• After fishing, in fresh or salt water, rinse your rod carefully in a solution of mild soapy water to remove residues or odors. Do not use detergents.
• Dry your rod off before storing. You might follow by wiping down the rod with a liquid furniture polish to enhance the look and finish.
• Lubricate reel seats and touch up guide feet with WD-40 or other similar corrosion inhibitors.
• When traveling or storing, always protect your rod by encasing it in its sock and/or tube -- else rod may develop fractures that cause rod failure. Store out of the sun and weather and completely dry.
• Periodically check the plug in the end of the butt section of the rod to ensure it’s in place, and check the guides for grooves.
• Occasionally lube the male section of the ferrule with paraffin keeping a tight fit and making disassembly easier.
• Rod Assembly
  • 1) Insert the tip of the butt section into the butt of the tip section with the guides offset by 90º.
  • 2) Align the guides by firmly twisting the butt until the sections are tight.
  • 3) Check the tightness by attempting to pull the sections straight apart without twisting. If the connection holds, they’re tight enough. To disassemble, simply reverse the twist.

Credit to:
NC Fish and Game