How to Take Apart Penn Fishing Reels

At times, fishing reels need to be taken apart for repairs, service or just for a good cleaning. It is a good habit to fall into seasonally as this will ensure that your reels are always in good working order. How you get them apart varies from make to make. Here, we will discuss how to disassemble a Penn SS style spinning reel.

Things You'll Need

• Small crescent wrench
• Flat nosed screwdriver

Instructions

1. Unscrew the drag adjusting knob that sits in the very top of the reel and pull the line spool off of the top of the reel.

2. Grasp the bail (the part that wraps the line onto the spool) and spin the handle of the reel clockwise until the handle comes off of the reel itself.

3. Using the screwdriver, unscrew the reel cover plate on the side of the reel. This will provide you with access to the reel for any repairs.

4. After repair or cleaning, follow the steps in reverse to reassemble the reel.

Tips & Warnings

• When you are taking apart a fishing reel, it helps to lay the parts out in the order in which they came off, thereby making it easier for the novice to reassemble it.

Resources

• An in-depth article on spinning reels