What do yall do to keep your reels in perfect shape? I just bought some new ones and I’d like to keep them perfect. 
 

I’ve tried selling a few lately with some light scratches and I didn’t realize in like new condition was the only way to really sell for any sort of value. It’s been a learning curve and I will keep my stuff perfect in the future. 

 

I find that just not setting your reels upside down goes a long ways.  Reels get rashed up because people put the rod down by placing the rod butt on the ground and then relaxing their grip of the rod.  This causes the weight of the reel to rotate to the bottom and then when set down, or dropped, the reel is upside down.  If you just stop doing this the vast majority of reel rash will stop happening.  You can also use the reel handle like a kick stand so that rod trigger and one of the knobs are the points of contact with the ground while the reel remains upright.  

1 hour ago, jitterbug127 said:

What do yall do to keep your reels in perfect shape?

Bank fish?  

J/K ... Maybe put down an old piece of carpet or a $10 - $15 yoga mat and cut it to size? 

Otherwise I got nothing

I was a kayak fisherman for several years so lots of last minute sitting rods down in the boat when floating etc. I’ll try to keep them  with reel upright and use covers. I always thought of them more of tools than anything so mint condition wasn’t a huge concern to me: learning even minor scuffs kill resell has me rethinking what I do. Thanks for ideas so far yall! 

Don't plan to resell them. Or... buy used to begin with.

I keep my rods in sleeves and reels with covers on them.  I've had some reels in the past that got beat up really good bouncing on the bow of the boat.

Covers work but mine come off during an outing and stay off until returning home. I started using terry cloth towels to cushion the reels in the rod locker or vehicle and that works good. On the boat deck keep out only what you are using, having a display of everything on the deck creates a mess that you step on rods breaking or bending guides the reels banging into each other .

Having a few strapped down with a pad under them works good, keep them off the carpet.

Now a back seater the rods get transported in sleeves the reels between terry towels, I tend to loose reel covers, they stay home.

Tom

I use Rod Socks and TW reel covers when my rods are stowed and am just as careful with my gear as reasonably possible.

Reel covers and try not to leave them upside down. Be careful with TW reel covers though. I have been using them for many years, heard about them bleeding onto reels with light paint, just happened to one my reels. It's always the strap part that wraps around the gearbox area.

I keep my reels covered when not in use, and when brush busting the streams, rod butt goes in my wading belt when a fish is in the net.  

Mine are in separate slots while in the rod locker.  On the deck I lay them down with the rod under the reel and the reel handles on the boat carpet.  When I move the boat they get strapped down.  I have some Curado E7s that are at least 20 years old and don’t have any rash or scratches on them.

Rod socks and reel covers to the boat and when not in use, otherwise they get leaned up against a seat on the way to the spot(s) or back to the mooring.
 

Rod socks and reel covers go back on. Then off again for a rinse down with a garden hose, towel wipe, blow dry with 18v leaf blower. Rod socks and reel covers back on for storage.

I am fairly detail-oriented.

At this point, upright/off-the-deck reel placement is a given and virtually eliminates reel rash.

Especially when rumbling across Lake Menderchuck, even with the boat carpet.

A-Jay

 

Mesh and neoprene covers for every rod and neoprene covers on the reels.  I haven’t broken a rod tip or damaged a guide.  My reels are trigger down on the deck.  Yes it runs about 13 bucks a combo but protecting my investment is well worth it.

Boatless, so i don't know if reel covers would be enough when you riding waves and such, but what i do know is that id be extra triggered if i scratched my custom pixy.

If a rod isn't in my hand, the reel has a cover on it.  Learned that quick when I didn't put the cover on a mint Chronarch 101A.  It's no longer mint.  

The reel covers look like great ideas! I do like rod socks too. I will keep reel with line side up. 
 

how about spinning rods what do yall do? Covers as well? 

Socks and covers on everything....there are socks for spinning rods, they're a little wider to accommodate the larger guides towards the handle.

I don't think that reel covers will save the reel long term. From friction while the boat is moving, it will rub through the clear, and then the paint. Saw some guy on youtube that has all his stuff tuned with ZPI parts talk about it, and he showed what it does over time. Should work on a kayak, though.

I buy my fishing gear for one reason, and that is to use it.  By the time I am through with a reel, I might have a hard time giving it away, but with every scratch there will be a memory.

 

Once while guiding in Alaska, I was stalking a very large caribou with a client.  We had to crawl across a large rocky area to keep out of sight of the bull.  My client was having a hard time  keeping up with me while we crawled across the rocky flat.  He was trying to crawl, and not touch his rifle on the ground.  I was crawling with the my gun in my hand crawling on all fours, and placing it on the ground gently enough not to nock the scope off sight, but not caring at all about how scratched up the rifle got.  I finally whispered to my client, to hurry up or the bull was going to get away.  He said It was easy for me to hurry because my gun looked like a wreck and I didn't have to worry about scratching it up.  I told him he could buy a new rifle, but might never get a chance at a caribou this big ever again, that he should get his ass in gear and quit worrying about some fancy gun stock.

 

He got the caribou and while we were waiting for the plane, him and his friend did some target shooting at an old gallon white gas can.  The can was a long way off and after several shots neither of them hit it.  They kept nagging me to take a shot , until I finally gave in and gave it a try.  I knew I didn't have a chance in Hades to hit the can, but was shocked when I put a hole dead center in the can.  The clients couldn't believe it.  They secretly had made a bet that my rifle wouldn't even shoot, let alone have any accuracy.  After all it looked like a leftover wreck from the first world war.  I acted like I expected to hit where I did, looked at them and said the paint don't make the plane fly.  Then I went about doing chores hoping they wouldn't ask me to do any more shooting.

 

The point of the story  is, all of my gear is nothing more than tools for a job.  I want to maintain my tools in order to do the job, but I don't care how they look.

 

I understand I am in the minority, and admire others who can keep their gear looking shiny new, and catch more and bigger fish than me.  

 

I'm the total opposite at work.  A private sportfishing yacht it's all about the look, and nothing on the boat has a single scratch.  Get me away from work I feel the more scratches the more memories.

 

 

12 hours ago, jitterbug127 said:

What do yall do to keep your reels in perfect shape?

I use these: The Rod Glove Casting Reel Glove - Tackle Warehouse

 

Or these that are identical: Amazon.com : SF Low Profile Casting Reel Cover Black Baitcast Reel Case Pouch Glove Fits 50 100 200 Series Baitcaster 3PCS : Sports & Outdoors

 

Unlike some reel covers, these will flatten out in your back pocket. Sometimes they come in a vacuum pack where they ship flat. The upside here is you can stuff them into a back pocket and not really notice they're there. So, that's what I do. When I pick up a rod, I peel off the cover in a few seconds and stow it in my back pocket, then reverse the process when I switch rigs. It really takes very little time, like seconds, and these particular covers don't pinch down on the line between the reels line guide and first rod guide which is a plus in my book. Many reel covers do.

 

I have new-to-me reels in my rotation going back 8 years and you'd have a hard time finding a mark on them. When I lake and pond wade, I'm circling these spots with 5-8 rigs slung over my shoulder like one might do when transporting a stack of 2X4s and my reels remain clean due to diligently using reels covers.

^ The SF's are what I use - casting and spinning.

22 hours ago, Siebert Outdoors said:

I keep my rods in sleeves and reels with covers on them.  I've had some reels in the past that got beat up really good bouncing on the bow of the boat.

I do the same. TW reel coverS, color coded rod gloves, and lure wraps. A+ for organizing and protecting my combos!

Boat Rash = Battle Scars.