On the beach fishing day and you drop your reel into the sand. That first of all is really bad because sand will get into the gears, the little rock will actually break the gears. Those make it less smooth and unleasant to fish.
What do I do if I get sand in my fishing reel? So if you drop your reel in sand, the solution now is just quickly rinse it, turn on the tap water fall in it and start reeling slowly. Keep doing that for about 30 seconds! Then there’s no crunching and grinding, you wouldn’t worry about it.
But if the condition of the fishing reel is worse than that or you want to looking for more information. This article is for you!
You are fishing and the sand get into your reel
Now things like rouge waves are supposed to be inevitable… but a rogue wave usually doesn’t settle enough sand on the shaft to be problematic… saltwater could be a problem on the road if reel not cleaned…
The latter is why you have back up reels and/or are fishing more than one rod. So why be so concerned to get the sand out of the reel. By spinning the reel handle in hopes of “working the sand out” is risky. Sand can damage the inner workings of a reel.
A lot of times you can get away with it (spinning the handle), but why take a chance. A telltale sign that you got problems is the handle freezes up with a normal crank of the handle. In this case, don’t force the handle to spin! Just retire the reel, and break it down and clean it later!
How to clean your reel
So, if your reel is still not clean, you may need to service it. I will give a general guide on how to clean a fishing reel, you can refer to some of my other videos and articles to know more about this
- Take the reel apart. You can use masking tape to number each part to make it easier to reassemble later. Use tweezers to handle the pieces of line and springs. Remove the line from the spool.
- Strip or tape the line. Separate the fishing line from the spool or secure it with tape before removing the spool. The line will get stuck between the spool and the frame if you skip this step.
- Rinse. Rinse the entire reel with clean water before you begin cleaning the spool.
- Use a toothbrush or small paintbrush to scrub. Thoroughly rinse with running water after cleaning.
- Make sure to rinse all the cleaner. You can first dry with a soft towel, then blow dry with a hair dryer to ensure no moisture remains.
- Thoroughly dry to prevent rust.
- Apply grease and oil. You can use WD40. Use a toothpick or small brush to apply a layer of grease to the gears, then put a few drops of oil on the bearings as well. Anti-corrosion lubrication.
- Reassemble. Use the numbering system you laid out in the beginning to put your reels together. Check to make sure all parts are working the way they should.
In the process of cleaning fishing reels, you must be disciplined and careful not to make mistakes that can endanger the health and life of the reels. Follow the cleaning tips on how to clean fishing reels we introduced above and avoid the rush cleaning process. Be sure to follow careful cleaning procedures, making sure you grease the components regularly.
Conclusion
And if sand is a consideration for where/how you fish then get a spinner. Spinners handle sand better than conventionals.
And of course you can get a water/sand proof spinning reel like a Zee Baas and never have to deal with it. But you will have to dole out about $1,000 for the reel!
You don’t want to rinse or dunk after being submerged or dropped in sand. This will cause sand or salt to be spread deeper into your reel. You must break down and clean. I take it to a shop to have is professionally cleaned.
Above are my shares on How to get sand out of your fishing reel? I hope this article is helpful to you. If you have other ideas, leave them below in the comments section.
Further reading:
- Other info about fishing in Fishingandhuntingsports
- How To Clean Your Reel After Saltwater Fishing
- Sand Dab Fishing