Question:

Would you recommend this reel for strictly salt water fishing?
Thanks!

Answer:

Thanks for checking in with us about the Sage Spectrum C reel. We have carried it at the shop for several years and it has a good track record.

In terms of strictly saltwater use, there are a couple of things to keep in mind:

  1. It is a cast aluminum reel (that is what the C in Spectrum C is for). Cast reels have a powder coating to keep them safe from saltwater. A cast reel cannot be anodized like a machined reel can. So its only protection is from the coating. Over time that coating can chip off and make the reel more susceptible to damage.
  2. The drag on the Spectrum C is very smooth but I wouldn’t describe it as a massive disc drag. If you plan to use it to fish salmon and repeatedly catch quite a few fish, you might be better served by a reel with more drag surface.

So while the Spectrum C can be used in saltwater, it inherently isn’t designed for this purpose. In order to get a reel that is saltwater safe, you would be looking at a fully machined reel. These reels start at around $300. The Sage Spectrum and Lamson Guru are two of the best at this price level.

I hope that helps!