Looking for reel repair guy

[J.A. Veil]

Over the years I have used several different guys for cleaning and repairing reels. One of them stopped returning phone calls and emails a few years ago, so he was dropped. The other guy was new last winter, but having started a new and more responsible job this year, he is no longer doing reel repairs. My track record of taking reels apart, cleaning them, and putting them back together is not good -- usually there are small parts left over afterwards.

I know of a guy near Tampa, FL who does a good job, but dealing with him involves shipping. I am looking for recommendations on guys who can repair spinning reels, replace bearings, clean and lubricate them, etc.

[yakscientist]

It's a bit of a drive for you, but I go to a guy up in Hanover at B&B lures. He's pretty good, but admittedly, he could be better. He's very good at cleaning and fixing reels to workable condition, but if it needs parts, he'll probably forget to call you about them after you pick the reel up. If you left it there for an extended period, maybe 2-3 weeks, I'm sure he'd get the parts in and install them, and he usually doesn't charge extra for parts installs beyond the normal cleaning fee. I usually take my reels to him in a time crunch of 1-2 weeks, so by the time I need to pick them up (usually before a trip), he hasn't ordered parts yet but the reel works far better than it did when I dropped it off. He gives me a parts list, prices, and then doesn't call me back when the parts arrive, etc. So again, I recommend that store but definitely budget some time. I think the normal price is $25 for a teardown, clean, and minor repair work, and parts are pretty reasonably priced especially if they're common like drag washers or bearings he has on hand. I also hear good things about reel perfection in edgewood. Youtube videos have also helped me with minor maintenance work, like in-depth grease jobs, cleanings/breakdowns, and upgrading some minor parts like a roller bearing or drag washers.

If you've got shimano reels in need of repair, I've heard excellent things about shimano service. I've heard they've replaced old broken reels that have been discontinued with fully new ones, basically free of charge. I have yet to confirm this, but I've got a few older shimanos that I want to see if they can do anything with.

[J.A. Veil]

Thanks for the suggestion.

[ronaultmtd]

I have tried a few...none as good as I am- my biggest issue with them is the over use of thick grease on bearings that retard casting and add stiffness....and I am not super great- just an old inside machinist...Shimano Service gets my vote...hard to beat factory service centers.the downside is shipping, handling and the delays...$20 per reel is really a bargain, though.

[Slobber Bob]

I don't know how often you come down to the beach, but Old Inlet B&T just north of IRI and Atlantic Tackle in West OC both service and repair reels. Seahawks in Pocomoke services reels too. I know Alltackle in West OC does rod repairs, but I'm not sure of reels? I've heard mixed reviews for Old Inlet and Seahawks. I used Alltackle once for a repair I couldn't figure out myself and needed a quick turn around on and was satisfied.

[mchottie]

I've been in Old Inlet, they have a good size reel counter. I completely forgot about them.

I usually always stop in there when i'm 'down EEE oh-shun' and typically on my way north to DPS. They always have something i've been searching for awhile, and the staff is very knowledgeable about the local waters & tactics.

[J.A. Veil]

Thanks for the tips, guys. I rarely get to Ocean City. The cost of driving there and back is probably greater than the cost of shipping the reels somewhere. I do know a good reel guy in Port Richey, FL. I fished with him last Feb for a day. I will most likely send 5 reels to Phil Marz of Bay Area Reel Service. His website is bayareareelservice.com. He charges $23/reel for a thorough cleaning, and offers a discount for multiple reels.

[J.A. Veil]

I wanted to follow up on this post from a few months ago. My fishing guide in Tampa has a top-notch reel repair guy nearby (Phil Marz of Bay Area Reel Service in Port Richey, FL). When I was in Tampa a few weeks ago, I dropped off five Shimano Stradic reels that were running a bit rough. Phil serviced them and found many bearings that were bad. He is mailing them back to me now. His labor cost was $23 each for five reels for general cleaning and lubrication. The new bearings and the postage were extra.

I wanted to share with this group something Phil wrote in his note. "The reels had allot of bad bearings I believe to be caused by over washing so let me suggest you only mist the dirt and salts off rather than hose them. Its to easy to get water inside the reels when hosing." Most of my fishing is done in the local brackish waters, not in full strength seawater. My normal procedure is give my reels a quick rinse with the garden hose after each trip. I do not spray them hard or intentionally blast water up inside the reels. But after hearing Phil's comment, I may try using an even more gentle rinse next year.

[bignose]

I used to dunk our Penn reels (the F 150 of fishing reels) in a bucket of fresh water with a little soap added, then wiped them dry. I'd recondition them: clean and lube them, plus change the line, yearly.
But on a charter boat, reels are almost expendable pieces of equipment. Fishing line is expendable, I'd replace as needed, and use Reel Magic on them.

Some of our medium duty reels were over 30 years old, those old Penns are clunky, but built like tanks.
Not exactly finesseful equipment, though. Lol

The trolling reels got a little rougher treatment.

The guides on the spinning rods generally got the worst of it, even with rinsing them off within a couple of seasons they corroded away..