Saltwater Reel

I've always had good luck with Okuma's until this last one. I used it once in the salt and it froze up on me. I have one that has lasted 8 years or more with same treatment. Did something change with them ? Any recommendations on what may hold up better ? I'm not that particular, I just want something that will last. Small spinning reel. I always clean them after the weekend but I camp on the beach and can't really wash them off until I get home. This last one was washed after 1 &1/2 days of fishing and was washed at the time we were there too. Please help.

For a spinner... US Reels spinning reels are awesome.. great price too. I do sell them from my site... but I really don't care where you get one... Tackle Hut in houston and Baad Marine Supply near BayouVista also have them on site. I started selling them after I fished with one... good reels.

ive only had 2 okumas and they both were trash!

for salt here a few name brands to look for:
penn, shimano, diawa & avet

freshwater reels will work but not for very long.
the salt & sand tear em up quickly.

I have fishing in saltwater with DAIWA WHISKER SS TOURNAMENT(spinning reel) for over 10 years without problem.

ive been using a abu garcia 6500 c3. very good reel for shore fishing. caught a 39 inch bull red with no problems. and holds over 300 yards 40lb braid. so u shouldnt get spooled

oh yes dont forget abu garcias :~)

I have 3 Okumas,2 40's and 1 50 in size. They work great. I gently rinse them and when dry spray them with some Reel Magic. No problems at all and they are very smooth. My personal best with them is a 39" bull red. All off them are on Ugly Sticks. Not smoother than my Revos however. Okumas are a great bargain. IMOHO

Has anyone heard of the Ming Yang fishing reel?
It is a very cheap reel but i like to cast long distances around 40 to 80 yards. Can anyone help me on a good reel that can cast long distances

I'm sorry to say, any reel called "Ming Yang" won't last worth a dang....LOL

Stick with the big names like Shimano and Daiwa. Casting distance depends alot on the angler, the line you've got spooled on your reel, and your rod. The newer Shimano spinning reels come with a tapered spool lip that actually helps reduce friction while the line is coming off the spool. I don't feel like it makes a huge difference since I can cast my Saltigas just as well.

For saltwater use, you'll want to pay attention to a couple of things when purchasing a reel.
-waterproof drag
-corrosion resistant materials
-sealed housing
-conventional/baitcasting reels are generally easier to maintenance and are generally okay for saltwater use. Also cheaper than spinners
-spinning reels are a pain in the rear to take apart and service if you do get salt/sand intrusion. Real saltwater spinning reels that are RELIABLE are costly, but usually backed by excellent customer service, since these will be most reel company's flagship reels

If you don't want to drop a heap of money on a reel, then based on my own personal experience these are great reels for the salt.

Spinners
- Penn Sargus: you can find them as cheap as $40 on ebay sometimes. They are excellent reels that can take a beating and keep on ticking. I've always been a fan of Penn's HT100 drags, and the Sargus has no antireverse switch (one less thing to worry about getting saltwater/sand into).
- Penn Battle: Same as above, but with a few more features and still less than $100
- Daiwa Advantage A: Can be found very cheap used on the forums and on ebay. I have 2 of them in the 3000 size and absolutely love them for Redfish and slightly larger inshore game.
- Shimano Stradic: Excellet value. Great reel with smooth drag, and fairly easy to service for a spinning reel. Can be had for about $100-$130

I do not care what you are targeting inshore, except for sharks. You do not need anything larger than a 5000 sized Shimano spinner or a 4000 sized Daiwa spinner, or a 40 Sized Quantum (the only Quantum spinners I'd recommend are the Boca and Cabo), or a 4000 sized Penn spinner. I read somewhere that someone was fishing off the jetties with a Daiwa Saltiga Dogfight....foolishness in my opinion. That reel is too much reel for even our Gulf of Mexico Yellowfin Tuna!
Be smart and do your research. Don't get something just because it's cheap. It's cheap for a reason. Get something you're going to be happy using for a long time. The way I see it, you can spend about $150 and get yourself a good reel that will last you years, or go out and buy a $30 reel at walmart every 2 months....your choice.

