Sougayilang

[JustJames]

Just because one company is a sponsor doesn’t mean you have to brash other while promoting the other when they both might come from same Chinese Factory. I don’t know what reels he talks crap or not but I know what reels you are promoting.

The sponsored is very important to our site, I respect that and don’t mind if mods post once in awhile regarding/ bias review their product in it own post and I’ll never respond. 

[J Francho]

We don't have any reel sponsors.  I have reels from just about everyone available from domestic sources.  None sponsor me.

[J Francho]

 

I'm not sure what I would be brashing or promoting here.  Just relaying facts.  To be perfectly transparent, if I never was offered a reel to try or worked on anyone else's reels, I'd be fishing Daiwa for casting and Shimano for spinning.  I wouldn't know any better, and and I'd be content being labeled a biased fan boy.

[Jigfishn10]

On 1/25/2021 at 7:23 PM, Lead Head said:

Amazon reviews... ugh.

Click on 1 star reviews and look for multiple complaints about the same issues. This is usually the truth about what your looking at on Amazon. 

HaHa - This statement is so true.

I renovated my bathroom a couple years back and my wife was set on getting this particular vanity and fixture. I go online and I read one of those 1 star reviews and the complaint was that - and I'm paraphrasing here - "it just didn't go right in, I  had to hire a plumber to put it together and install it". ? "Don't waste your money on this product." ? 

[newapti5]

2 hours ago, J Francho said:

Same factories produce both.

 

That's true in many cases. Perhaps I should elaborate what I mean by saying "Made in China" and "Brands from China" are two different things.  I didn't mean they are coming from different Chinese factories. It's quite possible a high-end product and a so-so product are coming from the same China factory, but that doesn't make the high-end product less high-end less durable less tolerance...  I believe it all comes down what the QC standard is for a certain line of product.

 

I used to work for a China manufactory in a different line of business. As OEM, that factory makes some very high-end products for certain US companies, the quality is just top marks on every aspects. But behind every piece of QC-passed high-end product, there is at least one or two pieces that didn't pass the QC and had to be fixed or simply disposed of. That increase the unit cost greatly, and the factory owner will have to assign more skillful workers to that product line to meet the delivery deadline, or simply just spend more time to make them. But hey, as long as the client is paying for all the extra cost and time, he'll gladly do all that. The client is the one who is taking the later marketing risks - explaining and justifying the high retail prices to end customers, not him. That's the story of high-end products that are Made in China. 

 

Now that same factory also has its own brand of products, trying to establish its own brand and reputation in US. Actually tons of China factories in different businesses have been trying to do that. I don't blame them - why let the US companies make the big money while I am the one who is actually manufacturing that product? But when it comes to US marketing, many of them simply have no idea where or how to start. So they would try to minimize the risk but lowering the production cost, which would lead to less quality material, inferior craftsmanship, less design budgets, faster manufacturing pace... and at last, lower QC standard.  The cost is low enough that even if they don't make a name for their own brand, they're not losing much.  The risk is much lower.  And then they're not really aiming for high-end market, only the low-end one with cheap prices for competition. Sadly, that's the story for many "Brands from China." 

 

I don't know about fishing business, but I assume it's similar. Are they wrong? IMO from a business standpoint, not really, Kastking is doing quite well in low-end market, and now trying to take more risks by going into higher-end markets. But from a consumer standpoint, stay away from those newly unknown Chinese brands, and enjoy those high-end "Made in China" products. They're just two different things. 

 

[J Francho]

Excellent insight @newapti5

 

Replace "US Companies" with "US Reel Brands" and it's spot on.

[Alex Ball]

No problems with my MDC so far. Good reel. Test it hard tomorrow. We'll see...

    As far as quality vs. the name goes, here's my view based on my last job.

   I was a pro musician for almost 20 years, I'm 37 and fishing is my new focus. There are similarities worth mentioning as far as equipment goes.

1. "You get what you pay for."- In the music industry, there was always a belief that the big name guitars were better because of the name on it. It meant quality and durability. Roughly 10 years ago, a company named AXL came out with exact copies of the top tier Gibsons and Fenders. How? They were all made by Samick at the time and AXL would get b-stock wood and wiring (the sexy stuff), and a-stock pickups and tuners(the heart of a guitar). Had two of em. I'll never forget turning laughter into stunned silence when guys realized my AXL WAS their gibson or tele!!! 10 years later with Harley Benton and Firefly(former AXL guys) leading the way, Gibson will quietly die off because they lost the patent lawsuits.Fender won't because they stayed in house on production at the top level. Can't produce mediocre and price it as special, you will get caught in a pro environment.

