How do all of yall clean yalls reels after a day of fishing saltwater.

That is a good question. I hosed mine down with freshwater, but need to know if the reels need to be taken apart after each use, if not, on what shedule do you do this. If taken to a dealer, what do they charge to take apart, clean and assemble. I know it may differ for different reals, but some examples would be great. I want my stuff to last and be in top notch condition at all times.I have penn int 30, penn 114, tld 25, torium20 and a spherus spinner.

Thanks,
joe

Freshwater hose rinse @ the dock,
then the toothbrush comes out when I get home.
Ironically, I just found a frozen tip roller on my heavy rod three nites ago while piddlin'.
So dont forget your rod either!
Second, and maybe most important,lock down the drag & do not use any kind of cleaning agent such as soap. this will penetrate the drags, then you're screwed. wipe/air dry, then LIGHTLY
mist w/aerosol oil and wipe off. back off the drag, bag it, & you're done. just my own ritual
not necessarily right, but it works for me
hope it helps


-B

A good freshwater rinse is about all that is needed once you get off the water. Once I get home, I tear the reels all the way down, degrease the gears and start all over with lube and all. I do this to cut down on wear and tear by removing all the sand and salt that has accumulated over the trip. My cabo and higher end reels tend to do well out on the water and I usually only take them apart when I can feel that the reel is not as smoothe as new. I was once told to make sure that the drag was tight when washing down, in order to keep more sand or salt from getting in but I am not sure if that makes a difference. I have yet to see any drag washers rust, the problems usually lie in the bearings or pitted gears. I have taken my friends reels apart many times to find pitted gears and corrosion. Rinse the thing and just make sure that you are not using Mg and everything should be fine. Cheaper models dont seem to last as long or take as much a beating as the higher end reels.

I agree with PiePuncher. Depending on the use and the conditions hose off and only break down when you feel it not being as smooth. This past weekend I dunked the reel in the water a few times when trying to put a fish on the stringer. It is one of my cheaper reels (best reel the son-in-law was using) I will probably break it down some and if I spot water or sand, or salt I will break it all the way down and relube.

Scottie

On your Penn, after you dry and oil the reel loosen the drag and pull line so the drag slips, do not store that reel with the drag tight.
The 114 is one of the easiest reels to service.

As far as prices they will range from $12.50 to $22.50. Cut Rate Tackle charges $22.50 I think. I charge $10 but I am not trying to make a living at it. I service and repair reels and build custom rods because I like to but of course nothing is free.

I use corrosion-x and reel-x exclusively (before the trip and after cleaning). A fresh rinse at the dock is a minimum. If my gear gets "wet" I soak it in freshwater then take it down and wipe it dry. A little corrosion-x, reassemble and thats it. I've heard some say soaking isn't good, but I don't want to "rinse the salt into my reel". Everyone will have a little different way of doing it though. This just works for me.

Erik

I've been doing some reel repair and cleaning trying to build my retirement dream job...if I can be of any help to you...I usually get a 12 pack of Miller Lite plus parts for cleaning and repair...I'm in New Braunfels...email me at
mdl-cfi@att.net...thanks

Marshall

I soak my reels in fresh water, then wipe with wd-40. I never spray wd-40 directly on the reels, since it can act as a solvent and break down the grease in the reel. WD-40 is OK to spray on a towel and then give a quick wipe after a freshwater cleaning...just don't spray it directly on the reels. Two of my three Shimano Curados are five years old and have been submersed in salt water many, many times while wade and surf fishing- I've had no problem with either of them so far. I know that corrosion-x would probably be better...probably need to buy some.

WD-40 ? Not no but hell no. Try using some reel x or corrosion x they both will do the job of WD-40 and wont break down the grease and oil in your reel. Using WD-40 on a reel is like liping a shark. Walleye throw that WD-40 away and get you some PB-Blaster. You will never use WD-40 again for anything.

Rinse your reels. Use reel magic or reel x. I dont soak my reels in water. I have yet to break down my calcuttas and find water in them. I regrease and oil as needed.

Piepuncher made a good point. The cheaper reels seem to get more eposure to the salt and sand then the more expensive reels. Most likely do to better seals and just made with better materials. If you fish with Abu's I strongly recommend breaking them down after each trip. If you use a reel with a line guide like a calcutta 400 TE or abu or curado make sure you clean that sprocket real good. That will be the first thing to gunk up on your reel.

Catfish,
I hate to disagree, but WD-40 is GREAT.......for taking the sting out of fireant bites. Believe it or not (I didn't), but it's true. But I agree 100% about wd-40 and reels.

Sounds like we all do about the same thing, except for the wd-40. You never want to store a reel with the drag tightened down, you will end up with compressed drag washers and the drag will not be the same. Also, WD-40 is a NO NO when it comes to reels. It might make the reel smooth for a trip or so but in the long run, it will tear it apart. WD-40 removes greese and shouldn't be sprayed inside of a reel. I thought it was good when I was a kid but as I got older and started working on my own reels, I learned very quickly that you just dont use it. Gulf-addict, thanks for the new tip, I will try it sometime.