What do you get for $15?
Like many anglers out there I have an entire corner of the garage dedicated to my vast collection of rods and reels. Some expensive, some cheap, some small, some large, but no matter what, I just can’t seem to stop buying them. Especially when I run across a deal.
Sougayiland is a Chinese fishing rod and reel manufacturer, and as much I love to buy made in the USA, some of this company’s products are at a price point that I just had to see what all you get for the money. I had recently received a very nice Abu Garcia 2000 series spinning reel in red, and I was in the market for a nice red rod to go along with it. So, I thought this would be a good time to test out a Sougayiland and see if it was up the test.
I ordered a 6-foot medium action spinning rod, and to my surprise spent a grand total of $19.25 with shipping. Going to their website www.sougayilang.com ultimately resulted in me going to amazon to make the purchase. I wasn’t very impressed with their website, and there wasn’t a lot of information on there to help me make my decision. This is probably since it is a Chinese company, and these companies typically show a nice photo and a good price and feel that is good enough to win you over. It did me..so there you go. I must be honest, with the prices on the website I was extremely tempted to add some lures and some reels to my order, but I wanted to try one product first and see how it went before I spent to much money.
About a week later, the rod arrived. I was excited. I opened the package and out came a very well-constructed spinning rod. Only problem, it was pink. I was disappointed, but after contacting customer service I was issued a full refund and I got to keep the rod. Score!
I must admit, I liked the pink color rod, and especially the digital camo handles. I actually can’t wait to get my red one in.
Everything about the rod seems very well made. I was pleasantly surprised. The rod has a good medium action feel to it. It is just flimsy enough at the tip for a nice cast but very strong when in tug. I would say for any size fish under 10lbs, this rod will be almost perfect. The blank does come apart from the guides and it breaks down into a nice two-piece system. It does come with a carrying case, but its not much more than a zip lock baggy and mine had already punched a hole in the end by the time I opened the package.
The Guides seem very well secured and made well, but my only complaint is the all-plastic reel seat. I know a lot of rods are made this way these days, and in this price range you’d be hard pressed to find anything different, but I just like knowing that my reel is firmly in position if I do land that “Leviathan” I’ve been dreaming of battling all my life.
Another thing I was impressed with was the hook keeper. It’s a small feature, no doubt, but its a feature that I absolutely love. Nothing worse than hanging your hook on a guide. It’s a sure way to eventually loosen and pull them off. Always use the hook keeper, you will thank me later I promise.
For me, the Sougayilang Rod is a thumbs up for the price point. If you are looking for a solid rod that you don’t mind beating up and tossing in the back of the truck, this one is for you. You can get it filthy hunting mud cats or toss it in the surf and the worst you are out is around $20. I just can’t complain about that. I have lures that cost me more than that and I suffer dearly when I land a limb bass and lose them forever. Look them up online at www.sougayilang.com and do your own research. I hope these impress you as much as they did me.
