Should I send in my VS for service?

[Linesider82]

Originally Posted by WESTPORTMAFIA

BTW. Has anyone ever had to service freshwater reels?

Yes, every year due to heavy use. Easily 100+ days of fishing, long weekends otw last ice to first ice etc. Takes its toll, especially pike and smallmouth fishing on Champlain. When the evergreens produce pollen the water is tainted with so much pollen it looks like pea soup, then again when the cotton woods release their seeds the water looks like a planes flew through the entire migrating flock of snow geese. As the bail spins and the line comes through the roller these elements spray all over the reels, esp the pollen it gets embedded in braid. But mostly the abuse is from fish on the drag and while fishing from a yak there is most tendency for the reel to be dunked, submerged, splashed. Which is also why my fly reels for fresh water are so bad, when I release a fish the reel is almost always in the water. Parts are cheap and reel grease is cheap, I have always done the work myself. Mostly fish Shimanos Sustain (pike) & Stradic (smb), Pfluger president (smb), Diawa Exceler (brook trout/drag now failing after 5 years), penn battle (smb/drag problems 1st year). Sustain and Stradics being the best. However this is the first year where I have only fished freshwater maybe a dozen times with spinning gear the rest was flyfishing or in the suds.