What do you all think about starting a thread devoted to things we have learned over our lifetimes regarding tips, tricks, and shortcuts?
Must be tackle related...
We all have some clever, common sense, and inexpensive techniques for servicing, storing, and restoring our tackle.
While it may seem second nature to us -- to someone else, it may be something they could use -- and have never thought about yet.
We have hundreds of folks on this site who are some of the premier tackle experts in the world -- others just starting out -- and everyone in between.
Share up what you think might be of value --
I would like to start it off by offering a proven way to store your reels --
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Store your user reels in soft cloth bags
For weeks, months, years or decades -- safely. And more importantly -- ready to use.
We have all opened old tackle boxes from the 40's or 50's -- and under all of the hooks, sinkers, leaders, lures, and bait jars -- are a reel or two inside of old cloth bags -- perfect, no nicks, lubed, no corrosion, haven't been fighting with other gear or reels.
Old timers knew how to store their reels, as did the early manufacturers.
A soft, breathable, cloth bag really protects our gear.
Never use plastic or non-breathable materials.
Seems like we have all run across reels that were stored in a bucket of salt water -- or the bed of a pickup truck.
Honoring your gear, your tools, and your readiness to fish -- is a worhy and inexpensive step.
We all have various tips and tricks -- share them up.
If this thread goes somewhere, we will make it a "sticky" -- if it doesn't prove popular, that is OK too.
Best,
Fred
I enjoy the process of providing those purple bags to store my reels in too!
Quote from: MarkT on July 06, 2017, 04:23:04 PM
I enjoy the process of providing those purple bags to store my reels in too!
Lol. I hear you.
Cheap q-tips with the end off and chucked into a drill make great little polishing buffs and are usefully to spin bearings for cleaning and oiling when you don't want to hassle with wrestling them out a the cups. If you take them 5 or 10 at a time nobody even notices they are missing!
Great idea, JRD --
I never thought of that!
Best,
Fred
For smaller reel such as baitcasters and conventionals up to about 3/0 size, I like to use old socks. They are breathable and usually will cling to the reel so it won't accidentally fall out of it. Heck, I've transported 2 reels in one sock before. One cool thing about this is if you happen to misplace the sock when you are out on a boat, it's pretty cheap and easy to replace!
Mike
-When taking a reel apart put the pieces onto a egg carton or tackle box with the removable dividers(can make sections small or big depend on parts). Leave them in little groups of parts on order they came out.
-A syringe can be made into a mini grease gun by using epoxy to glue a air inflator needle to the tip. Easy enough to fill with grease.
-If you can get the shield off a bearing I put them in a small Ziploc bag with a blob off yamaube and mush it around to work the grease in.Do this first when reassembling so you can use the grease left in bag to coat other parts.
Fishing related.
-When catching shark or other large fish that you want to release have a plan that the whole crew knows about and keep all the thing needed for capture or release close by and in their right home or in a large box with all that gear.We have a box when sharking off the sand.Tools like Knives,boltcutters,wire cutters, pliers, tag pole or tag stick, tape measure, torches if in the dark, tail rope etc.
My two boy's 9 and 13 know the drill and where stuff is and can be called upon to get the gear and makes them feel part of the team also make good little photographers to record your success.A video also shows where things can be improved.The less time a large shark or fish is out of the water the more chance it has to recover from capture.We have bungled a few releases over the years and they still haunt me in my dreams.Nothing beats watching a large shark swim of strong after getting caught and tagged.
This is a great idea Fred.Hope it gets lots of folks typing.
Great tips, Mike & Scott --
If we can each learn one thing a week -- and maybe have a goal to contribute one thing a week -- that is a lot of knowledge at the end of a year for all of us.
We may already know something -- because we are not reinventing the wheel here -- however, there will be plenty of neat tidbits to store away for everyone involved.
Best,
Fred
long red string/yarn secured to C-clips & small springs before removal -- they don't fly as far & you can see where
Cut a Q Tip in half & put half in a drill. Dip the Cotton end in grinding compound & clean the hole in the pinion gear. I start with coarse compound. Change Q Tip & finish with extra fine compound. Then clean out ALL compound from the pinion hole & re lube
Mike
I, too, use old athletic socks for small reels. I cut up old jeans or better yet sweat pants legs and have my wife sew up one end and drawstring on the other for reel bags.
Not a cheap trick but 3m panel bond 10x stronger than jb weld and sandble it's the best
You can store reels in a ziplock bag for long periods in controlled humidity environments if you: (1) Include a small silica gel pack to absorb any moisture that may accumulate. (2) Press/squeeze out all of the, air similar to vacuum sealing, before the final zip lock.
