Try some of these Christmas gifts for sportsmen
It’s hard to believe Christmas is approaching again, but time flies when you’re having fun, and no one has more fun than sportsmen in the outdoors. Some neat new things are on the shelves this year that would make great presents for fishermen and hunters, plus some old standards that shine year after year. Hopefully some of these suggestions will prove helpful.
If you find something you like, just leave this magazine in an obvious place, open to this page. Highlight the item or mark it in a way it has to be noticed and wait for Christmas morning to find it under your tree or in your stocking. In return, you have to pay attention to gift hints from family members. If everyone pays attention and does their part, there will be smiles all around on Christmas morning.
Less than $10
Lures are the No. 1 thing that comes to mind in this price range, and they are always a good choice. Following up their MirrOdine C-Eyes from last year, MirrOlure (www.mirrolure.com) released the C-85MR Clear Eyes Pro Dog Jr. this fall, and it has proven to be a must-have lure for trout and redfish.
Rockport Rattler jig heads (www.rockportrattler.com) put some sound in your soft plastics to help attract specks and reds. Spinnerbaits, like the Redfish Burner and Turner Burner from Salty Bay Baits (www.deepcreeklures.com) and Mullet Spins from Betts Tackle (www.bettstackle.net), really get the job done for redfish, and Cajun Thunder Popping Floats from Precision Tackle are often imitated, but they still have just the right click to bring in specks and reds.
Less Than $25
This category begins with a subscription or renewal to North Carolina Sportsman. This is a great gift, and subscription terms begin with a year. An ad with a special price for gift subscriptions is elsewhere in this issue, and there should be a special Christmas subscription offer at www.northcarolinasportsman.com.
Fowl Fooler Decoys (www.fowlfooler.com) fall into this range if purchased separately. These are styrofoam decoys wrapped in burlap that are extremely durable and float well in any water condition. Once you know your duck hunter likes them, next year you can purchase a dozen for the price of 10.
Tink’s (www.tinks.com), the company that brought us the classic Tink’s #69 Doe-in-Rut Buck Lure, has some new food scents for 2013 that sound interesting and fall into this price range. Your big-game hunter should appreciate some Sweet Weed or Salad Dressing Honeysuckle scents for deer or Glazed Donut scent for bear. Tink’s also makes a full line of game and cover scents, plus odor eliminators.
Many offshore lures are in this price range and are always a great gift.
Up to $100
Whether your favorite fisherman enjoys freshwater or saltwater, plenty of fishing school and seminar options are available across North Carolina every winter and spring. Hunting and shooting seminars are not as prevalent, but there are several each year.
Many consider the Saltwater Sportsman National Seminar Series (www.nationalseminarseries.com) the granddaddy of fishing schools; this year, the series will visit New Bern on Jan. 11, with a Columbia, S.C., option being March 1.
Capt. Jimmy Price and I will do an all-day fishing school for the Oak Island Recreation Department on Feb. 1 and I will be back there with an all-day kayak fishing school later in the spring, plus a weekend long ladies-only fishing school at the end of April. The kayak- and ladies-only events include times for on-the-water sessions. For information on the fishing and kayak schools visit www.captjerry.com and for the ladies-only school visit www.oakislandnc.com/recreation.
There will be hunting seminars included in the cost of admission to the Dixie Deer Classic (www.dixiedeerclassic.com) at the N.C. State Fairgrounds Feb. 28-March 2. Several hunting and game management seminars will also be held during the March 14-16 Cape Fear Wildlife Expo (www.capefearwildlifeexpo.com) at the Wilmington Convention Center.
Several varieties of manual pole anchors are available in this price range, and they make excellent gifts for fishermen from kayakers to inshore bay and flats anglers. The originator of these anchors is Stick-it Anchor Pins (www.stickitanchorpins.com); they offer standard anchor pins from 5.5 to 10 feet.
Up to $250
This is the range of gifts for close friends and family. Every year, I mention polarized sunglasses as a must for fishermen and hunters. We all need them to protect our eyes, and several companies make a wide variety of styles to suit personal tastes of those with good eyesight.
A new technology is available this year in prescription sunglasses. Vantage lenses by Transition Optical (www.transitions.com) are the next step. These are the same folks who first introduced the transition lenses that are clear inside and darken in sunlight, and they have followed up with lenses that not only vary from clear to dark, but have variable polarization that increases as the lens darkens. I was introduced to Vantage lenses by Dr. Michael Goins (www.drgoins-visionsource.com) of Wilmington and now wear them as my daily glasses. They work well and would be an exceptional gift for any outdoorsman needing corrective lenses.
Fishing rods fit here, and my favorite from the recent introductions is the Seagis Series with full cork butts from Star Rods (www.seastriker.com/starrods). The original Seagis rods are super lightweight and feature Fuji K-series tangle-free guides on fast-action blanks with split grips. The full-cork grips models are still super lightweight, but they allow for a shorter butt section that doesn’t bump my PFD while kayak fishing.
Cast nets fit here too, even though several smaller nets are under $100. Betts Nets (www.bettstackle.net) has the mesh size and net size to catch whatever bait you choose. There are even several color options.
More than $250
This is the realm of specialized gifts that usually require more than a hint to be just right. Offshore rods and reels, marine electronics, shotguns, rifles, a hunting dog puppy, kayaks and lots more fit this category.
Waterproof digital cameras are a must for fishermen and hunters. Most new digital cameras also record video, and most companies offer waterproof versions. There are some that sell for less, but the idea crosses this level, so I included it here. GoPro (www.gopro.com) was the first company to offer lots of features in very small cameras rugged enough to go everywhere outdoors. Much of the outdoor footage seen on YouTube was shot with them. Several of their latest versions even offer wireless operation so a camera placed in advance can be operated remotely.
The Power-Pole (www.power-pole.com) Micro Anchor was introduced this summer at ICAST and was an instant hit. They were back-ordered for a long time but are catching up. This is a smaller version of their popular powered anchor pole designed for smaller boats, micro skiffs and kayaks.
Guided fishing and hunting trips are always good gifts for sportsmen. You can find a listing of guides and lodges at the back of this issue and at www.northcarolinasportsman.com.
If someone in the family of a hunting or fishing buddy asks for your help in choosing a gift for their sportsman and you can’t think of something he (or she) has mentioned, suggest something you think the two of you will have fun using. That way you can ensure they have a good time. Give me a call if you didn’t get a camera and need someone to record the fun.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all!
