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Post 13 Jan 2021, 20:15 • #1 
Master Guide
Joined: 05/16/10
Posts: 814
Location: South of Houston, TX
I figured that some on here probably have a good plan for how to give their reels some care post saltwater use.
My plan to date has been:
1 - try not to submerge
2 - don't lay in sand
3 - rinse when you get home
This has not been entirely sufficient. Guidance on new reels states "After each trip, the reel should be checked for dirt or sand. If it has been exposed to saltwater, the spool should be removed and the entire reel rinsed in freshwater. Dry with a soft cloth and lubricate the reel as described above." (the above lubrication just stated "As a rule of thumb, oils should be used to lubricate any moving part on the reel, e.g. ball bearings, bushings, handle joints, bail springs, etc. Grease should be used to lubricate the
main drive gear and pinion gear. ")

In a fit of frustration I bought the cheapest reels the local sporting goods store sold - they have plastic bodies and zero ball bearings. They've worked pretty well, actually, but I did just do a tear down and found that some of the bushings were scored by corrosion and sand. I've greased them up and they're good to go for another season. But I've found one of my slightly nicer reels was having some issues and it turns out that the main bearing has frozen with rust. Bother. I've got the bearing soaking in penetrating fluid and plan to do a vinegar soak and then re-grease it. If that works I'll just use it for freshwater from here on. If not, the bearing was installed so as to function as a bushing if it froze up, so I could always grease the outside of the bearing and call it good enough.

But what do you all do to keep salt reels working? Or should I just buy the $15 reels?


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Post 13 Jan 2021, 20:27 • #2 
Piscator
Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19079
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
You described the exact problems with both inexpensive-bushing and spendy-ball-bearing reels.
My buddy Josh takes down every reel for clean and lube every winter.
I don't have as many days on the water as he does, and mine are more incident-related, otherwise do the internal clean and replace all the bearings about every four years (life of bearing lube and throw in rust) - I'm planning to rebuild my oldest Tica this winter.
The economics are probably the same - throw away reels v. throw-away bearings.

The reliability issue is not missing time on the water when you've made the effort to get there.
Surf is the only specific place where you need sealed reels, because you're constantly being washed in sand-slurry.


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Post 14 Jan 2021, 12:31 • #3 
Master Guide
Joined: 05/16/10
Posts: 814
Location: South of Houston, TX
Thanks for the insight. You’ve convinced me I should put some braid on at least one of my reels, but I figured I’d better service them as long as I was upgrading. And now here we are.

An overnight soak in liquid wrench, followed by a soapy wash with a toothbrush, and a blast of wd-40, and some boeshield, then some CLR, followed by CLR with an ultrasonic bath, then some liquid wrench in the ultrasonic bath and it’s still seized.
I suppose this is why it’s best to replace them. But that would be $7 and not as entertaining.


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Post 14 Jan 2021, 13:19 • #4 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 07/11/14
Posts: 1784
Location: urban Colorado
I have decent reels, Shimano, Daiwa and a Penn, but typically don't get to fish salt for more than a couple weeks at best.. so just overhaul after each trip. I could see that getting boring in a long season of fishing, overhaul every 3-4 weeks would be tedious..
That said a freshwater rinse and removing the spool etc to dry each day when not fishing, has always worked - in the sense that when I get to the overhaul there's no significant rust or corrosion or bearing issues. Back in the day when I lived on the ocean the old Penn multipliers would easily go for a season with no more maintenance than the rinse and dry. But of course these were steam-powered old things with coarse tolerances and bushings not bearings..


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Post 14 Jan 2021, 13:30 • #5 
Piscator
Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19079
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
Rinse and dry alone is not enough - oil when dry, and oil again before you go out again - that fresh hydrophobic oil film has a sealing effect.


Last edited by bulldog1935 on 14 Jan 2021, 15:37, edited 1 time in total.

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Post 14 Jan 2021, 15:03 • #6 
Master Guide
Joined: 05/16/10
Posts: 814
Location: South of Houston, TX

I figured out how to unstick the stuck bearing. It just needed a bigger lever. With a bolt and some washers and a couple nuts I was able to get enough grip on the inner race and use a set of channel locks on the outer race and its back in business after being packed with grease.


