Last December I wrote a column about Christmas gifts for sportsmen and the response was overwhelming. Wives, family members and girl friends stopped by the Sportsman booth during January and February boat shows to thank me for the suggestions and to ask I be sure to do it again.
Even better, some of the men took time to say they enjoyed it and it was a good thing to give to their families without suggesting just a single gift. These types of comments continued through the year, so I took it as a good thing and this is my attempt at a repeat performance.
The items here will be biased towards saltwater fishing, as that is what I know best. There will be a little about freshwater fishing and some crossover items, but it isn’t a strong point for me so I’ll try not to venture too far there and possibly make mistakes. I’m also not an avid hunter any longer, so the portion on hunting will be short, but it will offer a couple of unique ideas.
One friend’s wife assured me the ladies are much better than men at taking hints. She said leaving the magazine on the breakfast table and open to this column would be enough to pique a woman’s attention.
If you want to be sure, you could leave the magazine open to the column and highlight the things and ideas that interest you. I believe you’ll agree that even a man that read this far and saw a section highlighted would realize it was a hint.
There will be ideas here that range from under $10 to thousands of dollars. I wish all of you lots of success in suggesting and receiving the perfect gift.
I’ve never met a fisherman who had enough lures. Lures can cost anywhere from $1 or so for some smaller inshore and freshwater versions to around $40 for larger offshore lures.
This year I have become very interested in shrimp shapes in soft plastics. They fit my slower retrieve style very well and actually look like shrimp.
I have found the slower retrieve to be especially productive in the hot summer water and the cold winter water. My favorite shrimp are made by Sea Striker, D.O.A. and Betts.
I have also begun using popping and rattling corks to fish across ragged structure like oyster rocks and rip-rap.
Betts has a pre-rigged shrimp and rattling float called the 1.2.3. System and D.O.A. offers this as their Deadly Combo. Both come ready to tie on the line and go catch fish. Sea Striker offers the parts and pieces to do it yourself.
Another little tackle tidbit, I have grown to really like is the D.O.A. Chug Head. This head is designed to be used with a worm hook and can be rigged to make a soft bait work across the surface or dive.
I can’t comment on how well it works as a diver, but I really like it as a surface popper. I rig it with a D.O.A. C.A.L. Jerkbait or the Sea Striker Trout Killer and find it to be very productive and incredibly easy to use. By using a worm hook, it can also be rigged to be weedless. D.O.A. items can be viewed at www.doalures.com.
Another interesting and inexpensive tackle tidbit is the Adjustable Depth Aggravator Float from Betts. This is a rattle float, with the float and beads mounted on a piece of brass tubing. By using a bobber stopper, which is included in the package, the depth setting for the bait under this rattle float can be changed immediately. Betts items can be viewed at www.bettstackle.net.
Sea Striker is introducing a couple of new tackle items this fall and winter. The most unique is their new Billfisher Krok Dual-Rotation Swivel. These swivels are made of stainless steel and incorporate stainless-steel ball bearings that allow both ends of the swivel to rotate freely. They are available from 110 pounds to 880 pounds in swivels and 70 pounds to 450 pounds in snap-swivels. Prices begin at approximately $8 for the swivels and $9 for the snap swivels.
Another new item from Sea Striker is their Quick-Slide, Twist ’n Lock EZ Release Sinker Slide. This unique piece of equipment allows adding a fish-finder-style sinker slide without cutting the line. It is available with two sizes of duro-lock snap, one size connecting link and even a nylon breakaway sinker loop. Prices begin under $3.
Sea Striker products are available at most tackle shops and may be viewed on line at www.seastriker.com.
One of the best and easiest gifts to give is a subscription to North Carolina Sportsman Magazine. The subscription is for a year, with discounts for multiple years, and it brings great hunting and fishing stories and tips to your favorite sportsman’s preferred reading location. An ad with a special price for gift subscriptions is elsewhere in this issue. The Christmas gift subscription offer is $14.95 for a year (normally $19.95) and includes a Christmas card that will arrive just before Christmas and announce your gift. These subscriptions must be ordered using the form in the ad or on-line at www.northcarolinasportsman.com and must be received by December 15 to allow time for the card to be mailed and arrive before Christmas. You can even include yourself in this great offer.
Charts are always a great gift for fishermen. They begin at around $15 and increase to around $45. Four companies that feature laminated coastal Carolina charts are Maps Unique, Nautical Publications, Sealake Fishing Guides and Captain Segull’s Nautical Charts. All have updated charts the last year for better navigation.
Maps Unique also offers an Electronic Version that begins will all their charts on a single CD, with options for plotting your personal fishing spots on their charts, saving and printing waypoint lists and much more.
The Maps Unique Electronic (Standard) Version costs $79.95 with an upgrade charge (available after initial purchase) to the Premium Version).
All of these should be available through your favorite boating and fishing dealer, but the companies have direct lines and web sites for finding charts the dealer is not stocking.
