garb72,

Like DG said, reels are going to get wet and george9219 is right on when he says to dry it out before you store it away.

The early reels and some of the ones that are still sold today were Click & Pawl reels, that was the description of the drag system. Mainly it means that you palm the reel if a big fish takes off on you.

The newer reels have some form of a disc or cone drag system. Some of those are not waterproof or water resistant and will get wet if dunked. For some it doesn?t matter and for others the drag system is somewhat compromised for a while until it dries out.

Many of the newer reels have closed drag systems that can withstand a dunking in the water and not be compromised.

Saltwater and the salt and sand granules are a killer on any type of reel as are the sand granules you can collect in fresh water, say along a sand bar or a lakes edge. Reels as well as the lines must be cleaned after each use if you expose them to salt or sand. That will really prolong the life of your reel and line. By the way, even on those reels, I still palm the reel when I hook a salmon, no sense in stressing the drag system too much.

If you are worried about the water compromising your drag system just buy a reel that has a closed drag and is made for saltwater usage. Not all reels are saltwater capable so if you are going to fish the salt make sure it is made for that as well.

Larry ---sagefisher---