6 Points to Oil on a Daiwa Saltiga Spinning Reel

Your new Daiwa Saltiga is recognized as one of the best saltwater-grade spinning reels in the industry, and that is not just marketing hype.

The thing boasts a “Magsealed” body that is effectively closed off to moisture intrusion, helping to protect against saltwater-induced corrosion, as well as a “Radiation” drag system that reduces friction and helps dissipate heat.

The Daiwa Saltiga is also made with a one-piece, “Monocoque” body along with corrosion-resistant bearings and other hardware.

That said, you know what will happen if you fish in the salt all season with a Saltiga and never once clean or oil it?

You probably don’t need us to tell you. That being the case, here are 6 points to oil or grease your Saltiga to keep it turning smoothly, this season and next.

Where to Apply Oil?

After every trip on the water, when you bring in your Saltiga from the elements for routine maintenance, there are 6 places you should hit with a little bit of reel oil. These are as follows.

1. The line roller. The line roller doesn’t just turn for the fun of it. This often-overlooked component is critical to preventing line twist as it feeds out (or as you retrieve it and stack it back on the spool). If the roller doesn’t turn, you have only a few casts and retrieves before your whole spool blows up. A drop or two of oil on the line roller should keep it rolling, just like the engineers at Daiwa intended.
   
2. The reel handle. A sticky reel handle won’t cost you the functionality of a reel, like a stripped main gear will, but it’s still a massive annoyance. Plus, you don’t necessarily want to experience a sticky or seized reel handle unexpectedly while out on the water. Again, a drop or two of oil on the reel handle where it connects to the arm should keep it spinning smoothly.
   
3. The main bearings inside the crank arm. Unlike many other spinning reels, the Daiwa Saltiga’s bearings are “Magsealed” as stated; so you don’t have to oil them the same way you’d need to do with another spinner. Still, a drop of oil inside the bearing where the reel arm attaches to the body is not a bad idea as it can displace water and help prevent corrosion, even though you don’t necessarily want it in the bearings.
   
4. The bail arm’s hinges. The two points at which the bail arm contacts the reel’s body are also two places where you should drop a little oil. These components are largely corrosion-resistant, but a little oil can act as a water displacer, and where it does contact any internal hardware, will help prevent corrosion.
   
5. The main shaft. Remove the spool of your Daiwa Saltiga so you can see the main shaft; place a drop of oil (or some reel grease) at the base not only to protect against corrosion but to minimize friction where it contacts the reel’s other internal components.
   
6. The fasteners. Take a quick look over the body of your Daiwa Saltiga and take note of all the fasteners (screws) that secure the sideplate and the bail arm. Place a drop of oil on the head of each of these fasteners. This is not to serve as a lubricant, but to seal off the hardware to air and water, helping not only to prevent corrosion, but to prevent them from seizing. Alternatively, you can wait till you disassemble the reel for more thorough cleaning, then place a drop of oil on the threads of each fastener when you replace it. This will perform the same function.

This covers most of the external parts you should periodically oil on your reel as you administer routine cleaning and maintenance.

Note: Never oil the drag system when you have the spool removed. Allowing oil into the drag system will effectively ruin the drag washers and will prevent them from applying the desired pressure when fighting fish.

What About the Inside of the Reel?

The interior of your Daiwa Saltiga is, as stated, largely sealed off. It should however be opened up and cleaned and greased at least once per season.

The winter is a good time to do this, if you don’t fish in the winter. You can knock out your other in-depth tackle maintenance in the winter.

When you disassemble your reel so you can access the mean gear and bearings, clean each component carefully and then apply reel grease to each gear. This will not only help prevent moisture ingress, but it will help prevent corrosion and will keep the reel spinning smoothly.

How Often Do I Need to Clean and Oil My Daiwa Saltiga?

Even though the Daiwa Saltiga is built to an uncompromising standard of quality, it will still benefit from routine maintenance and cleaning. Every time you take it on the water, you should rinse it off with fresh water.

You don’t necessarily need to oil it as indicated in this post every time you fish with it, but that won’t hurt. If you can’t oil it every time, at least once per month you should oil the points noted in this article.

As for a deep clean in which you disassemble the reel so you can access the main gears, you shouldn’t need to do that more than once per season. Still, routine maintenance is necessary to extend the lifespan of your reel and keep it spinning smoothly.

Here for a New Saltwater-Grade Reel?

If you have any questions about how to disassemble and clean or oil and grease your reels, feel free to get in touch with us as we are more than happy to help.

Otherwise, for those of you that got here looking for information on Daiwa and other saltwater-grade reels, we carry some of the best respected brands in the industry, including Shimano and Accurate reels in addition to Daiwa and many others. Check out our collections and get in touch with us if you have any questions.