How to Maintain Baitcasting Reels?

• Jay Duncan

Love fishing with baitcasters? Why would not you? Baitcasting reel has made fishing look like a piece of cake. It let us fish with accuracy and efficiency. But, nothing lasts long, if it is not maintained properly and baitcasters are no different. It will start losing its effectiveness, once you stop caring about its maintenance.

Now, if you have never cleaned a baitcaster or do not know how to maintain baitcasting reels, we suggest you go through our article to learn about its maintenance. You also need to be wary of the brand you have. For example, the maintenance of an Abu Garcia reel might be a little different from that of a Shimano reel.

In general, there are three components used for maintaining the reel which involves the use of oil, grease and rubbing alcohol. So, we have described here the functions of the components as follows:

Oil

Before you begin to use any oil, it is recommended to use oil that is designed for your baitcasting model only. You can find the exact type of oil for your model in the instructions. Some manufacturers offer oil with the baitcasters. Avoid using WD-40 oil, machine oil, olive oil, 3 in 1 oils and oil that are too thick or thin. Use the oil that is suitable for the majority of popular reel models.

Grease

Although grease is not used as much as the oil, it is equally important like the oil. Grease is used for the cleanliness of the internal gear. But, you should not make sure to drop a small amount of grease only on the main gear.

Rubbing alcohol

Rubbing alcohol is used after mixing it well with warm water so that it is not too strong for the reel. You can use spray bottles to spray it on the reel or pour some on a cloth and wipe the reel with the cloth. It helps to get rid of residue.

These are the primary components that you would need for the maintenance of baitcasting reels. Other tools may include towel or cloth, brush, spray bottle, q tips, etc. After you have gathered every material required to clean the reel, you can follow the method given below:

Step 1 : Disassembling

Disassemble the whole reel and take out all the parts of your baitcaster. Pull out the side plate by putting off the screw and release the spool. This is how you can have access to every part.

Step 2 : Wiping with cloth

Use a clean and soft cloth, put rubbing alcohol on it and then wipe the reel and every other part with the cloth very neatly. You can also use the other option- spray the alcohol and wipe it off. It will clean the residue that settles on your baitcaster.

Step 3 : Oiling and greasing

Now, take the oil that you prefer and put a little amount of oil on a q-tip. Rub the q-tip on brake, spool, housing, lines and other related parts. Later, put the grease on the reel. Start with any side, for example, dab a little drop of grease on the right side and then on the left side. Put the grease on every slot. In order to spread the gear, you can crank the reel. Do not forget to wipe and rub oil to the tension knob as well.

As you finish cleaning, assemble the baitcasting reel. You will observe the difference if you compare the performance of the baitcaster before and after cleaning it. A baitcaster will stop working sooner than you want if you do not tweak its condition.