How to Properly Lube a Baitcast Reel

You’d think that a topic titled How to Properly Lube a Baitcast Reel would be easy to explain to folks, but actually it can create some hot debates among my angler friends, especially when taking into account the various reel types there are, selecting a lubrication product from the huge assortment of products, then deciding how far into the reel parts you want to lubricate. However, for this article I’m only going to recommend when and how to properly lube a baitcast reel between their professional full servicing. I’m not going to explain how to disassemble the whole reel and lubricate every internal component. At this point, I’ll be simply remove the spool but not go into detail on every internal part and the type of lubricant to put on each of them.

Types of Reel Servicing Lubricants

First, we’ll consider the different types of oils and lubrications available. Then discuss when to use which type of lubricant on a particular part. In general, I like to use Ardent™ reel servicing and maintenance products. I am not a supplier of Ardent™ and I believe I am unbiased. (In my blog How To Maintain and Store Your Fishing Reels Between Trips, I recommend Ardent Reel Guard Corrosion Inhibitor for between-reel servicing to keep the reel safe from corroding. You might want to read that blog for more information.) I will also talk about a few other maintenance lubrication brands for comparison.

Ardent Reel Butter Bearing Lube 

Ardent Reel Butter® Bearing Lube uses the latest in lubrication engineering technology to help Properly Lube a Baitcast Reel. It penetrates deep into ball bearings and roller bearings for a complete flush of dirt and foreign debris, as well as a thorough lubrication. Unlike graphite-based lubrication, Reel Butter® Bearing Lube Contains no tiny graphite particles that produce bearing noise and can cause performance issues. Reel Butter® Bearing Lube provides maximum lubrication and corrosion protection for all bearing applications.

Ardent Reel Butter Oil, Multi-use

This product is a high-performance synthetic lubricant that is specifically designed for use on fishing reels. Ardent Reel Butter Oil penetrates critical components like bearings, shafts, and wear points. Plus, it has extremely high surface tension to reduce wear and noise, which will help you Properly Lube a Baitcast Reel.

Ardent Reel Butter Grease

Another excellent high-performance synthetic product also designed for fishing reels, Ardent Reel Butter Grease protects components long after the competition’s products have  broken down. It prevents plus it easily bonds to all the working parts of any model fishing reel to help you Properly Lube a Baitcast Reel.

Shimano Bantam Oil

While this isn’t the easiest oil to find and purchase, you’ll recognize the 4.5 gram bottle if you’re a Shimano reel owner. Description: Oil for ball bearings on bait casting reels, roller clutches, spool shafts on spinning reels. This is the basic Shimano reel oil. It has relatively low viscosity and your Shimano will perform great with this basic oil.

ReelX Oil – Multi-use

ReelX® is a hi-tech, extreme-pressure-optimized reel lubricant that virtually eliminates wear, disrupts existing corrosion, and prevents new corrosion or rust from forming. ReelX can be used for both spinning and casting reels. Described by ReelX as a “breakthrough” lubricant with “core Polar Bonding technology”, it contains extreme-pressure additives specifically engineered to make your fishing reels achieve their ultimate performance.

ReelX Grease

ReelX® Grease is the new, hi-tech, synthetic, extreme-pressure optimized reel grease developed for all spinning and casting reels. Used in conjunction with ReelX® fishing reel oil, ReelX Grease blocks moisture intrusion, reduces wear, disrupts existing corrosion, and prevents new corrosion or rust from forming.

Cal’s Universal Reel & Star Drag Grease

Cal’s Universal Reel & Star Drag grease is the result of decades of hands-on fishing and reel customization experience combined with ultra-modern lubrication technology, including PTFE and polymers. It offers salt-water corrosion protection on all metals, including aluminum, steel, and brass. It is safe use on anodized and plated surfaces, all common plastics, drag materials, seals, and o–rings used in reels. Offers baby skin smooth, ultra-consistent star drag performance and superior resistance to heat and breakdown in drags and reels (Dropping point is >500°F!), plus reduced gear-drive friction for easier cranking, and minimal grease “creep” so it stays where you put it.

Lubricating the Reel 

So now that you know about a couple of reel servicing lubricants on the market, I’ll describe which ones to use for each friction point to properly lube a baitcast reel and how often you need to lubricate them.

