Storing Tackle and Taking care of your equipment

jooleyen · 12-13-06, 03:07 PM

Hi all.

What do you use to store your tackle? Do you use specific boxes for a certain type of bait? I was thinking about getting a crankbait box. I only have five crankbaits and they take up all of the space in a box, but if I had a crankbait box, they wouldn't even take up 1/4 of the box.

I know it gets to the point where you can't fit nearly all of your tackle in one tackle bag. When this happens do you find out what you are going to use prior to fishing, and then only take that stuff?

How do you take care of your rods and reels on a monthly/weekly basis?

I notice that if I let three feet of line out, and I sway the line back and forth, it makes a tick tick noise, because there is a small dent on my rod guide. I think that's what I get for purchasing a cheap rod.

I have a crankbait that broke after hitting some logs. http://www.flickr.com/photos/15156139@N00/321512092/

Would you bother to fix it?

Thanks all and sorry for the length of the post.

Julien

Raul · 12-13-06, 04:42 PM

If you take care of your stuff it will last for ages.

Baits: never store them wet, allow them to dry completely before storing them, rust not only stains but also it ruins the sharpness of the hooks. Put several sachets of silica gel in your T-box, that will suck up any moisture.

Rods: wax the blank ( you can use car wax ) not only it protects the blank from the harmful UV light, it also deters watermarks from forming and if they form just rub with a cloth and the mark will dissapear; wax also covers scratches. For the handle, wash it with a soft bristle brush and hand soap ( mild ) to remove the dirt, rinse throughly and allow to dry out completely before storing; then insert it in a rod sox.

Reels: clean the exterior with a lint free cloth every trip, oil the spool supporting bearings every 2-3 trips ( use only REEL OIL ); if you don´t know how to disassemble a reel don´t do it, send the reel to a repair center every 6 to 12 months for professional cleaning and lubing. NEVER store a reel with the drag tightened, the constant pressure will flatten the metal washers and the drag pads will loose thickness, in the longer run the drag will stop working smoothly. The same applies to the mechanical brake of baitcasters, always loosen it. Once cleaned into a cover.

Soft plastics: keep them stored in their original bag.

skeeter944 · 12-13-06, 09:20 PM

raul is right,if you take good care of your stuff it will last a long time.

Rebbasser · 12-13-06, 10:53 PM

Jools-get yourself some Plano 3600 boxes. You can get them anyplace that sells tackle-even WalMart. They measure 14X9X2 inches and are pretty much the industry standard. They have dividers that you can put in to make compartments whatever size you want, and most tackle bags are designed to hold 4, 6, or more of them. You can put crankbaits in one, soft plastics in another, etc.-however you want to organize them and carry them in a tackle bag.

That way, you take out the stuff you won't use and put in the stuff you will use depending on where you will be fishing.

You could try to fix your crank but it would probably be easier just to get a new one. Unfortunately, crankbaits break-I whacked my favorite shallow runner against my boat and broke the bill off it

. I'd just replace it.

jooleyen · 12-28-06, 02:25 PM

What reel oil would you suggest? I hear a lot about Quantum Hot Sauce.
Do any of you have a diagram to show me what parts to oil? Also, could someone give me just a few pointers on easily disassembling a reel?

Thanks-

Julien

crankybait · 12-28-06, 03:25 PM

jooleyen- the info you are looking in comes in the box with your reel, there is a manual of parts and how to disassemble, and what goes where. If you don't think you can do it, DO NOT DO IT! That was my mistake...

Wishing2BFishing · 12-28-06, 03:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crankybait

jooleyen- the info you are looking in comes in the box with your reel, there is a manual of parts and how to disassemble, and what goes where. If you don't think you can do it, DO NOT DO IT! That was my mistake...

Cranky, I gotta' admit, I made the same mistake myself. When I was younger, my first decent combo was an Ugly Stick Lite paired with a Shakespeare reel (a trout combo). At some point, I decided to take apart the reel so that I could do a thorough clean and oil. I never got that thing back together.

jooleyen · 12-28-06, 03:53 PM

Yeah...
I guess I'd much rather meet someone at a lake or tackle shop who could teach me thoroughly or just send it to someone who knows what they're doing. Is there anything I can do after each trip without disassembling the reel?

