How to Store Fishing Reels?

If you love enjoying your leisure or weekends fishing in the pond or the lake, then there are high chances that you’ve pondered over adopting some effective methods for storing fishing reels without getting rust on them for a prolonged time.

How To Store Fishing Reels?

Most of the fishing reels are metallic; therefore, after using it rinse everything off with lukewarm soap water, then dry them fully, spray lubricate all the moving parts of the reels, put them in bags or cases, and store them in dry places to thwart rust and corrosion.

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Whether you are using the fishing reels during your seasonal fishing time or in your leisure, you must adopt some beneficial fishing reels storing methods so that they don’t corrode away while you are not using them.

So, to make this task easier for you, here are some effective step-by-step guidance over storing fishing reels have given below.

Step by step guide to store a fishing reel

Step 1: Cut off used line

Once you are back from fishing, cut off the used fishing lines to prevent them from tangling.

Step 2: Clean everything off

As soon as you are back from fishing, you need to wash your fishing reels with lukewarm soap water; you can use an old toothbrush to remove grime, sand, or other particles from the reels.

Step 3: Dry it fully

Next up, you need to make sure that the reels have dried fully. Because these are mostly made of metals, and if there are water particles. It is most likely that without drying your fishing reels can rust quickly.

Step 4: Lubricate all moving parts

Whether you are storing the reels for an extended period or not, it is imperative to lubricate all the moving parts to prevent rusting and seizing up.

Step 5: Grease small parts with Vaseline

Liberally apply Vaseline onto the small parts of the reels to make them work properly. Wipe off extra Vaseline.

Step 6: Loosen up everything

You need to loosen up the drag and reel seat locking nuts because these are tight parts and can hold saltwater into them, which surely can result in corrosion.

Step 7: Keep them in a bag/ reel case

Reels mostly come in bags, so keep them in those bags for protecting them in a better way. Or If you are willing to pay a little more, then you can buy cases to keep them safe.

Step 8: Store in a dry place

Lastly, Store the reels in a dry place. Otherwise, due to humidity or dampness, your reels can get oxidized.

Where to Store Fishing Reels?

Since you have invested in your fishing reels, you certainly wouldn’t want them to be rusty or broken down easily, even if you are not using them for a long time.

So to protect this fishing buddy, you must choose suitable places to store them. Therefore, for your convenience, some suitable places have been recommended below.

Wall mount

You can use vertical or horizontal wall mounts to store your fishing reels. You can directly purchase these mounts or just can make them using PVC pipes and sponge noodles.

The best deal with these wall mounts is, you can store both your fishing reels and rods together without dismantling them.

Store in a separate cabinet

You can make a separate cabinet only to store the fishing reels. You can make such cabinets in the backyard or in your storehouse. Store cleaned and dried reels only inside these types of cabinets and leave some space in between.

Also, keep a few packages of silica desiccants inside the cabinet to soak up the moisture inside.

Bottom line

You are always encouraged to use your own techniques to store these fishing reels. So for long-term storing purposes, you can store the reels in an enclosed place that is not exposed to humidity or any kinds of moisture.

Therefore, choosing a dry place that gets sunlight and air is better to store fishing reels.

3 Different Ways to Store Fishing Reels

There are tons of ways to store your fishing reels for a long time. You can use shoe bags, shopping bags, cases, or can even wrap them up with papers. But to clear your confusion, three very different yet effective ways have been listed below.

Store in moisture love bags

Since most of the fishing reels are metal made therefore to avoid getting rust on them, you can store your fishing reels in moisture lock bags. Also, if you don’t want to buy bags from the market, you simply can use the bags in which fishing reels come in.

Store in fishing reel cases

Fishing reel cases are another best option to store your fishing reels; these cases are the safest and don’t let humidity or dampness enter insides. So your fishing reels will be stored safely for a prolonged period of time.

Wrap in newspaper

Wrapping your reels in the newspaper is the most cost-effective way to store them. Almost every household has newspapers. You can just grab some and wrap your fully dried reels in them and stash them in cabinets or shelves. But make sure you don’t keep newspaper-wrapped reels in a damp or wet place.

How Do You Store a Spinning Reel?

Storing a fishing reel is not a tough job; all you need is to maintain some vital methods thoroughly to prevent this little fishing partner from being all rusty and eroding.

If you use a spinning reel frequently, then just hanging it in a dry and airy place is considered okay, but you better wipe off all possible water, sand, and other particles.

And if you are not going to use a spinning reel for an extended period, then you must clean it thoroughly, wipe off all excess particles, loosen it up, lubricate it, or grease in some oil so that the movement of the reel stays perfect.

After that, cover nicely to keep away from dust and moisture. And then store in dry places like bags, cases, cabinets, shelves, etc.

Where Do You Store Fishing Gear?

If you maintain proper guidance to store fishing gears, it will last longer than ever and will face less damage over the year. Therefore, appropriate storage is crucial for storing fishing gears.

Normally, you can store fishing gears in separate cabinets or shelves only made for storing fishing gears. Otherwise, you can use your basement, storeroom, or garage to store your fishing gears.

Even if you don’t want to apply all these storing options, then simply build some wall-mounted racks to store your fishing gears.

Also know about traveling with fishing gears.

How to Maintain Fishing Reels?

Maintaining fishing reels is the most significant part of the overall storing process. You can grease the moving parts of the when in oil, or for better rest, spray in the lubricant. So that all the parts of fishing reels continue functioning even after a long season.

Also, you can use paper towels, cotton swabs, or a light bristle brush to clean the fishing reels for quick maintenance. And sometimes, go through a deep cleansing process with soap water to remove all dirt.

Then, check if everything is working properly or not. Lastly, loosen the parts and store them nicely in dry storage.

How Long Should A Fishing Reel Last?

The life of a fishing reel totally depends on your maintenance procedure. Normally a good quality fishing reel can last up to 20-25 years, depending on the brand and material.

Since fishing reels are metal made, in that case, how long it will last depends on how you have been using it and taking care of it. If you don’t use proper methods of storing, cleaning, and oiling it, it might even not last 10 years even if you have bought it from a branded store.

So, always try to buy branded and high-quality fishing reels and apply the appropriate process of storing your fishing reel to make it last longer than your expectation.

Almost all people love fishing as their hobby in leisure or seasonal breaks. Therefore, it is a must to store the fishing rod and reels properly.

Fishing reels are prone to get rusty, so try to adopt steps like cleaning, oiling, and storing in dry yet breathable places to store your fishing buddy so that it lasts for a prolonged time.