Story by Capt. Chris Medlin
Photos by BJ Cothran

Most of us know that all fishing tackle (especially in salt water) must be cleaned after each use, but sadly some do not heed the call.  Salt and sand can be two of the most destructive things on earth and your equipment is subjected to one or both on every fishing trip.  You might ask if you need to wash your gear each and every time you use it and the answer is a resounding yes. 

Most machinery will not operate very long if it is full of sand.  Most metal will corrode or rust when exposed to salt, oxygen, and moisture.  (Yes, even stainless steel.)  No matter if you have a $29.99 combo or a $500 Van-Staal spinning reel, they all need to be washed thoroughly after each use.  I have seen reels so full of sand that the gears could not turn, not because of rust or corrosion but because the reel was literally packed full of sand.

Let’s think of the nature of sand.  It tends to collect on itself, does it not?  So, if you are surf fishing and allow your reel to come in contact with the surf water—which has lots of fine sand particles in it—the action of the reel spinning will draw water (and the sand particles) into the reel, thus collecting the sand inside the reel.  These finer sand particles will pack themselves together inside the reel, binding to the grease and allowing the majority of the water to escape. 

                                                                                             

 

 

 

 

 

Suggested cleaners (above)

"Corrosion" is defined as the "breaking down of the essential properties in a material due to reactions to it's surroundings."

It does not matter if the reel was $20 or $500.  (Van-Staal reels claim to be sealed, but I have seen them destroyed from the inside out as well.)  When the sand enters the reel it begins eating away at everything in the reel.  The first thing to usually go is the bearings.  Even sealed bearings allow the finer sand particles into the raceway which begin to eat away at the balls.  The sand will then begin to grind away at the gears.  Most gears are precision-made and even the smallest defect will cause slippage.  Next the sand will start to bind up springs in the reel and make them inoperable.  This is why your anti-reverse will go out on your reels.

The next destructive force on your equipment is corrosion.  Corrosion is defined as the “breaking down of essential properties in a material due to reactions with its surroundings.”  In our case, the reactive forces are moisture, salt, and oxygen.  The salt is not necessary for corrosion to take place but it speeds the process up considerably.  The salt water (two components in one) enters the reel and covers everything you take to the water.  The corrosion begins stripping your metal—and in some case ceramics like in your rod guides—of electrons thus causing the material to become brittle and flake.

Your fishing line and epoxy on your rods are susceptible to a different form of corrosion.  UV corrosion can destroy polymers (plastic) like monofilament.  The UV radiation contained in most types of light can degrade the binding agents of co-polymers in a matter of days.  This is why it is best to store your line in the dark when not in use.  UV radiation is also why you should replace your monofilament every year.  Storing your rods like this will keep the epoxy on the rod looking and performing like new.  The epoxy on rods helps keep the eyes in place and keep it looking shiny.  If exposed to too much UV radiation the epoxy will become brittle and turn yellow.

There are thing you can do to help keep these thing from happening.  If you are surf fishing the best thing you can do is buy a good quality surf spike (Rod Holder).  Make sure that the sand spike will not fall over easily and is easy to stick into the sand.  This will keep your reel out of the sand for the most part.  If your reel does happen to fall into the sand DO NOT WASH IT OFF IN THE SURF.  If you do you will only drive the sand and saltwater deeper into the reel.  Have a bottle of fresh water handy to rinse off your reel in case this happens.  If your reel must be exposed directly to the salt water (waves crashing over your reel) do not reel while it is under water because this will draw water into the reel.

After a hard day of fishing I know it is easy to say, “Ahh, I’ll do it tomorrow.”  Please for your pocketbook’s sake, do not do it.  Corrosion can affect your equipment in a matter of hours.  Mix up a bucket of water with some type of soap in it.  Dishwashing liquid will work but some of the marine soaps like Orpine contain a corrosion inhibitor to help counteract the affect of the salt.  Scrub your reel and rod well with a brush and rag.  When rinsing your equipment off make sure to use a light misting spray as opposed to a hard flushing.

After washing your equipment (rod and reel) with soap and water, it can be helpful to spray your equipment with a salt inhibitor like Salt-X which destroys salt.  This may take all of ten minutes.  If your reel has been submerged, it might be helpful to have it serviced by a professional like the friendly folks at East Coast Sports.  If you are mechanically inclined you might try it yourself.  The reel will need to be taken apart and cleaned with a degreaser to remove the old grease and any sand that might be in there.  You must then spray the reel with air to remove the degreaser and any sand that might be left behind.  Then you must reassemble the reel covering each part with a light coat of grease.  I prefer to use Super-lube because it is a Teflon based lubricant as opposed to a petroleum-based one.  Petroleum-based lubricants will cake up and dry out over time, but Teflon based lubricants will stay supple for a very long time.

With the slightest bit of preventative maintenance you can have fishing equipment that will last you a lifetime.  I still have some Mitchell reels that are older than me. 

So, until next time keep your lines tight, your cooler full, and your feet in the sand.

CAPT. CHRIS MEDLIN is a third generation tackle shop owner and a local charter captain.  For questions or his weekly fishing/weather report, drop him a line at www.eastcoastsports.com or ecsports@earthlink.net.