Plenty of options abound for the outdoorsman
Wow, Father Time must have been wearing running shoes this year. It’s hard to believe we are already preparing for another Christmas. Have you been naughty or nice? Nice sportsmen have a good chance of getting what they want for Christmas. As for naughty sportsmen, well, you know how that goes.
Here are several shiny new things designed for hunters and fishermen, plus some old standards that have been tweaked a little and given a new coat of paint while continuing to help outdoorsmen and women do their thing. When you find something you like, just leave this magazine in an obvious place and open to this page. Highlight or mark it in a way it will be noticed, then relax and wait for Christmas morning to see if you’ve been nice enough that it’s waiting under your tree or in your stocking.
If you use this magazine and hints to direct your family or friends towards gifts you would like, you also have to be ready and willing to follow up hints from family members. If everyone pays attention and does their part, there will be smiles all around on Christmas morning — and they’ll continue for the rest of the year.
Less than $10
Lures are always a good choice, and many inshore lures fit in this price range. Following up their Soft-Dine in the Paul Brown Original Series from last year, L&S Bait Company (www.mirrolure.com) released the larger Soft-Dine XL this fall, and it has already proven to be a must-have lure for trout, redfish and stripers.
Weedless spoons are also excellent lures and catch puppy drum, flounder, trout, stripers and many other species. The Flats Intruder Spoon from Precision Tackle, which also manufactures Cajun Thunder Popping Floats, is one of the best. It is available in 1/8-, 1/4- and 1/2-ounce sizes and have larger, strong hooks, even on the lighter spoons.
Spinnerbaits have been considered freshwater lures, but they work very well in saltwater, also. Saltwater baits are more simple, most with just a single blade. They catch puppy drum and flounder, plus an occasional large trout, and they should catch stripers, too. Halo and Mullet Spins from Betts Tackle (www.bettstackle.net) and Redfish and Turner Burners from Salty Bay Baits (www.deepcreeklures.com) are made by North Carolina companies and should do the job.
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. There are special gift subscription offers in this issue and at www.northcarolinasportsman.com.
I don’t usually include anything that could be considered a novelty in this list, but this year I’m making an exception and including Cleatus Cups (www.CleatusCups.com). They are nearly indestructable, hold 24 ounces of whatever you would like and use a 6-inch boat cleat as the handle. They are manufactured in Lexington, not somewhere in China, by a company owned by military veterans. Several dealers call North Carolina home; they are listed on their website.
Surf Fishing, by David A. Brown, is the latest book in the Sportsman’s Best Series from Florida Sportsman Books. Brown is a fisherman who understands what he is presenting, and it shows. This book has sections on tackle, techniques, gear, baits and more. Chapter 11 is dedicated just to North Carolina. There is also a DVD included in which Brown explains the core concepts of the book, plus some on-scene surf fishing action instruction. The book should be in your favorite bookstore, and is available through the store at www.floridasportsman.com.
Many offshore lures are in this price range, and they are always a great gift. Several of the all-time favorites are the Cedar Plugs, Sea Scoundrels, TUKA Trolls, Sea Bugs and Tantalizers from Sea Striker (www.seastriker.com) and the Iland Tracker, Out-Rider, Sailure, Sea Star and Ilander Series from Iland Lures (www.mirrolure.com/biggame).
Up to $100
Whether your favorite fisherman enjoys freshwater or saltwater, there are numerous fishing school and seminar options 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 North Carolina seminar will be in Cary on Jan. 24, with a Myrtle Beach, S.C., option on March 7.
The Oak Island Recreation Department (www.oakislandnc.com/recreation) is very active in fishing programs and events and offers a full slate of fishing schools this spring. The first is an all- day event on Jan. 31 that will cover inshore and nearshore ocean fishing and features Capt. Jimmy Price and myself. The second event will be the WAIT (Women Anglers In Training) weekend seminar on April 25-26, and the third is a kayak fishing seminar on May 2. The ladies-only and kayak events include on-the-water time. Information on the fishing and kayak schools is also available at www.captjerry.com.
