Summertime Fishing:
Preparing for the Adventure
by Bruce Callis Jr
Summer is here and so is the heat and thunderstorms. And with it comes the sweating and rain gear. And we still want to get out there and do what we love. But what do we do to beat the heat? And hopefully avoid getting drowned in the rain? What to do when you have the fever?
Let’s tackle the worse one first, rain and thunderstorms. The first thing is to keep a close eye on the weather. With the cell phone, we can keep a close eye on the weather and any approaching storms. Granted, if we are fishing a tournament, we know we may have to fish in the rain. But it is those thunderstorms that we need to watch for and be prepared to seek shelter. Lightning is a real threat as while on the water, we are the tallest object and it is more likely to seek us out.
As to staying dry in the rain, you get what you pay for, so make sure to get a quality rain suit. The jacket is only part of it. You need a good pair of pants and depending on you, maybe some type of shoe. I personally prefer a pair of bibs under my jacket instead of pants. If I bend over to land a fish, I know my jacket may ride up over the waistband of pants, but bibs won’t allow this to happen. It is up to you as to what works for you, but make sure to have a quality pair that will keep you dry. Some like to wear flip flops while fishing, some go barefoot, and some like a good deck shoe. If you don’t mind your feet getting wet, then you are good. But if you want to keep them dry, get a good pair of rubber boots you can slide on. But don’t get something cheap that will be uncomfortable or not work too good.
Now, the heat. We know it will get hot so we need to prepare for it. Clothing is the first thing we need to think about and how it will keep us cool and at the same time protect us from the sun. Let’s start with the head. A hat is a must! I like a cap to help block the sun from my eyes, and it works great. But what about the areas it doesn’t cover. We can always switch to a wide brimmed hat to help protect our face, ears and neck areas. But still, make sure to wear sunscreen just to be safe.
The next thing to think about are your eyes. The glare from the sun beating up off the water can be dangerous for our eyes. We really need to make sure we have a good pair of sunglasses to protect our eyes from the sun. And it will also help with the eye strain during the day. Today, they don’t have to be expensive to be good. It use to be that only the high dollar ones worked the best. Today we can get a pair for less than 50 dollars and they will still perform the same. Of course, if you wear glasses, you will need to think about getting a prescription pair of sunglasses or a pair that will fit over your normal glasses.
With today’s performance shirts, staying cool has gotten a lot better. And most are also infused with sun protection. This makes it so much easier to protect your skin even on cloudy days. I personally love having a custom designed jersey from Wildwear America. Not because it has my name on it, but because it is so soft and comfortable plus I can design it myself. This way I don’t look like everyone else. A plus is if you get one with a hood, as you can pull it up to help you see better why protecting you too.
Now we have to think about our lower body. I’m a pants guy, as I burn so easily. But I do love shorts. No matter which you choose, make sure they offer some protection. Just like performance shirts, they make shorts and pants to help keep us cool and protected. Just make sure to put sunscreen on any areas that the sun hits. And apply it often.
And we can’t forget the hands. They are constantly exposed to the deadly sun and take a real beating. I personally use Fish Monkey Gloves as I like their fit and the added palm grip when in the rain. Depending on my mood I will use the Stubby or the Guide series that have a longer cuff to go up the arm some. You can’t be too careful.
The main thing is that f we want to have fun, we need to think about protecting our bodies at the same time. We only have the one and nobody wants to have to go through the dreaded cancer treatments. As Mark Davis of BigWater Adventures says, “apply your sunscreen often and liberally.” Be smart, have fun, and live to fish another day!