Spring Cleaning Is In The Air : 5 Rules For Cleaning Your Reels Before You Hit The Water.

5 Rules You Should Follow When Cleaning Your Fishing Reel

Let's get reel. Are you up to speed on what you need to do to maintain your fishing reel? It is the most important part of your fishing pole and directly impacts your fishing experience. Anyone who enjoys fishing knows how much of a drag it can be to deal with reel performance problems. Especially if you don't have any experience in properly taking care of your equipment.

However, with a little maintenance and attention to detail, your reel will be moving as swiftly as that fish you're trying to catch. Here are the 5 rules to keeping your fishing reel in tip-top shape:

Rule # 1

Regular cleaning after each use of saltwater reels is key for years of proper performance.

Determine whether you are primarily a saltwater or freshwater angler. This sounds simple enough, but it actually makes a big difference when it comes to cleaning your reel. Saltwater fishing requires that your reel be maintained after every trip. This is because the salt from the water can become corrosive if not cleaned off.

Freshwater reels still needs love but not as often. 

Freshwater fishing allows for more infrequent maintenance, with no salt to worry about. A reel used only in freshwater should follow a routine maintenance schedule of the angler's choice (weekly, monthly or bi-annually). 

Rule # 2

Find a special place to keep your gear safe.

Properly storing your fishing gear. All of the work you do to clean and maintain your reel can be compromised if you don't have a proper place to store your pole. Keep your gear away from the outdoor elements and the family dog, or anything that could potentially ruin it.

One simple solution could be to hang it on the wall in the garage, anywhere that you know it will be protected and preserved.

Rule # 3

An once of pervention is better than a pound of cure. 

Always be thorough and neat when disassembling and cleaning your reel and gear. This is very important because you don't want to lose or forget where a part needs to go when reassembling. This will also speed up the time it takes to disassemble and clean the reel.

Organize the tools you will need, and prepare an uncluttered workspace. Carefully separate and keep track of your parts as you disassemble them. When it's time to reassemble the reel it should be a seamless process.

Rule # 4

Soaking and cleaning parts. The gears and other parts can be soaked in a solution to provide thorough cleaning. This is a good practice but takes a little more time than using a spray solution.

Always soak bearings in a separate solution to avoid contaminating the other parts with the dirt and grime inside the bearings. You can use a toothbrush to clean the parts thoroughly once they have soaked. Next, rinse the parts in clean water.

When drying the parts you can either use a dry rag or a q-tip for smaller hard to reach places. 

Rule # 5

One drop goes a long way. After cleaning each part, apply one drop of oil to each moving part. It is essential to keep your reel well lubricated and moving freely, this not only improves the function and swiftness of your reel but will prolong it's life and protect it from rust.

There you have it! 5 rules you should follow when cleaning your fishing reel. With maintaining a fishing pole, a little does really go a long way. It doesn't take that much time and the time you put into it will definitely be worth it, as you will get many more fishing trips out of a well maintained pole rather than a neglected one.

Put these tips into practice and come up with your own routine that fits your needs. If you don't have time to thoroughly disassemble and clean your reel, you can always spray it down with a garden hose on a gentle setting. Keep these tips in mind as you go along your fishing journey.

You will definitely get the most out of your adventures and keep your reel spinning for years to come.

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BIO: Adam Brown from Cast For Fish

I'm Adam from Cast For Fish and when I'm not writing about fishing, you can surely find me with a rod in my hand. Fishing is a wonderful hobby and I love to share my passion with other anglers. On my website castforfish.com I share everything from gear reviews to helpful angling tips so my readers would have awesome time enjoying this hobby! Hope you don't mind me dropping by time to time here on theBBZ.com to pass on a little fishing info. -Adam