How To Clean A Spinning Rod
Whether you have a telescopic fishing rod or a carbon fibre one, your rod will not be immune to the usual wear and tear that fishing can cause. Dirt, salt, and oxidation can cause lots of issues that can lead to the degradation of your fishing rod. By sticking to a regular cleaning and maintenance routine you can avoid the usual issues that fishing rods suffer. You don’t have to carry out maintenance every time you go fishing; once every four to five times you use the rod should be enough. However, if the conditions you choose to fish in are particularly bad, you may want to clean your fishing rod more often.
Things you will need
Clean microfibre cloth
Paper towels
Ice spray
Washing up liquid
Denatured alcohol
Step 1
Telescopic Fishing Rod Without A Reel: Section Sliding
A rod without a reel and without sliding rings must be washed in running water after having removed all sections by opening the rear cap. After washing, thoroughly dry with a clean microfibre cloth or paper towels. Before reassembling, gradually re-insert the sections, spraying WD-40 Specialist High-Performance Silicone Lubricant on them. It provides excellent lubrication of the parts, insulates from moisture, and does not attract dirt.
Step 2
Telescopic Rods With A Reel And Rings
Telescopic rods cannot be broken down section by section due to the presence of the wire sliding rings. So, you’ll need to wash them with a fully extended barrel and then dry them. Apply WD-40 Specialist High-Performance Silicone Lubricant to the extended rod. To apply, simply spray a little product on a clean microfibre cloth and wipe over the entire rod and the rings. Then pass over everything again using paper towels to remove any excess. After application, the sections must be re-inserted and extracted a few times to better distribute the product. Remember to rotate the various sections while closing them telescopically.
Step 3
Maintenance of Fishing Rods With Grafts
Grafted fishing rods are bulkier than telescopic rods but have greater resistance to wear and tear as they don’t have the issue of sliding sections which block. Once disassembled into their sections, they must then be treated with the product mentioned above. Sometimes after fishing you may not be able to break down some grafts. To solve this problem, you can use an ice spray (the ones that relieve body pain).
Step 4
Sliding Ring Maintenance
These consist of metal support fixed to the barrel of the fishing rod, which may contain an additional ceramic ring. Wash and dry them as indicated above. If any rust is present, it’s best to treat them with some WD-40 Smart Straw Multi-Use, which cleans and protects them from future rusting. If the rod doesn’t have a ceramic ring, check that the sliding of the wire has not scratched them. If they have been scratched, they must be replaced.
Step 5
Handle Maintenance
Many fishing rods have a handle made of a different material than the barrel. The most common are neoprene and cork. Standard maintenance consists of washing them with water and washing up liquid and then drying them thoroughly. However, if your rod has a cork handle this may not be enough given the porousness of the material. In this instance, an alternative is to wipe it with a clean microfibre cloth moistened with denatured alcohol.
Step 6
Reel Support
The supports with which the reel is firmly fixed to the barrel of the fishing rod can also vary; they can be interlocked with a screw ring or with other snap or clip mechanisms. After washing and drying them, they can be treated with WD-40 Smart Straw Multi-Use which will protect them from rust. After carefully drying them, spray with WD-40 Specialist High Performance Silicone Lubricant which protects them from salt, dirt and water.
Pro Tip:
Pro tip: For professional and strong lubrication you can use our high-performance silicone spray lubricant.
Now that you know how to clean and maintain your fishing rod, why not find out how to clean your fishing reel too? Read our blog to find more DIY tips and tricks.
The uses shown and described for WD-40 Multi-Use Product were provided to WD-40 Company by the users themselves. These uses haven’t been tested by WD-40 Company and do not constitute a recommendation of suggestion for use by WD-40 Company. Common sense should be exercised whenever using WD-40 Company products. Always follow the instructions and take heed of any warnings printed on the packaging.
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