Rinsing gear after saltwater exposure

The thread I started on the cheap Daiwa reels raised a question for me...

After a saltwater trip, I've been hosing my gear down with the garden hose (usually while enjoying a frosty malt beverage).

How do you guys do it? Special salt-away spray on stuff?  Bucket of freshwater (seriously, seems like drowning a reel in freshwater might be the easiest way to clean without breaking it down)?

The thread I started on the cheap Daiwa reels raised a question for me...

After a saltwater trip, I've been hosing my gear down with the garden hose (usually while enjoying a frosty malt beverage).

How do you guys do it? Special salt-away spray on stuff?  Bucket of freshwater (seriously, seems like drowning a reel in freshwater might be the easiest way to clean without breaking it down)?

I just spray 'em down with the hose and dry them off. Every few months or so 'i'll take 'em apart and lube them.

  Same as cby

i take them apart in the winter time when its snowing outside...makes me dream about last summers fishing..get them ready to go for the summer, replace line, clean out the goo from the tackle box etc change line yadda yadda wash them out with fresh water during the season with a hose, WD40 liberally

ditto to what HBH said.  In the winter I tune up,salvage or trash the reels, during the "salt season" I hit them hard with the hose and WD40

Same as everyone else ...

-Allen

ditto to what HBH said.  In the winter I tune up,salvage or trash the reels, during the "salt season" I hit them hard with the hose and WD40

When you say hit them hard with WD-40, is this with the line spool removed, or in place? 

I use a gerden hose, too. Don't really know if it works. Never really have gear around long enough to find out.

First tighten down the drag. That's important. Spray with Salt-X or another product of that nature. Let sit a minute then LIGHTLY rinse with garden hose. Let dry then wipe with a rag sprayed with Reel Saver,Corrosion-X,whatever.

Works for me.

Don't spray your mono line with WD-40...

First tighten down the drag. That's important.

I've always sort of wondered about this.  I used to do this religiously, but then thought that where my drags are normally should be enough pressure to keep water out.  If it's not, then I'm already screwed because the salt water has already penetrated.  So I stopped doing it.  I didn't notice any difference whatsoever.  Of course almost all of my reels have greased carbon fiber drag washers which I believe don't mind getting wet every now and then.

-Allen

The saltwater hasn't penetrated unless the reel has been dunked or totally douched. If it has, then the reel should actually be taken apart and thoroughly cleaned anyway.

I tighten down the drag when cleaning because I don't want water between the drag washers. That's probably not going to happen with a light rinse, but why take the chance?

The saltwater hasn't penetrated unless the reel has been dunked or totally douched. If it has, then the reel should actually be taken apart and thoroughly cleaned anyway.

I tighten down the drag when cleaning because I don't want water between the drag washers. That's probably not going to happen with a light rinse, but why take the chance?

A few reasons ...

1) I'm lazy ...
2) I gotta believe that a conventional reel with even just 5 pounds of drag set has enough pressure on the drag plates to keep the water out.
2) I don't believe water on greased carbon fiber drags is an issue.
3) I don't like to accidentally leave the drags locked down when in storage, which is something I've done a few times.  Yeah I know, don't do that.   

-Allen

Whatever floats your boat.