If you are like me, getting your boat out on the lake to start lake trout fishing or walleye fishing is all you want to think about. But we also must spend the time and effort to take care of our fishing equipment. Otherwise, it won’t perform well when we need it to, and it won’t last like we want it to. Our reels are the most important piece of equipment we have, and we must take care of them properly. Yet, not all of us do this correctly. Here are 7 mistakes to avoid when you clean your fishing reels.
1. Don’t forget to secure or remove your fishing line!
This is so easy to forget because it’s such a simple, non-technical thing. A loose line is almost certain to get fouled up and cause extra work for you.
You have two options here to secure your line.
A) If you want to continue using the line on the reel, tape down the tag end on the spool. This will prevent it sliding off. Then you can clean everything (but the spool itself) without having to worry about the line getting tangled.
B) Or better yet, you can remove the line altogether. Collect the line into a container to recycle later or discard it into the trash. Avoid just dropping it on the floor where it will be a trip hazard. This is a bit more work, but it will allow you to properly clean the spool. Reload the spool with new line after the spoon is cleaned.
2. Avoid using harsh solvents or petroleum products to clean reel parts.
These chemicals work great in cleaning up dirty grease and grime, but they also dissolve plastic. A lot of the parts in your reel are made from plastic. These solvents will soften or dissolve these parts and your reel will be ruined. Use a product specifically designed to be used to clean fishing rods and reels. This will be safe to use on all the parts that are in your reel.
3. Avoid using harsh solvents or petroleum products to clean reel parts.
These chemicals work great in cleaning up dirty grease and grime, but they also dissolve plastic. A lot of the parts in your reel are made from plastic. These solvents will soften or dissolve these parts and your reel will be ruined. Use a product specifically designed to be used to clean fishing rods and reels. This will be safe to use on all the parts that are in your reel.
formulated for heavier loads and not for fishing reels. Your best choice is to use a lubricant specifically formulated for fishing reels. It will protect the fine gears, bearings, and all the metal, plastic, fiber, and rubber parts.
4. Avoid over-greasing your gears
There are two reasons for this. The first one is to protect the other fishing gear you have. Not the stuff you are trying to protect against wearing, but the stuff you are wearing your clothes. Remember the merry-go-round on the school playground after it rained? A couple of times I was able to spin that puddle laden merry-go-round fast enough to eject water on my nearby friends. The same thing will happen to your clothes the first time you cast your line after over-greasing the gear teeth of your reel. A light coat of oil at the bottom of the gear teeth is enough because the oil will travel up the teeth. If you must, the top of your gear teeth can be lightly wiped with a Q-tip that has a drop of oil.
The second reason for not over-loading your reel gears with oil or grease is that it is unnecessary, and it won’t stay where you put it. It will go everywhere and into everything. The goal is to provide enough oil or grease to protect parts from corrosion by the elements (on and off-season). And protect against friction that causes wear and inhibits performance during use. Any more lubricant than that is counterproductive.
5. Avoid steel wool.
You parked your fishing gear in the garage as soon as you parked the car at the end of last season. Now it is super gunky and nasty. Opening Day is just around the corner and you want to get your reels cleaned up fast. You are looking at the steel wool you used to clean up your camping gear. It worked great for that task. Don’t do it! Steel wool, and anything like that, will scratch those finely machined parts and wear them out. Also, tiny bits of iron will break off and get into tiny spaces they don’t belong.
6. Avoid “upgrading” plastic parts for metal ones.
You are going lake trout and walleye fishing. You are not going to use inexpensive reels for that. The engineers who designed the parts that goes into your reels specified metal, fiber, or plastic material deliberately. Metal parts fit against plastic or fiber parts, not other metal parts. Swapping a metal part where a plastic part goes will not make your reel last longer.
7. Avoid throwing out all your documentation.
The space you keep your fishing gear in is precious real estate. It is important to keep it tidy. That way you can find all your stuff and be able to get more stuff. Throw out the boxes your reels came in, but save the documentation. You will need the parts diagram to help you disassemble your reel and put it back together properly. You will also need it to order replacement parts.
These are some common mistakes that you can avoid when cleaning your lake trout and walleye fishing reels. With proper maintenance, this equipment will last seasons and see you catch those trophy fish.
For more Fishing Tips specific to Lake Savant, click here.
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