Clean Your Fishing Gear With A Common Garage Staple

Given the rising cost of fishing equipment, it is only logical that anglers will look for the best ways to maintain and elongate the lifespan of their gear. When it comes to products which can be used to clean rods, reels, and other fishing equipment, there certainly is no shortage of options. In fact, there are dozens of specialty products aimed at angling equipment upkeep. However, more than likely, you already have a product in your garage that can handle many of the essential tasks for maintaining your fishing tackle.

For most people, WD-40 is considered a garage staple for tackling all sorts of issues around the house, car, and garage. It is also well known for its many uses on a boat. However, it can also be used to maintain the fishing gear used aboard those boats. While it is not the only product you'll need for fishing tackle maintenance, it has a wide variety of uses for fishermen — and you can certainly clean your fishing gear with this common garage staple.

While equipment maintenance may seem to suggest occasionally tending to cleaning and greasing, to get the full life out of your fishing equipment, some tasks should be done after every use. Those who spend time saltwater fishing are perhaps more used to this as residual salt from the briny water can quickly corrode fishing equipment. However, even after a trip to your favorite freshwater fishing spot, it's essential to spend a few moments cleaning your equipment before putting it away.

Once you are off the water, it is important to wipe down all of your equipment to prevent rust, corrosion, and buildup of dirt. This not only applies to reels, but also rods and any auxiliary equipment made of metal such as pliers, forceps, snips, folding nets, fish grabbers, and shears. Utilizing WD-40 for this task will help in a couple of ways. Since it is a solvent, it will help clean out any dirt, rust, or corrosion buildup. Additionally, because it is designed to displace water, it will help push water from any cracks, gaps, or moving parts, helping prevent rust or corrosion from developing.

This is also helpful around rod guides, where water will often settle and cause the metal other rings and feet to rust. Spraying a bit of WD-40 on a Q-tip will help with application in tight places such as where the rod guide is wrapped to the rod — a common problem spot when it comes to rust.

While wiping down fishing reels after every use helps maintain them, in order to keep them functioning long-term the occasionally deep cleaning is necessary. A more in-depth cleaning, such as removing the spool on a spinning reel and cleaning the gears and drag washers beneath, should be done every half dozen trips or so. These parts should be wiped with WD-40 to remove rust and grime. A dab of grease then goes on the gears before you reassemble. According to Saltwater Sportsman, it is a good idea to complete that task after every saltwater fishing trip to prevent salt buildup and corrosion.

Each time you spool your fishing reel, it is a good idea to do a deeper cleaning. For spinning reels, the above spool, gear, and drag washer maintenance would be the first step. Then, remove the handle and the plate on the reel body. This will expose the gears beneath, which should be cleaned with WD, then lightly greased. On casting reels, WD should be used to clean the worm gear on the level-wind before removing the handle and side plate to reveal the cranking gears. These, too, should be cleaned with WD, then greased before the side plate is replaced. Finally, wipe down the entire reel body, along with the reel handle, with a rag sprayed with WD-40.