Release at least 90% of your drag tension if your reel won't be used for 2 weeks or more.
Inexpensive hook guards: Hobby store corks of various sizes(wine cork shaped). I like to go out when it's dark out, so I set up everything the evening before. You can still get a small enough cork/hook part-way through the rod guides.
Gfish
Quote from: Midway Tommy on July 07, 2017, 04:15:09 AM
Release at least 90% of your drag tension if your reel won't be used for 2 weeks or more.
Also store reels with the clicker engaged; it takes some of the load off the spring.
Quote from: sdlehr on July 07, 2017, 04:15:16 PM
Quote from: Midway Tommy on July 07, 2017, 04:15:09 AM
Release at least 90% of your drag tension if your reel won't be used for 2 weeks or more.
Also store reels with the clicker engaged; it takes some of the load off the spring.
Nice reminder, Sid. :) I guess I thought that was pretty much standard procedure to prevent line release & tangles. It's just automatic for me regardless of the type of reel I'm using.
Once I figured out which tools you need most all of the time --
And when I got tired of trying to find tools under other tools and parts -- I realized that better, quickly accessible and easily returned to its own spot tool storage was needed.
This is what I came up with -- for the most used tools -- left hand carousel, right hand vertical storage.
Working on 9 complete restorations for friends today -- adding CF's, switching over to right hand crank, etc.. Quicks, Mitchell's, and one old Orvis 101S.
As these are now cleaned and ready for individual part inspection, replacement if needed, reassembly, lube, tune, and fine adjustments -- I realized how much time is saved by having the tools at hand -- much like a surgeon.
All built from scraps out of the workshop.
Best,
Fred
A tip I learned from Fred, is to use those plastic bread bag ties, the flat ones, to keep simple notes on. I usually note date of service and whether CF drags were installed. Also the model # so I can replace it after using a couple reels on a trip. I have also found the potatoes I buy have the same tag, a little more heavy duty, and have a paper tag on it for a little more info......Bill
Have A limited Area To Store And Display My Fishing Gear. Moved To Smaller Home When I Retired... Man Cave Now In Garage ! One Thing I Found Helpful Was To Use Golf Bags To Store Rods, Can Fit 40 or so in Large Bag 30 u/l in Smaller Bag. Very Handy For Me Can Move And Sort Very Easy. Lots of $5.00 Golf Bags At Garage Sales. That's my Cheap Trick.
Barry
Also Find Thrift Store Baking Pans Useful To Do Reel Cleaning And Repair... Easy Clean Up Fewer Parts Lost In Space, Not As Cool As Fred's Fast Food Trays, But Fred Is The Best At Organizing.
Found this in the Senators section by one of our members Eric to replace a coiled dog spring:
Hi all, the anti-reverse dog spring on my old 4/0 113H Senator recently snapped in half.
Found a suitable replacement by using the flint spring from a 'Bic' brand cigarette lighter. Cut the spring down to appropriate length and now works like a dream.
Hope this helps anyone who cops the same problem I did.
Regards Eric
And another tip from Daron (SharkHunter) is to save the stainless steel inserts in your old wind shield wiper blades, grind down to the appropriate thickness for a flat dog spring.
Hope the fellas dont mind me posting their tips on their behalf ::) Bill
Quote from: sdlehr on July 07, 2017, 04:15:16 PM
Quote from: Midway Tommy on July 07, 2017, 04:15:09 AM
Release at least 90% of your drag tension if your reel won't be used for 2 weeks or more.
Also store reels with the clicker engaged; it takes some of the load off the spring.
when fishing on commercial sportboat (so cal fleet) I engage the clicker on my reels in the rod rack - if freespool lever gets bumped into freespool, line will not pay out onto deck
Great tips, guys --
Those golf club bags are a great idea, Barry.
And the clicker on -- so the line doesn't get loose and tangled is very useful.
Another tip on spinning reels --
If you can, fold down the bail so the pressure is off of the bail spring when stored. Your bail springs will last nearly forever this way -- and be ready to fish when you are.
Many of the quality older spinners from 30+ years ago will allow you to do this...
Some of the newer skirted spool reels will do this fold down trick also -- but not many.
A few manufacturers of high dollar spinning reels are touting this feature today.
