Rod / Reel Maintenance?

[Bazoo]

What should I consider for rod maintenance?

 

I have 5 rods that I use all the time, not counting the cheapos that the boy and mom have. Most of the time the rods are in the car, since I fish nearly daily. The heat and the sun are something I am concerned about. I try not to be rough with my rods, but of course things sometimes happen.

 

Once in a while I'll take the rod, remove the real, wipe all the accumulated muck off the seat, handle, blank, and guides. Sometimes with just a rag, if it's mild, sometimes with water and a toothbrush if it's more stubborn. I don't use soap or anything. I'd say I do this every 2 months on average.

 

I do the same to the reel of course, and give it a few drops of oil. I change my line about once a month or anytime I have any suspicion of it, and I often do a bit of light cleaning and oiling then, though I don't oil every time because I don't want to flood the reel. I  normally wait until it seems "dry".

 

Considering my automobile "storage", how long should I expect my rods to last? I don't think that this will be detrimental to the reels, but I expect the UV to be harsh on the rods themselves.

 

What does everyone else do?

[TOXIC]

As for rods, I use simple green for overall cleaning, then I inspect the guide wrapping and add a drop of superglue to any that look stressed, then I run a Q-tip around the insides of the guides looking for snags.  Finally, I coat the rod liberally with 303 Protectant .  It has uv inhibitors.  As for storage and transport, just make sure they are able to lay or stand without leaning on or bending the tips. I have seen them retain the bend.  Likewise keep them out of the direct sun when not in use.  

[Dye99]

Clean em when dirty, and seal the cork every once in a while and your Golden.

[dodgeguy]

Use rod socks and reel covers

[Bazoo]

3 hours ago, Bazoo said:

What should I consider for rod maintenance?

 

I have 5 rods that I use all the time, not counting the cheapos that the boy and mom have. Most of the time the rods are in the car, since I fish nearly daily. The heat and the sun are something I am concerned about. I try not to be rough with my rods, but of course things sometimes happen.

 

Once in a while I'll take the rod, remove the real, wipe all the accumulated muck off the seat, handle, blank, and guides. Sometimes with just a rag, if it's mild, sometimes with water and a toothbrush if it's more stubborn. I don't use soap or anything. I'd say I do this every 2 months on average.

 

I do the same to the reel of course, and give it a few drops of oil. I change my line about once a month or anytime I have any suspicion of it, and I often do a bit of light cleaning and oiling then, though I don't oil every time because I don't want to flood the reel. I  normally wait until it seems "dry".

 

Considering my automobile "storage", how long should I expect my rods to last? I don't think that this will be detrimental to the reels, but I expect the UV to be harsh on the rods themselves.

 

What does everyone else do?

Thanks. When you said using superglue for the guide, do you put it so it runs between the guide and rod, or on the wrap area if it is chipped, or both?

 

1 hour ago, dodgeguy said:

Use rod socks and reel covers

That didn't occur to me, thank you.

[fin]

I’d be concerned about the line in the car. I never leave mine in the car, because I once had a problem with fluorocarbon line breaking unexpectedly at the worst times.

 

I don’t really do any maintenance to my rods until something breaks.

 

I disassemble my [spinning] reels down all the way to lube every few months, and try to do minor oiling once a month. I make notes in my fishing log when I do maintenance.

 

Some of the ball bearings, for example, can only be reached by tearing the reel all the way down. Without oil, it’s going to eventually fail. The cheaper reels are going to eventually fail after a certain amount of use regardless. I think a lot of people just treat reels as somewhat disposable. They oil what’s easy to get to, and when it eventually starts malfunctioning, they put it in a drawer and buy a new one. It's not a crazy philosophy. You can get quality name (Shimano Daiwa, etc) spinning reels in the $30-40 range that can last for years without major maintenance, depending on the amount of use and abuse.

 

You can find parts diagrams/schematics online for almost every reel. You’ve got to have the right tools. If you bugger up screw heads, you could be doing more damage than good.

[ike8120]

I use magic eraser on the the cork then seal with U40, I also use Penn reel and rod cleaner. Check the guides for any damage and clean and lubricate the reel as necessary.

