Customer Reviews

Shakespeare Medium Action Travel Mate Telescopic Kit Combo (6-Feet 6-Inch)

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I recently sailed a 40 ft catamaran around the Florida Keys and wanted to do some occasional fishing.

We took the dinghy out to the #18 red marker just south of the Boca Grande channel, tied off, chummed with some shrimp and began fishing. We had stripped off the flimsy looking mono that came with the reels and replaced with 8.b test Spider mono. We used a swivel to some 30lb test leader and no weight. We baited with whole shrimp hooked from the tail up through the body.

Within 10 minutes we caught and landed 3 yellowtail jacks that were easily 8 to 10 lbs each. The fight was excellent with the fish peeling off drag from time to time. The rod was bent almost double as we turned the fish and wound down. Pretty good stuff for a telescopic device. The drag worked perfectly and was smooth. It was a good 5 minute fight as we gained back line only to lose it again with with furious runs by the jack. .....very fun..... With the last fish a 7 ft. shark actually chased the hooked fish up to the inflatable dinghy and that's when we felt it was time to go.....

This maybe isn't a rod to win a bass tourny with..... but for something to throw into your suitcase and take on vacation..... it's pretty good. Definitely switch out the line with your own and you are good to go.

I bought this rod and reel to give to my grandson for our first fishing trip together. It turned out to be more then I expected and the case it comes in is just so practial alowing it to hold the rod,reel along with a few split shots,hooks,some clips,a lure or two.If need be It would also fit a little live bait in a plastic bag inside the carrying case. Making it easy to walk to your fishing spot carrying everything in the case. The case has a handle and measures about 16"x10" stepped shape and weighs in at (2 lbs.6 oz Thats case rod and reel)

Telescopic rod has pros and cons of any telescopic rod - will collapse by itself if you leave joints TAD loose, and might be difficult to collapse if you pull out sections very tight (especially on sea).

Reel: I used it on sea for fishing (trolling) from a kayak, and after 3 weeks all the screws got rusty. It didn't stop working, but the steel is not quite of outdoor quality - will corrode in fresh water too, only slower.

Overall the combo is usable, I don't complain, especially since got an open-box item for $18 - can't beat the price!

I got this rod for my husband for Father's Day since we are going to stay at a cabin. He loves it! It's surprising how compact it is and how long it gets. It seems sturdy too. The only thing was that we were sent a BLUE reel. Honestly, I prefer the blue so it was a nice surprise (our son's pole is blue and he loves that they match)... but I imagine some people might expect and prefer the red so I thought it was worth mentioning. I'd still recommend it! It's a very handsome blue.

I bought this Shakespeare kit because I wanted to be able to fish when traveling. This rig is light weight, compact and has storage compartments for lures,spinners etc. Best of all the rod is telescopic and gives you medium action. Good price and good service. They now call me "Gone Fish-in".

I bought this because I'm in the Navy and I move around a lot, so I needed something compact, yet still of good value.

It comes nicely packaged in a kit box. I found it surprising how small the box is, you wouldn't suspect a 6'6" pole out of the rod.

The quality of the rod seems sturdy and of decent quality. It's lightweight and I don't think you'd have to worry about rough handling. My boyfriend man handles anything he touches and my rod was still fine :-) yay!

I haven't used it yet since I'm out at sea, but once I get back to land, you betcha I'll be out on the water.

I fish during one month a year so I am not by any means a pro or even serious amateur. I wanted a rod that I could easily take with me for my vacation, and would quickly set up so I wouldn't lose time once I arrived. This rod has its ups and downs, making it hard to give a straight yes or no on whether I'd buy it again.

+++ The rod sets up and breaks down very easily. I've found the telescoping to set in place and stay solidly while in use, but be easy to twist back in and break down.

+++ The rod is very good, I've had no problems at all with it. It has a good amount of play to it, I don't feel like it's going to break, and it's very comfortable to hold.

+++ Rod is very well priced for what it does. As an infrequent angler this might be all you need to buy (aside from hooks and bait of course)

+-- The carrying case is so-so. It holds the rod well, is sturdy, looks like it would float, and has room for a small amount of tackle, all of which is good. Unfortunately by 'small amount' I mean very small amount. I can barely fit a couple lures and 2 or 3 pieces of equipment in this case. I wish it was a full box shape, rather than contoured the way it is, for the extra space. Unless you only carry 2 or so pieces of bait, you'll want to buy a larger tacklebox separately that will hold the rod as well, and just abandon this case, an added expense.

--- The reel is awful awful awful, simply terrible. I've used many different types and brands of reel over the years, and this one has given me more trouble than any other. It might be a combination of the line and reel, but whatever the magic combo is, this fella tangles over and over again.
Light lures cause some trouble, as the line can be slack as it gets reeled up, causing knots and snags. I keep a finger on the line to keep it taut, but that doesn't keep it from happening always.
Even more troubling, any type of surface or jerk bait (hula popper for example) instantly messes up the line. I try to keep a finger on the line to keep it taut, but it doesn't help at all. I found myself resetting the line after every cast, unless I used a select few lures.

In the end I'm not sure whether or not to recommend this product. If you're not using surface, jerk, or light lures, or if you're more of an expert and can diagnose the specific problem with the line, then you'll probably like this rod and reel. On the other hand, if you're more of an expert you probably don't need an inexpensive portable rod / tacklebox combo like this.

If you use a nice medium or heavy weight lure and just keep casting then this rod will serve you well. It's compact, quick to set up, and has space for a couple pieces of bait in its case.

this is the most sturdy fishing rod i have ever used. this ro is also so portable you can fit it into a tackle box. the reel is very smooth to. i would recomend this for eneyone who whants a sturdy rod.

Great combo for the money. It is lightweight but we caught a 17 inch fish in Delaware Bay! The case is a plus because you can carry your hooks and lures in it.

This shakespear fishing rod is highly flexible and great for catching small fish for bait. You could feel every little nibble. Great product.