Outdoors Central

Nothing is more frustrating than to prepare to go fishing only to find your reel is in need of repair or maintenance. Although reel repair and maintenance is best left to professionals, if you’ve got time on your hands and are not willing to wait for a professional, you can do it yourself.  There are some specific steps that you need to take, and a great deal of caution that needs to be exercised.

Preparation

As with any other project, preparation is crucial to the success of your reel repair or maintenance project.  Start off with a very large work area – you’ll want to make sure that you have sufficient room to lay down each part of your reel as you remove it. In addition, you’re going to want to either hand-draw a diagram or use a digital camera to document each piece of your reel so that you can put it back together when you’re done cleaning and repairing it.

Take it apart

Most reels come apart the same way, since they are built in a similar fashion (for the most part, some reels may vary slightly).  This step is the most important time to photograph or draw each piece as it comes off, so that you can guarantee that you will be able to put the reel back together.  Carefully remove each piece and place them in some kind of order (i.e. order removed).  Be sure to take special care with very small pieces, such as screws, springs, and similar objects.  Every piece has an important function, and each has a particular place in your reel.

The Tools

The tools used during the repair and maintenance process are elemental components of your project’s success.  Before beginning the project, confirm that you have what you should, so that you do not have to go searching for something in the midst of the job. Essential tools typically include an assortment of different sized screwdrivers (Philips and flathead), pliers, ratchets (with appropriate heads), unsoiled and absorbent rags, small brush (such as a clean toothbrush), reel grease, and reel oil.  You should check to be sure that the reel grease and reel oil are in sealed containers to avoid messy spills.

Starting The Disassembly

Your first step is to take the reel apart slowly, taking great care with each piece, to decrease the likelihood of losing or breaking important parts.  Next, you can proceed carefully with cleaning the reel case.  Locate the nut that holds the reel handle in place and remove it.  Turn the drag star counterclockwise and place it to the side.  Carefully remove the side plate, and make sure to keep the four screws holding it on in a safe place.  Separate the main gear assembly.  Remove the spool from the reel case.  Use a rag to remove sand, dirt, and/or old grease.  Grease the whole mechanism.  If the reel uses a worm gear, you have to turn the level wind (inside the left plate) to make sure this gear is greased properly.  Next, you should use a small amount of reel grease to grease all teeth.  Clean the spool.  Oil the endpins.  Finally, you can replace the spool in the end case.

Main Drive Gear Assembly

This is perhaps one of the most critical parts of your cleaning and maintenance routine.  Failure to follow these steps could result in problems down the line.  Make sure to carefully remove the screws that join your main gear assembly. Some of these will be attached to a mounting plate while others will be able to simply be lifted out. Once you have freed the main gear assembly remove any old grease, dirt and sand from the gear assembly. Make sure that you are removing all old soil for best results. Once you’ve completed the cleaning, thoroughly grease the gear assembly.

The next portion of your cleaning and maintenance will involve the main drive gear assembly.  Each step must be followed precisely to avoid problems.

The small parts

The main gear has washers within the top. After taking them apart, you can photograph or map the placement of every one.  Then resume with the cleaning.  Cleanse each washer with a cloth.  Lubricate, being careful to manipulate the clean grease into each washer.  Get rid of leftover grease with a clean rag.  Finally, when the washers are totally dry, you should return them in the correct sequence.

Locked bearings can be a huge setback for some reels, so be sure to carefully lubricate every bearing down all sides or swap the bearing.  Do not try to take the bearing apart, or you will end up cleaning BBs from your workplace!

Putting it all together

You start by positioning the spool back in the reel casing.  Set the right side plate and gear assembly above the endpin.  Align the screw holes, watching that each side is lined up correctly.  Attach each screw into the side plate.  Reattach the drag star.  Next, you should attach your reel’s handle.

Testing

You can test your work by ensuring that all parts are well anchored and also back where they were removed from.  Using your digital photos (or hand drawn diagram) will help you make sure that everything has gone back to the proper place.

Summary

Although the process is tedious and time consuming, you can easily perform these simple maintenance steps and save money.  However, you need a steady hand, and most find that either a magnifying lens or good eyesight is very helpful. No matter what type of reel you are using (conventional or bait-casting), these simple steps can help avoid having to wait for and pay a professional to keep your reel working smoothly.  Since many fishermen are particular about who touches their reels, simply utilizing tools such as these can help prevent mistakes and/or repair bills.  Keep your reel clean and properly maintained, and you will virtually guarantee long life for your reel.

There are many great reels out on the market, some of the most popular include: Shimano Reels and Penn Fishing Reels.

If you’re dissatisfied with the cold weather and want to start fishing, you’re probably considering ice fishing. If you live in New England, you’ve got plenty of opportunities just waiting for you. Striped bass are available as early as March and in April you’ll have the opportunity to begin fishing for fluke (also known as winter flounder).  The reason they are so plentiful at this time of year is that they are spawning along the coastline.

Modern restrictions have newly been placed on winter flounder owing in large part to over-harvesting and incompatible reproduction habitats.  These restrictions have shortened winter flounder season to just 6 or 8 weeks, but this still offers plenty of time for a great winter fluke season.

Different from summer flounder, you can effortlessly fish for winter flounder with fairly light line (8-12 lbs) and a rod as short as 6-7 feet is sufficient.  You should keep in mind that these fish only weigh around 2-3 lbs! Designing a winter flounder rig can be as easy or as complex as you decide to make it.  In any case, success is nearly guaranteed provided that you make use of the smaller hooks, which are a vital part of fishing for winter flounder.  Small hooks and weights are used to keep bait at the bottom and are adaptable for both the habitat where winter flounder are found and their tiny, practically toothless mouths.

The next step is for you to intermix yellow grubs or beads (attached to the shaft) with bait for winter flounder, and winter flounder rigs are easily recognizable by their bright yellow bait.  No matter whether you decide to fish with mussel, sandworms or bloodworms, bright yellow rigs attract winter flounder with tremendous success.

Chumming is another good idea when you are fishing for winter flounder.  This is true whether you fish while anchored in a boat or from the shoreline, and this method helps draw in jam-packed schools of winter flounder.  You will have all the gear you need to maximize your winter flounder fishing experience once you simply pick up your chum pots at a local bait and tackle shop.  Just attach the pot to an inflexible area near the shore or fasten it to your boat.

For those who prefer to cast dual rods, you can use one behind your boat (in the same direction as the current) and one along-side the boat near your chum pot.  This method not only helps you catch more flounder but it helps you get the most out of your chum pots.

You have a great chance to catch a large number of winter flounder in fairly shallow water since they have a predisposition of gathering together in areas where they can find food in large quantity.  In most instances, the more shallow the water is the warmer it will be, and consequently the more plentiful the fluke’s source of food.  As a result, you can typically find a school of winter flounder near areas of sand and gravel that commonly become muddy frequently.

If you’re a saltwater angler, winter flounder is a great way to break back into fishing after a long and cold winter. These delicately flavored fish also help restock your freezer after the winter and before the summer fishing season gets underway.

When fishing for winter flounder you want to make sure that you have the proper equipment, some products to consider are Shimano Fishing Reel and Penn Reels Fishing.