I go into the water a lot while fishing and won't let my reel go underwater for fear of it hurting the reel, but I figured I could come here and ask =]

You should only go in the water if it's safe to do so and your reel should never go underwater and if it does you should tear it down and clean it.

Why go in the water when fishing? Expensive lure hung? Wading in the river?

Depends on the water but while wading, my reels often take a dunking. I've never stripped one down afterwards because I've never had a problem.

Depends on the water but while wading, my reels often take a dunking. I've never stripped one down afterwards because I've never had a problem.

I have had the same experience.  Most cases for me though when I will be wading in a river it is my fly rod and all my reels are completely sealed so no worries about water getting in places it shouldn't.

Depends on the water but while wading, my reels often take a dunking. I've never stripped one down afterwards because I've never had a problem.

 

Ditto. I wade fish a lot and every year I take at least one misstep and in I go. I've never worried about my reel though and haven't had any problems yet. But I make a conscious effort NOT to dunk them when I'm in the water.

thanks guys, lol.  I wade a lot because all I have is a john boat with out a motor.  Lake Chesdin where I mainly fish is big.  I'm working on getting a motor but in the mean time I walk out in areas I know are ok.  I go a little over stomach in depth.

Your a braver man then me, between water moccasins and the millions of snapping turtles around here, I won't go in it, and if I were to fall in, I'm lightening quick to jump out

Yeah, don't submerge the reel in water (sediments).

Your a braver man then me, between water moccasins and the millions of snapping turtles around here, I won't go in it, and if I were to fall in, I'm lightening quick to jump out

Lol snakes tend to stay away. The turtles I do worry about, but as long as you are careful you are fine

I don't go in freshwater, snakes and gators may stay away but I don't want to be around the one that doesn't.

I fish the beach at the ocean often, I stand back a few feet sometimes the waves get both me and my equipment wet, just a freshwater rinsing.  However in the event of dunking that reel gets professional cleaned, waves can push sand around.