Lures are used as disposable by most of the anglers because of their rusting nature. And in saltwater conditions, the lures became rusty even sooner.
But with some simple steps, you can make it usable again without replacing it.
Rusting on fishing rules is very common in the matter of fishing, but changing the lures as a substitute for cleaning them won’t be beneficial, I think.
So how to clean rusty fishing lures instead of buying a new one! I prefer to clean it as it saves some cost,
and cleaning the rusty fishing lures only needs some effort and a bit of time, nothing else. Just follow the steps below.
Reason for Rusting on Fishing Lures
If you are looking for the process of cleaning rust from fishing, I hope you already know the reasons for rusting. If not, let’s have a little discussion about it.
Rusting is a natural process; it starts progressing when any metal surface starts reacting with water and oxygen. Because iron and oxygen have completely opposite charges,
which are attracted to one another as if they are like magnets. Water helps them to combine, which is called oxidation, and this chemical reaction starts producing ferric oxide to form- rust.
In general, lures are coated with stainless steel to prevent rust, but water works as a conductor here to combine the metal with oxygen and which leads to rusting on the lures.
On the other hand, saltwater is a great conductor for rusting. So in terms of fishing, especially in saltwater conditions, lures usually get rusted so soon.
How to Remove Rust from Fishing Hooks
Using “Anti-Corrosion Protective Coating” is a popular way of preventing rust, but as the lures usages in the water, nothing is actually sufficient to prevent it from rusting.
Prevention is better than cure. But in terms of lures rusting, you better keep attention to cleaning fishing lures.
How to Clean Old Fishing Lures
Lures are easier to clean instead of changing them. All you need is some time and patience. There are many ways to clean fishing with rusty lures,
and I am going to mention the most popular and proper ways of cleaning fishing lures. Let’s begin with some homemade solutions.
Applying Lemon, Salt & Potato
Lemons contain Citric Acid, which can help you to get rid of rust from the lures. You can also use any dish soap as that is also made of Citric Acid.
Salt is made of sodium and chlorine, which react with lemon juice or Citric Acid, so applying both together on the rusty lures will be helpful to clean them.
On the other hand, potatoes have oxalic acid, which also reacts with salt and lemon. Mixing three together will make your cleaning process too easy.
Steps you need to follow while using Lemon, Salt & Potato.
- Take a bowl with sliced lemon and potato, pour salt in it.
- Now blend them together to make a paste.
- Apply the paste on the lures with a brush.
- Leave it for hours.
- Now clean the rusty lures with tissue.
Applying Vinegar & Baking Soda
If the first one didn’t work well for you, go for this one; it will definitely work!
We all know vinegar and baking sodas are great natural cleaners and rust removers. This is the most common way to clean the rust from any surface.
This process can take longer than the first one, but it will definitely clean your rusty lures like new.
Steps you need to follow while using Baking Soda &Vinegar.
- Take a pot and pour vinegar in it according to your needs and leave your lures to soak for hours if possible; overnight will be best.
- Now take the lures from the vinegar pot and wipe the rust off by using an old toothbrush.
- If it is still rusty, then mix baking soda and a bit of water to make it like a paste.
- Now apply the paste on the lures and leave it for a few hours.
- Brush the lures along with the paste with an old toothbrush.
- Use a tissue or paper towel to clean the paste properly.
Using WD40
WD40 is basically a spray that works as rust removal, lubricant, and a moisture displacer. It is the easiest way to clean rust from your fishing lures.
Steps you need to follow while using WD40.
- Put your rusty lures in a pot
- Spray with WD40 on both sides of the lures.
- Soak the lures into the pot with WD40 for 2 hours or longer.
- Use an old toothbrush to wipe off the rust from the lures.
- Lastly, apply paper towels or tissues and make sure it is completely dry.
Using Ospho (chemical rust treatment)
In case of quick cleaning of the rust, you can use Ospho as it is not required hours to wait. Ospho is a kind of chemical that cleans rust by creating chemical reactions.
This thing has been used to clean rust since 1947. It looks like paint which you need to apply on a metal surface by simply spraying it. Using Ospho is very simple but effective.
This product may be hard to find sometimes. But, luckily, if you find it, the rest of your hard work will do this thing.
Here are the steps you need to follow interim of using Ospho.
- Put your rusted lures on a paper towel and gradually spray the Ospho over it.
- Then leave it to dry overnight.
- With this process, your lures will be good to go like new!
Importance of Cleaning Rusty Fishing Lures
If you are searching for ways of cleaning rust from lures, I hope you already know the importance of it. Still, here are two major issues to remind you:
Health Issue
Most of the time, you touch the lure with a naked hand. As you know, its hook is quite sharp enough to harm your finger.
So if it gets rusty, it could cause some serious injuries like tetanus. So using proper clean rust free lures reduces the health issue.
Strength of the Lures
A fish can’t identify whether the lure is rusty or not and will still bite on the hook. But the problem is that rusty lures will not be strong enough to hold the fish.
The rust may cause the lures to lose sufficient strength, and gradually, it will lead to the lures and hook breaking. So to ensure your lure’s strength keep it rust-free.
Final Words
The angler usually replaces the rusty lures with a new one, but if you count in total, in long-term fishing, it will not be a beneficial step on your business or personal uses.
And when you have so many simple ways to clean the rust, then why not clean the rust instead of changing it.
Going through the above-discussed matter, I am pretty sure you probably get the idea about how to clean rusty fishing lures.
And I hope the methods I mentioned here will not let you down. In terms of practical use, you will find these methods quite easy and cost-friendly too.
