The Little Rod That Rides Along: A PLUSINNO Telescopic Combo Story

The best rod is the one you have with you. I know that sounds like something printed on a bait shop coffee mug, but it took me a while to learn it. I have fished close to 50 years, and for most of that time my good spinning rod stayed in the jon boat because it would not fit in the cab of my truck. In March 2026 I bought the PLUSINNO telescopic rod and reel combo for one reason. Ray and I were planning road trips, and I wanted a rod that could ride behind the seat.

I am 61. I ran a one-woman taxidermy shop out of a converted garage for 20 years and closed it in 2023. That work taught me to notice how a thing is built. A rod is not a mount, but the same rule applies. Look at the joints, the fittings and the places that will take stress. The PLUSINNO kit came in a carrier case with the rod, a 3000 reel, line, lures, hooks and the small accessories. The case is what sold me before I ever put the rod together.

The first trip was the Smoky Mountains in May. I bought a non-resident license and fished from a public bank for trout. I did not take the jon boat. I took one StowAway box, the one with hooks and terminal tackle, and the PLUSINNO case went behind the truck seat. At the water I extended the rod and set up on a flat rock. The rod is 5.91 feet and medium power. It is not a delicate fly rod and it is not a heavy catfish stick. For a public bank and a borrowed hour, that is the right size.

The second trip was the Arkansas Ozarks in August. Same routine: license, public bank, small bass. By then I had the setup down. The reel has a 5.2 gear ratio and retrieves 28.9 inches of line per turn of the handle. The maximum drag is 11 pounds. I kept the drag light because the line that came on it is 10-pound monofilament, and I would rather lose a fish than leave a lure in one. I did not ask the rod to do more than it is built for.

The blank is high-density 24-ton carbon fiber reinforced with fiberglass composite. I am not a materials engineer. What I can tell you is that the rod felt stiff enough to cast a small crankbait and limber enough that an eight-inch bass did not come unbuttoned at the bank. The whole kit weighs 1.2 pounds. That is light enough that I stopped noticing it behind the seat, which is the only reason it went on both trips.

The whole kit weighs 1.2 pounds. I stopped noticing it behind the truck seat, and that is the only reason it went on both trips.

Assembly takes a minute. The rod sections extend and seat. The reel handle is CNC machine cut and collapsible, and it swaps left or right, which matters if you are handing the rod to a spouse or a grandkid. The reel has 12 plus 1 shielded stainless steel bearings. I can feel the difference between that and a cheap reel that grinds on the first turn. It is not the smoothest reel I have ever turned, but it is smooth enough for a road rod.

Here is where it falls short. A telescopic rod has more joints than a one-piece rod, and joints are places where feel gets soft. If I were fishing a Texas rig in heavy cover on Lake Barkley, I would take my old spinning rod. I would not throw a big topwater on this rod all morning. The line capacity is listed as 0.20/240, 0.25/200 and 0.30/140 millimeters per meter, and the 10-pound monofilament that came with it is a general-purpose line. For trout and small bass from a bank, that is fine. For bigger fish and snags, step up. I would rather have a rod that packs than no rod at all.

The reel is a 3000 size. The listing calls the fishing technique casting and the target species bass. I used it for trout and small bass, which is close enough to the same work. The hand orientation is listed as left, but the handle is interchangeable, so do not let that stop you. I cast, waited, and reeled. Nothing about the combo asked me to be a better angler than I am. This is a travel rod. It is for the truck, the motel room and the public bank. It is not a replacement for the spinning rod that lives in my boat. The carrier case keeps the rod and reel together, and the terminal box rides behind the seat with it.

What I'd Tell You If We Were Sitting at My Kitchen Table

I would tell you to buy it for the job it does, not the job you wish it did. If you want a rod behind the seat for a trip, this one earns its place. If you want a rod to fish every weekend on your home water, spend your money on a rod that does not fold. Check the drag before you fish, tie good knots, and carry a small box of terminal tackle. The PLUSINNO kit will not make you a better caster. It is a rod that is with you, and that is most of the battle.