I need help... I've been fishing eggs for years now and all my rods are coated with a layer of egg film and I don't know what chemicals will take it off.. Can any one help??
Keith

I think toilet paper works well for getting crap off your surface....oooppps....wrong kind of crap.
:p


Soak it in the bathtub in hot water for awhile and use a kitchen sponge with palmolive to break it up.

Maybe a diluted solution of TSP would work but I'd be careful not to damage the rod finish with to strong of a mix. Maybe try it on a cheap rod first. Good luck.

First things first. Why on earth would you want to clean that honestly earned patina from your sacred fishing rods?

My rods don't have egg crud on them, but the cork grips are soiled with the grime of years of serious fishing. I wouldn't think of ever cleaning them. I never wash my fishing vests, either. Or my lucky fishing hat. It just wouldn't be right. I will, on occasion, clean some mud off my waders, but I draw the line at that.

Sincerely,

Salmo g.

Yeah I understand Salmo g. but it's to the point where it's sick... Not only that but when it starts raining the rods get slick and what brought me to it was tuesday I was fishing with james on one of our home rivers and set the hook on a fish and the rod flew out of my hand.. It just gets too slimy when wet.. But it's the egg gunk on the graphite its self that I can't get off, unless I want to use my thumb nail but I did about a foot section and don't have a thumbnail left...
Keith

Give the rod to me and buy a new one. Good luck, all I can say is hot water and 4O9 cleaner. Then use Endust on the rod or lemon pledge.

Use your thumbnail, nothing harder, to break through the build-up after soaking for an hour or so in the bathtub. Then just wash with a wash cloth in a soapy solution. Rinse well, let the cork dry, then hit it with some 150 grit to take off the top layer of slime that remains on the cork.

I rinse my rod every hour or so while out fishing, usually after baiting up and cleaning the egg slime off of my hands. Just takes a second and it avoids the build-up problem in the future.

I'm with Salmo G...why ruin the antique effect. It's kinda special...i've gotta a collection of old wooden decoys that show there glory thru their rich pantina.

gooose

Believe it or not I have had pretty good results with Windex or Simple Green. Just spray it down and let it soak for a bit then hit it with the hose .Sometimes it takes a couple tries.

If I recall correctly someone (maybe THE Bob?)suggested nail polish remover a while back

Keith,

Get one of those sponges with the green scratchy side to them. Use 409 or dish soap, you want something tht will cut the gease/oil. Soak and scrub, but after you start making headway stop using the scratchy side and use just the sponge or finger nail. For the handles, I use 100 or 150 grit sandpaper every couple years, be gentle. I also started cleaning/sponging my rods down in the fall after a rain day if they were sitting in the boat overnight, good thing to do at fishcamp when I'm rained out. The rain and moisture seems to help.

Keith, one of the guys at the Lamiglass plant was giving me a bad time about a broken rod I took up there for replacement and he said to use Dawn dish soap and warm water. I dont know how good it works since I left the mess on the rod. I would be a little concerned about anything to caustic or coarse and the effect it would have on the finish of the rod.

Thanks for the help guys, I'll likely soak the two piece rods in the bathtub in hot water then spray some cleaner on them and start to wiping... It just takes so long and I've got about 12 rods that need the cleaning.
Keith

Good lord, Aunty, isn't it apparent????
Guys don't know how to clean, and I knew it before I read it on this thread! Aren't you married? Haven't you noticed?

Take all 12 rods, stand them up in the bathtub. Turn the shower on hot and let them bask in the warm water rinse for about 10 minutes. That should soften up the crud. Use a sponge and some mild soap, ( I'd use Simple Green, as suggested because that really is a dynamite cleaner ) and wipe the rods down. Then let the shower spray for another 5 minutes or so, so you get rid of all that odor so it doesn't get permeated into the line and mess up the shrimp oil/anise/Power Bait/Smelly Jelly/What-Have-You that you're gonna use.

And when you're done, hang up the towels, dammit.
diana

Good one Diana! But, if we got good at cleaning we might have to stay home on the weekends. I have been using WD40 on my rods for a couple years. But now after reading this post it has got me reconsidering my choice. I think with the solvent in WD40 after awhile I will break down the finish. Whadaya think?

SIMPLE GREEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Simple green for regular clean-ups ... but at this point, you're going to need the heavy artillery ... the same stuff I use on my AK rods at the end of every season that gets them like new ... Wesley's Bleche-White, a tire cleaner. It eats that egg goo up!

Thanks again guys for all the help. I'll be cleaning the rest of the rods this week and have some new looking artillery..
Keith