Beating the Summer Heat:
Planning to Stay Healthy and Have Fun
Bruce Callis
All of this heat and humidity is here for the next few months! Welcome to summer and misery. It puts a damper on a lot of the things we love to do. For some of us, it might mean we have to switch up things. I can handle some of the heat, but even I will make changes to make things more enjoyable. It is just knowing what to do to survive and have fun.
A lot of anglers will switch up to fishing at night. And that helps, but it presents a whole new list of problems. Seeing what you are doing is one. And then there are the bugs. Special sprays and lotions, it is tough to say the least. I prefer to be able to see what I am throwing at.
But let’s talk about dealing with the heat during the summer. We just need to plan everything, from clothing to drinks, to sunscreen, and everything else that can make a difference in surviving the day or suffering.
Clothing is a big thing. Wear those special moisture-wicking clothing that will allow your skin to breathe. For the summer sun, make sure it had SPF protection. I prefer a shirt that has a hood, as this has two advantages. It will help protect the back of the neck and the ears. A hat helps protect the head. I am old school and love my baseball cap. It is also easier to pull the hood up over it. For some, a wide-brimmed straw hat is the perfect choice. And they also make a wide-brimmed hat that is made of moisture-wicking material. And plenty of hats have a fabric to cover the back of the neck, also. Gators can do ears and neck as well. It is what is comfortable to each person.
One of the big things is the pants or shorts. I tend to burn easily, so I opt for pants. But even then, I prefer the moist wicking style. If you opt for shorts, you must make sure to wear your sunscreen. Apply it often and liberally. You can’t put it on in the morning and expect it to last all day.
I also like to wear gloves to help protect my hands from the sun. I used to hate them, but you can find plenty of great choices that range from just the hand to those that offer help up the arm. If they aren’t comfortable, you aren’t going to use them. And I prefer the fingerless style gloves. Your hands take a lot of punishment and need protecting.
One thing we all tend to do is not drink enough liquids. And while fishing during the heat, it is of utmost importance. Fishermen have the reputation of being a bunch of beer-drinking fools on the water. But honestly, alcohol is the worst thing to drink. It actually dries you out. The fact is it makes you even thirstier. Ever notice how fast you can drink it in the sun? And you can get drunk even faster. It dries you out and can lead to dehydration. You really need to drink things that replenish the body with the important minerals we sweat out. Salt is one of those things. Ever tasted just how salty your sweat actually is? Water is great, but we really need things like Gatorade, PowerAde, or some other style of liquid that pushes those minerals back into our system.
I have found that certain fruits really help. One of those is watermelon. Cut it up into hunks and put it in small containers. Keep it on ice to keep it cool. It fills you up and pushes fluids back into your body. It also helps cool you down. Of course, seedless is the best choice. Oh, and why smaller containers? So you don’t eat it all at once.
Beating the summer heat and having fun takes a little planning. It also takes some dedication. You have to plan ahead. And you have to make sure to do what you had planned. Don’t wait until you are thirsty, that is a sure sign of dehydration. Think safety first, have fun, catch some big girls, and live to fish another day! moisture-wicking
The big bait phenomenon by Carson Maddux
With bass fishing rising in popularity, more and more people are on the water. Not only are more people fishing, but more people are fishing at a high level. The database of bass behavior and tournament-winning techniques continues to grow, and consequently, more fish are seeing lures. The increase in pressure has caused a shift in the tackle industry, forcing manufacturers to think outside the box. Weird-shaped lures and different variations of tried and true staples have taken over the tournament scene. One thing that I have noticed is the increase of size over the past few years.
When we think of pressured fishing, it has always been known that downsizing and going finesse the right approach. That said, some people tend to go the other way on the spectrum. Partnered with forward facing sonar, we can see real-time reactions to how these fish behave. Oftentimes, an increase in size not only gets the fish’s attention but also can trigger a strike. Bass are curious creatures and people are using that to their advantage. Even if a bass fails to commit, a large bait has so much draw power that you can get a good gauge of the caliber of fish in an area.
