Reel maintenance

[Bulman711]

I have had my penn 80s and 130s for a few years now. They are used on a regular basis and cleaned after each use and are stored at home in my garage. No matter what I do they still get oxidized and minor corrosion.

Does anyone have any tips to what I can do to keep the reels in better shape. How do you guys clean them on a yearly basis, do you get them cleaned professionally or do you do it yourself?

Thanks, jack

 

[Tuna Pursuit]

I keep my 130's in the cabin until I'm on anchor. Then before I pick up I rinse with fresh water and put em away. If you can't do that get reel covers for when your steaming. Of course if your trolling they will get more salt water on them. My reels are 17 years old and are pretty much perfect. I have mine serviced every winter by a pro. Anything other than an international I trash.

 

[Raider Ronnie]

I keep my 130's in the cabin until I'm on anchor. Then before I pick up I rinse with fresh water and put em away. If you can't do that get reel covers for when your steaming. Of course if your trolling they will get more salt water on them. My reels are 17 years old and are pretty much perfect. I have mine serviced every winter by a pro. Anything other than an international I trash.

Older internationals (ST) were awesome.
New VSW or VSX not so much.

 

[Tuna Pursuit]

Older internationals (ST) were awesome.
New VSW or VSX not so much.

Bump that. My buddy owns a tackle store and he had me come by to look at a new penn 130 he was having a problem with. We concluded the tube frame was egg shaped. Check out the thickness of the tube on the new reels compared to the old. The new drags are awesome though. What if you could get the new drag into the old reels? I'm just sayin..........

 

[JDion36]

I grease the outside case and the handles with Penn blue grease. You only have to do it monthly or so. The water beads off when u wash them. All 5 of my 130s are over 15 overs old and they look new. For good reel info go to Alantani.com

 

[joelucci33]

mine are about 12 years old now...fine mist fresh water spray down after each use and towel dried...no corrosion at all.

 

[tomy]

I think we would like to keep salt out of the INSIDE of the reel....

 

[tomchess]

jack maybe you could have someone local look at them if they are not to busy its not to hard to service them after you use them do you wash them well and give them a real good towel dry??? a few minutes of care and they should last for quite a few years

 

[Bulman711]

jack maybe you could have someone local look at them if they are not to busy its not to hard to service them after you use them do you wash them well and give them a real good towel dry??? a few minutes of care and they should last for quite a few years

I can think of a guy

 

[Bulman711]

So I dropped my reels off for maintenance. I asked the guy what I could be doing better during the season to take better care of them. He agreed keeping them underneath while steaming and light mist of fresh water at the end of the day. He also said spraying them down with WD40 after each day would help.

How do you guys feel about the WD40 on the mono? My issue with it is more with it giving off a slick under water. He assured me that it wouldn't hurt the way it fished...

 

[googinhater]

spray it on a rag and wipe on keep it off the line

 

[Tuna Pursuit]

I would not spray or wipe with WD40. You don't want petroleum products on the line or in the water while fishing.

 

[Bulman711]

I would not spray or wipe with WD40. You don't want petroleum products on the line or in the water while fishing.

That's what I was thinking. I would think it would make the line visible under water.

 

[marlin28]

So I dropped my reels off for maintenance. I asked the guy what I could be doing better during the season to take better care of them. He agreed keeping them underneath while steaming and light mist of fresh water at the end of the day. He also said spraying them down with WD40 after each day would help.

How do you guys feel about the WD40 on the mono? My issue with it is more with it giving off a slick under water. He assured me that it wouldn't hurt the way it fished...

do not get it on your rods!!!!! it will eat the finish away..

 

[ANUT]

Go check out Luke's Reel Repair

 

[Tunascapes]

I load my guides with wd40, probably on a monthly basis, and completely coat the entire rod every winter for storage and they still look like the day they were built almost 20 years ago now. Not sure how wd40 eats the finish on rods.

 

[El Mar]

Yeah, a lot of guys use WD40 on and in their baits while tuna fishing, WD40 will not eat the finish either, but I would make an effort to keep it off the line but mono and WD40 are both petroleum products.

WD is a great attractant. :-D

 

[Tuna Pursuit]

Yeah, a lot of guys use WD40 on and in their baits while tuna fishing, WD40 will not eat the finish either, but I would make an effort to keep it off the line but mono and WD40 are both petroleum products.

WD is a great attractant. :-D

Throw a little 15w 40 on there for good measure, tuna should love that:razz:

 

[MDI45]

I load my guides with wd40, probably on a monthly basis, and completely coat the entire rod every winter for storage and they still look like the day they were built almost 20 years ago now. Not sure how wd40 eats the finish on rods.

It wont eat the finish but if there are any cracks around the foot of the guides it will turn the thread a darker color

 

[Tunascapes]

I'm sure that can happen just questioning how wd40 eats the finish on rods. Had my bent butts refinished a few times over the years to get rid of cracks around the feet. Well known rod builder said he has a hard time refinishing some due to heavy lubricants on the rod from spraying guides. Mine come out perfect every time so they recommended continuing whatever I was doing, wd40.