Ron's Tackle Tips — General Reel Maintenance

Ken Jones

Administrator
Staff member
#1
General Reel Maintenance
by Ron Crandall of Ron's Reel Repair (March 1997)

1. Clean your reel after every use!
Rinse reel gently with fresh water after use in salt-water. DO NOT rinse with water at high pressure as this will force salt into the reel and cause corrosion problems.

2. Lubricate reel after rinsing.
After reel is thoroughly dry, apply a moisture dissipating-type lubricant such as Corrosion-X, to a rag, and wipe reel with the rag. DO NOT spray the reel with the lubricant as this will cause the reel to collect dirt.

3. Use proper lubricant when overhauling your own reels.
Use Penn lubricant, or other light grease such as Lubriplate #105. DO NOT use boat axle grease.

4. If you drop your reel in the sand.
STOP! DO NOT test to see whether it still works. Use a spare reel and overhaul your reel or take it to a repair shop for overhaul. Turning a reel with sand in it has a 95% chance of breaking parts.

5. Periodic maintenance saves costly repairs.
DO NOT get caught in the old myth of "If It Ain't Broke Don't Fix It."