When you are out fishing, it is important to make every effort to not dunk a reel in the saltwater (see here). Dunking a reel is fairly rare in inshore fishing unless you are wading in deep water or you just have an accident. It is a little more common is surf fishing.
If you dunk a reel, it is not “dead” yet but it will need immediate action when you get home (or as soon as possible). Do not wait any longer than absolutely necessary, and this is definitely not a task to put off to a later date. Here are some steps you can follow if you dunk a reel:
- Take the reel off of the rod, and remove the handle and spool (if a spinning reel), or remove the side plate and spool (if a baitcasting reel).
- Submerge the reel in a bucket of freshwater and swish it around underwater for a few minutes.
- Leave the reel in the bucket for a few hours, swish it around some more, then take it out and shake as much water out of it as you can.
- Stick the “red straw” onto a can of WD-40 and spray a heavy stream of product into every orifice and bearing that you can see. The goal here is to send WD-40 (a thin, corrosion-preventing liquid) into the hidden areas of the reel.
- On a spinning reel, spray a strong stream directly into the main gear bearings (this is the area where the handle passes through the reel on the left/right side). This will allow the product to get inside the main cavern of the reel to soak the gears. Also spray product directly onto the stainless steel shaft (where it passes through the brass pinion gear), as well as the underside of the spool and the top of the spool where the drag washers sit.
- On a baitcasting reel, spray directly into the side plate containing the gears and drag, and make sure to saturate all inside areas of the frame.
Now you can breath for a minute, because your reel will likely live. The steps above may seem extreme, but I assure you that saltwater corrosion is extreme, and the steps above are intended to prevent corrosion from starting. We’re not done yet though, because the reel will now need a thorough cleaning from head to toe, because now we’ve created a sludgy mess inside the reel.
At this point, you can take the reel to a service center and request a full cleaning. Or, if you are cheap like me, you can disassemble the entire thing and clean it part by part. Doing the cleaning yourself may or may not be risky depending on your level of confidence/skill with reel mechanics, but ultimately I suggest that you learn this skill. Cleaning reels is a great skill to have, and it’s pretty fun once you get the hang of it. I am mostly self-taught, and have made many mistakes along the way. Luckily, there are many online resources available now that weren’t around when I started. A great resource is 2nd Chance Tackle on You Tube. This gentleman (Dennis Kuntz) really knows his stuff and gives great practical advice.
I hope this article will help you out if you ever dunk your reel, and I wish you good fishing!
Have a reel good day,
– The Simple Fisherman