Daiwa Mini System Minispin Ultralight Spinning Reel and Rod Combo in Hard Carry Case

Picked this rig up for taking on backpacking trips after reading all the reviews on here. After a few trips into the wilderness with this little thing of beauty, I am definitely in love with it. The pole assembles in a matter of seconds and feels both sturdy and sensitive at the same time. The reel does feel a little cheesy to me, but seems more than adequate for backwoods travel. The feel of the pole grip took some getting used to - the lower end of the grip is necessarily short and the overall feel of holding the rod seemed sort of wrong at first (compared to most other poles I've used), but after spending some time with it, it became quite comfortable. The metal ring that slides up and holds the reel in place has a tendency to get stuck and I've had to smack it with the edge of my knife to get it to pop free in order to take the reel back off after use - not really a major problem so far, but noted for posterity. The tip section seemed VERY tight on first assembly and I thought it was going to be a problem, but after a few uses, it settled in to a very nice fit - the pole stays together perfectly. Tried with both 6 and 4 lb monofilament, and as others have mentioned it seems the 4 lb is definitely the better choice for this rig. The case is sort of a funky shape for fitting into - or onto - the backpack - am still working on the best place to attach it, but after breaking the tips off of a couple of regular poles that were lashed the side of my backpack while going through thick brush or crawling under downed trees, this sturdy case is perfectly awesome and I'm happy to deal with it. The latches are obviously going to be the first thing to go, but will deal with that when it happens - bungee strap or something. Was able to cram about a dozen lures, a couple of floats, hooks, weights, swivels, and several little crack-baggies stuffed full of various baits (e.g. salmon eggs, garlic marshmallows, etc.) into the various nooks and crannies molded into the case and completely left my soft-sided tackle box at home - which freed up a lot of space in my backpack all by itself. For those wondering how much this thing actually weighs (was wondering myself but couldn't find the info elsewhere) the digital scale I tossed it onto said 626 grams or about 22 ounces (without any extra gear in the box of course). Not exactly "ultralight" in the backpacking sense (yes, different meaning than "ultralight" in fishing pole jargon) but worth every single gram as far as my personal backpack is concerned. All in all, a well built, well thought out unit that has helped me to enjoy a couple dozen delicious alpine lakes rainbows over the last few weeks, and expect to enjoy many more. Will update if anything unusual happens.UPDATE 7/9/2014: Going into my third season with this setup and am still 100% happy with it for use as a backpacking pole. My main reason for posting this update was to report that the issue mentioned above where the tip section was VERY tight upon first assembly has recurred at the beginning of each season. Both last year and this year it got stuck so tightly the first time it was put together that I was absolutely certain it was going to break before it could be separated again. Obviously a tight fit is necessary as the last thing you want is for the tip to go flying off during a cast - and maybe some of these are made looser than mine was - but based on my experience, I would absolutely suggest putting a very light coat of petroleum jelly on that last joint before inserting it for the first time (and again at the beginning of each season). The tip section joint is just raw fiberglass and seems to depend more on friction to stay put so I wouldn't use anything lighter or slipperier than petroleum jelly to lube it as it might make the joint more prone to come apart. All the other sections have a different type of joint and they have worked flawlessly every time.Also, when breaking it out for the first time this season, I noticed that the reel felt a little stiff, so broke it part way down and squirted a little WD-40 into it and it instantly worked like brand new again. As with any machinery, I suppose a little lube now and then would be a good idea.At any rate, am still extremely happy with this little beauty - definitely money well spent.

