Several years ago I wrote my first column suggesting Christmas gifts for sportsmen and the response was overwhelming.With the positive reaction, I did it again and received another bevy of positive responses, including a few advance e-mails and phone calls soliciting more details on certain items. It has been really nice during the numerous boat and hunting shows to speak with wives, girlfriends and family members who bought one of the suggested items and their sportsman liked it.
Here’s the third installment of a Christmas list for sportsmen.
If this is your first time reading this suggestion list, know that items are biased toward saltwater fishing. There will be a little about freshwater fishing, some crossover items, and some hunting, but saltwater fishing items and ideas are what I know best and will be the majority of the items suggested.
Several ladies have assured me women are much better than men at taking hints. They said leaving the magazine on the breakfast table or lavatory stand and open to this column would be enough they would recognize it as a subtle suggestion. Figuring out a way to mark a preferred item will zero them in on it. One lady suggested underlining a web site or store where it is available, as though to make a note to check it later, was a definite homing device.
I’ll start with some lesser expensive ideas that will serve as inexpensive gifts and stocking stuffers and work my way through to items on the more expensive end of the spectrum. I wish all of you my best for suggesting and receiving the perfect gift.
One of the best and easiest gifts to give is a subscription or renewal to North Carolina Sportsman Magazine. Subscription terms begin with a year and offer increasing discounts for multiple years.
This brings great hunting and fishing stories, fishing forecasts, plus numerous tips, tactics and equipment suggestions to your favorite sportsman’s preferred reading location. An ad with a special price for gift subscriptions is elsewhere in this issue.
The N.C. Sportsman Christmas gift subscription offer includes a Christmas card that will arrive just before Christmas and announces your gift. Gift 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.
Registration for the 2009 North Carolina Sportsman Saltwater Fishing School is also an excellent gift for the outdoorsman that has everything. In addition to the day of instruction, registration for the North Carolina Sportsman Saltwater Fishing School includes a year’s subscription or renewal to North Carolina Sportsman Magazine, a goody bag full of sample lures and equipment, opportunities for numerous door prizes including a fishing trip and a catered lunch. The 2009 North Carolina Sportsman Saltwater Fishing School will be held on Saturday, March 21, at Chatlee Marine in Sanford. Registration is available on-line at www.northcarolinasportsman.com or by calling 1-800-538-4355.
Lures are almost a universal good choice for a gift. I’ve never met a fisherman who had enough lures, but a few basics are necessary to select ones your fisherman will use. Lures also have a wide price range. They can vary from approximately $1 for some smaller inshore and freshwater versions to around $40 for offshore lures.
The top of the lure pile is the Berkley Sevenstrand Electronic Acoustic Lure (EAL) in 10-, 11- and 14-inch sizes that sell for $199 to $259. These are battery-powered offshore lures that use a mini-transmitter to emit the sound of a distressed baitfish. Visit www.berkley-fishing.com and check out the saltwater hard baits for more details.
I mentioned the D.O.A. Chug Head last year, but they were new enough many stores didn’t have them. In a year’s time I still like them for a simple yet effective topwater bait that everyone can use. This head combines with a worm hook and a soft-plastic jerk bait or shad tail to allow working the soft bait across the surface. It can also be reversed to make the same bait dive, but I’ve never tried that and can’t comment on it. I really like it as a surface popper.
While the Chug Head should work with most soft baits, I like rigging it with a Bass Assassin Blurp jerkbait. This is a scented soft bait, similar to Berkley Gulp and Fishbites Xtreme Scent Release, which are also good but tend to dry out hanging on your hook while not being used. I have found it is very productive and incredibly easy to use. The worm hook allows it to be rigged weedless, which helps significantly when fishing flooded marsh for puppy drum. Chug Heads can be viewed at www.doalures.com, Blurps at www.bassassassin.com, Fishbites Xtreme at www.fishbites.com and Berkley Gulp at www.berkley-fishing.com.
With more fishermen exploring the inshore and nearshore salt water fisheries, more fresh water fishing influence is being welcomed into saltwater products. Popping and rattling corks are becoming immensely popular and one of the most innovative is the Adjustable Depth Aggravator Float from Betts Tackle. This is a rattle float, with the float and beads mounted on a piece of brass tubing. By using a bobber stopper and bead, which is included in the package, the float can slide on the line and allow changing the depth of the bait under the float. Adjustable Depth Aggravators can be viewed at www.bettstackle.net.
Clark Casters were added to the Clarkspoon line from Sea Striker at the request of fishermen who prefer to cast for Spanish mackerel and bluefish. They were introduced a little late and not all tackle shops had them in stock this year, but they will in coming years.
