A unique website dedicated to fishing information from Florida's Northern Big Bend. This includes the area from the Econfina River west to the Apalachicola River
I have two Okuma Salina, a 55 and 35. At first I loved them but after 2 seasons of use I wish I would have chosen something else. On the back of the reel there is a cap held in by one screw. Once you take the cap off the gears are exposed. I assumed the manufacture built it this way so it would be easy to clean. The problem is it is also easy for salt water to get in there too. I had to order a few parts today from Okuma to fix these reels and this isn't the first time either. I asked them what the gears are made of and they said a non corrosive material. I disagree because if that was the case I wouldn't have to order new parts. I do not take the reels completely apart after every use but I do twice a year. After ever trip I wash them off with a desalting spray and then wipe them down. This seems to work well on my other reels but not the Okuma's I own. They need to put a rubber seal or something around this cap to help prevent this problem. One of my friends has a Okuma V that has the same issue.
As a disclaimer I do fish offshore with the 55 and the spray in rough seas does get this reel wet. The same thing happens when fishing out of my kayak with the 35. These reels are not used on ever trip but do get used at least once a week. They have a great drag system and the oversize handle is nice too.