BLISSWILL Fishing Gear Pocket Telescopic Fishing Rod Combo with Reel and Line

As useful as a full size fishing rod and reel, but stores easily. Takes some getting used to, as it’s held upside down and the release is pulled like a trigger as opposed to by the thumb. Caught fish with it.

Years ago I bought my daughter one of those Ronco "Pocket Fisherman" sets and she's had reasonable success with it. We were going on a camping trip which offered the opportunity to do some fishing but we didn't have a lot of space to pack our full gear, so I decided to buy my own "Pocket Fisherman". That's when I discovered they're no longer made. :-) So I looked around and found this one and decided to give it a try.I was pleasantly surprised at how sturdy the rod and reel was when fully extended. I was able to cast, retrieve, play with the bait, and land fish without having to do anything special. I literally treated it like a regular rod and reel combo and it worked just the same. The only thing that threw me for a moment was the shorter-than-normal handle, but then I realized that the end could extend out a few more inches and that helped tremendously.There is one engineering issue that spoiled the experience a bit: the "trigger" on the reel is ever-so-slightly too long/tall. When the rod is collapsed it touches the trigger JUST enough to release the bail (loosen the line). Several times I found myself putting it away only to discover the bail had been released, then having to reset the line, re-collapse the pole, and then repeat again because the bail kept getting released. It's literally a matter of millimeters. I was able to remedy this when I got home by simply using a grinding stone to shave off a few millimeters of material from the end of the trigger. It doesn't affect the performance of the setup in any way, and now the line stays tight when collapsed.The finish on the rod and reel looks cheap (there's some thin paint spots) but this doesn't bother me for a rod and reel set at this price point.I would have paid a bit extra for a hard plastic storage case to keep this safe when not in use.

I love this little rod. I keep it with my hammock and wet bag for impromptu trips to the lake. Ive used it a few times and so far so good. Worth the money!

I'm not sure why some of the reviewers had such difficulty. This fishing rod and reel works great. For those concerned about the drag, it is a star drag and you turn clockwise to tighten and anti clockwise to loose. Fits easily in a back pack. Caught two really nice (10 inch) yellow perch. It also handled the pull of a large snapping turtle. In my book it 8s definitely worth the money.

Bought this because the pocket fisherman is now $60. First thing I did was tie a hook on and give the pole a few jerks. It didn't snap. It's heavier than my 7' eagle claw. Drag works great. Quiet and smooth. What I don't like is the hinge is on the bottom. If the hinge fails, the pole folds. The storage in the handle is next to useless unless you make the hole bigger. The hole is big enough for as many splitshot and small hooks as you could want but thats all that fits through the hole. The storage is locked closed with the lanyard. The lanyard is too small to be of any use and is ellastic. And the finger grooves were made for Andre the Giant. More comfortable to ignore them(glove size XL). *UPDATE* a year later it still catches fish. Took it to Florida and spent 9 days catching Sheepshead and Snapper as well as a few fat Bluegill.

I like it a lot, caught fish on my first trip.

I purchased this item for my son because we needed something that would fit in our suitcase for a trip to Florida. He used it 2 times with no significant problems. Caught a couple very small fish. The 3rd time he snagged on a rock and was trying to get it loose - not pulling hard at all - and the pole snapped in 2. When we got the pole, we were both concerned about the quality/sturdiness. My take on this pole is - it is compact and easy to carry but as far as any serious fishing goes it will not hold up should someone catch a fish larger than a small perch or sunfish. Great pole for beginner or child that doesn't expect too much, but we were very disappointed in the quality of this pole.

Overall it is a nice pole. Caught a nice 22 inch bass with it last weekend. My only issue is when you fold the rod and slip the elastic strap around to hold it closed, it pushes in the thumb trigger and releases your line. But overall I would say it is a nice rod and reel for the price.