Conference wahoo::fishing

    How about washing down the rods with (dish washing) detergent, and
    then giving them a light coat of (auto) wax. Of course the grips
    are just washed.  Cork grips can be _lightly_ sanded and sealed.

Aside from simply cleaning and lubing your reels, it's a good idea to 
totally back off on the drags during storage or prolonged non-use.  This 
helps to prevent the drag washers (some still use leather) and springs from 
loosing their springiness (??huh??).

I try to remember to do this after each time I go fishing, but it never 
fails that I forget to reset the drag and then go to set the hook and 
then...gonzo!

Happy Holidays!  Hope Santa is nice to y'all

-Joe-

    A few questions on reel maintenance. Should I clean all the old grease
    off before applying new grease, and what kind of grease is best.
    What is best to clean off old grease? I remember using gun solvent
    at one time, but in those days gears were gears. I used luberplate(sp?)
    on my saltwater reels in the past. Is that okay or is there something 
    better for today's fresh water reels. One reason I liked luberplate
    was I could buy in a container and not have to buy several tubes
    of grease. 
    
    Can sombody give me an idea of the cost of sending reels to BassPro
    for cleaning. May as well consider the tradeoffs. Afterall I would
    rather spend my winter months thumbing through rags and thinking
    of what to add to my tackle collection and improving my approach
    to fishing.
    
    Happy Holidays
    
    			Ed
    
    

    I have used Buckos in Fallriver Mass a few times for repair. Swear
    the reel came back better that new. It might be a good idea to send
    1 or 2 of the older reels each year for a complete overhaul before
    the season starts. they also returned one I was planning to take
    steelhead fishing - out and back via mail in less than 7 days..
    
    I thought of spraying spinner skirts with WD40, baby oil, ansi..(sp?)
    to keep them soft. Wheres the Bandit when I need him?? JV what you
    say??

I have no problems with taking my reels apart to clean and lube them 
providing that I have a "blow-up" diagram or schematic of the reel.  Many of 
the newer reels are loaded with a lot of small parts, and, unlike the reels 
of "yester-year", may be difficult to re-assemble.  I'd hate to put a reel 
back together and find myself with a spare part or two!

I would appreciate comments/suggestions on the best reel lube and grease to 
use.

Hey Jack....I wouldn't use WD40 on spinner skirts as it's a petroleum-based 
product and would end up leaving a very dis-tasteful scent. (of course I'd 
suggest you do it during a tourney!)  I mentioned earlier that I had heard 
that using talcum powder on spinner skirts helps to keep them from sticking 
together.  Although talcum is a natural substance, it is probably un-natural 
to fish and would probably have the same effect.  Skirts are cheap enough 
and don't take up much room in the tackle box.  This year I plan to have a 
good supply of various colors on hand.

BTW...if you use small rubber worm trailers with your spinnerbaits or jigs, 
be sure to remove them before storing them away.  The chemical reaction 
between the plastic and the rubber skirts are sure to foul up your skirts.

-HSJ-  

    On WD 40...
    
    I have read that many fisherman spray their jigs with WD 40 and
    claim it improves the catch. It definitly masks human scent and
    some say it atracts fish, (we are talking TUNA, Cod etc.). I do
    not have an opinion on this yet but I do use WD40 to clean my jigs.
    
    Capt. Codfish

   I use a hair dryer to get spinner bait skirts to relax and unstick.
                     
    					Have a Happy
    						Jim

Hey, Jim....

ya shouldn't have otta told the Legend that cuz he's gonna screw up and use 
HAIR CURLERS!!

     Jack is right - Bucko's is the best; fast, inexpensive and honest.
    For Spinnerbaits, probably the best solution is simply to always
    store them in a tackle box with vertical hanger racks. Don't mix
    vinyl (ugh! vinyl is for high heels) skirts with rubber skirts,
    and keep the rubber skirts away from plastic worms or dirty tackle
    box trays. Try putting a few drops of Johnson's Baby Oil in with
    your plastic worms - keeps 'em gooey and soft; and don"t mix colors
    when you store them. also, keep plastic worms away from your crankbaits
    (especially any "Bomber" products).
     As far as plugs go, more wear and tear seems to happen to them
    in dirty tackle box trays than due to anything else. the best boxes
    were those old ones with aluminum trays and cork liners...
     Don't forget to re-spool those reels, and check the tip tops on
    your rods. if they need replacing, use heat sparingly (ESPECIALLY
    ON GRAPHITE!!), and only use ferrule cement to replace a tip. In
    fact, bring the old tip to your tackle shop to make sure you get
    the right size.
    
