Compare ShakespeareMach 3 XT 035 & SPro Red Arc?

[Hopinc]

Hello guys,

 

This is my first time on this forum, so just a little background - I have been a fly and lure (spinners, plugs, spoons, etc) fisherman for 51 years.

 

I must admit that I have never float fished in my life. About Xmas time I got the hankering to have a go at trotting (Grayling, Trout, Perch and Chub) so I bought myself a J.W. Young's 5-piece 13ft trotting rod.

 

I now need a reel to balance the outfit and also to use with a Greys Prowla 7ft Drop Shot rod (spinning also) - a 3000 size reel, with at least 1 shallow spool, seems to be about right.

 

My question is this - can anyone make a direct comparison between the SPro Red Arc reels and the Shakespeare Mach 3 XT 035 please ?

 

On the face of it both have very similar specifications. The Mach 3 is cheaper and it comes with extra spools, which is attractive.

 

I like quality reels, but if I can get a bargain as well that suits me just fine .

 

Please feel free to make suggestions as to other makes that you think I should consider?

 

Regards & best wishes to you all for 2011,

 

Dave

[watatoad]

Hi, Hopinc,

 

Welcome to Anglers Net, I have never used a SPro Red Arc reel although I have heard they have had some very good reviews they also have a well known problem that being line twist, some say this is a fallacy but you get a wet or misty day and you will experience the problem. I think this was first mentioned back in 2008 yet many still praise the reel, they also make a Blue one but the insides are built to a considerably lower specification and are certainly not so good as the red's.

 

However I have used a Shakespeare Mach 3 xt both in front drag and rear drag, so has one of my fishing buddies and we are both of the opinion that the front drag is one of the smoothest reels you can find with no bumps or stops on it. The rear drag although very good cannot compete against the smoothness of the front drag.

 

If you really don't mind spending a few pounds then I have no hesitation in recommending the Mitchell mag pro lite as one of the finest fixed spool reels I have ever used.

 

But pound for pound you are going to be hard pressed to find a better reel then the Skakespeare mach 3 xt front drag in my opinion it is worth at least three times more than it is priced at.

 

The J W Young 5 piece trotting rod is a most excellent rod there are no stops or hang up which are so common on 5 piece rods in fact once assembled you cannot tell it from a three piece...well at least I cant and I use both.

 

I don't use Greys rods as I just don't like them just a personal thing and not a knock on Grey's rods, they are just not for me.

 

I wonder have you given any thought to a centrepin ... well this is centrepin central...hehehe...where all the pinheads hang out, and the Young rod was just made for use with a centrepin.

Edited January 7, 2011 by watatoad

[Sportsman]

Hi

I have 3 Spro reels but not the Red arc. They seem to be very well made and I can't really fault them. The red arc does get some excellent reviews, particularly from the match fishing scene.

However, for the money I don't think you can beat the Shakespeare. I don't think I have ever heard a bad word concerning it.

They are both quality bits of kit and I am sure you would enjoy using either one.

[Dick Dastardly]

Why an open faced fixed spool? a centrepin or a closed face reel are far better for trotting.

[Hopinc]

Thanks for your input guys.

 

Price wise the Shakespeare is by far and away the best option, and it has the distinct advantage of having all those lovely spare aluminium spools and case thrown in.

 

As far as line twist goes with the Red Arc, I heard about this problem but my research showed that it was peculiar only to early releases of the reel. SPro reckon that they cured it on all later releases. That's what they say anyhow!

 

Rod, I must admit to having a little bit of a fascination with centre pin reels and have give them considerable thought. In the end I have almost (but not quite) given up on the idea - due to the money required to buy a really good one.

 

These days I am reluctant to spend more money than I have to - I didn't used to be like this, as my fly rods and reels collection will testify (Sage, Loomis, Thomas & Thomas, Hardy, Ari'T Hart, Lamson, Bauer, Loop etc), but times have changed.

 

As far as Greys rods go, I know what you mean, I was put off them for years when I bought a 4-Piece GRXi spinning rod.

