Do you guys have any ideas for how to reduce ice freezing in the guides?  Do you think spraying something like Wd-40 on them would work?

I don't use WD40 on anything when it is freezing. WD40 freezes. Found out the hard way after spraying my truck cap locks before hunting in the WV mountains. Froze up big time. Had to use a propane torch to melt out the ice. 

1 hour ago, Ohio Archer said:

I don't use WD40 on anything when it is freezing. WD40 freezes. Found out the hard way after spraying my truck cap locks before hunting in the WV mountains. Froze up big time. Had to use a propane torch to melt out the ice. 

oh, thanks for telling me that, do you think some other grease or oil would work?

Well, Indiana, the simplest solution is to do what I hope to do in a few months.   Move to Florida. 

Pam cooking spray helps. I've experimented with RainX and early results look promising. There's no magic though. 

ChapStick on the guides. Because it is sticky it will hold up for 15 - 30 minutes of fishing before you need to reapply (and at least it is easy to reapply).

WD40 works well on guides! The reason the lock froze up was because of water, WD40 displaces water but inside a lock cylinder there is nowhere for the moisture to go so the remaining water freezes. On guides you simply spray a little on each guide and wipe the excess off with a soft rag. Doing that will keep the water from staying on the guides to freeze, but depending how cold it is it will only work for a short time. We use to have a warm water access where a power plants cooling water would dump in and raise the water temp up to the mid 60s, you were fine until the air temp was in the 20s, that is when the guides freeze up just from the water on the line and there isn't a lot you can do, at least I haven't found a way to stop it completely.

17 hours ago, new2BC4bass said:

Well, Indiana, the simplest solution is to do what I hope to do in a few months.   Move to Florida. 

Simple may be a relative term.

Good Luck on your move.

A-Jay

Good Answer A-Jay. I don't fish when it's that cold anymore but when I did I would just dip the rod in the water each time they froze over it was a quick process.

17 hours ago, Turtle135 said:

ChapStick on the guides. Because it is sticky it will hold up for 15 - 30 minutes of fishing before you need to reapply (and at least it is easy to reapply).

I will try this next time 

Car wax helps also, beforespooling up. Spraying the spool of line with Tangle free, silicone or blakemores.

Wax the guides wont help much with frezzing, but makes it easy to knock the ice out.

Try Break Free CLP. I use this product as a reel lubricant in lieu of oil,  no issues with the level wind freezing or line guides freezing. Disclaimer, haven't tried this product on micro guides because haven't fished in freezing conditions for awhile. WD-40 works OK, doesn't last very long.

Tom

8 hours ago, A-Jay said:

Simple may be a relative term.

Good Luck on your move.

A-Jay

 

Only one place that is perfect.  At least he won't get any icing in February and if he does, wind from that could probably blow the ice off.  

1 minute ago, new2BC4bass said:

 

Only one place that is perfect.  At least he won't get any icing in February and if he does, wind from that could probably blow the ice off.  

No Doubt ~  I was just being a little Stoopid.

A-Jay

My simple solution to ice on the guides - don't get water on 'em when it's below freezing.

Tom

Ice on the guides you say? Something I dealt with yesterday during my last soft water outing of the year...it was compounded by the fact that I used braided line...lmao  Air temp was a balmy -10 degrees Celcius, for my American amigos that's a balmy 14 degrees Fahrenheit...usually at this time of year I'm either fishing for perch or for rainbow trout but thought I'd give open water one last chance. Didn't take...lol

One of my fly fishing buddies swears by Chapstick and he's out there all winter...so that'd get my nod.

But moving to Florida would get my first nod...out of hurricane season of course....and can you get rid of those gators please??