Clark Casters consist of a small weight and spinner on a short wire bridle that attaches to the front eye of a Clarkspoon. The weight allows casting the Clarkspoon and the spinner gives it a little more flash. Clark Casters are available in silver or gold in 1/8-, 1/4-, and 1/2-ounce sizes and come with or without a 00 or 0 size Clarkspoon in the package.
Many fishermen are already experimenting with various ways to use the Clark Caster, other than with the Clarkspoon. Some interesting ideas are being tested and I will probably have a column in late spring or summer highlighting some of these ideas. Clark Casters can be viewed at www.seastriker.com/clarkspoon.
Polarized eyewear is always a good gift for an outdoorsman.
In addition to regular sunglasses, there are prescription versions and two companies offer oversize frames made to fit over regular prescription glasses. Polarized sunglasses are available in a variety of colors tints to help enhance different parts of the light spectrum. Polarized eyewear can range from about $15 for a pair of clip-ons or bottom tier shades to well over $200 for bifocal prescription models.
Some new reels were introduced to the market this year. Doug Hannon (the “Bass Professor”) introduced Wavespin Reels in several different sizes. While they have excellent components throughout, the standout feature on Wavespin Reels is the forward lip of the spool, which looks somewhat like a slightly rounded sprocket. This feature helps the reels work better with braided lines and reduces the tangles and loops often encountered when casting braided lines, especially into the wind.
Wavespin Reels collected a pair of awards for excellence and innovation for these reels. There are four sizes available and three of them retail for less than $100. Check them out at www.wavespinreels.com.
A new product I was fortunate to use this year was the Shimano Bristol Bay Portable Live Well Bag. This is a small live well system designed for traveling fishermen, kayakers and other small boaters. It is insulated, has a compartment for a small gel-cell battery and is self contained except for the pump, which is attached, but allowed to hang over the side. I also found it would work for short times in a recirculating manner, with the pump placed inside the bag. View this at http://fish.shimano.com.
Many of us use portable GPS Navigation units for directions as we travel. The price can range from just more than $100 to more than $500 for a unit with a larger screen and lots of features. I’ve had some experience this year with a couple of models from Lowrance that had the ability to also function as a marine or cross-country navigation system, and I liked the flexibility, even though I rarely used it. Either could be a spare GPS for your boat, and the XOG can also be used for hiking or hunting.
The Lowrance iWay 600 and XOG can function in turn-by-turn navigation mode needed for highway travel and easily switch es to straight-line navigation for boating and cross-country navigation. Both also have other functions, such as a picture viewer and playing music, that probably appeal to some, but I didn’t use. The iWay 600 has a much larger screen at 5 inches and is easier to see. It is also virtually waterproof. The XOG is only a 3 1/2-inch screen but is still pretty easily readable. In addition the XOG has a rechargeable internal battery and can be use as a true portable.
If you are considering an automotive or hand-held GPS as a gift, you should check these out. I really like the feature of also functioning as a marine GPS. The web site is www.lowrance.com and they are available at many stores. The XOG costs around $250 but can often be found on sale for less than $200, while the iWay 600 will usually cost $500 to $600 and are more difficult to find on sale.
This year I had the pleasure of using a MotorGuide Wireless Trolling Motor. I used the W 75 Saltwater and found it pretty bulletproof. I tried the wireless foot pedal control and the key fob control and liked both of them in different situations. It certainly was nice to be able to control the trolling motor from anywhere on the boat. Twelve-volt models cost approximately $700, with 24-volt versions approximately $100 more. Check them out at www.motorguide.com.
A fishing kayak can be a great Christmas present. Entry level models can be found for less than $500, with premium models for a couple hundred dollars more. A PFD (personal flotation device) designed for kayaking and a paddle are excellent accessories for a new kayaker. Places to check include Eastern Expedition Equipment, Nashville, 252-908-0394; Tar River Paddlesports, Rocky Mount, 252-883-2441, www.tarriverpaddlesports.com; and Paddle Creek, Wake Forest, 919-866-1954, www.paddlecreeknc.com.
Guided fishing and hunting trips are always good gifts for sportsmen. This is a way to enjoy an outing with someone who is a professional at it and has already taken care of all the details. All the sportsman has to do is relax and be ready to cast or shoot when the time comes. Be careful about the food though — many lodges have food so good you gain a few pounds even when hunting and fishing steadily.
At the back of this magazine is a listing of many fishing and hunting guides and lodges. I have used several of them for birthday and Christmas outings for my wife and had great experiences at all of them. You can find a list of guides and lodges at our web site, www.northcarolinasportsman.com.
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