AS SEEN IN THE WINTER 2004-05 ISSUE

Special How To:
Do it yourself rod & reel maintenance for today’s spinning gear.

In years gone by, not much thought was given to tackle care when the day’s fishing trip was over. Yes, you may have hit your rods with quick sprits of water from a garden hose, but then usually just put the outfits in the garage or stored them in a closet corner somewhere until the next time you needed them.

If the need arose or you all of a sudden had an urge to perform seasonal maintenance on the equipment, the procedure was pretty simple. It was mostly a matter of removing sand and dirt, tightening loose parts, and lubricating all the moving parts. Most reels came with a tiny grease port on the side of the frame that you could pack with grease, making the job a snap! Though elementary, the nice thing about the whole process was that it didn’t mess up the reel’s ability to function.

Today’s sophisticated equipment is a little more intricate. Spinning reels now have multiple gears, innovative long-cast spools, twist resistant line rollers, sophisticated drag systems, bait-runner features, trigger release mechanisms, inner-rotor bails, and so on and so on. With these modern day sophistications comes an increase in parts. Typically, a new spinning reel has a host of small bearings, springs, shafts and many other small parts. On first examination by someone not so mechanically inclined, the actual function of many of these parts is not immediately apparent. In fact, some of these systems are so complicated even experts have trouble reassembling the reels.  

 
Having said all this, maintaining your own tackle can be fun and provide you with something to do on an otherwise boring rainy day. Performing basic maintenance on your own reels can also save you money. A word of caution though, if you're not mechanically inclined and have access to the proper tools you may wind up doing more harm to the reel than good.

Looking back, I must say yesteryear’s spinning reels were pretty unwieldy. Unwieldy, but sturdy and reliable. Most were built on strong frames with gears made of stainless steel and brass, metals that could easily stand up to years of harsh wear and tear. Even ‘til this day reels come into my repair shop that originally belonged to Grandpa. Not surprisingly, some are still in good condition and with a basic ‘tune-up’, are reliably be put back into service.

Most of today’s spinning gear could not hold up to the abuse and neglect that some of the old reels were subjected to.  Today’s fishing reels are far more advanced in design and are engineered to provide smoothness, balance, and strength. All this technology is wrapped up in a light-weight piece of equipment that you could fish all day with without wearing yourself out.

A number of modern day features on today’s spinning reels are really good ideas, such as longer, shallower spools that assist in making longer casts. A number of leading manufacturers even supply an extra spool when you purchase a new spinning reel. With the old style reels, you had to carry an extra spool of line in the event you had to top the reel off after a bad tangle or a long fray.

Along with innovations in spool design, instant anti-reverse is a feature that just makes sense. Different manufacturers call it different names, like ‘Super Stopper’ or ‘Infinite Anti-Reverse,’ but it all boils down to the same thing. The benefit being that on a hook set, there is no slop, resulting in an instant hookup!  The instant anti-reverse is a small unit that consists of elongated bearings set inside of it. It slips over the main shaft and pinion and is held in place by screws. A sleeve fits down between the roller bearings and the pinion and once the anti-reverse is activated, the reel cannot back up.

All spinning reel manufacturers brag that their reels have multiple ball bearings, sometimes up to 14 in a single reel. In some cases I believe that many bearings can lead to multiple problems. Most reels can be smooth and balanced with as little as three ball bearings and are less expensive to purchase and care for. 

Everyday proper care of your rods & reels is a must to protect your costly investment that is if you plan to use them for more than one season. After a day on the water, wash the salt off of your rods & reels with a light spray from a garden hose. Try not to blast the reels with a hard stream of water. It could drive granules of salt and sand further into the reel. Afterwards, use a towel or rag to dry them off.  If you know you’re going to be using the tackle again in the next day or so, don’t lube them. If the equipment is going to sit for a few weeks, use a quality lubricant like CRC, Boesheild or CorrosionX and lightly lube the handles and all external moving parts. This will insure the reel operates properly the next time out.
Be careful not to get lubricants on the line. The chemicals may have a detrimental effect on nylon monofilament and even small traces of lubricant could deter your intended quarry. When not in use, always back off on your drag setting to release pressure on the drag washers. A fused or seized drag is the last thing you want when you need it the most.  

For those who venture to perform seasonal maintenance on their own reels, I would recommend first reviewing the parts schematic that comes in the box with the reel. The parts schematic can save you from a huge headache when reassembling the reel or when ordering parts. Take a close look at the schematic before tackling the job. You may just decide the choir should be done by a professional. I can’t tell you how many people bring us a Ziplock bag full of reel parts after they realized they couldn’t put the reel back together. Reel maintenance and repair is not rocket science, but with lack of experience and proper tools, it can be a little difficult, especially with the new complex reels on the market today. 

If you’re still intending on moving forward, items needed for any maintenance job include a small tray, small screwdrivers and wrenches, and some spray lubricant used for cleaning out the reel. Internally, super lube grease, small brushes and a roll of paper towels will be required to get the job done right. Remember, not all lubricants are the same. One of the most important factors when performing reel maintenance is using the proper lubricants for their intended purposes. A safe bet is a supply of gear lube, drag grease, light oil and a spray on lubricant. Along with the above, a small tray is recommended for keeping all your reel parts in order.