Thanks-

Julien

islandflyfisher · 12-28-06, 04:06 PM

I made the same mistake, but I was trying to fix my reel. It was a quantum. I sent it back to them anyway. They still gave me a new reel. It wasn't the same as the old one, because they stopped making them, but they bailed me out. I got really lucky. Bring it to your tackle shop, and try to bring to one that you know fixes it in the store.

texasbasser · 12-28-06, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jooleyen

Yeah...
I guess I'd much rather meet someone at a lake or tackle shop who could teach me thoroughly or just send it to someone who knows what they're doing. Is there anything I can do after each trip without disassembling the reel?

dunk it in water, or spray DW-40 around the moving parts.

crankybait · 12-28-06, 05:19 PM

yeah see my first reel was getting stoppy so i popped out the sideplates n sprayed reel magic into it... then when i put it back together it didnt work.

JB · 12-28-06, 05:34 PM

cranky,
sometimes you have to remove the spool and clean it for sand, that could be the culprit, unless you have been using the reel as a hammer on one of your lures

Rebbasser · 12-28-06, 05:41 PM

jools-I'd hold off on the WD-40. The WD stands for Water Displacement. It will get the water out but will not lubricate it.

You want to oil the bearings and grease the gears. Here's a couple links on reel maintenance:

http://home.att.net/~kelley_brown/reelservice.html

http://www.lakeforktacklerepair.com/techniques.htm

Just do a search for reel maintenance and you will find all kinds of info.

crankybait · 12-28-06, 05:46 PM

see I tried operating on my reel waaay before any hint of common sense started showing... probably around a month after I first joined BDO, about a month before i joined here. They said clean reels... so i figured ok fine I'll take it apart spray the WD... yeah.
Now I know muuuch better. I wash off the spool and spra the line every few trips

JB · 12-28-06, 05:56 PM

cranky,
problem solved the next quality reel you get, save the manual and parts list and the box it came in, the schamatic will allow you to follow the assemby, helping you to take it apart....each part you take off from the handle nut to the sideplate, lay on the table in order that you took it off, then you'll have to reverse the process to assemble it.

jooleyen · 12-28-06, 06:36 PM

Thanks a lot guys. I'm gettin the new reel and rod in a few hours, and I just wanted to clarify how I should take care of it.

. I'll take pictures if you'd like.

skeeter944 · 12-28-06, 07:30 PM

sweet! taking pics sounds great! i cant wait!

crankybait · 12-28-06, 08:27 PM

yeah Jb, I should try that. Any reccomendations on lubricant? I hear Quantum makes some good stuff. Lucky for me, dad travels a lot and happened to be in Singapore. there is a road called beach road, loaded with tackle shops. He grabbed me a shimano. He knows its the 2500 size which is good, but when i asked what model, he says its chrome and gold... That really narrows it down. Hopefully it has a box!

JB · 12-28-06, 08:44 PM

I've always used a light oil for sewing machines for the bearings and then reel magic for the rest cranky..I've had this same can of oil 25 years, I think its called 3 in 1 oil

]

skeeter944 · 12-28-06, 11:59 PM

how does that stuff hold up jb? i think that would work for me,i have some at the house.

Rebbasser · 12-29-06, 01:36 AM

I use Quantum Hot Sauce, but the 3-1 oil will work fine.

zooker · 12-29-06, 06:11 AM

i never use 3 in 1 the problem with this stuff is over time and using it. the stuff gets hard. after 6 months of non usage this oil truns to a very diffacult to remove varnish like substance..

thanks but no thanks..i like quatum hot sauce oil and butch's bore batter grease..

zooker

crankybait · 12-29-06, 09:09 AM

hot sauce or 3 and1... zat is the question. I'm thinking hot sauce over long breaks and 3 and 1 before trips???

JB · 12-29-06, 09:16 AM

they probably all do the job, I've been using that same oil can on the same 7 baitcasters since 1995

BPACA · 12-29-06, 09:59 AM

naw man get the hot sauce...it's what I use...I used 3 in 1 and it messed up my reel one time..

