Let’s describe what to look for in the President model 1970A reel. Instructions recommended 15-pound line as a good all around choice. Most of what we used was thick black line and often was the cause for many backlashes. It took patience to learn proper use of this reel, but once shakespeare fishing mastered it would serve you well. Despite its continuing success, the company had dark times as well. In September of 1948, contract negotiations had come to a standstill, and Local 3619 of the United Steelworkers went on strike, affecting approximately 700 Shakespeare employees.
It is stainless steel with nylon gears and carboloy bushings. The Shimano Baitrunner performed well, but its lack of durability took it out of the running after we did our teardown test. After just a few weeks of use, it showed some early signs of corrosion. Ultimately, I’ve had to repair the secondary (freespool) drags on the Baitrunner, which is another reason why I suggest buying a conventional setup if you’re going to fish bait.
I keep a few for other people to use, or if I’m fishing a small creek up the river and put my canoe in. I would not want to take one of my St. Croix rods to get beat up, so I throw in the ugly stick. If thats all you can afford or are just a couple outings a month fisherman by all means, I would suggest the Ugly Stick Lite. Shimano’s Saguaro series is every bit as versatile as the Ugly Stik GX2, but the guides are nowhere near as durable as Ugly Stik’s Ugly Tuff guides. Although I found the Saguaro rod itself to be more clunky and cumbersome overall—especially when casting lightweight artificial lures—that’s also what made me recognize and appreciate it as a dependable workhorse. The ball bearings in the BG, for one thing, are the very same Minebea bearings that are loaded into Shimano’s Stella SW series of reels, which typically run for $800 to $1,200.
If you do happen to be fishing big game, you’ll likely have to step up in price range, or find a good deal at a garage sale. I tested all of the rods and reels from beaches, rocks, boats, and riverbanks. I fished with lures in rivers for trout and salmon, and I set 1- to 1½-pound live baits from my skiffs, catching ocean fish up to 20 pounds with each rod and reel. I also tested the gear on smaller bottom fish, including summer flounder, sea bass, and porgies (or scup), as well as red drum and spotted seatrout in Charleston, South Carolina.
Other items may require additional processing time for assembly. We will call or email you once your order is ready for pickup. If you need an item right away we ask that you call us to confirm that the product is available before heading over to our store. Unless special arrangements are made in advance, orders need to be picked up within 15 days or a 10% restocking fee will be charged. Ive used their stuff before and cant really find too much fault with the stuff.
The extended reel stem provides better leverage and balance, reducing fatigue during long fishing sessions. With the Shakespeare Glacier Reel, you can expect a reliable and effortless fishing experience. While these materials are not necessarily stronger than stainless steel or lined aluminum oxide, they are higher-performance materials, and a lot more expensive. You start seeing these only on rods in the $150 range, as opposed to the $40 to $50 range, so they’re beyond the budget of most casual anglers.
I have an Ugly Stik Lite Pro that I have had for more than 10 years, used heavily, and it’s still in good fishable condition. Guide wrappings are starting to show signs of needing new epoxy due to cracking the old stuff off slightly but otherwise it’s in very good shape and none of the guides are actually loose. Called the “President,” this product was a level winding reel.
Value packed, the ATS conventional reels deliver performance and reliability. Just pulling a statistic out of thin air I would say at least 1/3 of rods here in saltwater are uglies, with a 4 or 5000 spinning reel on them. If I was ever in a pinch and needed a rod for cheap, an ugly stick lite would be a good way to go. They have their place in the market and for live bait fishing, an ugly stick is at the top of my list. FWIW my dad has a Shakespeare Dimension reel that he uses for crappie, it’s basically a Pflueger President, even has the rosewood handle and makes use of the one way clutch. Generally cheap and low quality, with the exception of the Ugly Stick line.
From my experience, Shakespeare makes excellent fishing rods and reels. I have been using Shakespeare products for years and still have the first fishing pole I bought for myself (a Shakespeare) about 6-7 years ago. It is still in fine working order; although, I must admit that it has seen better days. The Shakespeare Alpha Spinning Reel, designed for fishing enthusiasts, comes with a smooth ball bearing drive system that ensures a seamless fishing experience.