Rod and Reel Care Tips

Adapted from Capt. John King's article "Reel Tips for your Rods & Reels" (2005–2011) on MichiganSportsman.com. Read the original.

Capt. John spent over 20 years keeping charter tackle working. These are his tips for making rods and reels last.

Level wind reels

  • Grease the worm gear and pawl. Without grease, the pawl wears out, the level wind stops working, and line bunches up and jams the reel.
  • Emergency fix with a fish on: unscrew the retaining cap and pull the pawl. The line guide will float free and you can guide line by hand to land the fish.
  • Temporary repair: a paper shim under a worn pawl can restore contact until a new one arrives. Keep spare pawls on hand.
  • Storage: always back off the star drag when reels sit for more than a day or two.

Filling the spool

  • Fill reels to the top. A full spool picks up more line per turn of the handle, and it's insurance against getting spooled by a trophy fish.
  • Leave about 1/8" between the line and the level wind guide. Wet mono swells and can jam against the guide.
  • When re-spooling, leave about half the old line on as backing and join the two with a blood knot.

John's line choices

  • 45# copper and 27# lead core
  • 30# 7-strand stainless wire for wire divers
  • 35# Spectron braid for braid divers
  • 50# mono for diver leaders
  • 30# mono for downrigger reels

Mono on divers in spring often out-produces braid or wire. Let out copper and lead core with enough tension. Change line at the first sign of wear, and store rods and reels out of the sun; UV is hard on line.

Rods

  • Worn wraps: clear nail polish over the thread wraps can add a season or two.
  • Check every guide. A chipped guide can have a razor-sharp edge that only cuts line when the rod is bent on a big fish. Run a Q-tip through each guide; cotton snags on bad spots.
  • Never hang lures on the guides. Hook them on the reel's top bar instead.
  • Replacing a rod tip: scrape off the old cement, heat ferrule cement, and set the new tip. Line it up with the guides while the glue is warm; cold water speeds curing.

More: Spread Setup Guide · Wire and braid diver tips

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