To get started on basic seasonal maintenance, take the handle and the spool off the reel. Different reels are disassembled in different ways.  On some, you must take the rotor off to fully access the side plate.  The rotor is the part on the front of the reel that the bail wire is attached to. Pull the spool ratchet and small washers off of the shaft. Use your wrench to unscrew the nut which permit removal of the rotor. After the rotor is off, you should be able to see the anti-reverse mechanism, whether it be the dog & ratchet type or the instant anti-reverse unit that we talked about before. If it’s the ‘dog’ type, you can lube it, but if it’s an instant anti-reverse unit, DO NOT LUBE!  Some manufacturers even print a warning on the unit about NOT lubing them. Lubricating an instant anti-reverse unit will allow the sleeve to slip inside the one way bearings, restricting the anti-reverse from functioning properly. You can clean the anti-reverse mechanism with nothing more than a damp paper towel and it should work just fine.

To get to the guts of the reel, take the side plate off by removing the three or four screws. Some spinning reels have a small plate on the bottom of the reel secured by two small screws. Removing the screws will provide full access. After the plate is off, remove the screws that hold the shaft in the reel. Pull the shaft out of the front of the reel, while remembering to keep parts in order as you go. Take the drive gear and oscillator gear out of the reel and use the spray lubricant to clean the old grease off.  Some reels have a worm gear instead of an oscillator gear. Both allow the spool to move in and out, which is what lays line on the spool evenly. 
If there are bearings in the reel, they will usually be on the top and bottom of this drive gear.  Remove them and if they are in good shape, a drop of light oil should keep them moving smoothly. Another bearing can be found on the pinion gear under the anti-reverse unit, and can be removed and cleaned while working on the anti-reverse mechanism.

Once the old grease has been removed, use your brush to apply some super lube or light grease to the gear teeth. Don’t overdo it.  A little grease goes a long way. Once you’ve greased the reel, reassemble in the exact opposite way you took it apart. After you get the rotor back on the reel, unscrew the bail where it connects to the bail arm and lube the line roller. Apply some light oil to make sure the roller is moving freely.

Drags are very important to your success in catching fish. There are two main types of drag systems found in modern day spinning reels, dry drags and lubricated systems. Make sure you know which type you have before you begin servicing your reel. Dry drags systems are usually a concoction of metal and fiber discs. Keep them in sequence and you should be ok. Lubricating a dry drag system will render it useless. For lubricated type systems, I recommend using drag grease to keep the fiber washers from drying out.

We all know that saltwater has a corrosive and damaging effect on reels. No matter whether it’s a spinning, bait caster or fly reel, a little seasonal maintenance will keep your handles, all moving parts, and drag systems operating smoothly. On reels that have a level wind, a squirt of oil on the worm gear (underneath the level wind) will help keep the level wind from failing.

Unlike complicated reel maintenance, good rod care can be as simple as a visual inspection of the rod. A quick clean up with a mild detergent will help ward off salt buildup and rust. Rods have no moving or working parts, other than the reel seat. Problems really only start when reels are left on rods for long periods of time, especially after continuous saltwater use.  Ideally, rods, like reels should be washed and dried after each trip. For seasonal cleaning, remove the reel from the rod. Scrub the reel seat and areas around the guides with a small brush.  To keep the reel seat working smoothly, scrub the threads and lightly lubricate before putting the reel back on the rod.

Cork and foam handles can be cleaned and brightened up easily.  To restore a cork handle to its original luster, lightly sand with extra-fine grade sandpaper. Coarse sandpaper roughens the finish and abrades the cork. Foam handles can usually be restored to new by using medium course sandpaper. To be safe, experiment on a small section to see which grade of sandpaper does the best job.

With a little bit of time and effort we can all ensure our spinning outfits operate at their peak performance. Basic cleaning and servicing is one thing, but major repair work that requires tearing reels apart and putting them back together is a horse of an entirely different color. If you question if you have the proper tools or could do the job properly, then you shouldn’t. For only a few bucks your local bait & tackle shop will professionally tune-up and/or repair all brands of equipment. Playing it safe will have a two fold effect. First, you know the reels will work. Secondly, repair work supplements bait shop owners incomes. Don’t take that away from them. Especially not after the horrible fall season we all experienced.    





Bio:
Capt. Thom Smith has been a U.S. Coast Guard Licensed captain and fishing guide since 1986, living near Bradenton on Florida’s west coast. Capt. Thom concentrates on guiding in lower Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay, and down to Charlotte Harbor.  In 1992, Capt. Thom opened Angler’s Repair in Bradenton. Angler’s Repair is the only shop in the area that specializes in rod & reel repair. All rod work is done in a dust free environment and all reel repairs from the simplest to the most complicated are done on site. 

Capt. Thom is also the host of “On The Water With Capt. Thom”, a weekly radio show airing Saturday mornings from 8:30-10:00 on WWPR, 1490AM.  The show covers a variety of subjects and usually includes a guest speaker. Capt. Thom also writes a bi-weekly article for the East County Observer, a local Manatee County newspaper. Capt Thom Smith can be reached by calling 941-795-6711 or 941-776-1187

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