I know this reel is built for freshwater but I have not seen any thing telling me that saltwater is off limits for this thing. Does anybody have any feedback or ideas about this situation? And if I did take a chance and use it in saltwater and clean it afterwards, would it be fine?

If the reel Doesn’t have magnesium components it should OK. Spray with WD-40 before using and rinse in warm fresh water and spray it again. Wipe it dry.

 

On 11/2/2021 at 12:16 PM, Lucas G. said:

And if I did take a chance and use it in saltwater and clean it afterwards, would it be fine?

 

Everything I fish down on the Gulf Coast is brackish & I do occasionally chase Specks-n-Reds. I use all my bass tackle with zero issues, rainse with warm water & dry throughly.

1 hour ago, WRB said:

If the reel Doesn’t have magnesium components it should OK. Spray with WD-40 before using and rinse in warm fresh water and spray it again. Wipe it dry.

 

I have never heard of this before.  Can you elaborate?  Do you just do this in saltwater?  How is your reel not slippery?  

WD-40 is a solvent that displaces water and evaporates, it’s not a lubricant.

Tom

 

On 11/2/2021 at 1:16 PM, Lucas G. said:

And if I did take a chance and use it in saltwater and clean it afterwards, would it be fine?

Maybe. maybe not. What I can say, because I've serviced mine several times, is that the Curado K sucks a lot of water into the gear housing for some reason. Rinsing the outside isn't going to help with saltwater intrusion on the K. I can't say whether the 150 is better or worse in this regard. Still, I wouldn't fish it in salt myself. Shimano has reels like the Tranx 200 that are built for inshore duty. The spool's bearings are ARBs( anti rust bearings) and it has bushings in key areas, plus a sealed drag and water shedding schemes. Since the Curado K and 150 do not list any of these features, well...

I believe I’ve read on shimano page that the k is salt friendly. Not positive though. 

On 11/5/2021 at 8:21 AM, Derek1 said:

I believe I’ve read on shimano page that the k is salt friendly. Not positive though. 

The Curado K is salt friendly. The Curado DC and Curado 70 MGL are also saltwater friendly. This is why I was quite curious on my Curado 150 MGL about salt use since all the other Curado can pull through in salt water scenarios. 
 

When I do go down to Florida to fish inshore it is completely salt and rarely brackish unless fishing a spring fed river system. Snook, reds, jacks, and trout are all on the list in the areas I fish and since my Curado 150 MGL has such high performance at its level, I wanted a reel that can deliver that super high performance in some salt environments. This includes all day lightweight comfort, long and precise casting inches from the mangrove roots, and a smooth and enjoyable reeling experience the whole day.

 

With this conclusion I will have my eyes dead set with a Curado K in the near future for my inshore needs and a workhorse reel for bass fishing.

If you want the reel to fish like new as long as possible do NOT rinse a reel with warm water to clean it after fishing SW.  Warm water breaks down crystalized salt and it can just get pushed deeper into the reel.  That's why manufacturers stress gently rinsing off your reel with cool fresh water.

Just by the nature of the basic design of BC gear water intrusion is guaranteed.  I don't like to use WD 40 or silicone sprays on my reels.  Not only can it be a greasy mess, but it can attract sand and debris which is can do more damage to your reel then salt.  I've heard that WD 40 actually has a detrimental effect on the oil that's already inside your reel.  Whether that 100% true or not I don't know, but I could see how that would be the case.    

 

It has the S A-RB bearings so it will be fine. For reference, the discontinued Casitas has S A-RB bearings and I've used mine inshore a lot down here in the Tampa Bay area. I even submerged it last year in pure saltwater after dropping it in the sand to clean it out and it still ran like a champ. Just mist it with freshwater for a minute or so and wipe it off with a damp rag. I never oiled it (which I probably should have now that I think about it) and will see if I can get it serviced by a local guy for the first time since I bought I a few years ago. It developed little bit of a squeak on the retrieve after beating up on some MS trout and reds in September. I'm not saying you should neglect your reels but just giving an example of what they can do. My new Shimano's will definitely be taken better care of though, lol.

I recommended WD-40 and fresh water rinse because it worked for me over 50 years of salt water fishing.

WD-40 has a wide variety of chemicals including refined mineral spirts and corrosion preventive chemicals. The fact that WD-40 displaces water helps to prevent water intrusion. Salt water is 5% dissolved salt, no not crystalline until the water evaporates forming salt crystals.

Corrosion occurs as a result of the electrolyte salt water provides between dissimilar metals. WD-40 helps to seal off the electrolyte affect.

You don’t want submerse your reels in salt water without a complete take down and cleaning.

Lightly spraying fresh water to rinse and spraying with WD-40 is a good preventative practice but can’t overcome dissimilar metal galvanic corrosion. Magnesium is a very sacrificial metal and shouldn’t be around salt water.

Tom

A lot of people don't have the option or means to rinse their gear immediately after they're done.  It really only takes but a few minutes for the salt to begin to crystalize, like during the ride home or back to the dock even.    

There's no question that WD 40 inhibits corrosion and lubricates because it clearly does and if it worked for you that's good.  I'm just not to keen on the solvents and penetrating oils in it.  Whether it can adverse effect on the oil/grease and hydrophobic coatings I don't know, but I don't see the need to take the chance.  As long as you rinse the reel correctly and let it dry, grease and a light coating of oil will do.