Big baits have been around for a while, but people are putting new uses to them. Glide baits are probably the biggest trend in the industry right now. Glide baits vary in sizes and profiles and can be used deep or shallow. Adding weight to the bait to sink it down on offshore structure allows the fish to see a profile and action that they are not yet used to. Glides aren’t the only big bait being used, however. Big minnow-style baits offer the size rolling action that is so effective in a beefed-up profile. 7” and 8” minnows are on the deck of almost all tournament fishermen on the Tennessee River nowadays. We see guys throwing huge, oversized neko worms as well. Some of these worms are 12-15” long and just give the fish a different look than what they are used to.
This “oversized” trend has been one that is really cool to me. It makes a lot of sense but is so opposite of what we have always been taught. Bass fishing is all about playing mental games between you and the fish. A lot of times it’s a lot simpler than we make it out to be. Next time you’re fishing a pressured body of water, try upsizing your approach and see what happens!
Did You forget Fathers Day? by Calvin Henron
Father’s Day is just around the corner, and I know it can be a challenging time picking out gifts for the angler in your life. I hope in this article, I can give you some tips and tricks on finding that perfect gift for the fisherman in your life. Go grab a notebook and pen because you are going to want to write these gifts down.
Lets start talking about an item that all anglers can use. Whether you fish from the bank, kayak, or boat you will always need something to keep you dry on wet days and warm on the cold days of fishing. A rain suit is always a must for me when I go fishing. Be careful in selecting a rain suit because they are not created equally. My suggestion for a rainsuit on the higher end I would select the Striker Adrenaline Rain suit. I know it’s on the higher end of people’s budgets but it will keep you dry and warm. My budget-friendly option would be the Rapala Pro Rain Jacket and Bibs. This set is much more affordable and is of good quality. You cannot go fishing without quality rods and reels, so let’s dig into some rod and reel combos.
The most important thing to remember when you are on the water is that you want to have quality gear and one of the first things I would make sure of is that I have the best equipment for the money. Rod and reel combination can be tricky because the price could be deceiving. What do I mean? You could be getting a good price, but bad parts or materials. I would like to give you a few suggestions on putting together a rod and reel combo. Budget-friendly selection would be Daiwa Aird X Medium heavy with a Daiwa Fuego CT Casting Reels.
Finally, let’s talk about line, terminal tackle, and baits; these are all components that you will need throughout your day of fishing. My suggestion to the buyer is to keep it simple. Line is one of the components that can get out of hand quickly because there are so many different types and weights. With the line, I keep it simple. Fluorocarbon is my favorite type of line brand it does not matter. I personally prefer Sunline America, but it is on the pricey side. Lower budget guys go for Seaguar, either red label or Basix. Terminal tackle is the same way, buy some weights, ½ oz or ⅜ oz, all you need. When it comes to hooks, I will buy a variety of bass hooks, and it will have all the sizes you will need, for example, Gamakatsu Extra Wide Gap worm hooks.
Let’s quickly run through some baits to pick up. I always start from the bottom of the water column and work my way up. Bottom baits, you cannot go wrong with a shakyhead worm or a drop shot. My go-to is a ¼ oz Picasso Rhino head shakey head with green pumpkin Berkley bottom hopper or a Missile Baits magic worm. In the middle of the water column, I suggest a crankbait of some sort or a jerkbait. My go-to is a Spro Rock Crawler 50 for a crankbait and a Spro McStick 110 for a jerkbait. Lastly, let’s talk about the top of the water column. There are two types of topwaters I like to throw: a walking style bait and a popper. A suggestion for you would be the Cotton Cordell Original Pencil popper or the Spro walking Haint 110.
I hope this helps with ideas for the amazing fathers out there. All the gear and baits will be linked to the Discount Tackle website, so you can go check out all the gear listed.
