5 Must Know Reel Cleaning Tips!

Give these 5 reel cleaning tips a try to bring your fishing reels back to life!

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I was born and raised in Chicago, but after working 12 years in the financial Industry regulating the futures and options markets at the CME/CBOT I decided to pursue my passion fishing professional tournaments and left my full time corporate job. At that point, I moved to Junction City, WI with my wife Sara and two boys Hank and Duke. I've been fishing professionally since 2011 and full-time since 2015. I've qualified for seven MLF Championships and won over a half million in tournament winnings at the professional level.

[markpousard]

Great tips! Now let's see one on what to clean and where to oil/grease. Never cleaned a reel before.

[grandwonder]

Matt, I’ve learned more about cleaning reels with your 9 minute videos than the 10+ years of watching the “professional” reel cleaners on Youtube! None of those guys gives me any valuable information that I could use to clean my reels like you do! They simply take reels apart and put the parts back together after wiping the parts clean and they usually do it in dimly lit light and too far off from the camera for me to clearly see everything! In fact, I learned more from watching two minutes of your video than the 100+ videos that I have watched over the years! This is by far your best video ever! Maybe you could do a video on cleaning a spinning reel as well as a baitcaster reel in the future? Thanks bro!

[williamsmith]

Maybe you could film the process of a reel cleaning. I would like to see how you do it rather than just have tips. Thanks for all your great videos and keep up the good work.

[johntovar]

Great advice, and perfect timing! I'm a firm believer that if you take care of your equipment then it will last you for years of fishing enjoyment. Keep on putting out the quality content that you provide.
You and your family have a blessed holidays.

[paulroach]

To add to keeping track of where things go when taking apart a reel. Take pictures with your phone as you take things off so you know where they go when it's time to put them back.

[Garminrules]

Matt, great topic overlooked by so many....dirt is our enemy for sure....thanks for reminder.

[peterhingTheSkiandFishGuy]

This is a really good video Matt and one that I agree with another follower that I would love to see you do a hands on cleaning of your baitcasters and your spinning reels. I have watched so many videos on how to clean your reels and there are some really bad one's where they put oil all over the drag system?? That was pretty crazy. I am a total believer in taking care of your gear be it your fishing equipment, your car, truck, SUV etc the correct way so you can enjoy them for years to come which will save some money down the road with costlier repairs, etc. Love the key phase of "grease your gears and oil your bearing's" and not too much. Thanks again Matt as my plan was to go over all my reels over the holidays. Also love the cookie pan and numbered box to keep track of all the small parts. Awesome! 😀

[jonathanhardin]

The little tackle box idea is brilliant

[richardblake]

Very timely Matt, I've also used pressurized air to get foreign matter out of the pawl area on baitcasters. Thanks.

[richardbossman]

My technique for keeping parts in order is twofold,

I lay everything out as if I was looking at an exploded view, usually in line with each other if they all are assembled along a shaft ( like the handle, star drag, various washers and bearings). I lay anything that has a particular way that it faces so it lays in the same orientation as it is assembled ( for instance some washers/spacers behind the drag star on a bait caster are cupped and they are cupped in one direction each one when assembled).

I also take pictures and even video when I open reels up or take off side plates to have something to refer back to if anything gets out of order when cleaning.

[johnrayner]

Very timely advice on this one, its that time of year. On my bearings I have been using Lucas Reel oil for my bearings and handles and it works and lasts all year.

[terrytresemer]

All very sound tips and tricks. Decades ago I had a tray like what you would find in a high school or collage lunch room. It worked great till the wife got into hobbies. The box is great too.

[shannonhearitige]

The water 😂 why didn't think of that.... great tip 👍

[kurtdikkers]

I really appreciate companies that have reel schematics available for download. I’m braver doing a reel cleaning with a schematic on my tablet.

[geneborowsky]

Great advice on your number system far as taking apart and putting back together Matt I appreciate it very much

[everythingoutdoors-vlbl]

Baking sheet or a mechanics bowl are clutch!!! Merry Christmas matt

[rvfishingyet]

I gotta get on the reel cleaning. Really solid point about some reel materials not needing/reacting poorly to grease/oils. Is there an easier way to know vice contacting the general emails of the manufacturers? Is it obviously noted in online documentation/manuals?

[MrJohnB-qsdp]

Great video!!! Thanks for sharing those great cleaning tips and advice!!! Stay Safe & God Bless!!!

[LowBrowFishing]

Reel maintenance is something I need to do on a more regular basis. I like to use 3-in-1 machine oil on my baitcaster handles and spool. A few drops will do you.

[davidcrump]

Properly keeping reels clean helps make them last much longer. I just got rid of a Lew’s bb-1ng that I purchased the year after David Fritz won his classic using one. I used it for crankbaits but never been big on crankbaits but I also love using it for Carolina rigs also! I always slow down when I use a Carolina rig. I also use a much shorter leader than most. I only use up to about a 2’ leader. Most times 16”- 18”.