[Jigman13]

You could use a swivel. I dont. I use a braid to leader knot connection.

As far as reel cleaning, I keep a bottle of fresh water in the car to rinse my reel thoroughly after a trip. I also wash more thoroughly when I return home. I'm extremely careful with my reels when fishing the beaches. I'd opt to find a reel that has a sealed drag, or somewhat sealed anyway. You get what you pay for with reels and something not sealed will get exposed and breakdown if not handled with care.

I'm a fan of the higher end daiwas, the saragosas and spheros by shimano too. The spheros is heavy as hell though.

I picked up the spinfisher vi and conflict within the last year, too. Not awful reels. The spinfisher is somewhat sealed. They're doable and affordable.

Not sure what you mean by doing anything special with the braid...

Again, it all comes down to budget. You can get a VS or VR, or Stella, and put it on a $400 custom stick, or you can find something that fits your budget. I mean, shit, even the cost of braid can vary from $15 to $40+ a spool. All things to consider...