Baitcasters:
-Abu Garcia round baitcasters are excellent for the money and I've seen them last years without any maintenance at all. Cheap too since you can get these for less than $50 in most cases online
-Abu Garcia Orra: These are new, and based on it's specs and the information out there, these are great reels and right around $100-$130
-Shimano Curado: Legendary....
-Shimano Calcutta: Great and can be had cheap on fleabay
-Daiwa Zillion: These reels are built like tanks, but a bit costly. However, you can pick up used ones in good condition for $150 or less sometimes. Love the zillions.

The ming yangs are pretty good for fresh water use, like big blue catfish. I don't know how good they would do in salt water.

I've got Shimano reels and one of them completely locked up because it was submerged in the saltwater. I rinsed as best as I could, but a month later, it is frozen. In retrospect, I should have taken it completely apart and rinsed it out from the inside out, not just the normal rinse after a day of fishing.

The other ones that have not been submerged are perfect. Lesson learned.

Did you accidently dunk it?

In Baitcasters, don't forget the Shimano Calcutta...

THink maybe u might have had something else going on sure u didn`t drop it or something usually 99% of the time that`s all a reel needs is washing off with a garden hose.When I go to the coast my reels r dry I givem a quick dunk to wet line before I cast,my reels r ambassadore 5000s,penn 109s,shakespear surf reel,all over 15yrs old like a timex keeps on tikn....Bill

you submerge your non-saltwater reels in Saltwater, on purpose?

Why u don`t wet ur line before casting mono is a bitch when its bone dry if ur casting very far,but again never thought about reels being only for freshwater can`t afford $200+reels...Bill

What reel would be better Abu Garcia CS Rocket or Abu Garcia 6500LC. I looked at the casting distance on the rocket and it is off the charts and i see people say the 6500 is also very good reel.

This really helped me because im switching to bait caster reels.

So i was looking on eBay and i saw the SHIMANO CALCUTTA 700 BSV NIB
and i cant find the freaking line guide on it so like should i buy it?

#1.) I use braid. I don't use mono anymore other than extremely heavy (130# & over)
or light (4# and under) applications, so mono memory is a non issue

#2.) if you are having memory issues, refer to #1 (it never wears out), or
buy a product called REEL MAGIC. follow D's on back & you wont have to
potentially ruin your reels to get the same result.
another trick for spinners is to remove the spool, & soak it in warm, fresh
water for about 15 minutes before you head out.

#3.) although ABU round reels are tanks, they will benefit from the same level of care
as one would give their hi-$$ reels. I'd bet if you pulled the drag washers out
of any of the reels you mentioned "dunking", you'd be shocked.


....As far as a recommendation for a small, saltwater spinner under $100?
Well the old saying goes: "good, fast, cheap; pick 2"
my recommendation is the Shimano Stradic Ci-4 3000/4000,
or the Quantum Cabo 20/30/40.
all of these reels can be had NEW for $150-200, and properly fished and maintained
should last you a decade.
opinion- if you don't have the $$, save up! it's more incentive to take care of it
once you do get one.

tight lines & good luck on your choice!

Read my first post in this thread and it explains the difference between a freshwater and saltwater reel. You don't have to buy $200+ reels. I list several examples of very good reels for less than $100.

what is mono memory?

you know when you pull line off your spinning reel & it's
still all coiled up?
Mono memory from drying while coiled around your spool under tension. happens in flouro, too. can't cast worth chit when that happens. Reel Magic stops it.

Where is the Abu Garcia CS Rocket Pro made? I don't want to buy some china [censored].

Sweden

My four Shimano Stradic 4000's originally came from a saltwater guide in Florida. Still just as smooth as a sows ear today. The are like the eveready bunny. They keep going and going and going. My larger reels are all Daiwa and Fin-Nor. Tuff to beat them too.