Does anyone know if there is any way to buy the line counter that is on the Shakespeare line counter rods? I live in Michigan and line counter trolling is huge here.

Dawia, Okuma and Cabelas offer then built in on their reels. I believe Berkley offers them separately for mounting on rods.

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Daiwa is the big one in Michigan with Okuma becoming very popular

Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!

Like Mike said, Diawa, Okuma, Penn, and lots of private lable (cabelas, Bass Pro) reels out there with the linecounters already installed. Rapala, Shakespeare, and Berkley make the clamp on linecounters. These clamp to your rod above the foregrip. They are a pia to put it mildly and aren't that accurate. They also won't work with any of the wire or copper lines.

I have used all of those. They are fine.. but Shakespeare has the line counter built into the rod, wrapped on like a guide. I thought that would be a nice thing to be able to add to my custom built rods. I don't want to put a link on here, but if you search for Ugly Stick Line Counter, you will see what I mean. I think they are new.

It looks to be their standard clamp on linecounter retooled with guide feet. My guess is that it will perform just like the one that clamps on and the others as well.....Poor. IMO it will cheapen your custom rods, not add to them. If you have a customer that wants them, great, build them what they want. I am not trying to be negative or shoot down your idea. I just know that serious Great Lakes captains (ones that will spend the coin for custom rods) will already be running linecounter reels where applicable. I don't see any advantage or cost savings with this thing. Maybe if we knew the inteded purpose or type of trolling rod it will be used for it would help? Example: rigger rods don't need linecounter, coppers, cores don't either. Diver rods do, but ss wire doesn't play nice with linecounters, and braid is also finicky. Mono high diver rods may be a fit, maybe.