As an angler, maintaining your fishing rod is essential; part of this is your fishing reel, whether a new or old one. Maintaining your spinning reel is as necessary as retaining any other item or equipment if you want it to last. Cleaning your reel after every trip is essential if you fish in saltwater, like Louisiana saltwater fishing charters, but just after every different trip if you like going on freshwater charters. Cleaning your fishing reel after every 5-10 outings is a good rule of thumb. That will be the case if you're going on freshwater fishing trips. You should clean your gear after each use if you're an angler who does saltwater fishing, as fishing in saltwater corrodes any fishing gear.
As an angler, by now, you are probably aware that careless maintenance of your fishing reel might cost you a lot of money. So, we'll share the best way to clean fishing reels.
A clean reel can only be achieved with the necessary equipment, so prepare them first.
The first thing you'll need is a set of screwdrivers. A standard and a Phillips head will be handy when you take charge of this project. If your reel is anything like mine, you'll also need some tiny screwdrivers. A little scrub brush or an old toothbrush can also come in handy.
Apart from that, you'll need a toothpick for getting into even tinier crevices, a pair of tweezers for picking out any stuck bits, a wrench, some cotton swabs, a container to store all the pieces, a clean, dry cloth, reel oil, and a high-quality cleaning solution, such as boat cleaner. What's the point of a boat wash? Because they can withstand grime, grease, filth, and even fish blood, among other things. All the gear you need to go fishing is on a reel.
Do not attempt to clean your fishing reel with solid solvent. Never utilize flammable liquids like gas or lighter fluid. If you think it's absurd, remember that others have given it a go before you. Solvents may ruin plastic components, and protective coatings can be stripped away.
Soaking your reel body in clean water is the first step in getting it clean. Many anglers advocate for its use. The theory is that it will encourage thorough washing. No, that's not something we support in this situation. Soaking a fishing reel in warm water increases the likelihood that water will enter the gear system. A high-quality fishing reel can only withstand so much water and abuse before it breaks. Sooner or later, this will destroy it.
First, you have to disassemble the parts of the spinning reel. Either unspool the line or tape it down so it can't move around while you work. Doing so will save it from becoming entangled down the road. Taking apart a spin cast reel is necessary. Feed it out a short distance to secure the line and tighten it. Take the spool and the spinner head from the reel. Small wrenches are ideal for this task.
Once the spool from the spinner head is out of the way, you may take off the pivoting hub. Then remove the crank's bearing, the clutch ring, the crank's ring, and the crank's bearing. With your tweezers, please attend to these specific areas. Pick them up one by one as you need them, then arrange them neatly on paper towels or Post-it notes with the help of labels. There are likely to be many tiny, sensitive components within. It would be best if you remembered their intended destination. Now that you've pulled everything apart, you may use your toothbrush to clean it. Saturate a cleaning pad with your chosen cleaner and scrub the reel's inner workings. When you're done cleaning the big pieces, you may use the same brush to clean the little ones carefully.
After you're done, grab a clean towel or cloth and wipe off the counters. Make sure they are spotless on all sides by holding them up with the tweezers and inspecting them carefully. Before putting everything back together, make sure you oil the moving components. To avoid corrosion, be sure to use reel oil or reel grease. First, you should lubricate the crank and the spool shaft. The pick-up arms, washers, central shaft, bushings, and so on are all fair game. The drag knob on the handle, the ball bearings, the kick lever, the clutch ring, and the spool release must be oiled. Watch to see if everything is developing as planned. Get everything back together by following the numbers on the instructions. Reassemble it using the same method you used to disassemble it.
Oiling your spinning reel regularly is crucial for its continued operation after cleaning it during your fishing excursions, whether they involve "night fishing" Florida, fishing trips in the Gulf of Mexico, or charter fishing trips in Louisiana. Although learning how to lubricate your fishing reels will be challenging, it's simple once you know what you're doing.
Don't use soap bars or other haphazard degreasers to clean your reels; the residues they leave behind might cause irreparable damage to your equipment. These are some of the many available kits and the items they contain:
As an angler, you deserve to cast your fishing line smoothly without any worries. If you’re planning fishing trips, ensure that your equipment is ready and your fishing reel is all clean. Aside from that, it would gladly help if you booked fishing guides for your trip. If you’re planning on fishing in Louisiana, Tapped-Out Charters and Ron Ron Fishing Charters in Lafitte, and Nock Em Dead Bowfishing Charters in Grand Isle will surely help you have a memorable fishing trip. But, if you decide to go to Florida, Fish Maniac Bass Charters in Fellsmere and Rising Son Expeditions in Santa Rosa Beach are available. Book these fishing charter guides for a better catching experience.