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Maintenance and CareI believe its better to buy a new reel because you want one rather than have to buy one due to poor performance from lack of maintenance. Besides, there's nothing worst than having a reel slip its gears, bind up or have a drag lock down when you have a nice fish on the line. It's a sinking feeling that many of us have felt so I'm going to point out a couple things that will increase the useful life of your fishing reels. Any mechanical device needs attention of one sort or another. When it comes to fishing reels the proper and least expensive form of upkeep is:
When it comes to fishing, fresh water is more forgiving than salt water. Fishing from a boat is more forgiving than wade fishing or maybe kayak fishing. Surf fishing is probably the least forgiving due to the amount of sand and salt spray that's blown by the wind. None the less they all cause need for attention. Service wise the only thing that changes from one type of fishing to the other is frequency. The easiest thing an angler can do to prolong the life of their equipment is rinse with a fine spray of fresh water after use, allow their reel to dry then put a small dab of oil on all moving parts. I prefer silicone oil because its very smooth and will not collect dirt. Avoid using any water pressure while rinsing, especially around the handles. Excess pressure can force water inside your reel through the bearing cups. I recommend you avoid rinsing under the spool of open face reels. Water may enter through the pinion gear or under the rotor and down through the clutch/anti-reverse assembly, which sits directly on top of the main bearing. Water in that area will ruin both. Salt water anglers need to be a little more prudent with upkeep. Reason being is the higher concentration of minerals in salt water. When water dries, fresh or salt, it leaves behind mineral deposits which are abrasive and in some cases when these deposits come in contact with certain metals, can be corrosive. The mineral solids, when mixed with grease, slowly wear away the internal parts of your reel. The minerals in salt water will constantly absorb moisture causing additional problems. If ignored, these salts will destroy a reel by the heavy amount of abrasives grinding away at gears, bearings and bushings etc. If deposited in the right place, the combination of minerals and moisture will badly corrode some parts and even eat holes through aluminum gears and reel bodies. When mineral deposits dry and harden in gear teeth, it not only wears out the gear but also puts uneven pressure on bearings which cause premature failure. Fresh water fishing, if you fish only a few times per year, have your reel serviced at least once every year, two on the outside. If you fish regularly, have your reel serviced once per year minimum. For salt water fishing, if you fish only a few times per year, have your reel serviced a minimum of once per year. If you fish on a regular basis your reel should be serviced two to four times per year. You can determine how often by having it serviced at a two to four month interval then ask the servicer how often he recommends by what it looks like internally. This way you could add or reduce service intervals accordingly while getting the maximum life out of your equipment. For seasonal fishing it would be wise to have your reel serviced at the end of the fishing season rather than at the beginning of the next season. If moisture were to get inside your reel, then you put it aside for four or five months, some reel parts may become damaged from corrosion. If your going to have it serviced anyway, the proper time is at the end of the fishing season. If your reel gets dunked it would be best to have it serviced as soon as possible, especially in salt water. If its dunked in the surf, stop fishing and call it a day! Sand will be in everything and if ignored, the parts needed to bring the reel back to normal working condition may cost more than it's worth. Most of us have oldies but goodies lying around that we don't want to get rid of. It is wise to have it cleaned Using the right products is paramount for maintaining
longevity. WD-40, 3-in-1 oil, furniture polish and most other household
cleaners, degreasers, polishes and lubricants have a specific purpose. They're not made
for reel upkeep and should be avoided. (to be continued)
Bay Area Reel Service 11201 Linden Lane Port Richey, FL. 34668 813-728-5865 |
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