       I'm not saying this is the case with baitcasters, but maybe Kastking and Sougayilang are the beginning. Abu hit a slump for a while and it was the REVO series that brought em back. They almost went into a major spiral from what I understand. If you rely solely on the price tag or name, you probably miss a hidden gem.

2. "proof is in the performance"- All I have to say here is Caleb Kuphall. Piscifun was at best, a lesser known Kastking 2 months ago, and now the Phantom and the Alloy are flying off the shelf. Why? Kuphall won the Elite event at Guntersville. Actually "won" is misleading, he massacred the field by almost 15 pounds. You got to ask: "If this is a cheap chinese brand, how come Caleb never really used but 2 reel types and both are 'low end'?" Answer- They aren't. As Newapti5 said, Kastking is a good brand operating below their ability and stepping up. Piscifun just kicked the door in. All it takes is proof you can see. Their products have been good for a bit now and people are starting to notice. Now they have to prove it long term.

      Time will tell, but as of now, there is reason to believe that 2=3 years from now, Sougayilang might just be competing and winning sometimes at the 50-75 dollar range. If you work on them and upgrade in areas, they way overperform their price point.Imagine what happens if they sign somebody who wins a big event? To me this is proof of performance. I don't care if it says Lew's or Lixada on the reel as long as it does what I need. Just my thoughts based on what I believe is a similar business and model as one I was in.

Love this site. Good brain food.

[bulldog1935]

It's not quite fair to lump non-Japan-made reels into "China" production.  

 

Taiwan is a special case.  Tica has been making reels there, beginning with big offshore conventional reels, since 1960, and Tica makes a good portion of Daiwa reels.  

Ever since the Japan bicycle industry moved to Taiwan in the '80s, most of the world's best bicycle frames and components come from Taiwan.  

 

Shimano's non-Japan production line is Malaysia. 

 

Even aftermarket reel parts - Ray's Studio is Thailand, not China.  If you buy Ray's Studio parts from Ali vendors, tracking shows they're first imported into China before finding an Ali warehouse and shipping container.  

 

Korea has their own fishing tradition, and Doyo is there, making Abu, Lew's, and BPS.  British production lines moved to Korea, including Hardy and BFR, which was bought by Orvis.  

 

There are also good parts coming out of Hong Kong - Rorolures.  

 

Most people are going to measure spinning reels by smooth and light, or how inexpensively can you buy a reel with a brand name you like.  I measure them by what size fish and how long they can keep bringing big fish to hand, and have fished through too many good reels to do otherwise.  

 

[garroyo130]

[Deleted account]

2 hours ago, garroyo130 said:

So something with a 6.9 gear ratio?...

[NYWayfarer]

I passed on this companies products for the dumbest of reasons…I can’t pronounce the brand name. 
 

 

[Alex Ball]

On 1/25/2021 at 1:59 AM, Smallmouthbetterthanlargemouth said:

Has anyone tried out those sougayilang reels? I've seen videos of them falling apart. On amazon they look like Chinese crap. They also oddly have decent reviews on their products. I am not buying one or plan to i just want to know if their Chinese junk or are just unpopular and overlooked, thanks and tight lines.

 

Just got one monday. MDC model 8.1 gear ratio 18lbs drag 9+1bb and a 30" retrieve. That's pretty good specs and it'll hold 4lb test! Tested it hard today as a topwater setup. Excellent so far. Not perfect, but at 40 dollars what do you expect? I'll be honest, I was not expecting much and I have been very pleased so far. 1000 casts in a week and no issues at all. I'd say overlooked. I have a Kastking Valiant eagle too, and the MDC slaughters it. 80-100 dollar reel IMO for what you get.

IMPORTANT!- You must,must,must, service it before you throw it. If you do that, it's a really great value.

[Alex Ball]

On 7/10/2021 at 12:55 PM, NYWayfarer said:

I passed on this companies products for the dumbest of reasons…I can’t pronounce the brand name. 
 

 

Still can't. Went with SO-JANG. LOL. Good reel, the MDC. 1000 casts and smooth as new. I always service my reels, new or used when I get them. With these it's a must. Go look at the 1* reviews. Almost exclusively, the knock is that it squeals and/or then freezes after about 200 casts or so. I believe this to be because of 2 things.

1. People buying their 1st baitcaster - Many reviews state this and I think it's a good bet lack of knowledge on the equipment plays a part. It's not a spinning reel, so maintenance is much more paramount. A new user won't know to service it new unless they look it up even though it tells you to do so in the manual.

