Gear up to prevent saltwater damage
CORPUS CHRISTI — The saltwater fishing, hunting and boating action that attracts thousands of outdoor adventurers to the Texas Gulf Coast each year is a double-edged sword with both a good and bad side.
Saltwater exposure can be a friend, offering some of the best angling, boating and hunting opportunities found in the Lone Star State. Or it can be a foe that will destroy the gear of those who don’t take proper steps to ward off the corrosive spray’s damaging effects.
The foe factor was highlighted earlier this year when Hurricane Harvey pounded areas of the state, causing flooding and a saltwater storm surge that drenched and ruined an untold tally of outdoor gear items.
Properly controlling the potential damage to gear, both because of outdoor recreational adventures along the coast or from a natural disaster, requires a little patience and an informed effort.
“One of the worst things I see people do is to take everything to a car wash after a trip and spray it all down trying to wash off the saltwater and crud,” said Capt. Scott Hibbetts, one of the go-to guides on the coast who has been an avid saltwater angler and hunter for decades.
“That high-pressure spray can force salt and sand into the reels and other gear, really causing more problems than it solves.” Preventive measures
Hibbetts said preventive measures are keys to keeping saltwater fishing gear in good operating condition, such as using a small paint brush to coat the inner workings of a fishing reel — even new gear — with good quality grease before venturing on a saltwater trip. A drop of silicone-based oil on any bearings inside a reel is also highly recommended.
“After every trip, you should rinse the rod and reel with low-pressure fresh water and dry it all off with a clean, soft cloth,” he said. “I am on the water about 175 days a year, and I do this every time.”
If there is a noticeable salt buildup, anglers can use a soft sponge dipped in lukewarm fresh water and mild soap to remove the corrosive matter.
Advancing the reel’s drag, particularly on openfaced spinning gear, will help prevent water from seeping into the inner workings. It is advisable to hold a spinning reel upside down (drag toward the ground) during the rinsing process, giving water less of an opportunity to penetrate into the reel.
After drying and wiping down the inside and outside of the reel with a lubricant/cleaner, the drag can be returned to its normal setting.
“Typically, an open-faced spinning reel will last me about a year before I have to replace it and my bait-casting reels will only last a couple of years,” Hibbetts said. “Rods and reels should last the average angler a little longer, but only if they take care of their gear.” Cleaning and coating
In most cases, complete disassembly and major maintenance of the interior workings of a quality fishing reel is best handled by a trip to the local tackle shop for a professional cleaning on a regular basis.
It is also recommended that the rod and reel be sprayed down with some type of protective coating — products such as Super Slick Slick Stuff, Reel Magic and CorrosionX are made just for this purpose — before the fishing trip as a preventative measure.
“Boat maintenance is fairly simple in that both the boat and trailer need to be thoroughly rinsed with fresh water, as well as flushing the motor, after every trip,” Hibbetts said. “Areas that seem to get overlooked quite often are the wheels, hub and the electrical connections throughout the boat.”
Wheels and hubs should be greased on a regular basis and all electrical connections should be tightened, checked for any corrosion and then sprayed with a lubricant designed for use with electrical items.
Concerning recommendations for hunting gear, Hibbetts said that after extensive experience with cast-and-blast trips — hunting waterfowl and spending fishing time during the same day — he has developed a standard routine for maintaining firearms and ammunition.
“I have an old pump shotgun that has the bluing worn off from longtime use,” he said. “I can set it in a corner after a hunt and almost watch it turn orange from rust.”
Any firearm exposed to saltwater spray should be disassembled and cleaned as soon as possible after a hunt, particularly semiautomatics and pump action shotguns.
Trigger assemblies, bolts and all internal mechanisms must be wiped down or sprayed with a quality lubricant/ cleaner after every trip or exposure to saltwater and muck will quickly transform them into inoperable pieces of junk.
“If you drop a firearm or fishing rod and reel into the saltwater during the trip, it is a good idea to rinse them off with bottled fresh water as fast as you can — that will buy you a little time before you get them back home for a proper cleaning,” Hibbetts said.
As for shotgun ammunition, which can be rendered ineffective from rust if exposed to saltwater for any extended period, his advice is simple:
“I always try to put my hunters in spots where they use up all their ammo,” he said.