    "Skoal, Brothers"!
    
    -The Skoal Bandit
    

    For several years now I've been refinishing old rods with satisfactory
results. There is, however, one problem that, although I'm able to 'work
around' it, I've been unable to solve;

    First off    -        How do you get the old guide wrap finish (�epoxy?)
                      off the blank? Is there a solvent for this? Scraping
                      works but ALWAYS scratches the finish on the blank.

    Secondly     -        IF the blank does need a new finish, clear or
                      colored, what should be used? There are a few commercial
                      products available but I hesitate to buy them for fear
                      of unsatisfactory results.




    Now here's one from me for you all to try ......... To clean up a dirty/old
cork grip without loosing much/any of the cork use toothpaste - for heavy duty
dirt mix up a paste of 50% toothpaste and 50% Dutch cleanser (Crest and Commit
work well). Toothpaste has a MILD abrasive in it that cleans/"sands" the cork
without cutting away any appreciable amount of the cork. Rinse thoroughly with
water.

    Try toothpaste to polish scratches out of watch crystals, flashlight lenses
etc. etc. - DO NOT TRY THIS ON EYEGLASSES (or other optical surfaces)!!!!! This
polishing WILL DULL the surface on watches and/or other 'glass' surfaces etc.
however it is always less noticable than the prior scratch.


                                Joe Whittemore - From where the Westfield
                                                      Meets the Westfield
                                                         By the Westfield
                                                            In Huntington (MA)

    Try acetone, that is what I use to clean up the stuff before
    it hardens...
    
    Bruce

    If your fishing in a downpour all day, there is a good chance that your 
    tacklebox trays will wind up holding a little water.  Unless you dump
    the contents and dry everything right away, you may wind with some rust.
    
    The drawer style boxes (like I use) keep everything alot drier than the
    conventional top opening boxes, but things can still get wet.  
    
    I ususaly just dump everything out onto newspaper, let it dry and
    repack the box.  This wouldn't be much of a problem with small sparce
    tackle boxes, but when you have one of the larger models fully loaded,
    it's time consuming (but it does help keep the box clean).
    
    However, it always seems that one of my last times out for the year, I
    encounter heavy rain and by the time I get around to checking out the
    box, I have some rust.
    
    Has anyone come up with any good methods of stripping rust from tackle.  
    
    How about avoiding rust?
    
    Last year I saved a bunch of leadheads by soaking them in Coke for a
    while, then dried them off and spray painted them silver.  These seemed
    to work OK, but I was somewhat skeptical of possible remaing paint scent.
    
    I'm sure other out there have had the same problem.
    
    Any ideas?  
    
    -donmac

    Don,
    	This is what I have been doing ever since I lost a bunch of tackle
    to rust.  If its raining hard and I am going out, I pack a second much
    smaller tackle box of my favorites lures and 5 hooks and 1/2 dozen lead
    heads,  etc.....  THis way I dont take the chance of soaking a months
    supply of tackle only a days worth,  I still bring my other in case I
    need to get something I forgot.  It may be a little bit of a pain, but
    trying to dry out a major supply of tackle is a drag.  Of course this
    doesnt work if your out and the rain comes in unexpectately.  
      As far as striping rust I dont have a clue if it gets rusty I will
    still use it for the reat of the year but come winter I go through the
    box and get rid of alll the rusted items and replace.  
    
    Les

    
       place a fan in front of it. the next morning dry dry dry.
    
    
    
                                                               kiv

    
    
    	Yo!....Kiver....what it?.....The tackle box, the tackle...the
    	inside of your cooler?   This isn't one of your insightful barbs
    	now...this is information passing....you have to try some new words
    	and use a few more of them...-)
    
    	Actually, I have found the best bet is to leave the
    	"stuff"...hooks, lead heads...etc....in the plastic bags that it
    	came in.  These usually have the zip lock tops.
    
