A lot of folks that are relatively new to fishing wonder why saltwater equipment and freshwater equipment are marketed separately. What could be the difference, right? They’re just fishing rods and reels. Sounds like they’re more or less the same.
But that’s where you’d be wrong. Saltwater equipment tends to be much more expensive than its freshwater alternative. They might look a lot alike, but they have plenty of differences under the surface, in the construction and materials and overall strength of the rod and reel. They must be different, not just because saltwater is different from freshwater, but also because saltwater fish are very different from freshwater fish.
Ocean fish are larger and much more combative than freshwater fish. When you hook a freshwater fish, it will flop around and tug at your line, but a little wrestling will land it. But when you hook a saltwater fish, it will fight you with everything it has – which is quite a lot more than the freshwater fish had. For this reason, the saltwater tackle has to be much tougher, so that it can resist these bigger fish. It also must resist the corrosion caused by the salt in the water itself, which is usually accomplished with an anti-corrosive coating and alloys that resist salt inside the reel, too.
Naturally, you need to pick your rod and reel for the type of fishing trip you’re going to take. If you reel breaks, it can be dangerous to your health and to your wallet, so if you’re going saltwater fishing, you must buy the appropriate gear. You simply can’t take chances like that. If, instead, you’re planning on taking a nice trip to a river or lake and doing some freshwater fishing, then freshwater equipment will work just fine – and save you a lot of money over buying unnecessary saltwater gear.
So plan ahead and know what you’re getting into, because saltwater equipment and freshwater equipment are definitely different.
