As a beginner in angling or even professionals, do have to maintain their fishing gears. Not only will it prevent immediate rusting or keep it for a long time, this will also save you tons of money as you will not buy to replace gears that are not properly maintained. Maintaining your fishing gear is one of the basic procedures that every anglers or fishermen must do. At the end of your fishing trip, you have to check the hooks of the long-lines to replace the damaged one that was resulted from rough sea beds or other misfortunes that might happen. This is normal but you can still prolong the use if you follow the tips I will provide in here.
Here are some tips to maintaining your fishing gear and preventing baits and reels from rusting out:
Table of Contents
Storage
1. Make sure you have a quality tackle box.
Tackle box is designed as a storage box for your fishing gear. You have to make sure that the tackle box you bought has a lot of compartments. You must organize your fishing lures so that it will tangle easily with your fishing hook removal tools. It is also a must that you have a waterproof tackle box to prevent any future rusting of your gears especially your fishing lures. It is because if the lures start to rust, you might need to replace them and it will be costly eventually on your part.
2. Use a quality fishing rod case.
If you really want to be serious and will make fishing as part of your life, I will suggest having a good quality case for your fishing rod. I can say that you will buy a quality fishing rod that comes with a price so this can be expensive. But definitely it will ensure you have an advantage in fishing. So in this case, a storage that will protect this dear fishing rod is a must. This case will safeguard your rod from snapping while being transported or any circumstances. This will also be a convenient tool since it makes storing your fishing rod easy.
3. Store your fishing gears in warm areas.
You have to make sure that you have to store all your fishing gear inside your home like in a warm closet or storage area but remember that these areas might have cooler temperatures when winter comes. This you have to avoid as any moisture or dampness in your gears will result in rust. And rust comes with a price. Another replacement for your gears!
4. Make sure you leave all your tackle trays and boxes fully opened in a dry warm area.
This step will allow all your wet baits and any water that might be still in your trays too to dry up after you used it. This is the easiest method of drying. But there will be other options like wiping down bait compartments with dry cloths or using a hair dryer for quick drying.
Inspect your fishing gears
5. Check your fishing line.
One thing that is a must in maintaining your fishing line is to check it every once in a while to ensure that it does not have any weak spots and is still strong enough. Remember, weak fishing lines will result in losing a big fish. So if you find you line dull or scratched, it’s time to replace it with a newer one.
6. Inspect your fishing net.
If you have a fish net, make sure that you frequently check the mesh part from any big holes so that this will not cause it to rip apart when you catch a bigger fish. You don’t want to miss a big catch just because of a broken net, right?
After using your gears
7. Wash your reels after using it. Then blow dry them.
After you are done with your angling trip, it is recommended to run a very warm water with your gears like reels for about 10 seconds. Then turning it around and ensuring that all the accumulated dirt will be rinsed off. You should be gently rinsing it off and not submerging it in water. You can also use a medium to medium-high faucet pressure. No need to use high pressure methods like a garden hose, as that much water pressure will actually push water into tight areas of your reels. Then you can dry it using a cloth or blow dry with a hair dryer before storing it to its proper box or storage.
7. Put a little oil on your reels.
After the drying process that will take about 24-48 hours, you can add a little moisture on your reels by putting a few drops of reel oil. This will lubricate all moving parts in fresh and saltwater fishing reels. It penetrates into tight spaces to lubricate small high speed bearings and between tight surfaces.
Conclusion
Maintaining your fishing gear is not that complicated. With just proper care and checking, this will result in having your fishing gear to stay longer and save you money at the same time. So again, nothing beats proper care of your fishing gears than buying another one!