Line counter reels

[broharrell]

15 is what you want. The numbers indicate line capacity.

[johndeere5045]

Thanks gentlemen. I ordered 4 of the shakespear . Hope I have time to use them shortly

[Snubby]

Thanks gentlemen. I ordered 4 of the shakespear . Hope I have time to use them shortly

Just remember when you get them they have a clicker option it will be engaged on the new reels more than likely. This button on left side of the reel moves forward and back, you want it in the furthest back position. They are good reels for the money, only complaint with mine is the drag, but no issue if I remind myself to loosen them back after I tighten the drag for bigger fish.


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[trypman1]

Shakespeare 15's are fine and the price is right.

[Dutch552]

The drags get smoother after a coat of Cal's drag grease. One of the last Magdas I bought wouldn't hold a drag setting to save ya life, took it apart and it had the belleville washers installed incorrectly from the factory. Flipped one over and it's ran fine every since. The Shakespeare reels internally look to use a lot of the same parleys as the Okumas so I wouldn't be surprised if they were being manufactured on the same line.

[wicklundrh]

The button on the side of the reels gives the ability to free spool or put torque on the spool (otherwise known as the clicker). We freespool all of our crank baits out (much faster than running the clicker) plus you don't have to listen to that annoying sound. Once we put planer boards on, we run the clicker mode, throw it in the holder, and let it go by itself. There are times when you are putting 6 rods out at once. On the otherside of the reel is a thumb screw setting which allows you to adjust the tension on your clicker. We "always" turn our clickers off when reeling. Again, hate the noise!

Having used line counter reels for the better part of 30 years, I can tell you what we buy, what is most popular here in Michigan for walleye and salmon, and what we stay away from (and why).

Most of us stopped utilizing the Okuma reels (either the Magda's or the Convectors). They are great reels but... the button to reset your counter is on top of the reel. You push it down to reset. They are prone to sticking, reseting accidentially, and getting stuck in the middle of your count. I've owned 20 of these reels in different sizes over the years. I have two left but don't use them.

The Shimano reels are a nice reel but their drags are horrible. We found this out running Salmon Trips. You just cannot fine tune them enough to put the brakes on a 20 plus pound king. They have a tendancy to slip. Same holds true when pulling planer boards. We had similar issues with the Shakespeare reels. Keep in mind that we are running planer boards or dipsy divers with these reels and might far exceed what the average crappie fisherman would use.

Pound for pound, the most utilized and purchased reel on Both Lake Huron and Lake Michigan is the Diawa Accudepth reels. The counters are smooth, don't get stuck, and the reset button is on the side so you cannot accidentially push it in. Plus, when in a rod locker, they cannot get pushed in, mashed in, or anything else. Northwoods buys these reels by the thousands! Reason being as they are the most popular. The drags are smooth and crisp, the freespool features work as they should, and the clickers work great. I own 20 of these reels at the present time on two different boats.

In my opinion, these are the best reels in your price range. If however you step up in price point, the reels get a little better. That is what I run in my tournament boat. I gave all of my Okumas away (and had a hard time even doing that)

[johndeere5045]

Ok, I got my reels in today. I would like to run 2 14' and 2 10' rods, and stay under $50 each. I run bgjp on all my longing poles. But they are spinning reels. Any ideas?

["G"]

Wont be under 50 I dont think....But I run BnM Pro Staff Trollers or PSTs Best price I have found is at GrizzlyJig ....click on their log at the bottom of the page.

[Snubby]

Ok, I got my reels in today. I would like to run 2 14' and 2 10' rods, and stay under $50 each. I run bgjp on all my longing poles. But they are spinning reels. Any ideas?

B'n'M PST rods are $47.95 for the 14's and $39.95 for the 10's from Grizzly. Then you want to have two extra tips for each for just in case. I never have broke a tip swinging a fish or when snagged, but by accident of course, it happens.