Nebraskaland Magazine
LINCOLN – Proper maintenance and care of fishing rods and reels can ensure that they are able to catch fish for several years. February is a good month to make sure the equipment is in good condition for the year.
Daryl Bauer, fisheries outreach program manager for the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, has the following tips for maintaining rods and reels.
— Clean the cork handle of a rod. Remove any dirt or discoloration.
— Before cleaning a reel, spread out an old towel to keep parts in order as they are removed. A rag, Q-tips and an old toothbrush are all that are needed to clean a reel and its parts.
— Take apart the reel, then clean, re-oil and re-grease it. Oil the handles, shafts, bails and other moving parts and grease the gears.
— Spool up new line on the reel, especially if you are using monofilament. Old line can become twisted or nicked.
“The cleaning and maintenance will pay off, and so will attention to detail,” Bauer said. “You know the time when your equipment will fail you; it will be the time that big fish is at the end of your line. When that happens, it will be too late to do some maintenance. Problems can be avoided with a little bit of time, care and preparation.”
Once the equipment is maintained, make sure to keep it safe in storage or transportation. For storage, place a cover over a reel still attached to a rod. When traveling, keep detached covered reels in a case, bag or bucket and place rods in tubes.
