Does anyone know who the manufacturer of Rapala's rods and reels is? I have a combo that my brother bought me a few years back that I used alot. The combo has been great, but neglected now that I have new stuff. I decided to clean it up and take it to wet a line. While cleaning up the reel, I noticed alot of design features very similar to my Shimanos. I can find very little information on the reels, and nothing on the manufacturer.

Good question.  I've never used them and I don't have an answer but I thought I would move this to the top of the section so someone else on the forum might see it and provide an answer.

as far as i know from when they first came out  i heard they make their own rods.

I dunno.  But my local tackle shop carries a line of Rapala rods in the $90-$100 range with Alconite guides and they are NICE rods.  Super light.

I think they make their own line of rods and reels, but that is a guess. The 6sxi reel is sweet and is a part of my arsenal.

Yeah, the 6sxi is what I have with a 6'6" Medium Tournament rod. It is a great combo, I haven't used it in awhile. I got to where I was using baitcasting exclusively. My Convergence/Symetre has gotten me back into the world of spinning tackle. I did not know how much I missed throwing the little cranks and spinners. The Rapala rod and reel are excellent for the money. I figured that Shimano may have had a hand in making them, due to the European partnership they have together. If that was so, that makes them even better.