£20 TEMU vs £800 TENRYU: Can Cheap Fishing Gear Really Compete?

£20 TEMU Fishing Setup vs £800+ TENRYU & Shimano — can ultra-cheap fishing tackle really compete with premium lure fishing gear?

We tested a £20 TEMU rod, reel, braid and fluorocarbon setup against a premium TENRYU Super Mix 240 and Shimano Vanford 4000 combination costing £800+.

Both setups were fished side by side for sea bass in UK coastal waters using the same types of lures. Both caught good bass — and we pushed the £5 TEMU rod far beyond its stated 5–25g casting rating, eventually fishing jigs weighing up to 100g.

The result surprised us.

🎣 THE CHEAP SETUP — APPROX. £20

Rod: TEMU 2.1m two-piece lure rod, 5–25g — £5
Reel: TEMU 2500 fixed-spool spinning reel — £10
Main line: TEMU 20lb braid — £4
Leader: TEMU 20lb fluorocarbon — £1

🎣 THE PREMIUM SETUP — £800+ ROD & REEL

Rod: TENRYU Super Mix 240 lure rod — approx. £600
Reel: Shimano Vanford 4000 spinning reel — approx. £200
Main line: Sufix 832 Advanced Superline, PE 0.6, 18lb — approx. £35
Leader: Seaguar Ace Hard Fluorocarbon, 19lb — approx. £15

Complete premium setup: approx. £850 including braid and leader.

🎣 LURES USED

Both setups were fished with the same types of lures, including:

• Patchinko 100 surface lure
• Joker Slammer slow-pitch jigs — 80g & 100g
• Sidewinder Skerries Pro soft plastics
• HTO Mini Lure Clips

📊 THE TEST & RESULTS

Both combinations caught fish and performed well during the inshore bass fishing.

As expected, the TENRYU Super Mix 240 and Shimano Vanford combination was excellent. It felt refined, responsive and balanced, with excellent rod action, sensitivity and drag performance. It handled bass up to approximately 70cm with ease.

The surprise was the £20 TEMU setup.

The reel drag was noticeably more clunky than the Shimano Vanford, the line lay wasn’t perfect and the rod had a much softer, floppier action than the TENRYU.

But it kept working.

We deliberately pushed the £5 TEMU rod beyond its stated 5–25g casting rating, eventually fishing lures and jigs weighing up to 100g — four times its stated maximum.

Despite repeatedly testing it hard, we couldn’t break it.

Cheap setup largest bass: 68cm
Premium setup largest bass: approx. 70cm
TEMU rod stated casting rating: 5–25g
Heaviest lure tested on TEMU rod: 100g
Cheap setup total cost: approx. £20
Premium complete setup: approx. £850

🏆 VERDICT

There is no question which setup we’d rather fish with.

The TENRYU and Shimano combination is dramatically more refined. Its rod action, sensitivity, balance and reel drag are on another level.

But does an £800+ rod and reel combination actually perform 40 times better than a £20 setup?

After this test, we’re not sure it does.

The £20 TEMU combination was crude in places, but it caught bass to 68cm, survived everything we threw at it and even handled lures weighing four times the rod’s stated maximum casting rating.

That was not the result we expected.

🌊 CONDITIONS

Weather: Sunny and hot
Surface water temperature: 21°C
Tide: Spring tide, ebbing
Water clarity: Moderate
Wind: Light NE, 5–8 knots
Target species: European sea bass
Method: Inshore lure fishing

⚠️ SAFETY NOTE

We deliberately exceeded the stated casting rating of the TEMU rod as part of this test. We don’t recommend exceeding a manufacturer’s stated specifications.

ABOUT BASSLUREFISH

BassLureFish tests fishing tackle on the water rather than judging it from specifications alone.

Anglers have opinions. We test them.
No brand bias. The fish decide.

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