Best,
Fred
when i strip down 3 or 4 reels to work on at once , i use chinese plastic soup cups to store all the parts in for each reel, no lid closing though. harryk
Try some Tuppaware style containers to store reels & parts that are apart while waiting for parts or time when you can get to them. They have snap on lids & can be stacked. It keeps everything clean & dust free. Get cheap ones at Walmart or Dollar stores. Rudy
I often use old pill bottles to store parts off reels I'm working on. Label 'em "A" "B"and so forth. They'll hold most of the small parts & some gears too. Parts won't scatter even if you knock a bottle on to the floor if you screw the lid on.
Spinning reels; if you're not against touching up some nicks & scratches, permanent markers can be helpful. A metallic silver one is easier than paint for raised lettering/designs on spinning reels, especially where original color was silver.
The stainless wiper inserts are the best ever for Senator replacement springs, however,
They need to be sanded down on a belt sander.
They are way too thick as is, but a definite upgrade from the brass ones.
I have been using Tic Tac containers lately for small parts.
As far as those breathable reel bags, I need an upgrade for the bigger Reels.
My Mom is a excellent seamstress, quilter and just handy with a needle.
She made My wife's wedding dress.
I'm going to call on her for some reel bags.
I thought I would get a reel bag, but I'm already married. badoom boom. Dominick
Here is how I secure line on spinners --
Use elastic hair bands for ponytails.
100 or 200 are around $7 on Amazon or your local stores like dollar tree or Wal-Bomb.
I have used rubber bands -- but they degenerate after awhile -- tape is a hassle and comes loose -- twist ties are a hassle -- velcro is OK, but much more expensive...
They just work quick and cheap -- and last and last.
Best,
Fred
Quote from: Dominick on July 09, 2017, 11:16:46 PM
I thought I would get a reel bag, but I'm already married. badoom boom. Dominick
And there you have it, ladies and Gentleman.
Dominick's Cheap Trick. :D
Like old cars they need a spin now and then.
Soren
hi fred i use the same method for securing line on the spools, spinning and conventional, like you said, rubber bands deterioate, tape comes loose, these work great and are cheap. harryk
Quote from: reelrepair123 on July 10, 2017, 12:23:59 PM
hi fred i use the same method for securing line on the spools, spinning and conventional, like you said, rubber bands deterioate, tape comes loose, these work great and are cheap.
Not to mention colorful... And my daughters are always looking for one, so the bands could do double-duty on fishing trips ;D
Gotta do the sock thing.
Cheap Tricks: "Mommy's alright, Daddy's alright..."
they just seem a little bit weird. harryk
Quote from: reelrepair123 on July 10, 2017, 12:23:59 PM
hi fred i use the same method for securing line on the spools, spinning and conventional, like you said, rubber bands deterioate, tape comes loose, these work great and are cheap. harryk
X 2 ..... been using them for years. It took my wife awhile ;), until she saw me pull out a lined extra spool, to finally figure out what was happening to all her hair bands :o , but, hey, they didn't cost me anything. ;D Now I have to buy my own, her's are under lock & key. :P
The cloth bags are a winner; could cut down & sew sleeves off old flannel shirts. Sometimes, like when transporting gear, I'd like a little more impact resistance for my reels; I then go with a cleaned out margarine container (45 oz. size), either the round ones or the rectangular ones. Recycle & reuse. Spinning reels fit OK, especially if you fold the handle down.
A few friends laugh at me for using these cafeteria trays for reel service and repair --
But they work really well for my style, keep a single reel separate from other reels, clean up easily, and last forever.
Hints -- the edge is beveled out smoothly -- so tiny parts with greasy fingers can just be slid up the edge easily, a nutdriver end sits perfectly in the corner -- so nuts and fasteners can be easily removed just by twisting the shank in your fingers, great when a reel needs to be set aside while waiting for parts.
Good tool tray also.
Less than $3 each on Amazon, including free shipping.
Lighter colors are better for seeing dark, small parts.
The brand I have is Cambro -- which is available online, and any restaurant supply -- even Smart & Final.
Or, you can steal them from Taco Bell or Carl's Jr..
Best,
Fred
I have heard that a Sharpie is good for coating unfinished aluminum, and will prevent corrosion. I have used them for nicks in aluminum reels. There are gold and silver ones available now.
Can anyone confirm that this works long-term?
I can't say anything about Sharpies but I use Thin coats of Nail Polish. You can get any color you need
Mike
Quote from: bluefish69 on July 11, 2017, 04:18:28 PM
I can't say anything about Sharpies but I use Thin coats of Nail Polish. You can get any color you need
Yes, I should try that. My daughter would be best on that mission ::) I get squirmy in the cosmetics department.
