Make sure your Christmas wish list is fulfilled
Wow, this year has flown by, and we’re approaching Christmas again. This list of gift suggestions for your favorite sportsman began more than 10 years ago, and I have received reminders to do another every year, so here it is, divided into price ranges and containing perennial favorites, plus new and improved fishing and hunting gear. It can be difficult to shop for sportsmen, but this should provide a starting point.
Sportsman should scan the listing for things they like and then make sure someone knows. The time-honored way is to leave the magazine in an obvious place, open to the page. Sometimes, family can be slow about taking a hint, so mark the page in a way your preference has to be noticed. Be sure to be surprised when you find it under the Christmas tree or in your stocking.
Less than $10
Lures are always a good choice in this price range. There are a couple I consider must-haves. The Paul Brown Soft Dog from L&S Bait Company (www.mirrolure.com) is new and is a future classic. It is a topwater lure with a soft, outer covering and a rattle. Trout, redfish, stripers and others are sure to love it.
Cajun Thunder introduced the Cajun Sleigh last year and is adding a magnum size for 2016. These are weedless spoons with in-line spinners, and they catch redfish, stripers, flounder, trout, bass, muskies and more. Soft-plastic shrimp are a must, and the Billy Bay Perfect Sinker from Betts Tackle (www.bettstackle.net), the Vudu Shrimp from Egret Baits (www.egretbaits.com), and the 3-inch shrimp from Salty Bay Baits (www.deepcreeklures.com) are favorites.
D-Funk Wipes and Sprays from Contec. Inc. (www.d-funkwipes.com) are new and are quickly becoming popular. There are D-Funk wipes and sprays for odor removal, plus wipes with fish-attracting formula and gun-cleaning wipes. Sportsmen will find numerous uses for them.
Less Than $25
This category begins with a subscription or renewal to North Carolina Sportsman. Subscription terms begin with a year, and there are gift subscription offers in this issue and at www.northcarolinasportsman.com.
Offshore lures make great gifts and stocking stuffers. Blue/white is a popular color combo, as are green/yellow, red/purple and black. Some all-time favorites are Cedar Plugs from Sea Striker (www.seastriker.com), the Iland lure series from L&S and the Hatteras Classic and Eye Catcher Series from Eyecatcher Lures (www.eyecatcherlures.com).
Instructional books are excellent gifts. The Sportsman’s Best Series from Florida Sportsman (www.floridasportsman.com) added a winner when they had Rick Ryals re-do Vic Dunaway’s Bait, Rigs and Tackle, increased it from 256 to 285 pages and added a DVD. It includes more than 100 rigs and knots, suggestion on using live and natural baits, plus lures and tips from professional fishermen and charter captains.
Thermacell (www.thermacell.com) makes mosquito-control units that repel mosquitoes and other insects. They are great for all outdoor uses and have an earth-scent fuel for hunting. Personal units have the mosquito control system, while lanterns have mosquito control and LED lights.
Less Than $100
Fishing and hunting seminars and schools shorten the learning curve. The Oak Island Recreation Department (http://oakisland.recdesk.com) is very active with fishing and kayak-fishing programs and offers three schools in 2016. The first is an all-day saltwater school on Jan. 30 that features Capt. Jimmy Price and myself. The second is a two-day, ladies-only event, Women Anglers In Training, with a classroom session on April 30 and fishing on May 1. The Oak Island Kayak Fishing School will be the morning of Saturday, May 7, with an optional on-water session that afternoon. Information on the fishing and kayak fishing schools is also available at www.captjerry.com.
Technical clothing is a great Christmas gift for outdoorsmen. Summer outfits begin with the lightweight, wicking, UV protected shirts featured at www.northcarolinasportsman.com. Specialty outdoor stores have the latest insulated, lightweight, layering and waterproof outer clothes that handle pre-daylight freezing and mid-50s, mid-day temperatures.
Less Than $250
Weego (www.myweego.com) is a pioneer in miniaturizing electrical power storage; it makes devices that will jump-start most vehicles and power all kinds of electrical devices. The largest easily slides into a full backpack and only weighs a few pounds, yet will jump-start gas engines larger than 6.4 liters and diesel engines to 3.2 liters.
Thermacell (www.thermacell.com) has the ultimate gift for sportsmen with cold hands and feet: two versions of wireless, rechargeable, heated insoles and rechargeable pocket/hand-warmer packs.
I include polarized sunglasses every year because many sportsmen spend their money elsewhere. Most tackle and gun shops or outdoor stores carry a variety of polarized sunglasses. Several brands offer sunglasses with magnifying reader inserts.
Sportsmen who wear corrective lenses can take advantage of constantly improving technology that allows choices between fixed color lenses, Transition lenses (color darkens with exposure to UV light) and Vantage lenses (color darkens and polarization increases with exposure to UV light). I wear Vantage lenses as my daily glasses and appreciate that a single pair of glasses is dark and polarized outdoors, then lightens inside.
This is the price range for most inshore rods and reels. Rods and reels are personal preferences and should only be purchased with the understanding the fisherman can trade to something he prefers if the choice isn’t correct.
More than $250
Gifts in this price range usually require more than a hint to ensure choosing the right one. This is the realm of offshore rods and reels, fly rods and reels, waterproof and shockproof digital and/or video cameras, marine electronics, guns, kayaks, a guided fishing or hunting trip or a new puppy, and it should be right the first time.
One final tip is that if someone 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 and make sure they have a good time. If a camera isn’t in the mix and someone is needed to record the fun, just drop me a line.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all!
