Sougayilang Reel Review (Our Favourite for 2023)

Who is Sougayilang?

Sougayilang inc or its affiliates are a Chinese fishing manufacturer of rods, spinning reels, and other fishing products.

Their mission is to “spread the joy of fishing all around the world” through their precision technology, quality products, and innovative design.

Sougayilang inc or its affiliates are quite new to the market place and haven’t quite earned the trust like other well-known brands out there.

But, is a Sougayilang fishing reel any good and can it even match other brands and their fishing reel line-up like the Shimano Sedona FI? That’s what we are here to find out in this Sougayilang reel review. 

What you need to think about when buying a Fishing Reel

Before diving headfirst into buying a new fishing reel, you should pause and think about the factors below to consider whether the Sougayilang is truly right for you.

I have put together a handy list of all the things to think about to find the ideal fishing reel for you. 

What Are You Planning on Catching With Your Fishing Reel?

This is the first step to ensuring your success on the water.

The reel you choose needs to be able to handle the species you’re goin after and the environments you find them in for a great fishing experience.

• What fish are you targeting?

Does the drag and line capacity of the fishing reel have enough gusto to handle them?

You never want to take a knife to a gunfight, and it’s the same when it comes to fishing reels vs fish.

Make sure that you have enough line and drag stopping power to handle the species you’re after. 

• Where do your target species live? Freshwater, saltwater, or both?

You wouldn’t want to use a freshwater reel for catching a sea bass on your fishing trip.

Not all fishing reels are made equal and taking a freshwater reel into a salty environment will reduce its lifespan very quickly.

Be sure the reel you chose can manage the environment you’re going to use it in.

Does The Fishing Reel Fit Your Rods At Home?

You’re already buying a new fishing reel so it’s probably not the time to buy a new rod to match it. Reels come in a range of sizes to suit different weight rods and it’s imperative that you pick a size that matches your rods at home. 

• Does the reel match your chosen rod?

Balancing a fishing reels size with a rod gives you a whole host of benefits.

The combo will cast better, further, more accurately, and stop you from putting any extra wear on to the rod. 

• Is the fishing reel braid compatible?

Braid is the line of choice these days and you’ll want your reel to have a braid compatible spool.

TIP

This will make filling it with braid much easier and stop any backlashes or tangles while you’re using it. 

Does The Fishing Reel Suite Your Style? 

We all fish a little differently based on how we learned, what habits have stuck, and so on. Getting a reel that suits your way of fishing can make the difference between loving it or hating it. 

• How much does the fishing reel weigh?

When you’re spinning fishing all-day, a heavy reel slows you down.

Your arms get tired and your motivation drops along with your alertness.

This leads to missing fish and not enjoying the fishing experience as much. 

• What is the fishing reel made of and will it last?

You’ll want your spinning reel to be durable and the only way to ensure this is by checking it’s made from corrosion-resistant materials.

Carbon fiber, graphite, brass, aluminum, and stainless steel are the materials you want in your reel. 

• How good is the drag?

All drags should be smooth and reliable, this ensures that it’ll work well during a fight and that the drag system lasts.

TIP

Look for multi-disc systems that use cork, felt, or carbon fiber. 

• How fast is the retrieve and is it smooth?

A good spinning fishing reel will have a quick retrieve so you can use techniques like jigging or popping to catch your trophy species.

The higher the gear ratio, the more turns of the spool per crank, and thus the faster the retrieve.

NOTE

Smoothness is determined by the ball bearings and the gears. The gears should be well aligned and strong plus the bearing count should be high. 

• Is the fishing reel worth the money?

This is all about getting value for your hard-earned dollars. It’s worth reading a few reviews to make sure your reel is worth every penny and will last. 

Sougayilang Spinning Fishing Reel Overview

The Sougayilang spinning reel we are going to focus on is the XY. The XY spinning fishing reels are extremely lightweight, offer a smooth retrieve, are made from premium materials, and they’re also exceptionally inexpensive.

This is Sougayliang’s model, to provide quality at a price all can afford. 

This Sougayilang fishing reel comes in five different sizes ranging from the XY1000 to the XY5000 all of which are designed for use in saltwater fishing and even in ocean boat fishing.

The higher the number, the heavier the reel, the higher the max drag and the longer the line capacity.

There is a size to suit any kind of fishing from light freshwater to light inshore, but nothing for anything bigger. 

You might want to read our saltwater fishing tips if you’re considering this reel for saltwater fishing.

The XY fishing reels come decked out with all the essentials to make a solid reel but let’s take a look under the hood to be sure this is a quality Sougayilang fishing reel.

Pros 

• The XY is very inexpensive 
• It’s super lightweight for easy casting 
• There is a solid range of sizes for most situations 
• Comes with a lot of ball bearings for a smooth retrieve 
• Zero reverse one way clutch bearing gives solid hooksets.
• The retrieve is quick due to the high ratio of the gear
• CNC machined aluminum left-right collapsible handle and spool 
• The handle grip is very comfortable and easy to maintain even in wet conditions
• Includes a free spare graphite spool for quick line changes 
• Smooth, durable carbon fibre multi-disc drag

Cons 

• Poor line management, the line can bunch up on retrieve 
• Screws and other parts are known to get rusty quickly 
• The gears seem to seize up quite quickly making it hard to crank
• Gears can begin to grind after a few months 
• Arrives dry and you need to lubricate before use 

What Helpful Features Are There? 