12-13-06, 03:07 PM	#1
jooleyen BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 1,509	Storing Tackle and Taking care of your equipment Hi all. What do you use to store your tackle? Do you use specific boxes for a certain type of bait? I was thinking about getting a crankbait box. I only have five crankbaits and they take up all of the space in a box, but if I had a crankbait box, they wouldn't even take up 1/4 of the box. I know it gets to the point where you can't fit nearly all of your tackle in one tackle bag. When this happens do you find out what you are going to use prior to fishing, and then only take that stuff? How do you take care of your rods and reels on a monthly/weekly basis? I notice that if I let three feet of line out, and I sway the line back and forth, it makes a tick tick noise, because there is a small dent on my rod guide. I think that's what I get for purchasing a cheap rod. I have a crankbait that broke after hitting some logs. http://www.flickr.com/photos/15156139@N00/321512092/ Would you bother to fix it? Thanks all and sorry for the length of the post. Julien

12-13-06, 10:53 PM	#4
Rebbasser BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: San Antonio, TX Posts: 10,141	Jools-get yourself some Plano 3600 boxes. You can get them anyplace that sells tackle-even WalMart. They measure 14X9X2 inches and are pretty much the industry standard. They have dividers that you can put in to make compartments whatever size you want, and most tackle bags are designed to hold 4, 6, or more of them. You can put crankbaits in one, soft plastics in another, etc.-however you want to organize them and carry them in a tackle bag. That way, you take out the stuff you won't use and put in the stuff you will use depending on where you will be fishing. You could try to fix your crank but it would probably be easier just to get a new one. Unfortunately, crankbaits break-I whacked my favorite shallow runner against my boat and broke the bill off it . I'd just replace it. __________________ It's happened to the best of them: John 21:3

12-28-06, 03:25 PM	#6
crankybait BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: marlboro, nj Posts: 3,250	jooleyen- the info you are looking in comes in the box with your reel, there is a manual of parts and how to disassemble, and what goes where. If you don't think you can do it, DO NOT DO IT! That was my mistake... __________________ www.fishinfanatics.com

12-28-06, 05:19 PM	#11
crankybait BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: marlboro, nj Posts: 3,250	yeah see my first reel was getting stoppy so i popped out the sideplates n sprayed reel magic into it... then when i put it back together it didnt work. __________________ www.fishinfanatics.com

12-28-06, 05:41 PM	#13
Rebbasser BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: San Antonio, TX Posts: 10,141	jools-I'd hold off on the WD-40. The WD stands for Water Displacement. It will get the water out but will not lubricate it. You want to oil the bearings and grease the gears. Here's a couple links on reel maintenance: http://home.att.net/~kelley_brown/reelservice.html http://www.lakeforktacklerepair.com/techniques.htm Just do a search for reel maintenance and you will find all kinds of info. __________________ It's happened to the best of them: John 21:3

12-13-06, 04:42 PM	#2
Raul BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 1,030	If you take care of your stuff it will last for ages. Baits: never store them wet, allow them to dry completely before storing them, rust not only stains but also it ruins the sharpness of the hooks. Put several sachets of silica gel in your T-box, that will suck up any moisture. Rods: wax the blank ( you can use car wax ) not only it protects the blank from the harmful UV light, it also deters watermarks from forming and if they form just rub with a cloth and the mark will dissapear; wax also covers scratches. For the handle, wash it with a soft bristle brush and hand soap ( mild ) to remove the dirt, rinse throughly and allow to dry out completely before storing; then insert it in a rod sox. Reels: clean the exterior with a lint free cloth every trip, oil the spool supporting bearings every 2-3 trips ( use only REEL OIL ); if you don´t know how to disassemble a reel don´t do it, send the reel to a repair center every 6 to 12 months for professional cleaning and lubing. NEVER store a reel with the drag tightened, the constant pressure will flatten the metal washers and the drag pads will loose thickness, in the longer run the drag will stop working smoothly. The same applies to the mechanical brake of baitcasters, always loosen it. Once cleaned into a cover. Soft plastics: keep them stored in their original bag.

12-13-06, 09:20 PM	#3
skeeter944 BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Somewhere in South Carolina Posts: 2,377	raul is right,if you take good care of your stuff it will last a long time.

