Thread: Rod & Reel Cleaning

Interesting thread! I may have to try the 336. What problem do you have with WD-40? I must admit I used it on my outboards and it would discolor the gray yamaha paint over time.which I didn't like. I've never had an issue with reels, but I use a very light mist except for targeted areas. Always willing to upgrade to a better product as long as it doesn't cost an arm and a leg. I buy WD in gallon jugs lol.

Folks say WD40 is a more like a solvent and less like a long-term lubricant and supposedly can attract moisture (odd, since WD stands for water displacement and it was for electronic contacts) or get gummy over time. It can attack certain plastics but I don't know what plastics are in my gear so I don't have a way to use that information.

WD 40 certainly seems to work short term or in a pinch. Like a Swiss army knife it does a lot in a pinch but won't replace a tool box of specialized task-specific items.

My every-trip gear care routine starts in the shower -- low pressure freshwater rinses (no pressure spray hoses and no underwater soaking) followed by air drying. Same-day washing is a pain but seems to fight that gradual saltwater etching. I even drop all the rigs/lures I used that day into the sink, dry overnight and repack them the next morning. Reel oils or greases like Penn's go inside on deep cleaning, but not daily.

I have found 336 to be a very good product for storage, such as guns going in the safe or reels in the reel cabinet. No residue left excpet a light film that seems like a dry lubricant. As spoken before WD40 is made to remove water, not as a lubricant

Contact me here or at reelfix@myyahoo.com. I’ll do a thorough cleaning, inside and out, and grease and oil them. Then they’ll be ready for next year.