For information you can visit the following: Maps Unique (Maps Unique Charts), 910-458-9923, www.mapsunique.com; Nautical Publications (the Grease Chart), 1-800-326-3567 or 252-208-2110, www.greasechart.com; Sealake Fishing Guides (Sealake Waterway and Ocean Fishing Guides), 1-800-411-0185, www.sealakeusa.com, Captain Segull’s Nautical Charts, 1-888-473-4855, www.captainsegullcharts.com.
Don’t overlook sunglasses for the outdoorsman. Of course they must be polarized and the prices can range from around $20 for an inexpensive pair to around $200 for some of the exclusive upper end frames and lenses. Sunglasses are available in a variety of tintings for specific purposes.
One of the most innovative sunglass companies on the market is FishGillz (www.FishGillzUSA.com), with their floating frame. They typically retail for under $50.
A trip to the 2008 North Carolina Sportsman Saltwater Fishing School is a perfect gift for the fisherman who has the latest in tackle and accessories. Geared for the beginner to intermediate level fisherman, there is something for everyone. The school is unique in offering multiple sessions in different rooms each hour and covering everything from flounder to tuna to tying knots and twisting wire. There are numerous samples in each participant bag, many excellent door prizes, plus lunch and a year subscription or renewal to North Carolina Sportsman Magazine is included.
The 2008 North Carolina Sportsman Saltwater Fishing School will be held at Barwell Road Community Center in Raleigh on Saturday, March 8. The advance registration fee is $65 for adults and $40 for additional immediate family members. Registration may be ordered by phone at 1-800-538-4355 or on-line at www.northcarolinasportsman.com. For those folks seeking a winter getaway, the school will also be offered Feb. 23 in Charleston, S.C.
Cast nets are always a good bet for a fisherman. Everyone who uses live baits knows fresher is better and when you catch your own they are the freshest available.
Cast nets begin with 3-foot models in smaller mesh sizes for catching minnows and shrimp and go to 12-footers with larger mesh for catching larger baits in deeper water.
Betts Nets, Calusa and Lee Fisher all make a complete spectrum of cast nets and all should be available at your favorite fishing tackle dealer. Cast net prices begin at approximately $19.95 for some of the smaller nets and range to over $200 for the larger nets.
I had never used travel rods until my trip to Alaska this summer. Previously, I had lugged around a 7-foot rod tube to carry one-piece rods. I didn’t care for the action and questioned the durability of three, four and five piece rods. That changed on this year’s trip when I agreed to try some of the Penn Guide Series Travel Rods. These were 7-foot long, 3-piece rods, which came in hard-side tubes that easily packed inside my 30-inch long duffle bag. They weren’t a problem to transport, they were well protected, and they performed excellently. The cost is approximately $130. Penn rods are available at most tackle dealers and may be viewed on line at www.pennreels.com.
Star Rods offers several lines of rods and all are good values, but their Plasma Series stands above all else. These rods were designed to combine the best components in a performance package and they do it well. They could best be described as production-custom rods. The Plasma Series rods are available in spinning, casting and offshore models.
Star Rods are available at select dealers and the company offers a directory for hard-to-find models through their web site at http://www.seastriker.com/starrods. Suggested retail for the Plasma Series rods begins at $199.
At a writers conference in Jensen Beach, Fla., this summer I was introduced to several new products. First is the Humminbird 797c2 SI Fishfinder and GPS combo. What is unique about this fishfinder is its side-imaging capability. We could pass by the end of docks and look under them. This is a really unique fishfinder GPS combo for under $1,000. Check it out at www.humminbird.com.
We also used the wireless Co-Pilot and Auto-Pilot Riptide Series Trolling Motors from Minn-Kota. I found them to be surprisingly easy to use and quite the thing for hands-free fishing. Even the trout and snook seemed to appreciate them. The prices start around $900 and rise to around $1,300, depending on power and features. Check them out at www.minnkotamotors.com.
The other top end item I was able to use during the conference was a Power-Pole. This hydraulic alternative to shallow water anchoring has to be used to be appreciated. There are 6- and 8-foot depth models, with standard and high-speed motors, and even a remote-control option. The varieties start around $1,000 and rise to $1,400. The remote control is an additional $289. Check out the Power-Poles at www.power-pole.com.
For hunters I will take a slightly different approach. I don’t claim to know a lot about the products, but know how much I enjoy using them. At the back of this magazine is a listing of many hunting guides and lodges. I have hunted with several of them and found them all to be excellent.
My wife’s birthday last year was in one of the blinds at Drake Landing (www.huntdrakelanding.com) and she enjoyed it more than I did, plus there were no decoys to remove or other cleanup at the end of the hunt.
Check out the guides and lodges listed at the back of every issue of North Carolina Sportsman.
I said this last year and it is such good advice I have to repeat it. The governing factor when I am buying for my sportsman buddies, or advising their families on something to purchase, is when I can’t come up with a specific item that will be best for them, I buy/suggest something that is new, looks exciting and I think I will have fun helping him use or learning how to use. It really is amazing how well this gift philosophy works.
If anyone gets a really unique gift they need help using or a trip they would like a camera along, just give me a call. I also do Bar Mitzvahs, but pass on weddings.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all.
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