Spinning Reels used while Kayaking

[Scorpio]

What spinning reels have you Kayakers found that can be dunked and still keep operating smoothly and reliably. I wade fish in a large river and have used Stradics, Symetres, Saharas, Cardinal 7's and 8's, Pflueger Presidents and Supremes, and some lower end reels of various brands. I don't want to turn this into a Shimano binding discussion (weary old topic) becasue I have experienced binding problems with all of the above (some to more extent than others). Do I have to spend big bucks on a spinning reel to get one that can be dunked now and then? Thanks for the help.

[l2yan]

Have you searched any surf forums at all? These guys constantly get their reels dunked. It does take some maintenance, but the fresh water won't be nearly as harsh on your reels compared to the surf. I could probably ramble on for a bit b/c I have searched this topic thoroughly a while back when I was looking for my first and only surfcasting spinning reel, but I have no experience with dunking reels. IMO Okuma higher end spinning reels are a great value, but again, no actual on-the-water experience with dunking...

[Scorpio]

Thanks for the good advice.

[JerryC]

i have a stradic i primarily use on my kayak.. dunked it many times and it still works great.. although i am only fishing in freshwater and not salt..

[Scorpio]

I had a Stradic--the white one---bound like crazy. I don't purposefully get the reels wet, but even a little half dunk would make it bind. Maybe they fixed the problem in the newer Stradic versions.

[JoseC]

I fish primarily in salt water and have successfully used stradic 3000's for 3 years without any issues.

I do take care of my stuff though and rinse after every use and service about once every year

[cst]

I've never had any problems with reels and freshwater. Daiwas can't stand up to the saltwater, however. My ci4 has stood up to the saltwater so far. I want to try the new Pflueger Patriarch though.

[uljersey]

Since all modern spinning reels are basically the same design and materials, I believe all of them would 'suffer' equally for the most part after a dunking. I'm seriously thinking about buying uncooked white rice in bulk and having a few one gallon freezer bags filled in which to stash a dunked reel into until I can open it up and survey it further.

It works on wet cell phones, it should pull quite a bit of moisture out of a reel....

[JerryC]

Since all modern spinning reels are basically the same design and materials, I believe all of them would 'suffer' equally for the most part after a dunking. I'm seriously thinking about buying uncooked white rice in bulk and having a few one gallon freezer bags filled in which to stash a dunked reel into until I can open it up and survey it further.

It works on wet cell phones, it should pull quite a bit of moisture out of a reel....

good idea...

but a slight dunk in water shouldnt hurt a reel at all.. now keep it in the water for a minute and then ull have some problems!

[urbnimports]

i haven't had issues with dunking and the reels binding but i don't suggest putting them in rice, it does work for cell phones but for reel's it could be deadly, would you cover your reel in sand? If the reel is binding up check to make sure all screws are tight so water doesn't get into the frame and worse case you can always open it up and give it a good lube. Fishing reels should be made of some kind of water resistant parts in case of that exact scenario.

[MidTNKayakAngler]

I use Stradic 2500's, and my wife uses the Stradic CI4's (2500,1000, and 1000ml) reels. We put over 1000 hrs on them last year, and almost 100hrs on them this year with 30hrs in salt this year, and have only had one 1000 series Saraha bind (had less than 20hrs on it). Sent the Sahara to Shimano, and received a new one within 2 weeks. I'm sticking with Shimano for now. Thought about trying out one of the Abu Garcia Revo spinning reels though.

Jeremy

[Versus]

Well if you are worried about a reel getting dunked (in sw) you might have to invest in something like a zeebaas or vanstaal, however there are other reels which will hold up better but will need cleaning like the older penn 710z. Its a couple bearings a main gear and worm shaft thats really it. You can pack it full of grease and avoid much getting on the gears if you choose.

The daiwa tournament ss series hold up pretty well also. Although not as good as the 710z they are still pretty durable.

Keep in mind these will obviously not be as smooth as say a stradic but they would hold up a lot better than the others mentioned assuming some abuse is put to them.

[ecu daniel 14]

I use okuma spinning reels. They are a very good value and extremely corrosion resistant...pretty sure if you dunk your reels you can just rinse them out and let them dry

[MondayMonkey]

I've spent 3 summers fishing in the salt and have used many different reels. I haven't lost one yet to corrosion. I do standard maintenance and stow my reels inside the kayak when doing surf launches. If you have waves crashing over you and your gear while you're trying to fish you shouldn't be out fishing in a yak.

My gear doesn't take any more of a beating than if I had headed out on a normal boat. Course I have a Trident 15 with a rod pod and have no problem storing 8ft 1 pc rods in my hull. Anything that doesn't say FW only should be just fine. Lately I've been using Certates picked up from BPS deals and they are holding up great.

[North Branch]

I had a Stradic--the white one---bound like crazy. I don't purposefully get the reels wet, but even a little half dunk would make it bind. Maybe they fixed the problem in the newer Stradic versions.

I had an old white Stradic. It bound up a couple times when wet. I now have a Stradic FI and a couple of CI4's... both have been soaked and have not bound up. I like the reels... especially the CI4. The lighter weight is nice when you have to carry it around all day when wading.