CPSC, Shakespeare Fishing Tackle Division Announce Recall of Children's Fishing Poles

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announces the following recall in voluntary cooperation with the firm below. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

Name of Product: Children's Fishing Kits

Units: About 438,000

Distributor: Shakespeare Fishing Tackle Division, of Columbia, S.C.

Hazard: The paint on the rods of these fishing poles contains lead. Lead is toxic if ingested by young children and can cause adverse health effects.

Incidents/Injuries: The firm has not received any reports of complaints related to this product. This voluntary recall is being conducted to prevent any possibility of injury or illness.

Description: The recalled Shakespeare® brand fishing kits feature the following characters: TAZ® (Tazmanian Devil®), Tweety®, Mucha Lucha® and Spider-Man®. Other fishing kits feature Fishing Heroes™, sold with a silver-colored badge; Kids Kits™, sold with tackle boxes; and Shark™ and Dolphin™ Kits, which have reels in the shape of a shark or dolphin. The fishing kits have brightly colored red and yellow fishing rods, and "Shakespeare" is written on the reels. Fishing kits with purple, blue and pink rods are not included in this recall. Certain translucent red and yellow and metallic-colored red rods also are not included in this recall.

Sold at: Discount department, sporting good and toy stores nationwide from August 2001 through June 2005 for between $9 and $13.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should stop using the recalled fishing poles and contact Shakespeare Fishing Tackle for information on receiving a free replacement fishing kit.

Consumer Contact: For more information, call Shakespeare Fishing Tackle toll-free at (866) 466-0559 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday.