Fishing is an activity that many enjoy as a hobby, going for a fishing trip or two every now and then. On the other hand, there are those that think of fishing as a sports activity and enroll in many regional and worldwide fishing competitions.
Whether you fish for recreational or competitive purposes, you will know that fishing is a calming, peaceful, and soothing activity that can be a great way to spend your free time. While it can be a social activity, you can do it alone as well, taking some time for yourself and meditating out in nature.
We always like to suggest that fishing is one of the most accessible activities to a wide audience. Why? Because apart from good equipment, including a fishing rod, reel, and proper bait, you don’t need much. Men, women, and children can all enjoy fishing no matter what age you are.
Still, this doesn’t mean that you don’t want to invest time and effort into the maintenance of the mentioned equipment. On the contrary, if you don’t want to buy a new rod and reel every few months, investing in good fishing reel lubricant is a must.
The two most common lubricants are grease and oil, and while both have their pros and cons, their purpose is universal — to protect and ensure a longer life for your equipment. With that being said, our recommendation is to use grease. Read on to find out why and what kind of great for fishing reels is ideal.
The Importance of Fishing Reel Grease
Although a fishing reel is nowhere near as complex as a car, it still has a lot of inner components such as bearings, drag system, and gaskets that you need to consider. Without these, a fishing reel wouldn’t be able to work, thus making proper care is a must. This is especially important if you plan to use a freshwater reel in a brackish environment.
Without a grease coating and good lubrication, your reel may stutter and fall victim to corrosion after only a session or two. Apart from the protective features that grease allows, it keeps things running smoothly, and provides perfect insurance that once the desired fish is on the hook, there will be no problem reeling it in. Bearing this in mind, let’s take a look at what kind of grease for fishing reels you should use.
The Critical Fishing Reel Grease Properties
There are a number of critical properties that highlight good grease. Apart from the oil core, grease consists of a soap percentage that holds it in place and ensures a firm coating. The primary purpose of fishing reel grease is to lubricate the inner components, which means that the higher the oil percentage, the better the grease.
Additionally, you want to look for grease that has a low oil separation rate, and good corrosion protection, which is, as we have mentioned above, especially important for saltwater fishing if you are using a freshwater reel.
While the above-mentioned properties are the core of any good grease, proper water resistance and thermal stability are the additional factors that will allow you to have an effective fishing reel to use throughout the whole year.
Taking this into consideration, our recommendation is aluminum complex grease as it contains a high percentage of oil, doesn’t bleed out, and features proper thermal stability. Not to forget, it is quite affordable as well.
Things to Consider
There are a number of things you will want to keep away from when it comes to fishing reel grease.
First, never mix two different types of grease as this will only achieve a contra-effect and ruin the lubricating properties. Apart from that, don’t invest in a fishing reel grease that has TFA fortification.
Any kind of silicone oil or grease should be a no-go when it comes to fishing reel, as it doesn’t contain mineral oil, and although it is suitable for corrosive environments, it doesn’t feature film strength.
Last but not least, more is not better — don’t waste half a tube on a single lubricating process. Instead of getting effective results, you will reduce the properties of the fishing reel grease.
Conclusion
Many experienced fishermen are not aware of all the benefits that fishing reel grease allows. Although it is not an essential process for maintaining your reel, without it, you shouldn’t expect good fishing results or reliability. Investing in a grease similar to an aluminum complex grease will allow smoothness, corrosion protection, and excellent thermal stability.