Lures and Rust

Baskett-o-fish · 02-03-2003, 12:51 PM

I opened my tackle box (saltwater) this weekend to find many of the lure hooks a little rusty. What do you usually do with your lures after a day on the open water to prevent this? A little shot of WD-40?

edsr · 02-03-2003, 01:06 PM

Baskett - Once you have the rust it's too late. If you have the discipline to rinse off your lures in fresh water and let them air dry after each trip they will last much better. The problem with just spraying with WD40 is the salt remains and any humidity re-activates it. I'm lazy and do just what you do. Polish them up and go fishin. Plastic bags and sealed plastic boxes sprayed with WD40 before hand are the best bet.
edsr

Troller · 02-03-2003, 01:20 PM

I picked up this stuff called salt away. It is supposed to dissolve the salt. The say on the label that you can make up a spray bottle of the stuff to spray what ever. I made on up and am going to keep it on the boat. I wont know the results till the end of the new season but I am keeping my fingers crossed. I allways rememeber to clean the poles and reels. But I can never rember those darn lures till its to late.

Joe Schwab · 02-03-2003, 02:00 PM

Here's an easy way to deal with salt. Fill a small plastic bucket half full of fresh water and Lemon Joy. Use it to rinse your hands regularly, dip your lures and herring (believe it or not) before putting them out. and toss your used spinners or lures in the water till your get back. Brush them off if need be, dry and put away in dry place. It works for me! [img]graemlins/idea.gif[/img]

omnivore · 02-03-2003, 03:29 PM

Or if you're really lazy like me but don't want a tackle box full of rusted lures, shake off as much saltwater from the lure after each use and leave open the tackle box when you come home to air-dry the content. Also it depends on what kind of lures you use. I try to use stainless steel hooks and such for saltwater application, but if the hooks are bronze and worth saving for a multi-use, I rinse them out in freshwater after I get home and then air dry.

Another method I employ is to take only what I really need when I go saltwater fishing, instead of taking everything I got. This helps in preventing the lures in the tackle box from being exposed to ocean spray and becoming rusted even though they went not used.

AuntyM · 02-03-2003, 04:01 PM

Here is another idea, and ya'll can call me crazy if you like.

Last fall, I had a small cat scratching post that was never used.... it had a rope lined tube piece covered by carpet, and a flat base. I thought it would make a dandy stand for my spoons and spinners while in the boat. Easy to get to and the stuff stays in place well.

Because the tackle hangs and gets well ventilated it keeps hooks etc. from rusting.

RJ · 02-03-2003, 05:13 PM

ok your crazy :tongue: kiddin of course ,good Idea Aunty

Orca · 02-04-2003, 05:57 AM

I keep a small bucket in the boat for salty lures. All the used and salty lures, sinkers, flashers, divers, hooks, knives, etc. go in the bucket not back in the tackle box. If I go out for a second day, I pull from the bucket, and when I get home everthing in the bucket gets washed and dried.

[ 02-04-2003, 11:56 AM: Message edited by: Orca ]

WP · 02-04-2003, 07:11 AM

Good idea Orca...that and adding a little joy to the fresh water per above should solve all rust problems. For longer term storage, the ubiquitous vacuum sealer works wonder, after cleaning and drying the gear.
WP

DriftR · 02-04-2003, 10:03 AM

Have had that same problem for years. Only solution I found was wash everything up with lemon joy after the trip, dry off what you can with a good cloth, drip dry other items. When fully dry I shoot them with wd-40 or remington gun oil and then I put them away in old white cotton socks. As to the tackle box problem. I gave up on metal and regular plastic tackle boxes. For my offshore tackle box I use an Igloo marine 60 qt. cooler. That baby really holds the gear. I have stowed everything in the Igloo into water tight plastic see thru containers with snap latches. Spare reels go into old Crown Royal bags (have lots of those, wonder why). I keep the lid down and when that certain lure, hook, hootchie, diver or whatever is taken off it goes in a bucket, never back in the tackle box. That bucket gets a shot of lemon joy and water and its cleanup time.