Christmas is a good time to buy your sportsman technical outdoor clothing. This could be underwear or outerwear, and there are lots of options. Lightweight thermal underwear is always a great gift, as are technical fishing shirts like the Breathe Like A Fish (www.breathelikeafish.com) vented sun shirts. These were originally designed as fishing shirts, but they have added camo and bright colors that work well for hunting and other outdoor activities. The options include vented and non-vented shirts that come with or without a sun mask.
Pole anchors have become very popular with shallow-water fishermen and make a great gift. They eliminate the rattle and clank of anchors and chain and don’t spook fish. The original is the Stick-it Anchor Pin (www.stickitanchorpins.com), offered in a 5 1/2-foot model for kayakers and 7-, 8- and 10-foot models for boaters.
Up to $250
Every year, I mention polarized sunglasses in this section, and that probably won’t change. Polarized eyewear is a must for fishermen and hunters, yet many buy lures, decoys and other gear instead. That makes protective eyewear a great gift. Costa Del Mar (www.costadelmar.com), Ocean Waves (www.oceanwaves.com), Wiley X (www.wileyx.com), Oakley (www.oakley.com), Smith (www.smithoptics.com) and Ono’s (www.onostradingcompany.com) offer a wide variety of lenses and frame styles through local dealers.
Sportsmen with corrective lenses need protective eyewear, too. There have been some advances in prescription sunglasses, and now there are choices other than frame and lens color. Transition Optical (www.transitions.com) offers their Signature and XTRActive lenses, which are clear inside and darken in sunlight but are not polarized, and their Vantage and Drivewear lenses, which vary from clear to dark and increase polarization as the lens darkens. I wear Vantage lenses as my daily glasses and really appreciate that a single pair of glasses works well inside and darkens and increase polarization outdoors.
Most rods and reels fall into this price category. There is extreme variety and personal preference in rods and reels; your fisherman may have to tell you what he prefers. My favorite inshore rods are the Seagis Series from Star Rods (www.seastriker.com/starrods) in the 6- to 14-pound and 8- to 17-pound ratings. They offer the same fast-tip actions with split or full-cork butts. Both are super lightweight and feature Fuji K-series tangle free guides and reel seats. I prefer the full-cork butts as the butt sections are 2 inches shorter and don’t bump my PFD while kayak fishing.
More than $250
This is the realm of specialized gifts that usually requires more than a hint to be just right. Offshore rods and reels, marine electronics, shotguns, rifles, a hunting dog puppy, kayaks and a whole bunch more fit this category.
Push poles are included here, and there are numerous companies that produce poles with special features. I like the Superstick (www.thesuperstick.com) telescopic push poles that are made in Pawley’s Island, S.C. There are only two models (6- to 12-foot and 9- to 17-foot), but there is a world of accessories and they have lots of dealers. A Superstick will adjust to anything from poling a johnboat from the deck to pushing a technical poling skiff from a tall platform and still store inside most boats. Some fishermen even carry them on their kayaks. The pricing on Supersticks is slightly under this level, but most push poles aren’t, so I included them here.
Waterproof digital still and video cameras have become a popular accessory for fishermen and hunters. Most new digital cameras also record video, and several companies offer waterproof versions, but there are some specialized versions designed just for sportsmen. As their popularity grows, the features increase and some prices have dropped, so look well.
Nikon (www.nikonusa.com) offers waterproof digital cameras, and they occasionally go on sale. I bought one on sale because it was inexpensive, a Nikon, waterproof and used AA batteries. The pictures and video have been excellent, and it’s much easier to find and carry spare AA batteries.
GoPro (www.gopro.com) was the first company to offer lots of features in very small cameras rugged enough to go everywhere outdoors. It has continued to expand its line and offers inexpensive, bare-bones models to cameras that operate remotely and post directly to the internet.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all!
