Before you store your rods and reels, some helpfull tips

Various Tips either written by ourselves, or submitted by the community.
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JP
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Before you store your rods and reels, some helpfull tips

Post by JP »

With the price of rods and reels getting higher every season I wanted to share some tips that will save you some money and keep your equipment working great for years to come.

REELS

1. When ever you are not using your reels, back the drag or loosen it off. This will save your drag washers from developing ridges on them and will ensure a smooth dependable drag system when ever you need it. With bait casters also make sure that your braking system and spool control knobs are loosened.

2. When storing reels for a longer period of time (i.e. the winter) remove any old line left on the spools. This will remove any moisture that may have been caught up and limit any corrossion from occurring. This will also force you to put new fresh line on at the beginning of the season and lessen chance of break off's due to rotten line.

3. At least once every 2 seasons have your reels proffessionally cleaned and lubed. This will keep your equipment running like new and help fight costy repairs down the road. It is amazing how much difference a clean reel will make.

4. Between cleanings make sure to lube your reels with a high quality product available at your local tackle supplier. Only use an oil that is specifically made for fishing reels otherwise you may end up with a sticky mess and/or do damage to your equipment. Follow the manual specific to the model of reel you have for instructions on how to.

RODS

1. At the end of the season, visually inspect the line guides and reel seat for signs of wear or cracks. Also take a cotton swab and roll it arround the inside of each line guide. If there are any nicks or chips in the guide, some of the cotton swab will stick to it making it easy for you to find ones that need replacing. Many local tackle stores will be able to replace damaged ones easily with low cost to you.

2. When storing your rods for the season or long periods of time, it is best to stand them vertically in a dry temperature controlled area. A clean section of a basement is perfect.

3. Rods with cork handles can become dirty and worn over a hard season of fishing, but they can be made to look and feel like new with these easy steps. Take 200 grid fine sand paper and lightly rub the cork length wise. This will remove any heavy dirt and smooth down any bumbs that could cause chipping of the cork. Next use warm water with a very mild soap and with a damp cloth wipe the handle well. This removes any left over dirt and dust from the sanding.

4. With 2 piece rods, make sure that you break down/apart the rod before storing it for any length of time. Humidity and dirt could make seperating the 2 halves almost imposible if left to sit out the winter. Because 2 piece rods are more sensitive to wear at the joint, pay special attention to it before putting it away. Look for cracks and nicks in the blank, and if so have them repaired before your next outing.


Hope these tips can be helpfull and look for more to come in the following weeks.
Cheers
JP
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joco
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Post by joco »

hey JP


THANKS for the tips,,,,,,,,,,,will chek on those,,,,,,,, :wink: ,,but still 5 to6 week off fishing,,,,,,,, :wink:

joco
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Mr.J.
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Post by Mr.J. »

JP

You are a mind reader, I was getting ready to ask around about best practices for winter storage. I wish I had room to store them in the basement but in the garage they'll have to stay.

I appreciate the time you took to write this, thank you JP.
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Post by Gord »

Awesome tips! some I would have never thought of!! :o :)
I'm a goin' fishin', mama's goin' fishin' and my baby's goin fishin' too.

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Post by Tip-up »

Great tips JP :D

Jig-head and I have setup a room in our basement dedicated to fishing.We have put 3 rod racks on the wall, cleaning tables for our reels, and lots of storage for our 14 tackle boxes :shock: During the winter we hope to start a little lure making project(when we are off the ice :D ) to help the cold days go by.Thats just Jig-heads equiptment in the picture, Im not ready to pack up yet :wink: Our dad owns one rod and one tacklebag, he thinks we are damn crazy to go out with 4 or 5 rods every trip.

Anyways here it is.......Hopefully going to get it all organized by next week.

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Markus
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Post by Markus »

TipUp, you'll be out of room in a year. :lol: I have a toy room dedicated to my hunting and fishing gear and it's always a mess. :lol: :lol:
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M.T. Livewell
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Post by M.T. Livewell »

JP, any chance you could post this again in December. 8)

MT
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Ladyfish
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Post by Ladyfish »

Thanks JP. Those are really helpful for me :D
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JP
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Post by JP »

Hey all. I hope to post tips like this as well as others every other week for the next while to see if we can get the tips and tricks section moving again. I know when I first started taking fishing more seriously tips like this really helped me out. Now that I have been involved in the business and tournament side of it I want to give some info back to the community.
keep your eyes open for more in the coming weeks.
Cheers
JP
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bottom feeder
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Post by bottom feeder »

Thanks for the tips JP
MT-- cut and paste?
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jig head
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Post by jig head »

bottom feeder wrote:Thanks for the tips JP
MT-- cut and paste?


Smart thinking bottom feeder
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Snag
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Post by Snag »

Awesome tips JP!

Just to add for telescopic rods always make sure you clean and dry off the telescopic part before storing.
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Post by RJ »

My stuff has outgrown a room.....now its a building.... :lol: :lol:

Great tips JP.....I always bring my reels inside....rods stay out in the barn....

Don't forget to bring your batteries in too!

Season is a long way from being done though....come to think of it....I'm not sure it really did last year.... :lol:

RJ
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Post by Marine5068 »

Great tips.
I keep all my rods and reels indoors. Actually the reels stay in their boxes and behind cupboards so as they don't get dusty too.
Rod racks are a great idea for safe storage of our expensive rods.
I have to use horizontal racks as the one-piece muskie rods are too tall for my ceiling limit.
But it's all neat and tidy and safe by years end.
Charge your deep cycle batteries for 18 hours once a month and keep them off the floor up on a bench or at least on some two-bys.
Also check fluid levels regularly.
Catch Your Limit, But Limit Your Catch.
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Post by ASK »

Thanks JP.

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