How to Clean your Reel After Saltwater Fishing ?

I know, the last thing you want to do after a long day of saltwater fishing is to open the tackle box and clean your reel.

I totally understand that…

As fun and entertaining as it can be, fishing off the beach can be so tiring and exhausting that at the end of the day, you can no longer open the tackle box and see that dirty gear again.

But unfortunately, cleaning the reel after saltwater fishing is something you can not afford to miss.

Salt residues and sand particles can completely destroy your fishing equipment. Yes, the damage may not be visible on the short-range, but you will gradually start to notice that the spool is not as smooth as it used to be, until the day it becomes totally defective.

I used to underestimate the importance of cleaning my gear after fishing (or maybe I was just lazy :D), and believe me, it cost me a lot of money, headache, and regrets.

Maintaining your reel and equipment after saltwater fishing is therefore a good habit to acquire if you want to significantly improve the durability and lifespan of your reel.

So how to clean your reel after beach fishing ? And how frequently should you do it ?

In a few words, you must clean your reel after every trip of saltwater fishing. To do so, first wash the reel with soap and water to remove dirt, salt, and lubricants, then use a water spray to rinse the reel. After drying the reel, use an oil and protective coating to keep it in prime condition and prevent corrosion.

In this article, we will explain in more detail each step of this cleaning process, along with some very important tips to remember when cleaning your saltwater reel. So stay with me 😉

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Is it necessary to clean your reel after saltwater fishing ?

Salt can cause corrosion of metal components. How that happens ? Well, corrosion occurs when there is an exchange of electrons between iron, oxygen, and water (or moisture), and since saltwater is an electrolytic solution, which means that it contains more dissolved ions and therefore allows electrons to move more easily, rust forms faster on metallic objects in a saline environment.

What does all this mean for our saltwater reels ?

it means 2 simple things :

1. Salt does not cause rust, but simply accelerates the rusting process.
2. Drying the reel from saltwater does not protect it from corrosion because it does not remove salt residues completely, and as said above, metal can corrode when exposed to humidity and moisture too.

Bottom line is : it’s mandatory to clean your reel after a saltwater trip.

The goal is to remove all salt residues left on the metal components of the reel so that they don’t form rust flakes when they find the right conditions for it.

What happens when you don’t clean your saltwater reel ?

Ok, enough with this boring science class 😀 Tell me how corrosion affects my saltwater reel ?

Corrosion can have a terrible impact on your reel and its overall performance.

In a few words, a rusty reel is :

• Not smooth when you retrieve the line
• Not helpful to gain control over fish during fights because the handle will not function as it should
• Sabotaging when trying to cast far as corrosion blocks the smooth spinning of the spool
• Risky because rust affects the drag system and may as a result induce line-cut offs and tackle/catches loss.

Now obviously this damage happens gradually and you will not feel the above effects in the early stages of corrosion.

However, when you will start to notice that the reel is not as smooth as it used to be, chances that it’s already in a progressive stage of damage which, unfortunately, cannot be reversed.

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Corrosion is not the only concern after saltwater fishing.

Dirt, blood, guts, and sand particles can all get inside the reel and cause damage. This risk exists regardless of the type of fishing you do, but fishing off sandy beaches increases the odds due to the additional exposure to sand.

All this makes cleaning the reels after saltwater fishing a critical task and something to do frequently.

How frequently should you clean your saltwater reel ?

The short and worries-avoiding answer is : After every day of saltwater fishing.

In other words, if you want to avoid worrying too much about corrosion destroying your reel, keep on cleaning it after every trip and it will remain in optimal conditions for so long. Problem solved 🙂

Now if you want a more scientific answer, I would say that it all depends on :

• The quality of your reel and whether it is made of anti-corrosion materials or not.
• Are the interior parts of the reel made of stainless steel ?
• Your fishing practices and where you put the reel.
• How many times you go fishing ?
• Where you fish and how thin the sand particles are ?
• Whether the reel was completely or partly submerged in saltwater or not ?
• …

So if you want a precise answer to how often you need to clean your reel, consider all the points above and then decide. Chances are, you don’t need to wash the reel every time you get home.

That being said, and based on my own experience, when I start doing so many considerations and calculations, I find it much easier to skip the cleaning process and leave it for the “next time”.

The problem is that this “next time” never comes and I keep procrastinating until the corrosion defects my reel.

So unless you are a very disciplined person, I suggest developing the habit of cleaning your reel after every saltwater trip.

This is the only way to keep your reel away from salt-induced corrosion and therefore more durable and more efficient.

How to clean your reel after saltwater fishing ?

