es and roughness start to happen , which eventually leads to the reel not holding up .
And if you think you take care of your reels and surely they ’ re clean on the inside , guess again .
“ You don ’ t realize how much stuff gets in your reel ,” Davis says . “ Pollen in the spring . Grime from water . Driving down a dirt road to get to a ramp is horrible for your reel because all of the dust in the air . Even grass gets in . How , I have no idea , but it does . They ’ ve taken mine apart and found pieces of hydrilla on the inside . That ’ s obviously a big problem , but even the littlest piece of dirt or grime can be hell on a reel .”
That ’ s where regular maintenance is huge for keeping your reels working properly and allowing them to last for years and years .
How often you need to perform said maintenance depends on the brand of reels you buy and your style of fishing and amount you fish . Davis says if you ’ re a hardcore angler , performing reel maintenance at least once ( if not twice ) a year is imperative . As for the more casual angler , once every two years should be fine . And , of course , pay attention to the little signs ( like odd noises or grinding ) that may signal that a cleaning is needed .
“ I ’ m talking about doing things that take out small roughness and noise ,” Davis says . “ If it ’ s clanking , it ’ s something major . Send that back . A good rule of thumb is if you have to start taking screws out , send it back . Never do it on your own , ever . You don ’ t know what you ’ re doing . There are so many gears , washers and springs . Then a spring goes flying and you have to find it and then don ’ t know where to put it back . Don ’ t bother with that .”
OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2022 | MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM 77