OKUMAVoyager Spinning Freshwater Travel Kit, VS-605-20, Blue

Bought this to keep in my car since it seems I never have a rod with me when I happen upon a random body of water. I got to use it today for the first time and was extremely pleased. For a short, light rod the action is pretty nice. I spooled 8# fluorocarbon line on it and it worked well with a finesse dropshot rig: tiny fluke and 3/8oz weight. I landed 6 bass in a couple hours, missed 2 other bites. The rod's action is well suited for this application. The wind was blowing at a good 20mph and I was still able to get good distance on casts, even with the light weight. The rod sections stayed tight though I checked them periodically to be sure...you need to do this with any rod that isn't a one-piece setup. If the pieces wear down over time, I'll use rough sandpaper on the areas that connect--it's worked for every other piece-together rod I've owned. The reel worked fine, fairly smooth for the price and the sort of quality I've learned to expect from Okuma. I fished in some heavy hydrilla and the rod/reel handled it fine. Never felt flimsy when reeling in fish, either. At one point I fished from a bridge ~15 up from the water and had no problems bringing fish up. I recommend you keep it spooled with fluoro no larger than 8#, or 6# braid, and don't overfill the spool. It took ~5 minutes to connect the pieces and rig a dropshot. Sure beats carrying a one-piece setup in the car. The case seems heavy-duty enough for my needs. I used an X-acto knife to cut away some of the interior foam to better fit 2 small stowaways loaded with terminal tackle and a few hardbaits. The bag is generous enough to throw in several bags of soft plastics on top of everything which actually gives the reel more cushioning in the bag and will help protect it from getting beat up in the car. My only complaint is that I wish the strap on the case was longer so it could more comfortably be carried and kept across the back/chest when hiking or biking...probably not a problem for men, but women might find it a bit uncomfortable. I'll probably find a way to lengthen it myself. Overall, I'm very happy with the purchase and pleased with the quality. I'd trust this setup with fish up to 8#, provided you keep the drag loose enough.

This is a great value, the only slight drawback is the need to load the spool with line (I used Sufix Elite 6 lb Fishing Line (Clear, Size- 330 YD Spool)). I love the cork handle, the reel is decent, the rod has a very nice action, and the case is nicely put together with several storage options. In just a couple of hours of beach fishing on vacation I've landed and released a nice snook and 2 lively ladyfish.I bought this and the Daiwa Minispin Ultralight. As other reviewers have pointed out, the Daiwa is maybe a 2/3 scale version of this. It is the same quality components, but personally I like the cork handle and the extra reach on the beach. The Daiwa is great for my kids (7 and 9) to use, easier to handle, and lighter weight. Also the Daiwa case has a tiny built in tackle box, maybe enough for a few hooks/lures, whereas the Okuma has space for a lot and the foam cutouts give a lot of flexibility.Overall unless you are really tight on space, or need a hard case, I would go with this Okuma rather than the Daiwa.

If portability is important to you, then this is one of the best rods to get.The Okuma is, instead of telescoping, a series of pieces that are fitted together tightly through pressure. This system works great and I already caught some fish with a friend's VS-605-20 recently. I liked it so much I just ordered my own.First off, there are several portable options out there with varying degrees of portability and usability and flexbility.For the hardcore emergency bug-out bag fishing tool packer, a fishing line on a plastic frame works just fine. For the traveler who wants a little more, the Ronco portable is great (I plan to get one). But for a little fun with your fishing, these may leave a little something to be desired. The Ronco in particular has the line built in, so you can't play with different test lines.On the higher quality line, there are two piece rods that break down nice and easy, telescoping rods which are great because you don't lose pieces easily when casting, and three models of these break-apart rods. The Daiwa version seemed pretty good and is price competitive with this rod, and there is one more that is slightly higher priced.As portable as this fishing rod is, it is certainly not designed for a bug-out bag and is of a pretty decent size. Having said that, it is a full sized rod that breaks down small enough to fit in the nylon (cheapish nylon, but still good) case and that means pretty easy packing into luggage or a backpack if it's not fully loaded.Speaking of the cheapish nylon case, I would certainly be happier if the case was made of better material, but frankly, they did a good job in features to price, so can't complain. And the 137 piece tackle box fits in there as is since the bag is loose around the foam inserts.The friend's unit that I borrowed worked pretty well, and I found none of the issues that were mentioned in other reviews. I caught a few fish that day, and didn't have to tighten the rods at all, despite several casts over a two hour period. Now that I received my own, I test cast a few times in my yard and found no slippage either, so it doesn't really come apart the way some folks have said.All in all, I'm really happy with this purchase. I may get a Ronco to keep in my bugout bag but for car camping trips with lakes and hiking nearby, this is a great piece to have along. Compact, decent tackle box, and full rod casting fun off a row boat on a lake. Can't ask for more than that.