2. Abuse - I saw that review where on collapsed on the guy on the water. Nobody ever points out the stress he put it under. Those weren't normal conditions for testing. He broke one to see how much it could take and for views (It's the selling point of the video). Nobody does that to a reel on purpose. Not an accurate test. Saw another guy put 25lb FC and a mag swimbait on it. Wrong rod too. Of course it failed. Not for nothing, but Shimanos are mostly plastic gearing now at the bottom end and I guarantee you, they would fail similarly if tested the same way. So would just about anything. Also, they didn't test a "good" Sougayilang reel, just the cheapest they could get. Ever try an Abu Silvermax? Not great. Everybody has duds.

        I put it up against everything I had and It's the 4th best reel I own from a test standpoint. Cheapest too. Other 3 are my ABU Orra winch and sx and the Promax3. Abu for life' but the Revo Ike SHS is an offseason buy for me. This is my alternative for now. Bout to buy a Daiwa or Lew's in the 8's but this will stay in rotation. Good reel. Don't sleep on em.

 

Edited July 12, 2021 by Alex Ball
Forgot something

[Alex Ball]

On 7/10/2021 at 8:21 AM, bulldog1935 said:

It's not quite fair to lump non-Japan-made reels into "China" production.  

 

Taiwan is a special case.  Tica has been making reels there, beginning with big offshore conventional reels, since 1960, and Tica makes a good portion of Daiwa reels.  

Ever since the Japan bicycle industry moved to Taiwan in the '80s, most of the world's best bicycle frames and components come from Taiwan.  

 

Shimano's non-Japan production line is Malaysia. 

 

Even aftermarket reel parts - Ray's Studio is Thailand, not China.  If you buy Ray's Studio parts from Ali vendors, tracking shows they're first imported into China before finding an Ali warehouse and shipping container.  

 

Korea has their own fishing tradition, and Doyo is there, making Abu, Lew's, and BPS.  British production lines moved to Korea, including Hardy and BFR, which was bought by Orvis.  

 

There are also good parts coming out of Hong Kong - Rorolures.  

 

Most people are going to measure spinning reels by smooth and light, or how inexpensively can you buy a reel with a brand name you like.  I measure them by what size fish and how long they can keep bringing big fish to hand, and have fished through too many good reels to do otherwise.  

 

Excellent points. I have an '83-84 Kunnan light rod and it's a monster. Actually better than my Shimano from the same era. Taiwan is ace on production.

 

[J Francho]

What reel can't hold 4 lb. line? What a strange thing to praise. At any rate, you should be able to fish a reel straight out of the box. If it requires service to function, then it's been sold as defective. 

[PhishLI]

10 hours ago, Alex Ball said:

Not for nothing, but Shimanos are mostly plastic gearing now at the bottom end

Which Shimano baitcasters use a plastic main gear and pinion? Got pictures?

[garroyo130]

52 minutes ago, PhishLI said:

Which Shimano baitcasters use a plastic main gear and pinion? Got pictures?

 

I think he meant Shishamo

[bulldog1935]

On Shimano Nasci, which gets praise around here, the main gear rides in plastic "bushings" that are simply part of the plastic side plates.  

It's discussed on TackleAdvisor's $100 reel comparison.  

(if you back up below, same with Penn Battle in 4000 size and smaller)

 

 

and since I'm here - don't know anything specific - but here's a Sougayilang that fished through in a short time - 15 hours surf fishing stated...

Why THIS Cheap Chinese Amazon Reel Failed | Sougayilang WQ Spinning Reel Long Term Review - YouTube  

painful to watch youtube (as with too many), but I scrolled through to find the A/R clutch lever rusted open - but it is a chance to see inside the reel (maybe scroll and turn the volume down) 

Of course he was using this reel where he should be using IRT, Van Staal or at least Tsunami or Tica.  

Still, a bad choice for the maker to use unshielded bearings for spinning reel drive - that will make it feel really smooth for a short while.  Read that last point as, "the smoothness of this reel is a designed short-term ruse."

[Alex Ball]

6 hours ago, PhishLI said:

Which Shimano baitcasters use a plastic main gear and pinion? Got pictures?

Never said main gear. But the Idle gear IS Plastic. Cruxis was the first and some of the bottom SLX models I believe. Please understand that the point I was trying to make is that even the mighty Shimano will take some shortcuts, so blasting a lesser known brand for the having a similar/same setup and then defending a known brand for it is nonsensical to me. BTW, just bought a CU-200 today 6.3 gear ratio and OH....MY....GOD!!! I don't have the requsite experience to define a perfect reel but... This has to be close. I'm blown away by it in every possible way. I'm not knocking Shimano. Quite the opposite, if they are using cheaper materials without incident at the 75-100 range,why is it bad if someone newer and lesser known does it for 1/2 that if it works?

