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The proper way to clean your graphite fishing rod is not to simply rinse it off. A deeper clean is better once you have the time to do so. You’ll need a rag and some soap and water to separately scrub the shaft, reel seat, eyelets and handle. A Magic Eraser can be used to refresh cork handles, and Q-tip’s should be used to clean and inspect your eyelets. The specifics of properly cleaning each rod component can be found below.
Getting Started
Before you get going, gather your supplies and rods that you want to clean. For efficiency sake, I like to clean multiple rods at once. Prior to cleaning, you should remove the reels from your rods so that you have clear access to the reel seat, and so that you won’t get cleaning agents onto your reels. Below are the supplies you will need.
Cleaning Supplies For Fishing Rods
- Rag
- Bowl with soapy water (I prefer Dawn dish soap)
- Pledge (optional)
- Toothbrush (optional)
- Magic Eraser by Mr. Clean (optional)
- U-40 cork sealant (optional)
- Q-tips
Clean The Graphite Shaft
There are quite honestly countless cleaning agents you could use to clean the shaft of your graphite fishing rod, but soap and water is just fine. Dawn dish soap is my preferred cleaner as it is gentle, but great at removing dirt and grime. If you want to add a little shine back to your rod you can use Pledge furniture polish. Pledge also comes in a wipe variety which makes cleaning quite convenient.
Cleaning Fishing Rod Guides
The rod’s guides are the most critical area to clean on a fishing rod, particularly if you use braided fishing line. Braid tends to grab any gunk from the water and deposit it onto your fishing rod’s eyelets.
You don’t want any debris in your rods guides as it will slow down your cast and potentially damage your fishing line. Use a Q-tip with some water or rubbing alcohol to clear the inside of the eyelets of any dirt and grime.
Clean The Reel Seat
It’s not totally necessary to thoroughly clean a reel seat, but that is where you’ll accumulate a lot of gunk over time. Remove your reel and use a rag with soapy water to wipe any debris from the area. If you really want to be meticulous you can use an old toothbrush to clear any debris from the reel seat. Be sure to screw your reel seat all the way in and out both directions, cleaning the threads as you go.
Cleaning Fishing Rod Cork Handles
Over time your fishing rod’s handle will accumulate lots of grime. You can often remove much of this with simple soap and water and a rag. Baby wipes also work well for cleaning the handle whether it be foam or cork.
Using A Magic Eraser On Your Fishing Rod
If you have buildup on a cork handle that is difficult to remove with soap and water or a wet wipe, you can use a Magic Eraser by Mr. Clean. I’m a huge fan of Magic Eraser’s in general and use them around the house all the time. With 2 kids there is always something to clean up.
A light scrubbing with an “eraser” will remove a surprising amount of filth from the surface of your grip. It’s super quick and easy to totally refresh the appearance of your cork handles by using a Magic Eraser. To do so, simply dip the “eraser” into some water and then lightly scrub the grime away. You can get them to look nearly new with this method.
Be careful when using an Eraser on a fishing rod as they are slightly abrasive. You don’t want to dig into the cork too deep or damage the finish of the actual rod.
Sealing Cork Handles After Cleaning
After “erasing” any dirt and grime from your cork handle you can seal the cork with a product called U-40 Cork Sealant, pictured below. This product seals the surface of the cork and helps protect it from deteriorating. It also allows for easier cleaning with just soap and water in the future. Simply apply a thin coat to a dry and clean cork handle. A small bottle will last you a long time.
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Cleaning Foam Fishing Grips
To clean EVA foam grips, I again use my favorite cleaner – Dawn dish soap. Use warm or hot water with Dawn to loosen any grime and then scrub it away with a soft bristle brush such as your wife’s toothbrush. For grips in really bad shape you might need to soak them in soapy water and scrub them again. Repeat this process until you get the desired result.
Check Your Eyelets For Damage
To finish up your cleaning procedure you should take a dry Q-tip and run it through each eyelet. Check to see if the soft cotton of the Q-tip grabs anywhere. This will help you detect if you have a damaged rod guide, which could cause you problems on the water. Damaged eyelets can damage your line and cause you to have breakoffs.
Conclusion
The most critical part of cleaning a fishing rod is to clean out the eyelets of the rod’s guides. I think most other aspects of cleaning a rod are purely cosmetic, but who doesn’t love a clean sparkling rod? Also, I don’t know about you, but it bothers me to know that resting below my fancy reel lies a swamp of debris. Clean those nasty reel seats!
If you found this article helpful, you might be interested in checking out the following articles linked below.
1 Piece Vs. 2 Piece Fishing Rods
Crush The Barbs On Your Fish Hooks
Braided Line Cuts Fingers
Augustus Clay
