Clean Up And Storage After The Long Range Trip.

[Pjstevko]

I love these types of threads because I always pick up a few tricks.

Here's my breakdown system....

Reels are removed the evening before arrival at the dock, they are rinsed in warm water on the boat, towel dried, put in their covers and placed in the reel bag. Once home reels are rinsed again with warm/hot water, towel dried, air dried for two days, reel seat nuts and bolts get a light coating of penn reel grease and then placed in the reel bag. The reel covers also get hot water rinsed and air dried.

On the boat the rods have the scales picked off, wiped down with warm water rag and placed in their sleeves. At home they get rinsed with the hose, warm water wipe down with clean rag, dried with a towel, and then run a cotton ball through each eyelet to check for cracks or chips. Rod sleeves get rinsed with hot water and air dried. Once the rod grips and sleeves are dry the rods go in the sleeves.

I run a 2 tackle bag setup on all my trips so it makes things real easy to keep used and unused tackle separate. Before I leave my house for the trip I fill up a small Daiwa jig back with everything I expect to use on the trip (hooks, jigs, sinkers, leaders, irons) and keep the rest of my tackle in the boxes in my bigger tackle bag. The jig bag goes on the tackle station for easy access and the bigger Plano bag gets put out of the way on deck somewhere in case I need to get into it.

Any terminal tackle that gets wet is placed in the jig bag and kept separate from the dry gear. Once home all the gear from the jig bag gets a warm water rinse and laid out on a towel to dry. The jig bag itself gets a warm water rinse too and the plastic zippers get a chap stick treatment. Once all the tackle is dry it gets put back in it proper box or bag and stored on the shelf for next time.

The rod pod is removed from the top of my truck, rinsed out with a hose and then stored in the garage.

Boots are sprayed off with the hose, scrubed down with a brush and hot water and air dried. Once dry I stuff each boot with 2 drier sheets and place in their bin in the garage.

I'm sure I missed a step or two but that's basically my clean up routine....

Keep this thread alive so we can all learn something....

 

[Sailing La Reina]

I also keep used tackle separated from the unused on all trips. After washing used tackle at home with soap & water, I take a wire brush to all jig hooks/rings that show any sign of rust. Then I wipe them down again and put them away.

 

[jer dog]

I also keep used tackle separated from the unused on all trips. After washing used tackle at home with soap & water, I take a wire brush to all jig hooks/rings that show any sign of rust. Then I wipe them down again and put them away.

I keep all my used tackle separately,
But the first thing I do when I get home,
Is I lay my pliers on A rag and spray them with silicone, and just leave them there for a few days, I found out the hard way years ago, how lock up they can get.

 

[Bien Machin]

This post made me laugh my ass off. Then I thought I came across like some entilted douche bag.

So I need to clarify how this became reality for me. I would rinse my rods off with freshwater and bundle them up and take them home. Bring them back next trip with scales and all kinds of debris dried on them.

Then started to clean my rods half assed with some friends on the ride up the line.
I did such a bad job they would usually finish them for me.

The person who stores my gear in San Diego, doesnt want my nasty shit at his house so he cleans and pledges my rods when he gets home.

Now I am coming across like Oscar Madision. In reality I am a clean freak about everything else but my fishing gear.

I own a tackle shop. I take care of other peoples gear with precision and care.

My own stuff - whole different ball game.

I get it you’re kinda like a car mechanic they work on expensive cars all day but drive around in a beat up Suzuki samurai. Haha

 

[Pjstevko]

How are guys maintaining their cutters and pliers?

My pliers/cutters have a p-cord wrap that needs another coat of protection.... any suggestions?

 

[egarratt]

Try "Liquid Gold" on rods rather than "Pledge". An attorney turned me on to this stuff back in the day and it works very well.

 

[hagridfish]

I start cleaning rods and reels on the way home. When I’m assembling everything, everything threaded gets hit with never-seize!!! I get the crayons from Grainger. Coming apart,all rods get a hot water shower, same with the reels. Then use “Boeshield” T-9 with a toothbrush and work that stuff into everything. Then take them all to Ken’s Custom reels for a thorough going over. Never had a problem.