Was in Tampa this past weekend and bought several Pakula trolling lures at a flea market. They all have great color and were in original packaging. Got home and pulled them out only to find that all of the rubber skirts are gummy/sticky. I know this usually happens with UV and heat exposure, but they look so good, the thought never crossed my mind.
So, any tricks out there to get them back into shape for action?
Some of the recommendations on that webpage linked to are really bad ideas IMO. For example, WD-40 on reels.
What he says about cleaning gummy stuff off plastics will work, no doubt, but how does it prevent the same from happening again?
The pakula baits you’ve got are really nice.
All you have to do is let them soak in warm water and dawn soap for a few minutes and then rinse them off. Then, drop them in a bucket of warm water with Downy Free & Clear fabric softener and let them soak for a few hours. Rinse them with cold water and hang them to dry.
If you don’t use free and clear, you will have funky discoloration and scent added to your plastics.
When you’ve got your bucket of warm water and fabric softener, it’s also a good time for you to soak your cast net…
Luke 8:22-25
Ah come on Phin! Some fresh water Bass guys, spray WD40 on lures and swear by it, as a fish attractant . Why can’t you use it on reels? Heck, you can eat that stuff and it won’t hurt you:question:
What a Fish story!
Myth: WD-40? contains fish oil.
Fact: Consumers have told us over the years that they have caught some of the biggest fish ever after protecting their fish hooks and lures with WD-40?. We believe this legend came from folks assuming that the product must contain fish oil since it appears to attract fish. Sorry Charlie?, it just ain?t so.
WD-40 Company has taken steps to respect and conserve the environment, and encourages its users to do the same. While WD-40? can be used to help protect fishing equipment from rust and corrosion, WD-40 Company does not recommend using WD-40? to attract fish
Easy, thanks for the link. I had some gojo on hand and it more than did the trick.
Phin, as one of our resident experts, thanks for confirming the advice and tips on future preservation.