I am going to be going to Port Bolivar in April and I do not currently have a saltwater setup. I think my stuff would be fine but I would rather get a new setup that is more saltwater resistant. Can anyone give me some suggestions on a good reel under $100 that is saltwater resistant? For the rod, I would like to try fishing the surf and I may venture off in my kayak on that bay area or maybe near the jetties. I would prefer a good rod that I could also use for bass after the fact so 7' would be good unless that won't cut it for the gulf. Any help is much appreciated.

Good reels are good reels, fresh or salt. That said, EVERY reel should be rinsed and lubed after every salt trip. $30 reel or $200 reel, they'll both cancer up without proper care.

I don't fish bait, so can't tell you what to use, but for lures, I like a much softer action than bass rods, you'll actually use your drag, when you do hook something sizeable, let them run, you've got a whole ocean to play them in.

My typical setups:
Plastic swim tains: 7 1/2' texas tackle factory redfish, ML 20# braid, 3000 Okuma spinning reel. 1/8 oz oldham screwlock heads. Usually with Hogie super minnow.
Sand eel 7' M falcon, same reel/line/jig head. Little bit stiffer rod for putting the right action on the eel.
Topwater/Spoons: 7' M all star coastal, 4600 ambassador or quantum pt. 15# ande backcountry mono.

Your preference might vary, this is what works for me.

was shopping for a R&R for my grandson around Christmas and academy had some Lew's combos that looked pretty good for around a $100.

Also, did you want recommendations on casting reel set ups or spinning reel set ups? It's harder to find a good saltwater resistant spinner than casting reel.

you want to look for reels that are all stainless or brass components. No pewter and no magnesium. Alumium is ok and Carbon or plastic side plates are also ok. I agree with pat to some extent, it's mostly about taking care of your stuff after use, but some reel designs bring more water into the reel via the line than others. I had a poorly designed reel that was supposedely even marketed as an inshore reel... I won't say the name of it because that was nearly 15 years ago. Each brand has a couple good salt resistant reels in it. Shimano Kaenan is a decent little starter reel in the casting category, it's spec'd like the old shimano curado 200 that held up for so long. I personally like the higher end lews reels but those are much more money. No matter what brand, if you dunk it, you need to completely take it down or 3 months later you'll find the 'cancer' Pat spoke of... maybe not even that long.

Rods - you can catch a lot of trout and reds on a med action rod 6'9 to 7'0 in both the spinning and casting area. Find one in your price range.. Lews has an American Hero Rod as well as a combo and a portion of the sales goes to Heros on the water to help vets get on the water. I also will recommend the Berkley lightning rod if budget is super tight, as it was the lowest cost graphite rod that will get the job done. It's not great, but will do the job for lower $. It's also a great rod for if a friend is fishing with you or a starter rod for your kids etc etc.

find a rod with the Specification - Med Action 1/4 - 5/8oz, 6-14lb or 8-15lbs test range.. that range is less important it's the Med action 1/4 to 5/8th that is most important. 6'9 to 7'6 is fine.

I like a shorter 6'6" medium weight rod for topwater, a 7'6" medium-light for trout and a 7'3" medium-heavy rod for redfish. A good all around rod would be anything 7' to 7'6" medium weight. Maybe something like: https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/h2...re-hd-baitcast-rod#repChildCatid=3919354


You could pair it with: https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/h2o-xpress-tac-40-baitcast-reel#repChildCatid=3918504

Total: $145 for rod and reel

And no, I am not pimping Academy. They are just a good place to go when you are watching your spending.

I like the idea of getting a dedicated saltwater set up instead of bringing your freshwater gear into the saltwater environment and permanently messing it up. My buddy that fishes both fresh and saltwater never brings any of his freshwater set ups anywhere near saltwater.

Those H20 reels Academy sells seem smooth and the price is right. I haven�t owned one. I�ve heard good things about them. Saltwater and gritty sand find their way into reels in mysterious ways and everyone I know eventually has issues with a reel that�s been in the saltwater even if they are careful and do the right things on maintenance. I always tried real hard not to dunk a reel or lay it on the sand.

Don�t put any used saltwater lures or hooks anywhere close to your freshwater tackle boxes. I�d certainly invest in a dedicated saltwater tackle box. It could be a simple as a couple of those clear Plano boxes. Used lures, hooks and other terminal tackle could carry the saltwater cancer and mess up a whole box of freshwater lures if you aren�t keeping things separate.

Get something to remove hooks from the fish�s mouth. These saltwater fish aren�t LMB and they will damage your fingers much more than bass thumb.

Remember, separate worlds, nothing that�s been in the saltwater gets mixed in with your freshwater tackle unless you like piles of rust.

Always solid.

You know, the best inexpensive fish handler I've found is Bass Pro has some $10 mini 'boga' type catches, they are cheap and light. Nets are good as well. But Karstopo is correct, get some long nose stainless or aluminum pliers or a stout heavy duty forceps and have them on you to remove hooks from fish. Many forceps are under engineered for this purpose but there are a few good ones on the market.

Spinning reel: Penn Spinfisher V 3500, water proof reel, solid aluminum frame, good drag, little heavy. Been using mine for 3 years straight, very little maintenance, because of the all metal frame and insides it is a little heavier.

Baitcaster: Shimano Curado K, excellent reel. Wipe it down with a damp cloth, remove spool clean and drop of oil on the bearings, takes less then 3 mins to clean.

Saint croix mojo inshore rods are my go to choice.

I fish both fresh and salt. I have dedicated gear for each.

you can use whatever setup you catch large bass and catfish with in saltwater. use heavier mono like 20# or powerpro 30#.

my casting setups (mainly just saltwater use) are mostly 6'6" Berkley Lightning Rods with Abu Garcia 5500c3/6500c3 for casting.

for spinning i have 7' Ugly Stik Catfish rods w/ an Abu and a Mitchell reel, and also Berkley Lightning rods with Pfleuger Presidents. These i use for both fresh and saltwater.

we've caught multiple bullreds and small 2-3' sharks with these rods off the piers and beach. main thing is to use heavier line, 20-30#.

like others have said, rinse off the rods and reels afterwards. let them dry off and re oil and re lube.