About Shakespeare Fishing Tackle
Founded in 1897 by William Shakespeare, Jr., an avid fisherman of 27 years, Shakespeare Fishing Tackle has been a revered name within the fishing business for more than a century. Among William's first inventions was the level-wind reel, which was designed to wind fishing line evenly back on the spool. Now common on most fishing reels, the level-wind reel was a revelation at the time, and helped propel Shakespeare into prominence in the early part of the 20th century. In the ensuing years, Shakespeare introduced such innovations as the Backlash brake, which prevented spools from backlashing; the glass fiber Wonderod; the pushbutton Wondercast spinning reel; the Ugly Stik tubular fishing rod; and the Synergy spincast reels. Shakespeare Fishing Tackle is headquartered in Columbia, South Carolina.