The first parts I always lubricate on my baitcast reel are near the spool which is easy to do. There are several friction points in this area to lubricate. The bearings are the most obvious. Typical bait cast reels have two bearings in the baitcast spool but may also have three. Since these are the bearings that you want to have spin as fast as possible, you should use an ultra-low viscosity oil such as Ardent Reel Butter Bearing Lube or  ReelX Oil from CorrosionX. For this, you need to take off the reel side plate. (You’ll remove the spool tensioner knob in a later step.) Use the oil sparingly! One drop for each bearing.  Putting too much oil on the bearings can defeat the purpose and cause the oil to build up!

The next points to lubricate are also done with the side plate off and the spool removed. You’ll need to use a Q-tip or small piece of cotton here. First, place a couple drops of oil on the Q-tip.  Next, run the Q-tip along the brake case (located on the side plate). The spool brakes lightly touch the brake case when you cast so you want them to run smoothly. Once that’s done, move to the spool and run the Q-tip along any area where it touches the body of the reel. I also like to lubricate the areas between the brake collars on the spool. Once the spool has been lubricated, run the Q-tip on the body of the reel any place where the spool touches it. 

Pinion Bearing

While I have the spool out I also like to put a drop of oil on the pinion bearing. The pinion bearing is inside the reel where the spool enters the body. (You will be able to see the pinion bearing on most reels when the spool is out.) Now, install the spool back in the reel and put the side plate back on. I recommend lubricating the pinion bearing and these other parts every time you oil the side plate bearing. For me, this is after each fishing trip if I’ve been in saltwater and after 2-3 trips if in freshwater.

Lubricating Additional Reel Components

At this point, you can oil the spool tensioner bearing. First, remove the spool tensioner knob, which sits a little behind the reel handle.  

CAUTION:  Unscrew the knob slowly. Some reels have springs inside that can fly out. 

Once the knob is off, you should be able to see the spool tensioner bearing. Lubricate it with a drop of Ardent Reel Butter Bearing oil or ReelX Oil. Then replace the spool tensioner knob.  

The next step to properly lube a baitcast reel is the worm gear. As you turn the handle of the reel, the worm gear moves the line back and forth to ensure that the line winds evenly onto the spool. The worm gear is located at the front of the reel and is attached to the line guide. Since the worm gear doesn’t rely on spinning ultra fast, it needs a less viscous type of oil to keep it running smoothly, like Ardent Reel Butter or the ReelX multi-purpose oil. Both are a little less viscous and will adhere to the worm gear longer. Turn the reel handle slowly as you apply 1-2 drops of oil directly on the worm gear. Keep turning the handle 15-20 times to allow the oil to cover the entire worm gear. Some people apply a mixture of oil and reel grease here. However I like to use only a multi-use oil on the worm gear as I find build-up can occur when grease is added. I recommend lubricating the worm gear every 3-4 trips.

Although we’re not oiling many internal parts, there is one more area that you can oil if you’d like. These are the handle knobs, which also contain bearings.  In my experience, I can tell when the knobs have been oiled because the reel just seems to operate smoother. So I recommend doing this every 5-10 trips just to keep the handle knob bearings from seizing up. To properly lube a baitcast reel, apply Ardent Reel Butter or ReelX on the handle knobs because these bearings are less vital to casting.  To oil the reel knob, just place a drop of oil where the knob meets the handle. You do not have to remove the outer knob plug as that screw is only for removing the knob itself. Just adding a drop of oil on the knobs and turning the handle a few times is sufficient.

Conclusion

This might seem like a lot of work, but with practice it will become easier and quicker. I make it a habit to perform this maintenance at the recommended intervals I’ve suggested. When I do skip a step, I notice that the reel just doesn’t feel right. For me, having properly working reels when out on the water makes the trip much, much more enjoyable. I hope that this article has helped you understand how to properly lube a baitcast reel. Also, please remember that to keep reels in top performance, they need a professional servicing at regular intervals. Please click on the link below which sends you to my baitcast maintenance ordering site. Be sure to order reel maintenance for any reels that need it!

Thanks again keep those lines tight!