Double Duty Gear

[shane cavitt]

I am planning on getting an 8wt to throw large poppers and such to LM here in Texas. I also want to be able to horse the LM out of heavy cover. I figure I should get a rod and reel that can pull double duty and can hold up in saltwater if I should decide to ever fish the salt, but I know nothing about saltwater gear. I have a Lamson Konic and Guru and love both of those reels, especially the Guru. Can those reels hold up in the salt? What do I need to look for as far as saltwater reels are concerned? Is the hardware the only difference between freshwater and saltwater rods?

[keith b]

I have an 8wt Helios and a Nautilus 8 with it.

[Chad Simcox]

For salt water, you want to make sure you’re using a reel that is machined aluminum from bar stock. Cast Aluminum reels are a bit porous and will get pitted and corrode from the salt.
After fishing, you’ll need to rinse and then soak your reel in fresh tap water for about 30min (I usually leave mine for a few hours or over night). It’s a good idea to give it another rinse afterwards too. Also, make sure you clean your rod as well as the salt can do a number on the epoxy coating if left untouched. Not to mention you’ll have an ugly white film of salt left on the rod.
For my salt water rod, I have an Albright XX 8wt. So far so good, I’ve just got to get used to casting the sink tip line.

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[ralph tomaccio]

Sage Xi2 with a Nautilus NV here.

Just make certain the rod and reel is BUILT for the salt. Corrosion does terrible things to freshwater equipment. The reel must have a sealed drag. Still, you must remember to rinse off all your gear and dry it down after every use if you expect it to give you many years of use.

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