 

With my ABU Suveran 4000 fixed to it (13.6oz), it needed 4.5oz of lead at the butt to come anywhere near to being balanced correctly. I sold it within a week and bought a 4-piece Daiwa, which whilst not as well finished, was much better balanced and nicer to use.

 

Unfortunately the selection of Drop Shotting rods in the UK is currently very restricted. Fox make one, Shimano another, but I don't like the look of either of them. There is also the Balzer Outlaw, but that is quite expensive. So I am only really left with one choice - the Prowla Platinum 2-piece 7ft 5-28g.

 

If anyone know of any others I should consider please let me know?

 

Thanks again for 1) boosting my confidence on my choice of float rod and 2) confirming what I had hoped is the case with the Mach 3 XT reel.

 

Regards,

 

Dave

[Hopinc]

Hi Budgie,

 

Why a fixed spool reel - only because this reel has to meet dual functions - trotting and drop shotting.

 

I must admit that amongst the reels I have been considering is the ABU 706. ABU seem to have got it right with the brass shaft, the "pipe" cleaners and ventilated spool.

 

Two things put me off just a little - the plastic body and the lack of any information as to how many (if any) ball bearings it has. I know that there is one other option in the closed face reel arena, the Daiwa 125M, but of the two nearly everyone raves about the 706 most.

 

I have not totally dismissed any of these reels yet, I am just looking for feedback, and you are all helping me to make my decision.

 

Thanks for your help.

 

Dave

[Andy Macfarlane]

I use the Mach 1 XT and that's a really nice reel. Smooth, very instant anti-reverse, smooth front drag, dinky, double handle, good line-lay, doesn't backwind with a breeze with the anti-reverse switched off, 1 spare spool and very handsome in my opinion. If the Mach 1 is anything to go by, the Mach 3 should be the mutt's nuts.

[Newt]

Any decent carbon rod with an extra fast action and designed for the light weights used with drop shotting should work so surely there are some decent options in the UK even if the rod doesn't include "drop shot" in the description. 6.5' to 7.5' should be a good length.

[Hopinc]

Any decent carbon rod with an extra fast action and designed for the light weights used with drop shotting should work so surely there are some decent options in the UK even if the rod doesn't include "drop shot" in the description. 6.5' to 7.5' should be a good length.

 

 

Hi Newt,

 

I understand perfectly what you are suggesting, unfortunately there is not as great a selection here in the UK as you have in the States.

 

Most spinning rods in this country definitely do not meet the requirements of having a highly sensitive tip sections, with a stiff backbone to cast relatively heavy drop shot weights. Most spinning rods in the UK typically have a through action, and generally quite insensitive tips.

 

Things are changing slowly and there are a few exceptions coming along now - Greys (those people again) have developed a "Specialist" range of spinning rods for the European (German) market, and these have a much faster action.

 

As for any other makes, I have no idea. Again you are better placed in the US as your rod manufacturers give much better descriptions of their rod's action. Here they tend to place a rod as to it's function rather than telling a potential purchaser just what action it has.

 

Regards,

 

Dave

[Newt]

Hmmm - I wonder if we are talking about the same technique.

 

You certainly do need a sensitive rod tip and a slow (bends to the handle) or medium (bends to the center of the rod) action won't do but I'm speaking of a finesse technique with weights 1/8 to 1/4 oz unless you are fishing deep water (20+ feet) and need to go up to 1/2 oz to get the rig to the bottom. Drop shot hooks are light wire and super sharp so simply winding is usually better hooking than a more conventional hook set motion.

 

I know there are rod actions & tapers that are designed for drop shotting but to my mind, they are only marginally better than a more general purpose rod as long as the action is fast/extra fast and it behaves with light rigs which to me would be rods designed for lines 4-10 pound b/s and weights under 1/2 oz.

 

At any rate, I hope you can locate a rod that suits you for a price that is reasonable. If you get stuck I can probably source you something reasonable over here in either a spinning or bait casting rod. If we stay at a 2 piece rod under 7.5 feet length, the shipping is tolerable.