Do It Yourself

Use your rag to remove sand, dirt, and old grease, making sure there is no trace of the residue remaining to ensure smooth function later.  Grease the gear assembly thoroughly.

The next portion of your cleaning and maintenance will involve the main drive gear assembly.  Each step must be followed precisely to avoid problems.

The small parts

The main gear will have washers in the top.  After removing them, you should first notate the placement of each.  Clean each washer with your clean rag.  Grease, making sure to massage the clean grease gently into every washer.  Remove excess grease with a clean cloth.  After the washers are dry, you can then replace them in the proper order.

Seized bearings can be a major problem for some reels, so you need to be sure to thoroughly grease each bearing along all sides or replace the bearing.  Do not attempt to take the bearing apart, or you will wind up cleaning up BBs from your workspace!

Putting it all together

To put your reel back together, start by placing your spool back inside the reel casing. Once this is done position your side plate (right side) and gear assembly over your end pin.  After doing this you should like up your screw holes making sure that both sides are aligned.  Carefully reinstall all the screws through the side plate, screw your star drag back and mount your reel handled.

Testing

You can test your work by ensuring that all parts are well anchored and also back where they were removed from.  Using your digital photos (or hand drawn diagram) will help you make sure that everything has gone back to the proper place.

Summary

Though the process is monotonous and slow, you have the ability to execute these simple maintenance steps and save money.  Nevertheless, a calm hand is required, and you may discover that either a magnifying lens or excellent eyesight is very advantageous. No matter what kind of reel you are operating (conventional or bait-casting), these straightforward steps can help you steer clear of waiting for and paying a professional to keep your reel operating efficiently.  Since you are probably one of the many fishermen who are finicky about who handles their reels, simply utilizing methods such as these can help put a stop to mistakes and/or repair costs.  Keep your reel safe and clean, and you will nearly promise long life and many fishing memories.

There are many great reels out on the market, some of the most popular include: Shimano Fishing Reels and Penn Reel.