By: Dan Carns
The coastal environment here in S.W. Florida is super corrosive to fishing gear. Let’s face it, we are at water level in our kayaks and we are subject to far too much salty water. Next time you’re out, just see how much water is landing in your kayak and consider what impact that has on your gear. If you are not paying special attention to your gear it will begin to fail.
Here is my routine for combating salt intrusion. First let me say that if you are hosing your reels off with water, it is a huge mistake. Just think for a moment that all that salt is now deluded with fresh water and is going to find any crevice or gap and enter your reels. I do recommend that you line all your rods up and hose off all the guides and handle, just do not spray the reels! Once they are hosed off you must dry wipe the eyelets so that they don’t corrode the between the metal eye frame and the line inserts. After every trip I spend about an hour at my bench cleaning every reel thoroughly with one or two products. Either Super Slick or CorrosionX will work. First unwind the drag knob, remove the spool and wipe down the inside with a clean rag, next re-wipe with a CorrosionX or SuperSlick saturated rag to coat the surface with protectant. Add a small drop of gear oil onto the drag spring. Clean the exterior of the spool with the same protectant (do not touch the line), wipe the drag knob and add reel gear grease to the rubber gasket. Add a drop of oil onto the drag washers under the drag knob. Next, clean the reel body under the spool and add a drop of oil to the spindle and the drag gear on the spindle. Remove the handle and the opposite nut cap, add one drop of oil in each opening but not more. Make sure you have wiped down the entire body of the reel with the protectant making sure to get a rag in all the hard to reach spots! Before replacing the handle and opposing nut cap add gear grease to the threaded shaft and cap threads. This gear grease will act like a liquid gasket keeping any water from entering through the screw threads. Next add oil to the bail arm connections and the roller bearing where the line rolls off the spool.
By now your beginning to think that this as a lot of time for each reel but it gets faster and easier as you begin to make a routine out of it. We spend a lot of money on our gear so it’s in our best interest to make sure it lasts as long as possible.
It’s A Wild World-Get Out There!
@paddlinandfishin
Dan Carns