Shakespeare MCRSP562L Fishing Rod Review
Our verdict
At $21.99, the Shakespeare MCRSP562L is a light-power, two-piece graphite spinning rod built for bass, and its 2,707 reviews averaging 4.2 stars make it the highest-volume rod in this lineup. It will not out-muscle a Medium Heavy blank, but for the price and review count, it is the safest budget pick here.
Check price on AmazonBest for
Budget-minded anglers targeting bass on light line, beginners who want a rod backed by thousands of buyers, and anyone replacing a snapped or lost rod who wants a proven $21.99 option rather than a gamble on an unreviewed listing.
Skip if
Skip it if you need heavier power for bigger fish, since this is rated Light with no line weight number listed beyond 'light,' or if you want a one-piece blank instead of the 5.5-foot two-piece design.
- Material Graphite
- Length 5.5 Feet
- Line Weight light
- Target Species Bass
- Technique Spinning
- Size 5'6" - Light - 2pc
- Priced 56% below the category median ($49.99 across 56 tracked models)
Our scorecard
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Owner rating4.2/5
4.2 average across 2,707 owner ratings
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Popularity4.8/5
2,707 owner reviews, more than most models here
The overall score is owner satisfaction weighted by how many reviews back it, so a high rating from few reviews counts for less. The bars below show where this model stands against the other fishing gear and tackle we track in this category on price, popularity and size. Context, not marks against it, and our read of the data, not a lab test.
Overview
A rod that snaps in the truck bed on the way to the lake is a familiar headache, and it is exactly why a proven, inexpensive replacement like the Shakespeare MCRSP562L keeps selling. At $21.99, this graphite spinning rod measures 5.5 feet, breaks down into two pieces, and carries a Light power rating built around bass fishing.
What stands out is the review count. With 2,707 reviews and a 4.2-star average, the MCRSP562L has more written feedback than every other rod in this comparison combined, including the 433-review Ahi RSB-800 and the 299-review Zebco ZCASTC56TEL. Bought last month sits at 600+, more than double the Zebco's 200+ and six times the Okuma CP-LT-762M's 100+. That kind of volume at a Light power rating suggests this rod is doing high-turnover duty as a starter or backup rod rather than a specialty setup.
The 4.2-star average is the lowest of the four rods compared here, trailing the 4.4 to 4.5 stars posted by the Okuma, Ahi, and Zebco. At this price and volume, a slightly lower average is not unusual, since large review pools tend to include more mixed experiences than smaller ones. For a light, inexpensive bass rod bought in bulk, the numbers still land in solid territory.
Pros
- 2,707 reviews is the largest sample of any rod in this comparison, by a wide margin.
- 600+ bought last month is triple the Zebco ZCASTC56TEL's 200+ and six times the Okuma's 100+.
- At $21.99 it costs just $2 more than the budget-focused $19.99 Zebco ZCASTC56TEL, while carrying nine times the review count.
- Graphite blank keeps the 5.5-foot rod light in hand for a Light-power spinning setup.
- Two-piece design at 5'6" makes it easier to transport than a one-piece blank of similar length.
- 4.2-star average across thousands of reviews still lands solidly in positive territory.
Cons
- 4.2-star average is the lowest among the four rods compared, versus 4.4 to 4.5 stars elsewhere.
- Light power rating limits it to smaller bass rather than bigger gamefish.
- Line weight is listed only as 'light' without a specific pound-test range, unlike the Okuma's 10-20 pound spec.
- No weight figure is listed for this rod, making it harder to compare heft directly against the 6.2-ounce Zebco.
- Single listed target species (bass) is narrower than the Okuma's four-species range.
Specifications
| Material | Graphite |
|---|---|
| Length | 5.5 Feet |
| Line Weight | light |
| Target Species | Bass |
| Technique | Spinning |
| Size | 5'6" - Light - 2pc |
| Color | Black |
| Pieces | 1 |
| Feature | Light |
Performance notes
A Light power rating and 5.5-foot length point this rod at finesse bass fishing rather than heavy cover or big fish. The graphite blank keeps the two-piece rod responsive for detecting light bites, which is the tradeoff a Light rod makes: less backbone for horsing fish in, more sensitivity for feeling the take. Without a specific line-weight number, the 'light' designation suggests thinner line in the 4 to 8 pound range is the intended pairing, similar in spirit to the 2-10 pound rating on the Ahi RSB-800. The two-piece breakdown at 5'6" makes storage and transport simpler than a one-piece rod of the same length, though it introduces a ferrule joint that a one-piece blank does not have. For casual bass fishing on spinning tackle, this spec sheet reads as a straightforward, no-frills setup rather than a technique-specific tool.
What buyers say
With 2,707 reviews, the Shakespeare MCRSP562L has far more feedback on record than the 433-review Ahi RSB-800, the 299-review Zebco ZCASTC56TEL, or the 111-review Okuma CP-LT-762M. Its 4.2-star average is the lowest of the four, but that gap is small, half a star at most against the top performer, and large review pools naturally average in more mixed experiences. The 600+ bought last month figure, the highest in this group, points to a rod that keeps moving as a default choice rather than a niche pick. Read together, high volume plus a slightly lower average rating suggests broad appeal at a low price point rather than a quality problem.
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Frequently asked questions
Why does the Shakespeare MCRSP562L have a lower star rating than other rods in this comparison?
Its 4.2-star average trails the 4.4 to 4.5 stars posted by the Okuma, Ahi, and Zebco rods, but it also carries far more reviews, 2,707 versus a few hundred each. Larger review pools tend to average in a wider range of experiences, which can pull the score down slightly even when overall satisfaction stays solid.
Is the MCRSP562L strong enough for bigger bass or other species?
It is rated Light power and listed for bass specifically, without the broader species range or heavier line rating the Okuma CP-LT-762M carries at 10-20 pounds. For typical bass on lighter line it should hold up fine, but anglers chasing bigger fish or more species may want a Medium or Medium Heavy rod instead.
How does the price compare to other rods on this list?
At $21.99, it costs slightly more than the $19.99 Zebco ZCASTC56TEL and significantly less than the $43.69 Okuma CP-LT-762M or the $89.99 Ahi RSB-800. Despite sitting in the middle of the price range, it carries far more reviews than any of those three rods combined, which points to strong sales volume at an affordable price point.