Salt Water Spinning Reel Recommendations

[DanMarino]

I have a place in Duck, NC and will be spending 3 of the next 6 weeks down there kayak fishing in the sound and ocean. Does anyone have a recommendation for an affordable salt water spinning reel? I know my reel will get wet when launching in the surf.
Thanks for the ideas guys.
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[RavensDfense]

You get what you pay for with Saltwater reels. The salt will expose lesser quality reels. I just had a $70 Shimano Sahara bite the dusk after a season and a half. I spray it off diligently and serviced it each year, but the salt simply corroded a gear deep inside the reel. On the other hand, I've had the same Shimano Stradic (a $160 reel) for 3 years and with the same care it's as smooth as it was when it was new.

So what I guess I am trying to say is that if you plan on using it for a while, then spend the extra money on a better quality reel; otherwise it's basically a "rental" because the salt will get to it sooner rather than later. In addition to the Stradic, the Penn Fierce and Battle 2's are quality reels that are around the $100-$150 price point.

Good luck fishing down there!

[jmt1980]

Penn Battle II - I have like 5 of them now. They're about $99 at Bass Pro (~$70 range on Amazon depending on size). The reel is an all metal construction and all I do is hose mine down after every trip and they've functioned flawlessly for the last 3 seasons.

Edit: Now that I think about it - All the spinning reels I currently own are Penn Battle II's (various sizes)... I even use them on spinning reels I use for fresh water.

[DanMarino]

Thanks for the information guys. Yes, I understand that something more affordable will likely not last as long as something more expensive. I have no experience with salt water spinning reels, and I'm not even sure what is different with them compared to a fresh water reel.

[yakscientist]

I too have a shimano sahara that I've had for probably 7 or so years now and is definitely showing it's age, but it's been all over the country and in both salt and freshwater. There's a few reel maintenance guys in md and one in florida (ricks) that I will look into at the end of the season to clean and install carbon fiber drag washers in that reel and my shimano baitrunner (another good saltwater reel). That sahara crapping out is unusual to me, but ravensdfense probably catches a lot more, and a lot bigger fish than I do. I got a recommendation from Ricks reel repair to look into older penn spinfishers or any age shimano symetre, which is what I'm going to buy in the next few weeks. I will probably get a stradic one day, but they're twice the price of a symetre. Also I was looking into the new shimano nasci but I haven't seen enough reviews to sway me. People really like the battles and fierces, but rick said to stay away since he's had many come through his shop with many problems, he said they're poorly made. I know a few years ago, and maybe still today, it was basically a Chinese design that was just marketed by 3 or 4 diff American companies. Now that being said, many people love those reels, so I don't think you could go wrong with them, just letting you know of what's been swaying me towards the symetre.

[Mark]

Fishing primarily in the mid-Bay region my freshwater rods and reels have held up just fine for years now. I rinse them off with freshwater after every trip. I have used them near the mouth of the Bay where the salinity is much higher than here for short trips of 3 or 4 days. Again, I hose them off after a day's fishing. However, I imagine the salt would corrode them in Duck, NC or other coastal sites with prolonged use. I would purchase saltwater gear if I fished exclusively in that environment. But for a 3 week trip, I'd continue to use on my freshwater equipment, be diligent about cleaning it, and see how it does.

Have a good trip.

[Oldbayrunner]

I agree with what others have suggested however I am going to add one affordable reel mfg. that I have been using for the past two plus years that have worked exceptionally well for me, that being the Doug Harmon WaveSpins. Doug passed last year from surgery complications and his company is taking a different track but they still can be purchased. I have and have been using a DH3000z fresh water & DH4000 saltwater primarily. 1 month ago prior to the Chrisfield meet and greet I picked up a Vision 65. Its light weight and built exceptionally well.

[RavensDfense]

Mark is correct about the difference salinity in the water makes an impact. When I fish brackish waters, such as the Nanticoke river or even around Crisfield to some degree I see much less impact on my reels than when I fish the CBBT or Ocean City. You can get away with a cheaper reel is you only plan on fishing the intensely salty environments for a few weeks out of the year. A good servicing from a shop would be a good idea when you return.

[DanMarino]

I own a place down there now, so I'll be mostly fishing down there in the fall and spring. I'm trying to understand what is different with the salt water reels. I guess stainless steel materials? Maybe some sort of water tight seals? It is likely that the reel will get dunked when I'm launching in the surf, so I can see how some sort of water tight seals would be helpful. Yes, I'll be cleaning the reel and washing down to try and keep things working well.

[Yakinzak]

You've gotten a lot of excellent suggestions here! I myself would vouch for the Penn Spinfisher 4500-5500. I've had these submerged in the surf and they were dry as a bone inside when I got home to re-grease them. Yes you will have to pay about $130 for it but it will last years if not a decade.

[J.A. Veil]

I have been fishing long enough that I stopped buying inexpensive reels. I bought a reconditioned Stradic years ago and found it was smoother and more durable than other reels I owned at the time. Year by year, I replaced older reels with new Stradics, such that my entire fleet of reels are Stradics. I always keep my eyes open for good sales prices on Stradics, especially when Shimano introduces the newest model (designated by a letter). The previous year's version is still as good as it was before, but Shimano drops its price-control policy for the older reels.

I noticed that camelbird had several slightly used Stradics for sale in the Tackle Shop forum. You could save some bucks buying used.

[ronaultmtd]

Same here- picked up John's Stradics a year or so ago...no problems- good reels- I bought a Penn 3000 Clash this year after researching them...love the reel- caught a bunch of fish on it- smooth, durable, great drag, and 50 bucks or so cheaper than a Stradic...if I were in the market- Camelbird's Stradics would have been gone...you figure that kayak fishing in the Bay and tributaries is done in medium salt to brackish waters- so unless you plan to move to the Texas Gulf Coast or OBX, most of today's reels with minimum maintenance will give years of good service- I am intrigued by the NASCI $100 reel by Shimano- lots of buzz about them...but honestly, my Penn Clash is as good a reel as any I have ever used- and it is just about 30 bucks more than the NASCI...it is my favorite spinning reel that always goes on every fishing trip...I usually carry one Baitcaster and two spinning outfits- and every year I go light- most of my outfits are very light weight, easy to cast all day without fatigue- weight is a huge factor for me to choose a reel...and rods...rods are as important or more important than the reel- I choose mine carefully- I want a light-weight rod I can cast all day without getting worn out and arm fatigue, but a rod with enough backbone to change lures from 1/4 oz swimbaits to a 1 oz walk the dog top water lure that will work the action properly- and that usually is a high-end St. Croix rod...

[DanMarino]

So do Stradics come in a salt water version?

[J.A. Veil]

So do Stradics come in a salt water version?

No -- they use more corrosion resistant materials than the lower priced reels. As a result, they hold up better in saltwater.

I rinse off my reels with a quick spray from the garden hose after each trip. That is all I do. Some of my reels have been in service for more than 5 years and still are smooth.

[EMSer]

The Penn Clash was mentioned in an earlier post. This reel has gotten great reviews and felt very smooth when I handled it at Anglers Outdoor Center in Annapolis yesterday. I picked it up because they are all on sale there for approximately $60 off the MSRP. The 4000 was $139.99!!

Another reel to look at is the new Shimano NASCI that was just released. I played with it at AllTackle this morning and was floored by how smooth it was. It is only a matter of time before I add one to my arsenal. At $100 I was very impressed!