Rod & Reel Care
Reel Care
Modern Reels are complex little machines that need to be kept clean from salt and sand intrusion. The best way to do this is with a reel cover, especially in the boat, as heavy spray gets inside the reel. But you should never hose reels. When salt has worked its way into the internals of your reel, then it will eventually let you down.
If all your moving parts on your reel are well lubricated with quality oil on waterproof grease, this will create a barrier to salt corrosion.
One particular problem area is the Line Roller on a spin reel. Most modern reels have a tiny ball bearing inside the line roller to keep it running. Keep it well oiled every few trips and it will last. The oil barrier prevents water from leaking in as it turns. The handles require a quick oil too.
On your baitcasters the levelwind is the part to watch most. Keep dust out of it and keep well lubricated. The pawl wears faster than levelwind, so at the first sign of trouble replace the inexpensive pawl to protect the levelwind.
The ute tray is the worst way to transport your rod and reel. Bulldust gets into all your parts of reels and rods creating damaged.
TIPS: Synthetic oils, ballistol or simular, are the best. Never use WD40 or RP7, A BIG NO NO. Water proof grease can be used on bearings in spin reels only, never baitcasters as their bearings are high speed.
Rod Care
All rods that have been fishing in the saltwater, deserve a little TLC. With modern manufacturing, a fault in the blank is almost non-existant. Therefore most breakages are done in two ways. Number one is attributed to "high sticking" your Rod. This is when you apply too much angle to the tip of the Rod. If you are trying to put pressure on a fish, you need to use the butt of the rod, as this is the strongest part, not the tip. Keep the rod at less than 90 angle. The harder you pull, the lower the rod needs to be.
An easy rule to remember is “If it doesn’t bend, it doesn’t break”. The second way is through wear and tear, banging your rods against other objects. Looking after your guides requires only a little maintenance. A quick hose down after your fishing trip is the easiest way to remove salt. For good quality guides like Fuji, this may be all that’s required. Best to give all guides a wipe over with a wet soapy towel. Better still when you first buy your rod and occassionally after that spray your guides with a lanolin based product. Our favorite is Lanox.
