Not every angler out there enjoys cold weather, and thus, ice fishing, which can leave many of them suffering from their fair share of cabin fever this winter. It is during this time when you need to pay attention to what tackle the angler in your family is looking at. Christmas is rapidly approaching and let’s face it: anglers can never have too much tackle. Besides, this is the perfect time to replace any faulty or old equipment. Keep reading for a few great ideas on what to put under the tree for your angler this year!
Outdoorsmen in general tend to be quite picky about their gear and fishermen are no exception. We all have certain color patterns, certain brands, and certain sizes that we prefer to others, and for the gift giver, finding such specific items on your own can be difficult, to say the least. For this reason, rods and reels are always going to be a bit tricky to buy for another person, unless they’ve stated the specifications and/or model they’re interested in. Popular choices this year include the Legend Extreme rod from St. Croix, which boasts the company’s legendary craftsmanship, versatility, and performance. At $360, though, the rod isn’t your everyday purchase, which makes it the perfect gift to spoil your angler with. As far as reels go, the Revo series from Abu Garcia continues to be a solid option throughout the years. Recently redesigned, the Revo averages to around $200 and offers reliability and consistency on the water for a variety of situations.
Tackle boxes will never be obsolete, in my opinion, and if your angler targets a variety of species, then having a few species-specific boxes is a good idea. Why not get him/her any one of Plano’s new Guide Series Lumbar boxes? Available in 3500 ($50), 3600 ($70), and 3700 ($80) sizes, the boxes offer a variety of storage options for your gear, and even come equipped with Plano Prolatch storage boxes.
While it’s hard—slash that—impossible to pick out the specific lure your angler will want most of all without them telling you, lure kits are always a safe bet. There are dozens and dozens of soft plastic bait kits available, including tube, worm, and swimbait kits that offer a variety of sizes, colors, and include terminal tackle. However, there are hard bait kits available, as well, including Strike King’s KVD 12-piece Square Bill Crankbait kit ($60), which includes a dozen of the baits KVD used during the Bassmaster Classic. Also available is the Mepp’s Aglia Trout kit, which includes three inline spinners and costs $10.
For stocking stuffers, I’d suggest a variety of smaller tackle, including braided line scissors, floats/bobbers, reel care kits, reel covers, portable line remover, pliers, and anything else you can squeeze in there. Gift cards and retail memberships are also great choices, along with subscriptions to fishing magazines like BASS, In Fisherman, or Field and Stream.
You may rather watch paint dry than shop for an angler, but the options listed above are a great start to your holiday shopping that will make braving the stores this season a bit more bearable. Good luck and have a great holiday!
