What do you ice guys do to help your reel run smoother in the much colder temps? Obviously a lighter oil, but what works best and give me all the details on doing it. I have always threatened to do it but never seem to get it done.

I don't do anything different to the reels, but I use ice fishing reels too. Only when the temps dip around 0 degrees or below do i have any slowing of the reels and when it is that cold nothing works right! Are you using ice fishing reels or trying to use your regular reels?

When you say you use "ice fishing reels", do you mean ultralights? I have chosen to go with a 1000 series reels just for ease of tring to operate with gloves/mittens on. I notice on my shimanos that once it gets below freezing they tend to tighten up. I am tryng a new Abu Garcia this year for ice fishing and I was just curious if I should try a different type of lubrication in it to help it run smoother.

No I actually use reels designed for ice fishing. Don't you have them in your area, the ultralights aren't the same thing. Where do you live?? I'll check and see if I can find a site that shows the reels I use for you. Also I have found that when I use any oil no matter the weight of the oil, when it gets cold, the oil gets hard, so I oil my reels only once a year after the season then before ice fishing season, I wipe all the excess oil off. Have never had much of a problem doing it this way. The oil I use is standard 3-1 sewing oil.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jhtml?id=0016835191011a&navAction=push&navCount=3&indexId=cat20196&podId=0016835&catalogCode=UC&parentId=cat20196&parentType=index&rid=

This link shows what I use as an example, already has the lube in it for ice fishing. (Read the description) Let me know if you would like any other info.

Hiya,
If you are going to be fishing outside in very cold conditions, grease in your reels will gum up and freeze, and really slow things down (sucks picking up a dead rod with a fish on it, and having a frozen reel to deal with...)

If I have a reel I'm going to use ice fishing (especially a new one that isn't lubed for ice fishing from the factory), I take the handle off, then the side plate (usually 3-4 screws). Fire up the tea pot to get some boiling water, and pour the water through the reel to melt out and wash away all the grease. Sometimes it takes a few dousings to get it all out. Then I set them out, let them dry, and spray them down with a little WD-40 or some other light spray lube and reassemble.

Works for me...

Cheers,
RK

Thanks, I have never noticed that you can buy a reel already for ice fishing.

Thanks, that sounds easy...I bet I could even do it ;)

Try some powdered graphite instead of grease.

Hey RK,

I tried the boiling water thing without much success so I tried a kitchen degreaser and let it soak for a few minutes then flushed it with the boiling water. This seemed to work very well, I got almost all of it out fairly easy. I then used the wifes blow drier to dry out the inside real well in a hurry. Lastly, sprayed it down with some WD40 and put it back together. It is obviously a different feeling with the lighter lube inside. Can't wait to try it out. Thanks for the suggestions.

Hiya,
Kitchen de-greaser is a good idea. The boiling water bit works but takes a while. Yeah, it sounds like it's grinding a little, but as near as I can tell the reels are none the worse for wear doing it. Just remember to re-grease them if you are going to use them in open water next summer...

RK

if you know or see a power company line truck or repair truck ask them for a tube of breaker grease...cannot freeze as power tech must be able to open the breaker.very thick silicone grease.just put a dab on gear and put it back together,it is smooooth.i have never had a reel freeze up since getting a tube from a buddy,and he hasn't either.
use it year around and have reels 20 years old still crankin'..knock on wood.

The guy that repairs my reels, lubes them with Slick 50. Seems to work darn well, year around.

Tom B

Hey, that's nifty. I have a brother-in-law that's an electrical contractor - bet he can get me some.

Thanks for the tip...

Cheers,
RK