Fishing Tips: Post Winter Fishing Gear Inspections

Written by Dale Baxter. With the weather being cold and miserable and making getting out amongst the fish hard work and only for the true die hards. It is a great time to get your reels into tip top shape with a bit of TLC and ready for the coming Spring. It doesn’t take much to make sure your most critical piece of fishing tackle is ready to use and in perfect condition so that you don’t loose that fish of a lifetime.

I find that in the kayak, the reels tend to get a bit more exposure to the elements than in the boat and having reels with mag-seal technology is a must as this goes long way to making them last longer and stay in prime condition.

I usually wipe over my reels after every outing however this doesn’t get all the salt or grime off and if left too long it will do more damage than you can fix.

I like to pull them down without taking them apart so that I can get to the hard to reach places and behind the spool. It is a good idea to use some warm water to assist in removing the salt that has formed. I start by unscrewing the handle, and side plate cover for the bearing then unscrew the drag and remove the spool. Spin the rotor slowly to see any dirt or corrosion on the body behind it, turn the spool upside down making sure all the water from behind it is removed. For parts of the reel like the bearing cap for the body I like to use an old tooth brush to remove the salt sediments that have started to turn and hard to get to. Remove the grit from around the line roller with the toothbrush as well.

It is pretty easy to get the majority of dirt and grit off the reel if you take a small amount of time to get into those hard to reach places and get it off before it becomes a problem you cannot fix and its a great way to spend time when not on the water.

Daiwa have some great oil’s and grease’s that are specifically formulated for different parts of the reel to help keep them in as new condition, you will find them here https://daiwafishing.com.au/pages/service-products be sure if you want to take care of your own basic reel maintenance to use the right one for the job. If you need your mag-seal serviced it is best to send back to Daiwa’s authorised service centre to have professionally serviced.

So on your next day off when its raining too hard or blowing 40 knots you should have some time on your hands to make sure your reels are ready for their next battle.