# Rod and Reel Maintenance



## tlong2002 (Oct 20, 2010)

Ok guys, I'm not fortunate enough to be able to fish saltwater as much as I want to so I have a question. My wife and I usually hit the planks 20 - 50 days a year. Once we are back home I rinse my rods off and dry them with a microfiber cloth and try to pay attention to the rod eyes. I take all my spinning reels and put them in warm water in the kitchen sink and let them soak for about 15 minutes then get them out and dry them off then place them outside to let them completely dry.
I then take the spool off of them and spray them with WD40 trying to get as much inside the casing as possible without disassembling them. 

Now I have had some of these rods and reels for 5 yrs but even with all I do to try to take care of them, the reels are still corroding and scaling and the rods eyes are corroding as well .

Could someone tell me anything else I should do to try to protect them from the salt and abuse they go thru?

Thanks,

Todd


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## rabbitdog2 (Aug 20, 2011)

You need to wash the salt off of your rods and reels as soon as you get through fishing. Use a hose with a strong discharge. I was mine every day. Pay a lot of attention to the reels. I use bait casters and wash the handles, drag and line guides real good.


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## tlong2002 (Oct 20, 2010)

Thanks for the info Rabbit.


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## RoryGoggin (Jan 6, 2005)

Shower with your tackle every day you fish. Dry it with the same towels you use on yourself. Don't let WD-40 near it. There are other line & reel care sprays available. At the end of the season, break it down and and clean the rod well and treat with a good treatment like you use on your car's interior. Remove the line from the reel (you're going to re-spool it in the spring next year anyway if it is monofilament / fluorocarbon anyway, or you will be reversing it if it's braid) and disassemble the reel. Clean all old grease / oil from all the parts using grain alcohol or brake cleaner and then proceed to re-lube with your preferred lubes - oil for fast moving parts (bearings) and grease for slow moving parts (gears) and I suggest a good wipe-down with Corrosion-X then put on the reversed braid or wait until spring and spool with new monofilament /fluorocarbon. 

Oh, btw - do NOT clean reels with a "strong discharge" - you will drive the salt INTO the reels. Just use a "mist" setting or a light shower - and I like to use hot water to help dissolve the salt.


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## flathead (Dec 18, 2003)

> do NOT clean reels with a "strong discharge" - you will drive the salt INTO the reels


Second that.

Never have put WD40 on any of my fishing equipment and never plan on using it.

Best place I ever learned about cleaning rods and reels after a days saltwater fishing.......was at the charter boats dock. Mates usually have to clean the rods and reels after each trip and asking them pays dividends. Dishwashing soap and a steady stream, drags locked down,soft sponge type pad or glove.

If the pier I'm on utilizes fresh water at the cleaning tables I wash mine before leaving the pier. Surffishing I wash them soon as I get back to the condo or house, after every trip, sometimes several times a day.


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## Flytyingguy1 (Sep 8, 2009)

Unless you have a sealed reel like a Van Stall,Zee Bass or the new Penn Torque you don't want to soak your reels!
Water will get inside mix with the grease & eventually rust the inside of your reels.
Gently rinse your gear ASAP & dry off, this goes for you hooks on your plugs, tins Etc
Your zippers on you bags also.
Salt will destroy anything over time!


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## RuddeDogg (Mar 20, 2004)

Get yourself some reelmagic or Salt-x. As other have said, rinse with the hose after EVERY use as soon as you get home.


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## NC KingFisher (Nov 20, 2011)

Don't use wd-40, it breaks down grease and becomes a nasty varnish. Just wash me everyday. I have an outside shower at my beach house and I take me in there with warm gentle water


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## tlong2002 (Oct 20, 2010)

Thanks for all the info guys. I guess I was thinking the opposite. I only use these rigs for saltwater, however on my boat here at home (where it's dusty) I do use WD40 on all my reels because once the dust gets in the reels on the grease it's like concrete. I am a little shy of taking the reel apart to do proper maintence on them because my eyesight isn't what it used to be and I am leary of not knowing how the gears go back in especially those pesky, pinhead springs!!


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