Depending where you live, the old fishing tackle you have lying around your garage or inherited from your Grandpa might be saltwater fishing gear. If you’re wondering if you can use a saltwater rod or reel in freshwater, the answer is yes. Freshwater won’t hurt your saltwater fishing rods and reels. Unfortunately, the opposite is not true. Saltwater can devastate freshwater rods and reels if you don’t quickly clean them thoroughly after use.
Let’s discuss what the difference is between fresh and saltwater fishing gear and why the fishing rod and reel that works fine in the ocean will also work well in a freshwater farm pond (but not vice versa).
Freshwater vs. Saltwater Fishing Differences
There are several differences when it comes to freshwater vs. saltwater fishing that you should be aware of when considering if you should mix and match gear. Some are obvious (like the fact that saltwater has, well, salt). Others aren’t nearly as obvious (such as that many saltwater fish have never seen a lure in their life, and aren’t as line shy).
When most people ask if they can use freshwater rods, reels, or lures in saltwater, they’re primarily concerned that the saltwater is going to corrode and damage the metal parts on their gear. While this is a real concern, it’s not the only one. Most freshwater fishing gear and lures is like child’s play to an average saltwater fish. Bear in mind that many “small” saltwater fish are bigger than keeper largemouth bass. Once you get to “normal” or “average” sized ocean fish, your freshwater fishing gear might not be able to handle the saltwater species.
Further, you’ll note that many saltwater fishing reels (and especially saltwater spinning reels) are gigantic compared to their freshwater cousins. This is because the greater depths and larger fish in the ocean necessitate the use of more line of heavier pound test.
All of this is going to factor into why fishing gear is specifically made for an ocean, or a lake, and why most people would recommend you not mix and match.
Can You Use a Saltwater Rod in Freshwater
There’s no reason you can’t use a saltwater rod in freshwater. It’s not as though you need to put away your ocean fishing rods when you start chasing striped bass up a river. Freshwater will have absolutely no ill effects on saltwater rods or reels. The only issue is that that saltwater rod will probably feel like a pool cue when matched up against smaller freshwater fish.
Let’s take a look at my old favorite rod manufacturer, St. Croix Rods. Here’s a difference between a Mojo Bass Spinning Rod, a Mojo Inshore Spinning Rod, and a Mojo Salt Spinning Rod:
| Model | Length | Power | Action | Pieces | Line Weight (LB.) | Rod Weight (OZ.) |
| Mojo Bass Spinning Rod | 7’1 | M | F | 1 | 6-12 | 4.1 |
| Mojo Inshore Spinning Rod | 7′ | M | F | 1 | 8-17 | 4.7 |
| Mojo Salt Spinning Rod | 7′ | M | F | 1 | 15-30 | 11.8 |
As you can see, while there isn’t that much difference between the freshwater fishing rod and inshore fishing rod, the ocean fishing rod is nearly THREE TIMES as heavy as the Mojo Bass. That’s incredible!
Can You Use a Freshwater Rod in Saltwater
If in a pinch, you could use a freshwater fishing rod in the ocean, but I’d rush home and rinse it thoroughly as soon as I was done fishing, making sure I got into every last little crevice in the reel seat, and paying special attention to the line guides. Any spec of salt that you miss has the potential of cutting that rod’s lifetime down to a fraction.
Saltwater fishing rods are engineered to handle spray from the surf and all the corrosive effects of the ocean. They’re often coated with special material to protect the rod from damage. Likewise, the line guides are made from types of material that can handle saltwater. There’s no guarantee that a freshwater rod would have these elements as there’s no incentive for manufacturers to add them at cost for no gain.
There’s also the risk of running into a bigger fish than your rod can handle. The ocean is a big place, and there’s no shortage of videos of people wrestling in giant fish right from a pier. Bringing a freshwater rod out into the ocean can be like bringing a knife to a gun fight.
Can You Use a Freshwater Reel in Saltwater?
The biggest issue with trying to use a freshwater fishing rod in saltwater is that you’ve probably got a freshwater reel attached to it.
As with the rods comparison earlier, saltwater spinning reels are going to weigh more than freshwater spinning reels on average. This time, I looked at two manufacturers. Specifically, Penn and Pflueger. I chose the Penn Pursuit III Spinning reel and compared it against the Pflueger President. I chose these two rods because they both come in size 3000, and are priced comparably. Here’s what I found:
Saltwater vs. Freshwater Spinning Reel Weight Comparison
| Model | Max Drag | Line Capacity (Mono) | Reel Weight |
| Pflueger President (PRESSP30X) | 10lb | 255/4 145/6 130/8 | 8.8 oz |
| Penn Pursuit III (PURIII3000) | 12lb | 200/8 165/10 120/12 | 11.8 oz |
While there’s nothing stopping you from bringing a saltwater reel over to your local farm pond, you’re going to be lugging around extra ounces and forced to use heavier line than is likely ideal.
Price Considerations
Another factor is that saltwater fishing reels tend to be more expensive. While this isn’t an absolute, a good saltwater fishing reel can run more than $100 while you can get plenty of outstanding freshwater reels for far less than that. Just check out my article on whether or not expensive fishing reels are worth it for plenty of examples of great reels that don’t have a huge price tag.
All the same, even though saltwater reels cost more, if you intend to routinely fish in the ocean, you need to pony up the extra cash. What good is it buying a reel that’s half as expensive if it breaks down and needs to be replaced in half the time? You might as well just get the proper gear in the first place.
Can You Use Freshwater Lures in Saltwater?
Another question you may have relates to saltwater vs. freshwater fishing gear, and specifically, if you can use freshwater lures in saltwater. To answer that question, let’s look at what happened to a box of my fishing lures after I forgot to dry freshwater off of them.
See all that rust? Yeah, freshwater fishing lures are terrible at resisting it. If you add in some salt spray, you can just forget it. Sure, fish might bite rusty hooks, but it’s never something to aim for!
Once again, the elements aren’t the only thing you need to consider. You’ll also be going after bigger fish. Consider for a moment what a good sized bass will do to a Rapala Shadow Rap’s hooks. Now, imagine that same lure in a bluefish’s mouth. I’d be surprised if you got half your lure back!
Saltwater fishing gear is made to stand up to the elements and larger fish. Using freshwater stuff in the surf is basically throwing it away. On the other hand, saltwater lures would work fine in freshwater. They just might catch bigger fish as they’ll tend to be up a size.
If you Could Only Buy One, Which Would It Be?
I suppose if you only had the funds for one combo, and liked fishing in freshwater and the ocean, you’d have to give saltwater gear the nod. For all the drawbacks of heavier weight and the need for greater line size, at least you know that the elements won’t destroy your fishing gear. While it’s not ideal, at least you can bring saltwater rods and reels into freshwater without needing to give them a cold shower afterward. I’d still try and buy a combo that is reasonably light enough where reeling in a northern pike didn’t feel like a minnow, but that’s just me.
I hope this article was helpful and saved you some headaches or broken gear. Have you found fishing gear that works well in both fresh and saltwater? Sound off in the comments below, or join my Facebook Group and tell me all about it!
Have a great day for fishing,
John Paxton