[Alex Ball]

7 hours ago, bulldog1935 said:

On Shimano Nasci, which gets praise around here, the main gear rides in plastic "bushings" that are simply part of the plastic side plates.  

It's discussed on TackleAdvisor's $100 reel comparison.  

(if you back up below, same with Penn Battle in 4000 size and smaller)

 

 

and since I'm here - don't know anything specific - but here's a Sougayilang that fished through in a short time - 15 hours surf fishing stated...

Why THIS Cheap Chinese Amazon Reel Failed | Sougayilang WQ Spinning Reel Long Term Review - YouTube  

painful to watch youtube (as with too many), but I scrolled through to find the A/R clutch lever rusted open - but it is a chance to see inside the reel (maybe scroll and turn the volume down) 

Of course he was using this reel where he should be using IRT, Van Staal or at least Tsunami or Tica.  

Still, a bad choice for the maker to use unshielded bearings for spinning reel drive - that will make it feel really smooth for a short while.  

Saw that video. Same reel I have. Not rated for saltwater according to my manual. I also do service any reel I have before it ever sees a rod, new or not. I will acknowledge that given I can work on/upgrade it myself and I may have gotten a better unit than average, my experience is probably not average. Don't get me wrong, the moment I can get a Lew's Tournament or Revo Ike SHS or even a Daiwa CA-80 for a sub 100 option, it becomes a backup. I wanted to know what 8.1.1 was like so I got this and a Valiant Eagle. Like the MDC, traded the VE and a rod today for the CU-200. Unbelievable reel so far.

9 hours ago, garroyo130 said:

 

I think he meant Shishamo

No lol. Even I won't go near those clunkers. Or fishdrops or angryfish.

 

15 minutes ago, Alex Ball said:

Never said main gear. But the Idle gear IS Plastic. Cruxis was the first and some of the bottom SLX models I believe. Please understand that the point I was trying to make is that even the mighty Shimano will take some shortcuts, so blasting a lesser known brand for the having a similar/same setup and then defending a known brand for it is nonsensical to me. BTW, just bought a CU-200 today 6.3 gear ratio and OH....MY....GOD!!! I don't have the requsite experience to define a perfect reel but... This has to be close. I'm blown away by it in every possible way. I'm not knocking Shimano. Quite the opposite, if they are using cheaper materials without incident at the 75-100 range,why is it bad if someone newer and lesser known does it for 1/2 that if it works?

 

[J Francho]

Idler gears have been plastic for like 40 years, lol. Welcome to the space age!
 

 

[bulldog1935]

that was nylon - nylon gears suck big time.  Nylon ratchet plates on Pflueger Medalist -DA sucked big time.  The older zinc die-cast or newer graphite-filled plastic is a big plus.  

 

We now have acetyl (delrin) which is not far behind aluminum and steel in hardness - it's also machinable.  HRE 90 (delrin hardness) is equivalent to HRB 50 - I've seen mild steel that soft and that's a good hardness for cast aluminum.  

My Valentine (planetary) multiplying fly reel has delrin gears - originally had anodized aluminum, and they came up with delrin as a gratis upgrade (Valentine Bros are first an aerospace fab shop). 

 

I've built some very tough kayak hardware from delrin bar.  

That skeg bracket is only held by those two lower well nut/bolts (the well nuts were there for tag-along roller wheel) - I calculated the bending moment could withstand dropping the boat onto it or accidentally stepping on it.  

Also solved my then 12-y-o daughter's windcock problem in 15+kt coast wind.  

 

 

@Alex Ball

Quote

Saw that video. Same reel I have. Not rated for saltwater according to my manual. I also do service any reel I have before it ever sees a rod, new or not. I will acknowledge that given I can work on/upgrade it myself and I may have gotten a better unit than average, my experience is probably not average. Don't get me wrong, the moment I can get a Lew's Tournament or Revo Ike SHS or even a Daiwa CA-80 for a sub 100 option, it becomes a backup. I wanted to know what 8.1.1 was like so I got this and a Valiant Eagle. Like the MDC, traded the VE and a rod today for the CU-200. Unbelievable reel so far.

No lol. Even I won't go near those clunkers. Or fishdrops or angryfish.

 

ok, you maintain it first, and if you want it to stay, need to keep maintaining it throughout.  

But do you honestly feel good about recommending it to others who may not share the skills or dedication.....(rhetorical)

Percolated, this seems like a fishing reel designed for people who don't fish.  

[jimmyjoe]

   I admire a company that displays integrity. Here is a web page from Sougayilang; notice the bogus contact info in the lower left corner.