[Bazoo]

I respool often, partly because I fish so much and partly because my rods are in the car most of the time.

 

I don’t have any problem taking apart a precision mechanism, but rarely disassembly my reels fully. 

[TOXIC]

My superglue tip is a little off base for those who build rods.  I’m sure there is a special epoxy that is better for the guide seats.  I use lighter gear than most and I catch big fish on that light gear, so I’m somewhat stressing it more than the average fisherman.  What I have happen is the guide starts to crack the wrapping where the guide is attached to the rod.  A drop of superglue while a bit unsightly, will seal the crack and avoid possible breakage.  Now if the insert of a guide comes out or it gets a Nick that I can’t smooth out with fine sandpaper or emory cloth, it’s time to retire the rod or get a new guide put on.  

[Bazoo]

Thanks. I’ve done that too here and there. I would like to learn to replace the guides myself though. 

[gim]

On 7/10/2024 at 8:10 AM, Bazoo said:

but rarely disassembly my reels fully. 

 

I won't even consider it.  Way too many small moving parts in a reel and I don't trust myself to put it back together correctly.

 

I take mine to a local reel cleaning service every few years.  He tears them apart, cleans them, lubricates internal parts, and re-assembles them.  I do it in the middle of winter when I'm not using them.  Charges 15 bucks for spinning, 25 for bait casters.  It takes him a couple weeks.  I figure preventative maintenance is better than having a reel fail and replacing it.  I don't have a collection of 400 dollar reels, but they are all worth more than the fee he charges so its worth it to me.

[MN Fisher]

I've been disassembling/reassembling stuff since I was a kid. Reels aren't any more complex than some of the things I've worked on, though I don't take them all the way down for cleaning...just to get the majority of the parts.

[Bankc]

If you're going to leave your rods and reels in the car, I would probably not invest too much into them.  Now I'm not saying to get the cheapest rods and reels you can find.  But don't buy stuff that's so expensive, you can't afford to have them get stolen or damaged in a few years time.  You're going to accelerate their aging, storing them in the car.  And there's not really a good way around that. 

 

I might consider switching to braided fishing line, if you get tired of swapping out line so often.  It tends to hold up better over time.  But if you don't mind the swapping and prefer fluoro, then stick with what you're doing. 

 

As for maintenance, just clean it when it's dirty and oil it when it needs it.  If you fish often, you'll probably notice when your reel is suddenly not casting as far or reeling as smoothly.  Then it's a good time to break it down for a good clean and relube.  Same with the rod.  If you notice it's accumulating gunk, give it a good cleaning with soap and water or whatever cleaner you prefer.  Otherwise, there's not much you can do to slow down the accelerated aging of leaving it in the car.  So just accept it and plan accordingly.  You can probably still get a good 5-10 years out of them. 

[JDuncan]

I keep one rod and with a reel mounted and a duffle bag of baits with two other reels stored In the car I drive to work everyday. I get off at 2.30 so I'll usually find a spot to fish before I hit the twinspan on the way home.. butttttttt other than breaking the tips off 5 different rods. It's been flawless

[Bazoo]

I cannot imagine how being in the car would cause any damage to a reel, but the rod I certainly can, which is my primary concern.

 

Up until now, I haven't had a convenient spot to store my rods in the house. Now I have made a rod rack for the ceiling just as I walk in. So I can remove my rods from the car. A little more work that way, but it if means the difference between the rods lasting 10 years or only 5, then it's worth it.

 

I have noticed once all of the sudden my reel needed lube.

 

I don't mind changing line, I doesn't take but about 5 minutes per reel. I got a good rhythm with it. My boy is my spool holder.

 

There was once that I took my rods in from the car, and I laid them on the back of the couch... well, I left the next day for something (I work from home normally), and forgot my rods. My buddy loaned me one as we were going to be fishing together. After that I vowed never to not have a rod in the car.

 

Today I broke that vow, bringing them all in so I could see what the rack looked like nearly full. I will have to remember a couple tomorrow as I am going to town.