Fishing Rod Maintenance       As a third-generation owner of a custom rod manufacturing company, customers are always asking about the proper maintenance of their custom-built rods. Mother nature's sun, heat, cold, humidity and wind are damaging enough. Add salt, fish slime, nicks and bangs, and this is enough to destroy any product. We always wash our boat off with soap and water using bristle brushes, old rags, and a strong soap. We also flush all the salt water out of our engines before we put the boat away for the next trip. Why should fishing rods be treated any differently? The trailer gets our boat to the destination. The boat allows us to float on the water. The engine pushes the boat to our fishing spot. If your rods are not properly maintained, you might as well be called a boater instead of a fisherman.       My maintenance of my fishing rods consists of three easy steps, and two other steps to perform throughout the year, whenever you feel the rods need it.       1) Take any hooks, lures, flies or jigs off the line. Rusty hooks will not do the guides any good. Reel your line onto the spool and somehow affix it. Tighten your drag down so not to allow any soap and water to penetrate your drag surface. Soap breaks grease down. Dry drags are no good to you in the field.       2) Take the hose and rinse your rods and reels off. I prefer a strong stream of water. Water breaks down salt and salt is what causes corrosion. After the water loosens the salt, take your soap and water rag and wash your rods and reels off. Clean any fish scales or slime off your tackle.       3) Rinse off with water again to remove soap and let dry. You should never put your reels away with a tightened drag, so loosen your drag and put the most important piece of fishing gear away.       4) Every four or five trips, spray the guides or metal off with some spray oil and wipe them down. This helps keep the corrosion down. I have contacted all the line manufacturers that I personally use and they have told me oils do not break or destroy line in any way. In most cases, it makes them stronger.       5) Maybe once a year or on an unfishable, rainy day, take some car wax and wax the rods just like a car. You will be amazed at what your rods look like after this process.       You have to agree with me, these steps will take up so little of your time, but it will be time well spent. A couple of minutes caring for your equipment allows you to keep your investment for a much longer period of time and have a dependable product in the field.       Tip courtesy of Kenny Carman president of Biscayne Rod Back