How to Clean Your Baitcasting Reel
- Image by clocker via Flickr
It can be a laborious task to clean a fishing reel and ensure that you maintain it after each trip. However, most fishing reel faults can be put down to the fact that it was not cleaned properly and now has corroded parts or instead under-performs. This is an anglers most frustrating problem. Even more so if it is one of their favourite baitcasting reels that has been affected.
Preparing your fishing trip however should incorporate a full cleanse of your tackle and equipment, and the most important is probably your fishing reel. A good reel should last you for a long time due to the quality construction, however, like any mechanical device it also needs to be looked after.
There are however, a few things you can do in order to keep your reel in tip-top shape.
After you have removed the reel from the rod, you will need to take the handle off – these usually have a reverse locking system so you just need to unwind it. Next, with a damp cloth, wipe over the visible areas of the reel. When you do so, be sure that you use clean water and especially not salt water as this will corrode inside.
Next, you will need to remove the side plate. Depending on your reel, some will un-clip, unwind or perhaps even unscrew. If in doubt, check the manual. To clean the inside of the reel, remove any dirt with a swab and be sure to get out any other debris. Apply some bearing grease, or WD40 to the bearings and gears while you are inside as well to keep them fresh as this is one of the main causes of reel failure. When you have done this part, put the side plate back on.
Before reattaching the handle, give it a good wash too. Its likely to be covered in dirt, bait and a whole lot more!. Just rinsing in water should suffice, but again make sure it is clean water you are using.
As demonstrated in this article, it really doesn’t take much to keep your reel clean after you have used it and it is going to last so much longer. If you ever have a reel stop working while you are trying to retrieve a fish, perhaps its time to look into the maintenance of your reel. Fishing reels, especially some baitcasting reels, are not cheap, so look after them.
Tagged with: bait casting reel • baitcasting reel • Fishing
Filed under: Fishing tackle
Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!
I bought my baitcaster two years ago and really enjoy it. I find it different than a spin casting reel when you catch a fish in the sense that there is not as much give in the reel, to me is a good thing. I may have to write a blog about my baitcaster
Ha, I did not really enjoy my baitcaster, I guess I didn’t take enough time to learn to cast it properly and was always giving myself huge bird nests and just went back to using my fly rod or my spin caster.
I think my last baitcaster was used about 3 times before I just started leaving it home. Just recently I gave it to Casey. He can use it to catch some of those big ole muskies.
Perhaps someday I might get another one but not likely, I seem to have a lot of fun with my spinning reels.