Ultrasonic Reel Cleaning for Spring

In the Northeast, with the post-ice fishing season coming to and end and other fisheries seasons approaching opening day, it is time to get out the reels and get the ready.   New line, for sure.  But what about cleaning and lubricating?  There are many opinions out there, but we can all agree that you want to get dried up biological material off the reels to allow for uninhibited movement for reel parts.  With such finely precision metal-to-metal contact, you want to get crud off, whether that be dried blood, caked on seaweed, salt crystals, dirt, sand and even old lube, sometimes just wiping parts down doesn't do it.

You want a good free spool (feeling friction and resistance is a bad sign).  The main shaft is a critical lubrication point.  The bail joints and handle are important as well. You'd be surprised what a few specs of grit can do to interfere with a long cast.   Be careful with the drag. Pads should be free of material.

The leading reel manufacturers all have recommendations on reel care, including: Penn, Shimano, Daiwa, Van Staal, Okuma, Fin-Nor, Lew's, Quantum, Fox, Shakespeare, Abu-Garcia, Accurate, Wavespin, Avet and others, and some actually offer their own brand of reel grease, reel oil and reel cleaner.

Many years ago, I discovered the upgrade to ultrasonic machines, which are commonly used in gun care, the same principle applies to fishing reels.  While following manufacturers application instructions, you can takedown a reel and put the parts in the mesh basket, run a 30-minute cycle in an ultrasonic machine and really get reels sparkling clean, and ready for lubrication.  The second stage of ultrasonics is the lubricating oil bath.  After that, you can use a specialty oil or grease, which ever is appropriate for particular reel parts, while being careful not to lubricate where you don't want it.

One company that I found has some nice hardware, combining the action of ultrasonics with the benefit of a heated cleaner solution, which helps to penetrate the pores of the metal.
http://www.sonicsystemsales.com