TUTORIAL[24]: Basic maintenance after a trip

Some basic maintenance is needed to be done after a fishing trip, as we all know, sea water is a highly corrosive element. Therefore, it is important to remove it from your equipment as much as you can. Once home, rinse the rods under a running water, making sure to take care of the guides. If possible, use warm water from a hot shower head. For the reels, tighten the drag, run it under the water for about 30 secs, especially the at the lines. Drag must be tighten enough to prevent water from seeping into the mechanism.

After the washing, wipe and put it out to dry. That should be enough.

For other equipment like scissors and pliers, do wash them too. Else they will turn rusty and will not be able to serve you well for your next trip.

Periodic maintenance:
After a few trips, you will find the reel not as smooth as before. When this happens, you will have to re-oil the reel. For beginners, this is usually quite difficult unless you are technically minded and is good with mechanical tools. The alternative is to send it to the shop for servicing. It will usually cost around $10 per reel.