shakespeare??? any good

[breamboy]

i was walking through my local tackel store looking at spinning reels and came across 2 shakespeare reels one was a catera which looked verynice 4BB and the other was a pflueger solara 6BB which is very very nice.


http://www.shakespeare-fishing.com/products/reels/catera-front.shtml
http://www.pfluegerfishing.com/products/solara-reel.html

are these any good has any one used them before????

[durko]

i have two cateras,
they are a nice little reel,
i payed about $75 for mine

The pflueger is a very nice reel. Do you have the prics on it, as i am interested in obtaining one.
The catera is also a nice reel. Not quite up there with the pflueger though:D


Dave

[beefaman]

My mate has a Catera, he likes it, does the job. The pfuelgler is nicer though :D
There are plenty of reels around that 75/80 mark that are exceptional for the price

Okuma Avenger
Daiwa Samurai
Shakespear Catera

just to name a few ;)

[Craig H]

I purchased a Catera only a few weeks ago and love it. Gorgeous little reel. :D

As mentioned prior, there's quite a number of great value & quality reels in that price range. It's just a matter of what feels best in your hands. Perhaps go back to the tackle shop with the rod you'll be using with it, slide it in and see how it all feels as an outfit? :)

Hey guys,
while were on the subject of shakespere, if you get a chance, have a good look at the Pflueger Rods. They are the best looking factory made rod i have seen. The epoxy and finishes on the whole rod is just awesome. They are around the $150 mark so they are not bad value either. I have compared the Daiwa's which are $130, and i can tell you that for $20 more, the difference is unbelievable.


Dave

[breamboy]

im from victoria and the price on the pflueger was $130 and the catera was $70

[Alex]

I think Shakespeare tend to pay less attention to quality, but more to appearance and look of their reels. The bail arm broke at the second cast. Took it back, got refund, and bought baitcaster. No more shakespeare reels!
Alex

[mike_mad_fisho]

gday guys
i heard that shakespear make phlugear reels and the phlugear r a better version of a shakespear , i got told this buy a tackle shop owner that i regulary goto, my mate bought a phlugear trion baitcaster and u should see the freespool on the thing it just doesnt stop spinning we spun it and it would have lasted for about 2 mins just freespooling.
michael

[pw-bream]

Regarding Alex's experience:

It didn't used to be that way.
The old blue Shakespeare eggbeaters were solidly made with a good drag, the follow-up black "Sigma" series were similarly solid workhorses and the drag works well with a little tuning. I've got a twenty year old 070 or 080 and a fifteen year old 035 that are both in top working order with minimal maintenance and they've both done lots of work.

Pflueger were an original brand (actually before Shakespere). Shakespere bought them out, but i don't think shakespere make the gear. They have seperate internet sites, and pflueger seem to be a litlle seperate from shakespere. I may be wrong, but that is my impression.
The pflueger really are better quality than shakespere though. I really can't get over the quality of my Trion rod.


Dave

[pw-bream]

Both are Nth American companies that appeared in the late 1800's.

Shakespeare (the man) invented the level wind and went on to make reels and other tackle.

Pflueger (the man) began a fish hook company (Enterprise Manufacturing Co), then he left that and started Pfleuger the company and made reels.

Shakespeare purchased Pflueger in 1966.

http://www.pfluegerfishing.com/about.html
http://www.shakespeare-fishing.com/history/index.shtml

[chris_lemess]

Don't let your Shakespeare anywhere near salt. Even with washing the reels off after every use, you'll only have them for 6 months before you start to see rust, and not just on the outside.
I wouldn't recommend them ever. Go for a similarly priced Okuma or Daiwa and you'll get your money's worth for sure.

Pfleugers are slightly better, but made by Shakespear thus being cursed in my books! As for the rods - are they the glass tipped ones? I wouldn't recommend them for bream luring... the guides on them are also rather dodgy...

Chris

[Big Muddie]

This issue of Shakespeare reels, salt and rust gets under my skin.

Like others in this thread, I have had Shakespeare reels for year - the oldest now in excess of 25 years. Others have been purchased more recently - in fact they are Shakespeare Cateras - various sizes, all over 3 years old now.

I fish 100% saltwater and my reels get a hammering - salt spray, sand, some mangrove mud and plenty of use. They get a wipe over and a spray of Inox after 4-6 days of continuous use in a saltwater environment. Not a single one of them has any sign of rust. I disassemble them once a year for maintenance - none required so far. Drags work well, they are smooth and well matched to a variety of rods. After a break of 3 weeks they go through all of that again - so my view is that they are being exposed to a set of extreme saltwater conditions.

I, for one, have no hesitation in recommending them as good reels that are value for money. Like any other reel they require some care and attention and they will last for years!

I also own and use Daiwa, Shimano and Okuma reels - and they are treated in the same way and are in just as good condition as the Shakepeare reels.