How to Properly Lube a Spinning Reel

My recent blog titled ‘How to Properly Lube a baitcast reel’ found me inundated with readers asking me how to properly lube a spinning reel.  Spinning reels are much different than baitcast reels and have fewer parts that need to lubricate.  Their simplicity and ease to master are a couple reasons they are so popular among anglers.  I won’t take the reel completely apart in this article but will show key areas where spinning reels need lubrication. A proper lubrication on your reels, between regular professional services, is going to keep your reels in top working order.  

Types of Reel Servicing Lubricants

There are many different manufacturers and types of fishing reel lubrication products out there.  There are also times when you want to use one over there other. I will simplify this so you know twhat lube to use and when. Now I’m a fan of Ardent reel servicing and reel maintenance products.  I’m not an affiliate with Ardent so I’m still an unbiased party.  In my blog, How To Maintain and Store Your Fishing Reels Between Trips, I recommend Ardent’s Reel Guard keep the reel safe from corrosion.  Ardent Reel Guard is designed for both salt and freshwater reels.  Please take a look my blog for more information.  Besides just the Ardent brand, there are other great manufacturers out there and I’ll note these below. The main thing to understand is how and when to use these different lubrications.  

What to use:

Ardent Reel Butter Bearing Lube 

Aardent Reel Butter Oil, Multi-use

Shimano Bantam Oil

ReelX Oil – Multi-use

ReelX Grease

SpeedX Oil

Cal’s 

What not to use:

WD-40 – I can remember the first time I inhaled that sweet smell of WD-40. I was a kid ‘oiling’ my bike chain and was so happy with how nice and smooth it made the chain.  Unfortunately, WD-40 is actually a degreaser that breaks oils down.  WD-40 has some great uses but don’t use it on your fishing reel.  

Graphite – Graphite doesn’t work on reels or bearings that need a liquid lubricant.  Plus it’s messy and gets everywhere.

Lubricating the Reel 

So now that we know a couple reel servicing lubricants, I’ll take you through which one of them to use to properly lube your spinning reels.  I’ll also run through the lubrication frequency for spinning reels and fishing styles.

The first area that I lubricate on a spinning reel is the handle.  I take the handle off the reel and place a couple drops of Ardent Bearing oil in each bearing hole.  Try not to put too much oil in this area as it causes build up and can decrease the smoothness of the handle.  It’s tempting to take the side panel off the reel and take a look inside, however I don’t recommend doing this unless you’re very familiar with the inner workings of the reel.  Some of the reels I receive started with a curious angler and ended in a box of parts.  So I recommend leaving the full reel servicing to a professional as we know these reels inside out and will warranty any of the work done.  Once done, put the handle back on the reel.  

The next step in how to properly lube a spinning reel is the spool.  The spool on a spinning reel is very easy to remove.  I recommend taping the line down so you don’t have a birds nest of line all over your workspace.  Use bandage tape as it’s easy to tear into smaller pieces and sticks to just about anything.  I even use it on my spools of new line when storing.  Once you have the spool off place a drop on the shaft and put the spool back on, pretty simple.  

The next area that I lubricate are the two bail attachment ends.  Make sure the bail is opening and closing smoothly as a stuck or rough ball roller can cause the line to twist.  When line twists on the spool it causes what we call wind knots and makes the casting experience a nightmare.  

The last step in how to properly lube a spinning reel is the handle knob.  This is something that anglers often overlook in the process.  You can tell a difference with a handle knob with regular oiling compared to one that is corroded or tight.  On most reels there’s a bearing in the knob that needs oil.  Place a small drop of oil on the area where the knob meets the handle arm. 

Spinning Reel Maintenance Ports

Some reels are equipped with an oil injection maintenance port in the side plate.  I personally don’t like these and manufacturers have been removing them on most of the newer reels.  This is for a couple reasons: 1) to keep the reel watertight, 2) the maintenance ports tend to be over oiled by many anglers and, 3) the internal parts need both grease and oil.  So putting a drop of oil into an area that needs grease creates a mess.  I don’t suggest opening these ports at all. It’s best to wait for a full professional service for the internal parts to be properly oiled and greased.  

How Often Do I Lube my Spinning Reels

I perform the steps in how to properly lube a spinning reel basic maintenance procedures at least once a week if I’m in freshwater and after every second fishing trip for saltwater.  This quickly became a habit for me and I know has kept my reels in great working condition.  I very rarely, if ever, have a reel out of commission due to an equipment failure.  It’s something you will get much better at and that will become second nature.  

Conclusion

I hope that this How to Properly Lube a Spinning Reel article helps you locate the key components on a spinning that need lubrication.  Please remember that keeping a spinning reel in top performance will only happen if you also have a regular full professional service.  Fischer Angling helps you with all your fishing needs and with any questions that you might have. Please feel free to reach out to me. 

Thanks and keep those lines tight!!