line up perfectly when you extend it quickly. I had to rotate the sections a bit to get them straight. Not a big deal, but if you’re in a hurry, it’s easy to end up with misaligned guides, which can mess up casting and put weird stress on the rod. It’s just part of the telescopic life, but worth mentioning if you’re used to standard 2‑piece rods that stay aligned.

The handle is a standard spinning rod style with an EVA foam grip and a screw‑down reel seat. It’s ambidextrous, but really that depends more on the reel handle, which you can switch from left to right. The rod is marked as medium power, and in the hand it feels like a medium‑light to medium. It’s not a broomstick, but it’s not super whippy either. The action feels more moderate than fast, which is fine for general use but not ideal if you’re into very precise lure work.

Design‑wise, it’s clearly built to be versatile and portable, not specialized. If you want something compact for casual fishing in different spots – ponds, small rivers, light pier fishing – the design makes sense. If you want a rod for very specific techniques, this isn’t it. It’s a generalist tool: acceptable at many things, great at none.

The brand advertises carbon fiber mixed with fiberglass, and that’s exactly how it feels: not ultra light, but not a heavy stick either. The blank has a bit of weight compared to my pure graphite rods, but for a telescopic rod in this price range, it’s acceptable. The upside of the fiberglass mix is that it should handle a bit more abuse and bending without snapping instantly.

The guides are listed as aluminum oxide inserts with stainless steel frames. In practice, the inserts looked smooth and I didn’t see any rough spots that could cut the line. I ran the line back and forth under tension a bit just to check for obvious flaws – nothing alarming. Still, I wouldn’t run super expensive braided line on this and expect the same smoothness as higher-end rods. For mono or fluoro in the 8–14 lb range, it’s fine.

The reel seat is stainless steel hooded, which is good against saltwater corrosion. I used it near brackish water and gave it a quick rinse after; no rust or weird stuff so far. The EVA grip is standard, slightly firm, nothing fancy but doesn’t feel cheap and crumbly. The reel itself has a metal spool (aluminum) and a mostly plastic body. The handle is decent and didn’t flex on me, but you can feel this is a budget reel if you’re used to more expensive ones.

Overall, the materials are good enough for casual use. This isn’t gear you baby; it’s gear you toss in the trunk and don’t stress about. If you want something built like a tank for heavy saltwater abuse, you’ll want to spend more. But for lakes, ponds, and light pier fishing, the materials are aligned with the price point: not impressive, not junk, just middle of the road.

I obviously haven’t used it for years, but I tried to be a bit rough with it to see how it holds up. I extended and collapsed the rod many times, sometimes on purpose not super gently, and checked for looseness or cracks. So far, the telescopic sections still lock firmly and I didn’t spot any fractures around the joints. That’s a good sign, because that’s usually where cheap telescopic rods fail first.

I also knocked the rod lightly against railings and rocks a couple of times by accident (normal fishing clumsiness). The finish picked up a couple of tiny marks, but nothing serious. The guides stayed in place and didn’t bend. Still, I wouldn’t throw this around like a broomstick; it’s sturdy enough for normal use, not built for abuse. The tip section is thin, so if you step on it or close it wrong, it will probably go.

The reel after a few sessions still feels similar to day one. No weird grinding noises, bail flips cleanly, and the handle hasn’t loosened. I did a quick rinse after fishing near salty water and dried it. If you actually use it in saltwater regularly, rinsing after each trip is a must, because the reel body is mostly plastic with metal parts that can corrode if you ignore them.

For a combo in this price range, I’d rate durability as pretty solid if you’re not careless. It’s not a heirloom piece, but it doesn’t feel like a toy either. Treat it with basic respect – don’t overbend it, don’t slam the sections, rinse after salt – and it should last a good while for weekend trips and vacations.

Performance-wise, I’d sum it up like this: it works, with some limits. I spooled the included reel with the supplied line first, then later swapped to my own 10 lb mono to see if things improved. With the factory line, casting was okay but a bit inconsistent; with my own line, distance and smoothness were noticeably better. So the rod itself is not the main bottleneck – the stock line is just average.

The reel (HA3000, 5.2:1 gear ratio) has a decent feel for the price. The drag is usable but not super precise. I fought a couple of small bass and a decent sized one around 2–3 lb; the drag didn’t slip randomly, but it’s not silky. There is an instant anti‑reverse, which is nice, and I didn’t notice any major grinding or play after a few outings. That said, if you’re used to smoother reels, you’ll notice the difference. For a beginner, it’s totally fine.

The rod sensitivity is acceptable but not great. I could feel bites on soft plastics and small jigs, but compared to my regular 2‑piece graphite rod, the feedback in the hand is more muted. For bobber fishing or basic lure work, it’s enough. If you’re trying to finesse fish in cold water and detect very light taps, you’ll probably get annoyed. Power-wise, it handled 8–14 lb line and mid‑size lures without feeling like it was about to snap. I wouldn’t push it for heavy saltwater species though.

As for casting, once the guides are lined up and you have decent line, it casts pretty solid for a short rod. You won’t break distance records, but for bank fishing and small lakes, it’s totally workable. In short: the performance matches the kit’s purpose – casual, flexible, and easy to use. If you want high precision and top sensitivity, this isn’t your rod.

When you open the package, you get a zipped carry case with everything stuffed inside: the telescopic rod, the spinning reel (HA3000 size), a small spool of line, a plastic tackle box with random lures and hooks, and a few basic accessories. No rod holder, despite what some product photos kind of make you think – and they do warn in the description that the holder isn’t included.

The carry case is honestly one of the nicer parts of the kit. It’s not high-end, but it’s rigid enough to protect the rod from getting crushed in a trunk or closet. I tossed it around a bit and shoved it under other gear in the car; nothing bent or cracked. Everything fits in there pretty snugly, so it’s easy to grab the whole thing and go, instead of hunting for separate pieces.

The tackle they include is very basic: a few soft plastics, some small crankbaits, a handful of hooks, swivels, and sinkers. Think of it as a starter pack, not a full tackle solution. The quality is fine for casual use, but if you fish regularly, you’ll probably switch to your own lures pretty fast. Still, for someone new, it’s helpful to have enough bits to actually try different things right away.

Overall, in terms of presentation, it feels like a complete beginner kit: you can hand this to someone who has never fished, explain the basics, and they’re ready. If you’re already into fishing, you’ll see most of the accessories as throw‑ins, with the real value being the rod + reel + case combo.