anyone have any feedback on the Shakespeare EZ Cast baitcasting reel? I seen in the last issue that it was tested. Just wondering how it compares to other reels in its price range.

Brian

My boss has it, and from what he was telling me about it I would not recommend it. If you are used to baitcaster reels, it does not have a magnetic brake on the side. It has this feature for "anit-backlash" where you spool the line through this little tab on the top of the spool before you run it out through the level wind. The tab flaps as you cast to keep the line from getting off the spool too fast. He gave it up to his daughter and went back to his Shakespere trigger spin.

On the whole, I have been disappointed in every Shakespeare reel I have ever used with the exception of my Tidewater linecounter but this is a fairly large reel I use for big water trolling with divers and sideplaners. No, it is not a Penn or Tekota but I couldn't justify their price for as little as I use the heavy gear. All of the medium to light duty reels of Shakespeare that I have owned (and there have been many)were disappointing to say the least. I just did some checking and found the retail price of an EZ Cast combo to be $49.95. I have never spent less than $100 on a baitcaster. You get what you pay for!

That design worked poorly for Abu Garcia also (I have two). I works on some types of cast but if you try a high gentle cast like you might do for live bait, the "flapper" will stop the cast at the apex and everything goes straight down with a sudden jerk. The Garcia reels are good but the cast control function is a total waste.