Fishing

How to Service a Fishing Reel – Step by Step Guide

Written by Chris Alan

Maintaining a spinning reel is of utmost importance and helps provide the product’s longevity. The product is used to clean and keep well and can be reliable to work for years.

On the other hand, if you are one of the anglers who does not care about their tool’s maintenance. They only know to take the benefit out of that tool by getting excellent functioning in the form of capturing fish, which would make the tool malfunction and usually makes it worse for the fishing experience. The malfunctioning of the reel makes it possible to lose the fish.

The angler could avoid this situation by taking great care of your spinning reel by keeping it lubricated and cleaned regularly. The regular, thorough cleaning would help make the tool corrosion-free. There would be no water left on the components, so the possibility of rusting decreases causing the reel to offer the best functioning.

This guide is for people to enjoy their well-cleaned spinning reel by taking excellent guidance from the guidelines mentioned here. Following these steps would enable the customers to have full-fledged knowledge and enjoy the fishing to their fullest. 

List of Ordinary Tools that You Have When Service a Spinning Reel

It is crucial to take good care of your reel by applying suitable and high-quality tools. It will help you maintain the spinning reel and allows the reel to function properly after getting serviced with the appropriate tools. Using the right lubricants, including grease and oil, would increase the reel’s durability; on the other hand, the wrong one will reduce the reel’s life and make you spend extra money while buying a new best spinning reel to meet your needs. The improper lubrication will create further issues for the user instead of reducing the problems and fixing them appropriately.

The lubrication and other tools for service are available in the market but using the kit of the specific manufacturer of which you have the reel is quite advantageous. Manufacturers make their kit according to the demand of their tools so that kit will suit well to your reel. The spinning reel maintenance kit is for the same purpose to make the user utilize the best product in their equipment.

The most essential elements of the maintenance kit include the right lubricating oil that is of premium quality for oiling the shaft, bearings, gears, and handle. Once you get t know all the kit’s components properly, you will enjoy keeping it with you while fishing.

The further tools that you need instead of the kit include:

  • Soap and water solution

  • Q-tips

  • Soft and comfy cloth

  • Toilet paper

  • Small screwdriver with a flat head

  • Small screwdriver with a Phillips head

  • Soft toothbrush

Using the Clenzoil to wipe out the whole equipment will make the tool work fantastically and helps in providing the shield that protects the surface of the reel.

How to Clean a Spinning Reel

Here is a step-by-step guide that enables you to clean your reel regularly. It is fine if you clean the reel once a week when fishing in freshwater, but saltwater fishing needs the reel to clean every second; because saltwater could chew up your reel and worsen the product’s functioning.

Let’s begin cleaning the spinning reel!

 

  1. Take a spray bottle and spray the reel with freshwater. Using a towel or a soft cloth would clean any saltwater sediments on the reel. Also, wipe out the dirt off the reel.

  2. Remove the spool from the shaft by screwing off the spool’s top cap.

  3. Remove the sand, dirt, or debris from the reel’s bearings, shaft, drag washers, and spool to avoid any hindrance.

  4. To lubricate the spool shaft’s base, add a few oil drops. Turning the handle to move the shaft upward or downward would enable the handle to lubricate each part evenly.

  5. Wound the spool on the shaft again and adjust the cap back on the shaft.

  6. To clean the handle, remove the handle using a screw and wipe out the sand, debris, or any dirt that makes the handle malfunction.

  7. Lubricate that little part of the handle that adjusts into the reel; it enables the handle not to get stuck into the equipment.

  8. Remove the bail roller by screwing off the reel’s bail arm from the rotor, which makes the reel function well.

  9. Check if there is any dirt or damage in the roller guide and use Q-tip dipped in Clenzoil to clean the roller and make it function properly.

  10. Readjust the handle, and the bail arm, then wipe the whole structure of the reel by using the soft clothed Clenzoil spray.

However, it is not the deep cleaning of the reel but following these steps that would enable your reel to work for years. Cleaning the entire reel is rarely crucial; keeping the reel maintained like these mentioned steps would make the reel work smoothly and efficiently for a long time.

Cleaning the Reel After Saltwater Use

The reel has usage in both saltwater and freshwater. The freshwater reel is not difficult to clean, but the saltwater reel needs much more cleaning to maintain its parts and make the reel work for years. The reel having a protective shield does not allow the salty sediments, dirt, and sand to reach the bearings, and also, the water stays away from getting to the internal part. The shielded part keeps the reel corrosion-resistant and makes it possible to keep the frame and rotor free from rust. It also helps not fretting much about its maintenance, but an occasional cleaning requires cleaning the reel and making it saltwater free. Thus, one must do the cleansing in such a situation by following the aforementioned method and using a Q-tip with Clenzoil and a soft towel.

On the other hand, the reel with no shielded bearings and protective film around the body needs to be clean by disassembling all the internal and external parts and cleaning it thoroughly to ensure no saltwater sediments remain on the reel that makes the reel malfunction. If the user does not feel it is convenient, then the professional reel cleaning service is available to do it for you. 

Basic Tips to Maintain Your Spinning Reel

The basic tip to perform the maintenance is to clean the reel once a week if you have done freshwater fishing, and the reel is to clean after each use when you have done saltwater fishing.

Here are a few basic tips for maintaining your equipment:

  •  Keep spooling your spinning reel regularly.

  • It would be best to own a spray bottle to clean the reel’s external body.

  • You need to lose the dragging system after each fishing journey.

  • Ensure that the screws of the reel are tightened well.

  • Do not keep your reel in the sunlight.

  • Do not disassemble your reel completely because it is tough to put it back again.

About the author

Chris Alan

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