When Reel Maintenance Does More Harm Than Good
- By: Joseph Simonds
- on
If your spinning reels keep failing earlier than they should, it might not be the reel itself.
Most anglers damage perfectly good gear through UNINTENTIONAL SELF-SABOTAGE, doing what FEELS like responsible maintenance while quietly shortening the life of their reels.
The frustrating part is that the more effort you put in, the worse the outcome can be.
Below, Luke and I break down the COMMON reel-care habits that work against you over time, reveal the SIMPLE approach you should be using instead, and briefly touch on the often-overlooked rod care mistakes that can shorten their life too.
Featured Gear
- Reel: Otis 2500
- Rod: Slot Machine Rod
Key Takeaways
- Many reel problems start with well-intentioned habits
- More effort does NOT always mean better protection
- Some maintenance routines quietly create long-term issues
- Small changes in how you handle and store gear add up fast
Final Thoughts
This is not about obsessing over maintenance or adding more steps to your routine. It is about avoiding UNINTENTIONAL SELF-SABOTAGE and understanding how modern reels and rods are meant to be handled. Get the fundamentals right, and your gear will last longer with LESS effort, not more.
IMPORTANT REMINDER
The 2 core benefits we promise to Insider Club members is to be able to find and catch fish easier than ever before while saving money on fishing equipment.
So I am including links to the quickest ways to achieve each:
1) Finding Fish System
2) Insider Club’s Group Discounts
Related categories:
STOP WASTING TIME ON THE WATER!
Do what the “SMART ANGLERS” are doing and join the Insider Club.
Here’s what you’ll receive today when you join:
- Weekly fishing reports and TRENDS revealing exactly where you should fish ever trip
- Weekly “spot dissection” videos that walk you through all the best spots in your area
- Exclusive fishing tips from the PROS you can’t find anywhere else
- Everything you need to start catching fish more consistently (regardless if you fish out of a boat, kayak, or land).
STOP WASTING TIME ON THE WATER!
Do what the “SMART ANGLERS” are doing and join the Insider Club.
Here’s what you’ll receive today when you join:
- Weekly fishing reports and TRENDS revealing exactly where you should fish every trip
- Weekly “spot dissection” videos that walk you through all the best spots in your area
- Exclusive fishing tips from the PROS you can’t find anywhere else
- Everything you need to start catching fish more consistently (regardless if you fish out of a boat, kayak, or land).
Thank you for the great info. Happy New Year!
Awesome! Thanks for the great info
Oh yeah merry Christmas and happy new year
Thank you guys for the great info always appreciated
Luke and Joe:
Very informative…I think most of us make at least one of the mistakes you mentioned.
That Otis real is really good real give it a try it’s worth the money Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
Great video once again Luke and Joe! Every point that you have mentioned, I have been doing for 40+ years. I just replaced all my Penn SS series reels last year. Those reels were more than 30 years old and the only reason was that Penn no longer makes parts for them! Otherwise I would still be using them.
I recommend tightening down the drag button before rinsing a reel. That prevents salt water grit from forming on the drag washers. Be sure to loosen the drag button once the reel has been wiped down dry. That prevents the drag washers from flattening out and losing their effectiveness.
When I clean the boat after a trip with Saltaway, and the solution starts to get diluted in the canister I use it to give the rods and reels a light rinse from the top down, but do not follow with a freshwater rinse. I do not wipe them down with a towel, but I might add that to the process.
Might be time to donate some of the 500 reels in the Tuperware container to a few youth fishing organizations…😅