Maintain Your Fishing Gear Properly with These Tips

If you have been fishing for quite some time now, you probably already know about the importance of maintaining your gear. Remember, your rod and reel are your crucial fishing tools, and if you neglect to care for them, you’ll have to spend even more time and money repairing or replacing your gear. You also wouldn’t want to risk losing the big one because your gear stopped working from poor maintenance!

That said, how can you go about maintaining and caring for your fishing gear? Learn how to maintain your fishing gear here!

How to Maintain Your Fishing Gear

Keeping your fishing gear in great shape is crucial to ensuring a good fishing experience. Moreover, it will save you money from repairs or purchasing new gear due to a broken rod and reel. Here are excellent tips to maintain your fishing gear properly to avoid costly consequences:

Inspect the Gear Regularly

Have you ever forgotten about your gear after a full day of fishing? Or maybe rushed packing your gear right before a trip out of excitement? Don’t worry, you aren’t alone and we understand!

However, it’s always important to check your gear before and after a trip to save yourself any hassle and costly issues in the long run.

Think of your tackle, a crucial component when it comes to your fishing experience.  Your tackle will be exposed the entire time you’re out fishing. Rocks, bites, and other things can harm it, which is why you must check your tackle after a trip and make the necessary repairs before heading out again. For instance, if you see any grime on your tackle, white spirit can help remove it.

Also, check other parts of your fishing gear. Maybe your lure is veering off to another side, indicating the possibility of it being bent. The remedy is simple – You can either use pliers to put it back into shape or have it repaired in your local tackle store.

Clean and Dry Your Gear

Besides forgetting to inspect our gear, some of us sometimes forget to clean our gear after a day out fishing. Cleaning is paramount to maintaining your gear, which is why it’s important to remember to do so! In fact, some anglers would bring mineral water with them not just to hydrate, but to clean their gear.

That’s right, you shouldn’t clean your gear from the saltwater you just fished from, you need to wash it with clean fresh water. You can wipe down your rod and reel with fresh water, but make sure that you focus more on the hooks, lures, and jigs. We recommend using oil or soap to clean these parts, along with a toothbrush to scrub them clean.

If you notice your jigs aren’t as loose compared to before, lubricate them with a bit of oil. Besides your jigs, you may need to lubricate other parts of your gear as well, such as your reel. We know that the smell of oil can put off fish, so we recommend using scented lures to offset any of the oil.

No time to clean? You can place your lures in the dishwasher to rinse quickly, just make sure you take them out after the cycle is complete.

Once you’re done cleaning your gear, make sure you dry it! Don’t just leave it to dry on its own, as the water left on the gear can cause rust on the metal, which is very damaging to your gear. To avoid rust from ruining your fear, always dry it after use and cleaning with a clean cloth or paper towel.

How to Store Your Gear

Taking care of your fishing gear doesn’t stop after you clean and dry it. You must also ensure that you store your fishing gear properly as well, especially at the end of the season when you’ll be hiding it for a long period.

Protect your gear from rust by storing it in a warm area, as this removes the risk of exposure to dampness and condensation. We suggest storing it in your bedroom closet or in any other spots that are less susceptible to experiencing significant temperature changes. This means avoiding basements, garages, or other areas close to the exterior walls unless they are well-insulated.

When storing your reel, make sure you keep it in a special place and position. Lay them down flat rather than have them stand against the wall to avoid bending or setting.

Loosen and Clean the Reels

While this tip might seem unnecessary because your reels aren’t as exposed to the elements, it’s still important to loosen and clean your reels.

Loosen the drag off your reels after the end of your fishing day to avoid unnecessary tension. You should also loosen your reels before storing them at the end of the season. Do the same with your jigs and lures, keeping them clean with clean water (dry them as well).

When cleaning your reels, you’ll notice that they have a lot of nooks and crannies that can’t be easily reached with a cloth or paper towel. Rather than just leaving the water there to dry itself, we suggest a hairdryer to dry those difficult-to-reach areas. Then before you pack them until the next fishing season, add extra TLC by putting a bit of specialized oil to your gear. This will allow your lines to pass through your reels as smoothly as possible.

Wrapping It Up

It doesn’t matter if you’re a beginner angler or a professional fishing charter captain – You must take adequate steps to maintain your fishing gear! Fortunately, fishing gear maintenance isn’t as difficult as you might have assumed.

Hopefully, our tips on how to maintain your fishing gear helped you out. Keep these tips in mind and make sure you begin caring for your fishing gear properly if you haven’t. If you’re also planning your next fishing trip in Oregon, contact us now to book a charter