Reel maintenance for the ice

[stinkyfingers]

At the start of each ice season I pull my Pflueger Presidents #30 off the crappie rods and re-mount them onto the ice rods. Use the same 10# red PowerPro mainline year round

but condition it with Blakemore Real Magic. The stuff softens up the fluoro leaders as well taking out the memory. Granted, we don't do the cast and retrieve wear and tear that's

customary in the summer but the frigid temperatures can sure gum up your reel's performance. I like both Ardent Reel Butter and Lucas Reel Oil to keep all the bearings and moving

parts happy. How do you guys condition for winter?

[Seamonkey84]

This is my first season using a reels that didn’t come with an ice rod combo. I got a couple okuma reels on sale from dicks, I completely took them apart, cleaned out the factory grease and oil with hot soapy water and tooth brush. Im using Abu Garcia reel grease on all the gears and their oil on bearings. I’m currently redoing the second reel, and deciding on what line to put on it when fishing outside for lake trout.

[Light liner]

This is my first season using a reels that didn’t come with an ice rod combo. I got a couple okuma reels on sale from dicks, I completely took them apart, cleaned out the factory grease and oil with hot soapy water and tooth brush. Im using Abu Garcia reel grease on all the gears and their oil on bearings. I’m currently redoing the second reel, and deciding on what line to put on it when fishing outside for lake trout.

Thats a great tip, get the garbage grease out and replace it with quality stuff.
Im going to do that to the 2 new cetus reels i picked up for this season.
Thanks.

[Hoserman]

Been using white Lithium grease on the gears and a good all purpose oil like 3in1 on the other moving parts. My old Abu Garcia 300 up to my Penn 420 work perfectly. Not stiff in cold weather either. Biggest factor is in the cleaning process. IMHO

[Junkie4Ice]

Used the Frabill sub zero lubricant this year for the first time. Not a fan of how thick it is but it seemed to work pretty good. We'll see after some use this winter...

[slipperybob]

When I was younger...lol.  I used to religiously maintenance my reels.  The most important thing is reducing the excess grease.  Next is some lubrication to the handle knobs.  For spinning reels, the one important thing is that line roller.  Often times many reels don't have a ball bearings in there.  This is one bearings that should get grease instead of typical oil.  If it's a low friction nylon bushing, nothing needed. If it's a metal bushing then grease.  If there's nothing in there, get rid of that reel or loan it to your competitor in a contest.

[Light liner]

Loctite the bale screws.

[redneckdan]

Polyrex 005 works really good if you can get a hold of a small quantity.

[beast]

for a reel oil I like quantum hot sauce, for grease I use blue lube.

[SirCranksalot]

Following

[matzilla]

oil the drag and the washer/bearing under the spool

You can polish the drag steels to help with breakway and drag smoothness

[Seamonkey84]

oil the drag and the washer/bearing under the spool

You can polish the drag steels to help with breakway and drag smoothness
(Image removed from quote.)

I have not taken apart the drag washers on any of the reels yet, just the gears... though polishing the plates do sound like a good idea.