Quote from: Decker on July 11, 2017, 04:24:40 PM
Quote from: bluefish69 on July 11, 2017, 04:18:28 PM
I can't say anything about Sharpies but I use Thin coats of Nail Polish. You can get any color you need
Yes, I should try that. My daughter would be best on that mission ::) I get squirmy in the cosmetics department.
Well.........you get better smirks there than you do in the frilly-lace & bra department. :D
Quote from: Decker on July 11, 2017, 04:24:40 PM
Quote from: bluefish69 on July 11, 2017, 04:18:28 PM
I can't say anything about Sharpies but I use Thin coats of Nail Polish. You can get any color you need
Yes, I should try that. My daughter would be best on that mission ::) I get squirmy in the cosmetics department.
I have used the nail polish and its really good but depending where in the reel are you using it with will last or will be toast in few days, for places on the reel that might get some hits/rash or nicks I recommend to get those small "car scratch repair paint pens", there are some of them with clear coat.
your manhood will be intact ;)
As someone has mentioned tic tac containers for small parts, but there are the large sized ones as well that will take all the internals of a reel up to a 4/0 size for safe storage and organizing small work spaces. My work space is portable, a 50 Cal ammo can with three organizing trays.
It was common to use clear nail polish to build up the edge of a spool to keep it from eating line.
My wife knocks off ashtrays from clubs around the place. Got no idea why.
Soren
Quote from: Decker on July 11, 2017, 04:24:40 PM
Quote from: bluefish69 on July 11, 2017, 04:18:28 PM
I can't say anything about Sharpies but I use Thin coats of Nail Polish. You can get any color you need
Yes, I should try that. My daughter would be best on that mission ::) I get squirmy in the cosmetics department.
Joe if you go into that Dept. with the reel & ask her to match the color she would be happy to do it for you after the 2 of you stopped Blushing.
Krylon Wrinkle Finish Spray Paint --
Working on some old DAM Quicks over the weekend.
These spinners are painted with a flat black rough finish -- and it wears off over time -- causing a rough look around the edges -- even though it may be mechanically perfect.
Never liked that aspect -- not really complete.
Found this stuff -- and it works very well.
Just a light misting makes the reel look like it just came out of the box.
This old Quick 221 was pretty rough --
The counterweight inside the rotor head had become dislodged -- causing excess friction and catching.
The sideplate and rear of the body was badly gouged.
And other things that go with a reel in this condition.
Replaced the rotor and sideplate -- the frame also should have been replaced because it looked terrible with the new sideplate and rotor -- but that would have raised the restoration price past where I considered reasonable.
So a light couple of coats -- let dry for 24 hours -- turned out pretty well.
Best,
Fred
Looks good, Fred. I like that flat black paint on the DAM Qs.
Someone had asked about Sharpies; I've used a metallic silver "permanent marker" for lettering & trim & it seems pretty durable.
I have occasionally coated some paints, plastic drag knobs that look a little scruffy, etc., with a coat of water based poly; stuff is easy clean up, adds a little protection & shine too & dries in less than 1/2 an hr.
Wrenches & Nutdrivers --
We all have wrenches, socket sets, nutdrivers, and special factory wrenches we use regularly.
Some more than others -- however, they all need to be easy to reach whenever needed.
In a drawer to my right are socket sets in standard and metric.
On the bench to my right are small wrenches in standard and metric.
Above the bench are specialized factory wrenches for various reels -- Penn, Mitchell, ABU Cardinals, Shimano, Daiwa, Record, and others.
On my left are nutdrivers in the carousel -- which are used a lot for spinners.
The key for me is to have no duplicates in my main inside shop -- a place for each tool, easy and identifiable -- and to wipe them off and return them to their location -- ready for the next job.
Everyone will have and develop their own style -- this is just what has worked for my style over the years.
I encourage those who do not already have a system -- to see what type of reels you generally work on -- then design a simple workstation that works for you.
Best,
Fred
"If you removed the "un" from "unorganized", what you'd have left is Fred. :D :D
-T
;D ;D ;D
Cotton socks or if you can get your wife make you a cotton bag would be ideal.
Not as handy as foakes (Fred's) trays, but cheaper are the tops off boxes of office paper; they are about 12" X 20"; cardboard color inside on most, although some are white.
Better than an oil can is a little drip bottle; holds about 1 oz. of lube and has a very thin hollow metal tube sort of like a needle, that you can cap with a rubber slip-on top. Easy to uncap & use and you can put the smallest drop of lube into a tight spot.
Citrus-type household cleaners; they are not heavy-duty degreasers, but will remove light grease/oil coatings; they also may loosen glued-on decals or other things (like the fish emblem on DAM Quick reels--don't ask me how I know).
Frank