Open Water Preparations: Rods, Reels and Line

Open Water Preparations: Rods, Reels and Line

By Nick Johnson

It is with great sadness each Spring that I put away the ice fishing gear for the season. Then, when I begin to dig out my open water gear that sadness fades away slowly and the anticipation for warmer weather fishing takes over. One of the fun things about preparing for spring and summer fishing is going through all of the gear and equipment and having peace of mind that everything is going to perform flawlessly. At least we all hope it does.

Taking the time to go through your fishing hardware, clean it, grease it, inspect it for damage, etc…can not only make gear last, it will make everything smoother and more reliable. Fishing rods, reels, and line are the core of helping us catch fish and it is always nice to have them work together seamlessly. Some outfits can be downright expensive so why not take a little extra time to make sure things are in peak condition. Many of you probably do this to some extent, but there are often little things that get overlooked. I would like to cover some important tips and tricks to getting everything ready for the open water seasons.

Fishing Rod Care
1. Clean the guides
Believe it or not, small deposits of dried vegetation, sand, mud, even minerals can be slightly abrasive and damaging to fishing line over time. If you fish a lot, then this is probably something to do at least once a year if not twice. Take a Q-tip and spray the end with WD40. Wipe the guides thoroughly and use the other end without the WD40 to clean up leftover residue. This will also keep your guides slick and help in casting performance.

2. Clean the handles
Raise your hand if you have a rod with a handle that looks and smells about like a dead fish. I have just the remedy. Take a rag and soak it with rubbing alcohol. Rub the rag hard on the handle until it starts to look like new. This will not only take the smell out, it will also remove any grease or stickiness that may become annoying during fishing. This sort of treatment works well on cork handled rods but composite or foam handles will also clean up nicely with this tactic.

3. Inspect the guides and ferrules
Take a quick look at the joints and accents of the fishing rod periodically to see if there is any unusual wear, cracks or chips. The seat where the guides attach to the rod can be a place where stress takes place. Bend the rod gently as you check the guides and listen for any creaks and look for stress cracks. If you do encounter minor damage such as this it may not be too late. There are a few types of epoxy on the market that are made for this type of fix. Often times the manufacturer of some of the more expensive rod brands will repair the rod free of charge in honor of their warranty agreement so long as the damage was not intentional. If you notice the ferrules which seat the reel are do not screw down as smoothly as they should, apply a small amount of candle wax or parafin wax to the threads and it should vastly improve the operation.

4. Storing the rod
I always try to store rods in an upright position with minimal line tension to avoid bending. A bent rod can sometimes get memory over time so loosening the line tension or keeping it away from resting against objects is always good practice. If storing rods horizontally, ensure that the rod is supported at least a couple times along its length. Boat rod lockers are a good example of this. Always refrain from keeping rods in high temperatures such as the trunk of a car or in direct sunlight for extended periods of time.

Fishing Reel Care
Clean and grease
At least once a year I break down all of my reels to clean them and apply grease or oil to moving parts. It can take a delicate hand so be sure to work slowly when removing tiny screws and removing caps to reveal internal parts. I sometimes take a photo of the reel guts using my phone when I pull a cap off because I have had to play the jigsaw puzzle game more than once when parts fell out before I saw their initial orientation.

When cleaning the reel internals, use a Q-tip to clean old grease and debris. Never use water or solvents to wash the reel out unless it is a part that has been removed and you can thoroughly dry it. Water droplets can stay inside the reel if you rinse it out and this can cause corrosion and potential reel failure over time. Solvents can be damaging to certain parts such as plastic bushings and plastic gears. If you do need to wash a part in the event that sand or something else has gotten inside, just make sure that no moisture is left when putting everything back together.

One of my favorite reel lubricants to use is Quantum Hot Sauce. This stuff has brought back numerous gummed up reels for me in the past and performs well in cold weather. Whatever brand of grease you decide on, make sure to not overdo the application. A little bit goes a long way. Anywhere metal meets metal or a moving part has frictional contact you should apply a small bit of grease. The most important would be bearings, gears and for spinning reels, the center spool shaft. On baitcasters, the little worm gear that weaves back and forth to guide the line evenly across the spool is also important. Some manufacturers also recommend oil for the bearings instead of grease as it allows the bearing to rotate more freely. Abu Garcia makes a good bearing oil for this purpose.

Fishing Line
The line is the critical joint that holds everything together in the moment and should be treated with all the importance of that expensive reel or rod, maybe more so. I am kind of strict when it comes to line in that I will often change my spool out two or three times a year. It all depends on how much you fish. I would say that if you use monofilament, change the spool out at least every spring before initial use. You can get away with a little more when using braid but it still comes down to how often you fish or if the line has experienced a lot of abrasion.

Monofilament and fluorocarbon lines will get memory over time which can be quite annoying when trying to cast or present a bait. Spools that sit for long periods of time without use tend to see this more often than reels that see frequent casting use. Good line will not only help you cast farther and more smoothly, it will also reduce the amount of wind knots or spool knots when trying to cast. Lines can also degrade rapidly when the reel is stored where direct sunlight can hit it. The UV rays from the sun break down the line and make it very brittle. This is true for all types, including braid.

With open water season at our doorstep it is important to make sure our gear is in good shape when the time comes to hit the water. Putting in a little extra effort to clean and maintain the rods and reels and spending a little extra on new fishing line can really make a big difference when the bite starts to happen. We as anglers spend a lot on our equipment and we expect it to perform for us. Taking these extra steps will ensure that it continues to do so season after season. Good luck on the water!