Lightweight For Great Casting 

Sougayilang used computer design models and a balancing system to give the XY Sougayilang reels a hollow frame.

This was then combined with high performance and light materials to create a fishing reel that’s exceptionally light

perfect for targeting species with an ultralight setup…

This makes it perfect for targeting species with an ultralight setup, using the smallest model. 

Another advantage of the low weight of this Sougayilang fishing reel is that you won’t get tired on those long days when you never stop casting and the reel throws really well with light jigs.

Ultimately ensuring you catch more fish and thoroughly enjoy your fishing time. 

Gear System 

The gear system in the XY is similar to most fishing reels and utilizes precision brass gears combined with a hardened metal main shaft.

The precision brass gears and precision machined pinion gear come together with the main shaft to give you a robust fish fighting system.

can handle those tough runs when fish go for cover…

This means you can handle those tough runs when fish go for cover and crank them back in.

It would be nice to know what metal the main shaft is made from and therefore whether it can truly handle saltwater fishing or even ocean boat fishing.

Braid Ready Spool & Spare 

The XY spinning fishing reel comes with two spools, the main one being the CNC machined aluminum spool and the spare is the graphite spool.

Both materials are excellent corrosion resistant although it would be better if the aluminum was anodized for extra spool protection. 

The aluminum spool is machine cut in a certain way to give you some extra capacity for the fishing line and comes braid ready.

The little ridges on the aluminum spool stop the braid from slipping so you can fill your reel easily.

This will assist a lot in preventing tangles, wind knots and backlashes when casting.

NOTE

The spare spool is also braid ready and having an extra spare spool is very useful.

It allows you to swap from mono to braid or to change line classes on the water, without any fuss. 

Collapsible Handle 

Another great addition to this Sougayilang XY is the left-right collapsible handle.

Like the spool, it’s made from CNC machined aluminum to be corrosion resistant and durable, but again isn’t anodized for extra protection. 

The left-right collapsible handle allows you to store the handle flush to the reel.

This is very helpful when walking through thick bushes, or with extra rods, as the handle can often get tangled or damaged. 

TIP

The fact that it’s a left-right collapsible handle means you can switch the handle from left to righthand retrieve in seconds, to suit anyone’s preferred side. 

A Size To Suit You

The XY fishing reels come in 5 different sizes from 1000-5000 and cover most fishing situations from ultralight freshwater to light inshore.

Here’s a guide of which size to choose. 

Sizes 1000-3000 are ideal for targeting small to medium-sized when fishing in rivers, lakes, and ponds.

They have suggested monofilaments of 6-14lbs for these models, which is ideal for light line fishing. 

The 4000 and 5000 are a bit tougher, take more lines, and have a stronger drag.

If you’re looking to do some light inshore fishing, these are a solid bet. 

Great Retrieve 

One thing reviews can’t stop raving about are how smooth the retrieve is on the XY Sougayilang fishing reel.

It uses a huge amount of ball bearings, 13 to be exact, to make every crank as smooth as silk. 

The other thing that makes the retrieve so great is the high ratio of the gear.

The higher the ratio of the gear, the faster the retrieve, and the gear ratio of the XY Sougayilang Fishing Reel is 5.5:1 on every model except for the XY1000 which has a 5.1:1 ratio. 

Solid Drag

The drag on this Sougayilang fishing reel is pretty solid and reliable.

The use of a triple-disc carbon fibre system provides a very smooth drag experience without much start-up inertia.

This means that when big fish take darting runs out of nowhere, the reel will be able to handle it. 

What Are Fishermen Saying About The XY? 

Having trawled the web and read review after review of people’s personal experiences of the Sougayilang Fishing Reel XY, it’s a pretty mixed bag.

Some absolutely love the Sougayilang fishing reel for its price and stand behind it in terms of quality.

Others have had their reel falling apart after a few months.

Check out the reviews below.

Great Alternatives

Reeling Up 

The XY does a pretty good job at being a solid reel for such a low price.

It has all the assets of a great spinning reel however the component parts and how it’s put together do concern me.

It’s hard to tell whether it’s a great reel for the money or going to break for the money, especially when all the reviews out there go one way or the other way.

Is it worth buying?

For the price, this is a good purchase as this reel easily outclasses the name-brand competitors costing 3 to 4 times that of the Sougayilang.

I’d happily take a shot at it for under $30, if you also decide to, remember to lubricate it on arrival and maintain it well after your saltwater or freshwater fishing trip so it lasts as long as possible.

Thanks for reading my Sougayilang reel review. I hope I helped you clear your doubts about Sougayilang reels.

Feel Free To Share!

Please don’t hesitate to share this Sougayilang reel review to your fishing buddies or to someone who might find this useful and comment down below if you have an experience using Sougayilang fishing gear products.

And lastly, don’t forget to read my other articles. There are many articles to choose from, like the “Penn Pursuit II and III Comparison“, the “Penn Clash in-depth review” or the Okuma Cedros Review.

All the info you might need is right here waiting for you.