As compared to our fathers and grandfathers fishing gear, the latest reels are sophisticated and complex pieces of high-end technology to help you catch that perfect fish. The older reels were not so much of a problem, but the newer tackle almost requires a mechanical engineer to put the pieces back together after you take it apart.

It only takes a little bit of know-how to take care of and maintain these expensive pieces of equipment. Although most of today’s angles want all of the know-how to maintain as well as repair their own reels, this can be a little more difficult. Each and every reel is different, so to sit here and tell you how the work is next to impossible. In general however, the basic functionality of any reel is the same.

You will obviously need the right tools for the job, most likely a small slotted and Philips head screwdrivers as well as tweezers and an old toothbrush for a bit of cleaning to the internals. Hopefully you also got the wrench and parts list that came with your reel as these will also play an important role as well as make your life that much easier.

You will also need the correct cleaning supplies like a pan of hot water as well as various lubricating materials and even some lighter fluid.

When you start to take the reel apart, always make sure to lay out the parts like an exploded view of the reel so that you can keep everything in the right spot. Don’t forget to use masking tape to label parts, especially the smaller parts which would have a tendency to roll around and get lost.

You should always keep the tweezers handy for when you come across a wire clip or a spring, as they are less likely to damage the parts than a pair of pliers.

When the time comes to cleaning the parts, try to use Simple Green rather than any type of gasoline as the gasoline is known to east up some of the plastic components inside of the fishing reel. Use the toothbrush to clean all of the dirt as well as the older grease off of the parts and then add new grease later after the parts have dried.

The carefully reassemble the reel the same way you took it apart. With any luck, your tackle will be in perfect shape for that next big outing.

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