Keep Your Fishing Reel Clean!

Author: Ben Young

There is no worse feeling than to have a big fish hooked, to be
enjoying the fight of reeling it in, then having your equipment
fail and the fish getting away.

Sometimes equipment failure cannot be helped, but with good
maintenance you'll be confident that any failure it may have
could not have been prevented.

By keeping your fishing reel clean, it will work smoother and
last longer. This is a basic how to on cleaning and maintaining
fishing reels.

Find a clean flat hard surface such as a bench top to clean
your reel on. Laying down a clean white sheet over the bench can
make finding small parts easier.

Begin by wiping the outside of the reel over with a moist soapy
rag, this will remove any of the contaminants such as oils and
salts (particularly if it is used in salt water). Remove the
spool and wash it and underneath with mild soapy water.

Carefully remove the winding handle; this is usually done by
unscrewing the nut on the opposite side of the reel. Take the
handle out and carefully remove the side plate with a small
screw driver. You will be able to inspect all of the gears
inside and add special fishing reel grease onto the gears. Each
year you should clean out the old grease and lubricate the
internals with fresh grease.

Using fishing reel oil, lubricate any external moving parts
such as the bail and anti reverse lever.

Remember that fishing in salt water requires more maintenance
than fresh water fishing. Make sure you clean your gear after
each trip to keep it in perfect working order and extend its
life for many more fishing trips.

More great tips can be found at: href="http://www.fishinglinks.com.au">http://www.fishinglinks.com
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Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/keep-your-fishing-reel-clean-2680.html

About the Author
Ben Young is a recreational fisherman with over 25 years
experience in fresh water, surf, estuary and lake fishing.
http://www.fishinglinks.com.au