Alright, let’s move now to how to clean the reel.

As already said, the cleaning process is very easy and should not take more than 10 minutes. You just need to follow 7 simple steps :

Step 1 : Tighten the drag

The first thing to do before you start cleaning is to tighten the drag to prevent water, sand, and salt from getting into the interior parts of the reel.

So before the first drop of water, make sure to turn the drag knob clockwise until you feel that the drag discs are well compressed with each other.

Step 2 : Freshwater and soap

Soak a clean towel into a bucket filled with freshwater and soap, and then wipe down the reel with the wet towel. Soap will make salt, oils, and dirt buildups on the reel much easier to remove once we rinse with water.

If it’s a spinning reel, It’s also recommended to remove the spool in order to clean the interior spindle area. This is a hidden zone that water may not reach when we wash the reel. So make sure to take care of the underside of the spool because salt and sand can get into there too.

Also, don’t hesitate to use any tool or brush that permits to get into hard-to-reach spots. I use cotton buds and old toothbrushes to clean the tight areas of my reels.

Step 3 : Rinse the reel

Now it’s time to rinse the reel and remove the soap.

The most important thing to remember here is to never put the reel directly under a hose. Also, never apply so much pressure when rinsing the reel. You don’t want to force salt and sand particles into the inner components.

So keep it soft and gentle here. If you want an extra layer of safety, only use a spray bottle…nothing more.

Make sure to remove soap from all sides and cover the entire reel. Also, don’t forget to water the spool if you have taken it off.

Step 4 : Dry the reel

Now take another clean and dry towel and wipe the reel with it. Next, leave the reel to air dry for one or two hours.

Step 5 : Use a lubrification oil

Lubrification is an important step when cleaning your reel after saltwater fishing.

As a rule of thumb, you should only use the oil that came with the reel or oils recommended by the manufacturer.

If you don’t have such information, talk to a professional for oil recommendations.

After you dry the reel, lubricate all its moving parts that you can access from the outside. This includes the handle, the line-roller bearing, the bail arm, and the anti-reverse switch.

Remember to remove any oil excess after you finish lubricating.

Step 6 : Use a protective coating

Spray some protective coating onto a clean cloth and wipe down all the metal parts of the reel. This includes the reel seat, the gear housing, the anti-reverse, the bail arm, the roller…etc.

The protective coating shields against moisture and prevents the other corrosive factors from reaching your reel. It’s, therefore, very important to use it between your fishing sessions.

Personally, I use the WD-40 solution. It’s pocket friendly, dries quickly and its effect lasts so long.

Another important thing to remember here is to avoid touching the line with the coating as it can cause deterioration to some types of lines.

Step 7 : Loosen the drag

To finish, loosen the drag of the reel to free its washers from pressure until the next fishing trip. This is a good practice to keep the drag system in a good state and improve its life span.

Short tips when cleaning your reel after saltwater fishing

• If any, make sure to read the manufacturer’s maintenance instructions before cleaning the reel.
• Never submerge your reel in water. This can leave some water inside the reel and cause corrosion later.
• If you are beach fishing, pay extra attention to not let the reel ever hit the sand.
• After fishing, it’s recommended to cut the section of line that had the most contact with saltwater.
• Try to take freshwater with you when you go fishing. It is good practice to flush the reel from time to time when you are in the field.
• When spraying water, keep the reel upright. In other words, never rinse the reel from the underside so the water has little chance of getting into the interior components.
• You will need to totally disassemble your reel after every year or two of saltwater use. The goal is to investigate every component and remove any salt or dirt that can not be removed by the simple cleaning method. Now unless you are very familiar with this, I recommend to never do that by yourself and always ask the help of a reputable professional. The process involves disassembling every component and cleaning it thoroughly. It also involves identifying defective components and replacing them with new ones.
• You will also need to disassemble the reel if it gets totally submerged in water or sand in order to clean and dry every component. So be careful where you put the reel to avoid that.

Last word

Reels are one of the most expensive fishing equipment. As a result, they are the ones that deserve the largest share of our attention before, while, and after fishing.

This worth is more important and critical when fishing saltwater.

Salt accelerates the rusting process of metal components and can consequently reduce the performance and life span of your reels.

Dirt, fish blood and guts, and sand particles can also get into the inner parts of the reels and eventually cause damage.

Without enough care, saltwater reels gradually lose their smoothness and efficiency until they become completely flawed and not good for use.

That’s why you should clean your reel every time you get home from a saltwater trip.

The operation does not take more than 10 minutes, but it has a huge impact on the long run and will keep your reel in brand-new condition for so long.

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