I'm a pretty frugal guy, but I can announce with absolute certainty that this purchase was worth every cent. In that vein, if you're debating whether to spend your hard earned cash on this rod, let me advise you: DO IT AND DO IT NOW.I bought this rod for a backpacking trip through the Sierras on the High Sierra Trail. Having fished for trout basically since early childhood (thanks, Dad), I couldn't miss the opportunity to fish in the backcountry, but my pack was already weighing in at 40 pounds, and I didn't want to add a bunch more weight or bulk to that. In short: it worked perfectly, and I spent 6 days hooking trout by the lip. Since then, I've brought the rod to several other bodies of water, and have hooked trout up to 3.5 lbs on this rod. Of course, it's held up and works just as well as the day it was delivered.I'll trust that all the other reviewers (who are probably much better fisherman than I) have convinced you that this is a good rod in terms of functionality, weight, and size. Let me, instead, steer you towards buying this rod if you're considering this particular setup versus a fly rod setup costing 3-8 times what this does. Heading to the Sierras, my first choice was, of course, a fly rod. But 1) I'm not a very good fly fisherman and 2) a good lightweight 7-piece fly rod will cost AT LEAST $150, and probably 2-3 times that. Like I said, I'm a frugal dude.It's not widely reported, but you don't actually need a fly rod to fly fish. Here's how I killed it fly fishing with this rod in the Sierras (where only barbless flies are allowed in most of the backcountry lakes and streams):1. On the lake. If you're fishing on a lake, take a clear plastic "bobber" and secure it to the end of the line with a swivel. From the swivel, lead a 2-4 foot section of line tied to whichever dry fly you prefer. The dry fly should be coated liberally with floatant or, believe it or not, WD-40 to keep it dry and floating. Cast the line out where you want it, and retrieve it at a glacial pace. On this rod's inaugural backpacking trip, this technique landed me a brook trout at Hamilton Lake on my first cast, and I pulled out three more trout in the next 10-15 mins.2. In a river/stream. If you're fishing on a river or stream, follow a similar technique to 1, above, but use wet flies or nymphs. Tie the fly at the end of your line, and place 1 or 2 tiny "split-shot" lead weights about 18-24" from the fly. Another 18-24" from the weights, slip on one of those sleek balsa-wood style floats and just cast your line out, into the middle of the stream. As the float causes your setup to drift downstream, the lead weights will maneuver your fly between rocks and right in front of the trout. Again, on this backpacking trip, I caught and released a dozen golden and brook trout in about 40 minutes in the upper Kern near Kern Hot Springs. If you're somewhere where you aren't relegated to barbless flies, use a salmon egg instead, and you're golden.So, despite the fact that I'm not a particularly good fisherman, this rod easily substituted for a much more expensive setup and landed me fistfuls of fish. Going forward I'll use it widely...not just for backpacking.

Excellent very very good

First and foremost, because the ad for the product doesn't show this or explain it, it's not a telescoping rod. The rod comes taken apart in separate pieces that fit together, one into the other. I got past the fact that it wasn't telescoping even though that's what I was originally expecting. It seems like flimsy material that would break easily, very delicate. The case it comes in is very bulky, not conducive to backpacking. I threw the crappy plastic case away and fastened everything together with a couple of velcro tie straps and it's compact enough to fit in my pack.

I have had two of these rods now for a couple of years and take them on my backpacking and motorcycling camping trips, as they pack down small and are effective at casting about 30 feet and catching small fish up to about 4 pounds. All in all, no issues or problems with rods or reels, and would recommend.

Awesome little ultralight kit. Caught the biggest largemouth of my life on this 2 days ago. The reel is super smooth, and casts well for a 4'6 rod. Sturdy, handled this pig in the picture no problem. Rod is very flexible and strong, very responsive. I keep this kit in my car so I can fish anytime I see a good spot.

This rod is perfect for camping/backpacking. The case is good and can fit quite a bit of tackle but the only thing that is bad about the case is it is cheap plastic. The rod is about 4'6 and is 13 inches when collapsed which is the perfect size to fit in almost any backpack. It can cast pretty far for a 4'6 rod and has a really smooth cast. For the line I would recommend 6lb line or 4 lb as anything under that could snap to easily and anything over would give you to little line on the reel. The downside of this rod is the handle, it is not the best. For adults the handle could be to small but for a kid it is a perfect size. The rod is a little small and doesn't cast as far as my other rods but it is meant to be small and compact so i didn't expect less. This rod is a bit over priced but i'd say it is still worthy buying because of how good this tiny rod is.