Tips and Advice

Preventing the Rust

Fish will let you know it by ignoring your rusted lures

Timothy Kusherets

One of the single best ways to preserve your tackle while in the saltwater environment is to spray each lure, weight, and line with WD-40 before heading home. Worry about cleaning them when you actually get home but to stop your valuable gear from rusting you should attend to them the moment you can. Oxidation can begin long before you ever get a chance to clean them and the fish will let you know it by ignoring your rusted lures.I've seen lures and hooks become usless by the end of the day, even when they were brand new, out of the package, first thing in the morning.

At the very least run everything under cold water when you get home. It will ensure that your lures and hooks are good for more than one trip; and when you get nickled-and-dimed enough rust will be something you'll want to prevent.

© Timothy Kusherets 2004/07