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Post 15 Jan 2021, 06:37 • #7 
Piscator
Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19079
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
I would assume it's going to lock up Much Sooner in service this time. Pitting corrosion has an incubation before red rust is apparent, and your bearings have already been there.
I personally would throw away a rusted bearing, for the increased possibility of spreading ferric salts (worse than sodium) throughout the reel.


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Post 15 Jan 2021, 08:43 • #8 
Master Guide
Joined: 02/04/12
Posts: 705
Location: SE Pa
I'll go for a week at a time. Every time I return to the cottage I hose down the rods & reels while they are still in the truck's rack. At the end of the week when I get home I hose them down again and then take both the rods & reels in the shower with me with an old washrag and wash/ wipe/ lather them up with Head and Shoulders shampoo.

This shampoo brand is head and shoulders above the rest for cleaning equipment. After washing the rods and reels, it's important to use the same washcloth to wash myself in order to facilitate "proper bonding" with my equipment. Then rinse the equipment and myself off together for the same reason.

After they are fully dry I use spray automotive wax on the rods. I then partially dissemble my reels as necessary and and first use spray can oil (doesn't seem to hurt fishing line) and then Penn lube / grease as necessary.

My reels & rods have never rusted and the grips (all cork & foam) are nice after 35 years of doing this. But my hair fell out and I'm bald.


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Post 17 Jan 2021, 10:34 • #9 
Guide
Joined: 01/09/20
Posts: 113
Location: Killeen Texas
Well I am sure Ron actually has the best options but I'll put in my 2 cents. Just got back into saltwater stuff and wound up buying two Tsunami Barrier II reels out of the Walmart in the booming town of Kingsville Texas. They came fairly cheap at $34.99 a piece and are braid ready. Have seen the reels at one of the well known tackle shops down in the Corpus area for much, much more. They are supposedly sealed reels and are a ball bearing system and have been about bullet proof, though I have not really put them through their paces. I do thoroughly rinse them after every use though and add lube to the working parts.

I'd actually like to find a 7' to 7' 6" rod to pair with the 3000 series.


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Post 17 Jan 2021, 11:04 • #10 
Piscator
Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19079
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
If you check Tackle Advisor's $100 reel shoot out on youtube, Tsunami gets a lot of likes.
For kayak fishing, MM rods win - I also think they give the best control in lure action.
I would normally recommend Tackle Direct Silver Hook house brand, but they're OOS.
And it's OK to talk about Roy's here - Roy's is a mecca.


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Post 17 Jan 2021, 12:16 • #11 
Guide
Joined: 01/09/20
Posts: 113
Location: Killeen Texas
Just didn't want to detract from Roy's in favor of Walmart. Roy's has been really good to me in the flyfishing department picked up my Lamson three spool set for under a $100.00. Switched to right hand retrieve and lined I was still under a buck and a quarter. Was just surprised how cheap the Tsunami came from Wally world when Roy's had used ones for over double the Walmart price for the exact same reel. I now have two 3000 series and one 4000 series Tsunami Barrier IIs and one Tsunami Barrier II 7' 6" medium action rod (rod was only $19.00 so I just couldn't pass it up).


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Post 10 Jul 2021, 09:21 • #12 
Piscator
Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19079
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
Kind of on topic here, this is my Lew's Super Duty on its 5th year in the salt.

The spool bearings are rust-resistant, unshielded, and low-inertia (Air ceramic HD).
I always use unshielded spool bearings, at least partly because shielded bearings retain salt just like they retain lube - that also gets me inside more often to flush and lube spool bearings.
The other thing you gain with these bearings is your spool is faster out of the gate without overshoot, and that equals extra distance. You get equivalent brake result using less brake, and that equals extra distance.



Note my palm-plate brake magnets need replacing - four magnets are showing filliform corrosion lifting the surface plating...
...ordered replacement magnets from AMO Store on Ali Express...



that magnet went right in the garbage after this photo.
Another thing about reels in salt - remove/replace parts showing any signs of rust. The salt rust itself is more corrosive than the salt, and you don't want it spreading through your reel.

Note on spinning reels and all drive bearings, you need shielded bearings to retain lube, even if that retains salt.
Absolute best approach with onset of salt rust - replace them.


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