What Makes Salt Water Reels Different?
Fishermen without experience in salt water often wonder why they should pay more for saltwater reels than the cost of a comparable general use reel. On the surface, this question makes sense because to all appearances the reels aren’t very different (or even identical). This cursory examination does not address the special engineering that goes into the manufacture of salt water reels.
When an angler decides to venture into salt water in search of good fishing, some specialized tackle is required. First and foremost among this specialized tackle are saltwater reels. While a general use reel could have just as much landing power as the saltwater reels, the general use reel has internal vulnerabilities.
Often the inner gearing of saltwater reels must be made of special corrosion resistant alloys. These special alloys tend to be far more expensive to manufacture than comparable parts made of non-corrosion resistant materials. This difference means a general use reel might serve adequately for a certain amount of time, but it’s performance will suffer as those non-corrosion resistant parts begin to deteriorate. The effect of such deterioration is not usually a noticeable, catastrophic failure in the early stages. Generally, the general use reel will feel less smooth during casting and retrieval. When the corrosion advances to the point of catastrophic failure, the angler finds the reel unable to perform at all - usually during an important outing.
Salt water reels, on the other hand, are designed to resist the corrosive effect of water with high saline content and continue to function optimally for years. Fishing tackle is an investment. Tackle is also something best matched to its intended use. For general fresh water fishing, any reel will serve the purpose for years if properly maintained. For salt water fishing, only salt water reels are designed to offer that same reliability.
Fishing tackle is one of the areas where a sportsman can truly save money in the long run by spending a little more up front for something that will outlast slightly less expensive models.
Filed Under salt water fishing, saltwater fishing reels |
Tagged With angler, fishermen, fishing tackle, reels, salt water fishing, salt water reels, saltwater fishing, saltwater reels
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