    	When I have honed the rust off of gear...it is not too long before
    	it is back on.  Easier....on the low cost stuff...to just get rid
    	of it.  Is there a coating of some sort that I could dip the hooks
    	in...for instance blueing to recreate a protective coat?
    
    	Gitzit'
    
    	
    

    Geez you guys must fish for picky fish. In the salt rusty hooks
    are a way of life. The rustier the hooks the more fish I catch
    (right Tim?).
    
    Capt. Codfish

    I second the comment about rusty/rusting hooks in salt water.  
    
    It's only a matter of time.  
    
    I've pretty much given up on using tackle boxes in the salt.  
    But I do use a couple of big yellow plastic boxes for the 
    boat  (maybe 8"x16"X2"..?) and a plug bag for the surf.  Big hoochie
    trolls, codfish jigs and other monsters go in a cut down battery box.
      
    The top overlaps the sides enough to keep most of the rain and slop away 
    while still allowing air to circulate.  These stay in the boat all
    season long, and judging by a couple of years experience, it seems to work
    pretty well. 
    
    I use another battery box for tools/first aid/flares ect. 
    
    I've also drilled small holes in the corners and tops of all plastic
    containers.  That way, If I cant or dont get around to opening up the 
    box and drying out the lure/fly there's at least a fighting chance
    the box will dry out by itself.
    
    
    
    How much longer to warm weather/open water?
    
    
    Harlan

    	I actually like rusted hooks for bait fishing in the salt. I think 
    it hides better than a shiny new one. On lures, rusty hooks seem to 
    catch fish as well as new ones. 
	At one time I used brazed stainless steel treble hooks on my lures
    thinking they would last forever. I found that they had some drawbacks 
    though; they had no give whatsoever when trying to remove them either 
    from a fish or a snag. The more malleable soft iron hooks would straighten 
    out and you would be less likely to loose the whole lure. The hook should 
    be the safety valve in most cases and stainless is too strong. Also if a 
    fish breaks off with the S/S hook still in it, it doesn't have much of a 
    chance because it won't dissolve like the iron hooks do.
	I don't use tackle boxes much. I have a couple canvas bags loaded with 
    the stuff I need. I use large zip lock bags to help organize the contents. 
    My plugs and cod jigs are hung around the lip of a plastic bucket. I 
    notched the lip to hold them and I drilled some holes in the bottom to 
    allow it to drain. The stuff gets wet but it dries fairly easily. 
    Eventually some of the hardware rusts; when it gets bad enough to weaken 
    it significantly I replace it. 
	Well this has turned into a lengthy dissertation...my apologies.
    
    Paul

    
    
    
    
    RE .17
    
     Ray I have used wd40 for a cover scent on lures while fishing
    on lake ontario and to my suprise it actually works, why I have no
    idea, but the fish will hit  a lure with wd40 before one with sunscreen
    on it.
    
         For rusty hooks try naval jelly and to take it off use boiling
    water since it evaporates immediatly and then try heating petrolium
    jelly till its liquid and dip the hooks in that for a protective
    coating. ( not sure of the smell though)
    
    
                                                  Good fishing to all
    
                                                           Lee
    

    I use a couple of rubbermaid storage containers the large flat kind to
    store my plugs/lures on the boat.  I have different one for different
    kinds of fishing (bass/blues, bottom, bait, etc.) I keep them in the
    cabin only takeing out the box for the kind of fishing I'm doing at the
    time.  The "working" box stays on the cockpit away from the salt spray.
    
    When I'm through for the day I try to wash off with fresh water but
    always spray the stuff inside the box with WD-40.  The hooks still rust
    some but the finish on the lures stays in good condition.
    
    Just don't put the box near the compass like I did once last year. 
    Couldn't understand why the heading stayed the same no matter which
    direction I was going.
    
    Gordon
    

    Jes as long as de pistool is wurkin, de fish don mind de rost!!
    
    Why de pistool?? Dats fo de conjas!! [I guess op north dey call dem de
    cotton mouf mokkasins...
    
    Coonass