12-28-06, 02:25 PM	#5
jooleyen BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 1,509	What reel oil would you suggest? I hear a lot about Quantum Hot Sauce. Do any of you have a diagram to show me what parts to oil? Also, could someone give me just a few pointers on easily disassembling a reel? Thanks- Julien

12-28-06, 03:53 PM	#8
jooleyen BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 1,509	Yeah... I guess I'd much rather meet someone at a lake or tackle shop who could teach me thoroughly or just send it to someone who knows what they're doing. Is there anything I can do after each trip without disassembling the reel? Thanks- Julien

12-28-06, 04:06 PM	#9
islandflyfisher BassFishin.Com Active Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 329	I made the same mistake, but I was trying to fix my reel. It was a quantum. I sent it back to them anyway. They still gave me a new reel. It wasn't the same as the old one, because they stopped making them, but they bailed me out. I got really lucky. Bring it to your tackle shop, and try to bring to one that you know fixes it in the store.

12-28-06, 05:34 PM	#12
JB BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 8,655	cranky, sometimes you have to remove the spool and clean it for sand, that could be the culprit, unless you have been using the reel as a hammer on one of your lures

12-28-06, 05:46 PM	#14
crankybait BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: marlboro, nj Posts: 3,250	see I tried operating on my reel waaay before any hint of common sense started showing... probably around a month after I first joined BDO, about a month before i joined here. They said clean reels... so i figured ok fine I'll take it apart spray the WD... yeah. Now I know muuuch better. I wash off the spool and spra the line every few trips __________________ www.fishinfanatics.com

12-28-06, 05:56 PM	#15
JB BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 8,655	cranky, problem solved the next quality reel you get, save the manual and parts list and the box it came in, the schamatic will allow you to follow the assemby, helping you to take it apart....each part you take off from the handle nut to the sideplate, lay on the table in order that you took it off, then you'll have to reverse the process to assemble it.

12-28-06, 06:36 PM	#16
jooleyen BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 1,509	Thanks a lot guys. I'm gettin the new reel and rod in a few hours, and I just wanted to clarify how I should take care of it. . I'll take pictures if you'd like.

12-28-06, 07:30 PM	#17
skeeter944 BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Somewhere in South Carolina Posts: 2,377	sweet! taking pics sounds great! i cant wait!

12-28-06, 08:27 PM	#18
crankybait BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: marlboro, nj Posts: 3,250	yeah Jb, I should try that. Any reccomendations on lubricant? I hear Quantum makes some good stuff. Lucky for me, dad travels a lot and happened to be in Singapore. there is a road called beach road, loaded with tackle shops. He grabbed me a shimano. He knows its the 2500 size which is good, but when i asked what model, he says its chrome and gold... That really narrows it down. Hopefully it has a box! __________________ www.fishinfanatics.com

12-28-06, 08:44 PM	#19
JB BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 8,655	I've always used a light oil for sewing machines for the bearings and then reel magic for the rest cranky..I've had this same can of oil 25 years, I think its called 3 in 1 oil ]

12-28-06, 11:59 PM	#20
skeeter944 BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Somewhere in South Carolina Posts: 2,377	how does that stuff hold up jb? i think that would work for me,i have some at the house.

12-29-06, 01:36 AM	#21
Rebbasser BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: San Antonio, TX Posts: 10,141	I use Quantum Hot Sauce, but the 3-1 oil will work fine. __________________ It's happened to the best of them: John 21:3

12-29-06, 06:11 AM	#22
zooker BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: denton nc Posts: 13,441	i never use 3 in 1 the problem with this stuff is over time and using it. the stuff gets hard. after 6 months of non usage this oil truns to a very diffacult to remove varnish like substance.. thanks but no thanks..i like quatum hot sauce oil and butch's bore batter grease.. zooker __________________ the godfather.. aml in remission since 7-20-09

12-29-06, 09:09 AM	#23
crankybait BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: marlboro, nj Posts: 3,250	hot sauce or 3 and1... zat is the question. I'm thinking hot sauce over long breaks and 3 and 1 before trips??? __________________ www.fishinfanatics.com

12-29-06, 09:16 AM	#24
JB BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 8,655	they probably all do the job, I've been using that same oil can on the same 7 baitcasters since 1995

12-29-06, 09:59 AM	#25
BPACA BassFishin.Com Active Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 420	naw man get the hot sauce...it's what I use...I used 3 in 1 and it messed up my reel one time..

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