 

https://porto-demo16-new.myshopify.com/

 

And here is the "about us" page. Does not promote confidence, Mr. Doe.

 

https://porto-demo16-new.myshopify.com/pages/about-us

 

Based on this, I would NOT do business with this company. Period.        jj

[Alex Ball]

On 7/12/2021 at 5:47 AM, J Francho said:

What reel can't hold 4 lb. line? What a strange thing to praise. At any rate, you should be able to fish a reel straight out of the box. If it requires service to function, then it's been sold as defective. 

Not saying that it's and end all. It was just the first one I had that held that light of a line. I service everything out of the box. First brand new baitcaster I bought (a VERY EXPENSIVE Lew's Reel) Failed in a week of light use. No issues on return, but it's why I defend the lesser known brands: We can't all afford Shimanos. Now, My main rigs are both over $300 each so I get the differences between my Revo SX and my Kastking Royale GT, but I still fish my cheaper stuff far more.

   Did my first tournament last week and all my rigs were name brand. Finished 74th out of 95 guys and girls.  Happy with that, might be my only boat tourney. Very intense. In that environment, you gotta have the good stuff.

    BTW, my MDC is still kicking. No issues at all. Not trying to be aggressive but dang. I just said I liked that it held 4lb test, J. It may be odd, but it caught my eye. Again, I represent the entry level fishermen, not the high enders. At your level, I imagine you must have to be very discerning about your choices. I have the budget for the high end but I also like to see what's out there.

Note: J. Francho, you are undoubtedly one of the stars and wisemen on this site. Not trying to kick up dust. Your views on this subject are revelatory for someone like me who is trying to figure it all out. I also had no Idea about BFS until 2 weeks ago!!! LOL. Guess I'll be getting excited about 2lb test now.....LOL

[Alex Ball]

On 7/12/2021 at 9:14 PM, jimmyjoe said:

   I admire a company that displays integrity. Here is a web page from Sougayilang; notice the bogus contact info in the lower left corner.

 

https://porto-demo16-new.myshopify.com/

 

And here is the "about us" page. Does not promote confidence, Mr. Doe.

 

https://porto-demo16-new.myshopify.com/pages/about-us

 

Based on this, I would NOT do business with this company. Period.        jj

Ya. I certainly won' be buying another reel from them. The MDC is Fine,maybe even my favorite budget reel, but I also bought a spinning reel and it died fast. No contact, no attempt to make it right. Amazon covered the loss, but only cuz I had the 2 year PP. They couldn't contact them either....... Definitely suspect.  

   I must note that I was brand new when I bought those and I certainly know better now. I will stand behind Kastking and Piscifun. Both companies go out of the way to make a problem right. As good as my Abu's? No, but for 40-75 bucks they do the job and they'll gladly replace em if they fail. Above that number($75), there are so many name brand options of quality to choose from.

On 7/12/2021 at 7:16 PM, bulldog1935 said:

that was nylon - nylon gears suck big time.  Nylon ratchet plates on Pflueger Medalist -DA sucked big time.  The older zinc die-cast or newer graphite-filled plastic is a big plus.  

 

We now have acetyl (delrin) which is not far behind aluminum and steel in hardness - it's also machinable.  HRE 90 (delrin hardness) is equivalent to HRB 50 - I've seen mild steel that soft and that's a good hardness for cast aluminum.  

My Valentine (planetary) multiplying fly reel has delrin gears - originally had anodized aluminum, and they came up with delrin as a gratis upgrade (Valentine Bros are first an aerospace fab shop). 

 

I've built some very tough kayak hardware from delrin bar.  

That skeg bracket is only held by those two lower well nut/bolts (the well nuts were there for tag-along roller wheel) - I calculated the bending moment could withstand dropping the boat onto it or accidentally stepping on it.  

Also solved my then 12-y-o daughter's windcock problem in 15+kt coast wind.  

 

 

@Alex Ball

ok, you maintain it first, and if you want it to stay, need to keep maintaining it throughout.  

But do you honestly feel good about recommending it to others who may not share the skills or dedication.....(rhetorical)

Percolated, this seems like a fishing reel designed for people who don't fish.  

Don't know that I ever recommended it. Just defended against it being garbage cuz of the name on it. For the price, Kastking and Piscifun are better options, as is the Daiwa CC80 which blows away all the other reels in the range. After a lousy experience with Sougayilang's "service Team", I wouldn't recommend them to anybody. I was still getting my bearings on all the info I had taken in back then. Jumped the gun a little.

  The MDC I own is great. No issues. Fish the crap outta it. I know it will fail sooner than average, but at this point' I'd consider it a good buy even when it fails. Definitely got my $20 worth.