Holiday Gift Suggestions for the Angler in Your Life
K.J. Houtman 11.18.14
I’ve scoured my industry connections up and down to find the best gift ideas for the angler in your life this holiday season. You’ll find small stocking stuffers, big gifts, wonderfully tactile clothing, and books for a good read by the fire. You won’t see any rods or reels in this gift guide, though. I just think they are too personal for what each angler wants or needs in their own rod locker. So if you want to buy a rod and/or reel, ask your angler for the specifics and they will gladly tell you. Now, on to all those other goodies. Merry Christmas, and God bless!
Clam Tackle Storage — $10+
Who says jewelry is the only thing to come in awesome, small packages? And you have to love these prices. These Clam tackle storage systems start at wallet size and increase incrementally to fit your needs.
Clam may have been thinking hard water fishing when they made these, but I guarantee open water anglers will love having options in the boat (or on the bank) for close storage, too.
WildRiver Tackle Tek Nomad Lighted Backpack Tackle Bag — around $200
These high-end tackle backpacks are perfect for anyone who likes everything in its place. Available with or without the tackle trays, WildRiver backpacks come with just the right place for tools, sunglasses, and so on, and has integrated LED solar lights to be able to see in the bag. It can hold up to six 3600-series and four 3500-series trays. This backpack will elicit “oohs” and “ahs” when the wrapping paper comes off.
Tungsten Pro Tackle from Clam — $3-5
The popular tungsten line of Pro Tackle jigs from Clam are sure to please the angler in your family. The line now boasts larger hooks to hold more bait to keep those bites buttoned up. The non-chip, enamel paint is available in several exciting colors, including ever-popular glow-in-the-dark combinations.
Tungsten is the new technology in jig fishing. It boasts higher density, which helps to get the bait down into position even when dealing with wind and current conditions as well as structure like weeds, brush, and timber. Improving feel and detecting bites sooner are reasons many anglers have moved exclusively to tungsten, which is 30 percent heavier than lead.
Glo-Buster UV Light from Northland Fishing Tackle — $12
Glow-in-the-dark lures need charging to attract gamefish, and Northland’s new Glo-Buster UV LED Flashlight stokes phosphorescent finishes faster and brighter than anything this side of the sun. It’s 200 percent more intense than conventional incandescent white light!
Harnessing the power of ultraviolet light, just 30 seconds with the Glo-Buster charges as much as six hours under an incandescent white light.
XTreme Bowfishing Kit from Muzzy — $110-130
Bring on some bowfishing! A lot of anglers might not be set up for bowfishing, and yet it is one of the largest growing segments of the sport. If you already have a compound bow, get rigged up for bowfishing with the XTREME DUTY spincast style bowfishing kit from Muzzy. Everything needed in one easy rig-yourself kit. Good times await!
Fishouflage Camp Shirt — $44
This cool and comfortable casual camp shirt from Fishouflage features advanced moisture-wicking and anti-microbial treatment. Quality tailoring, and polyester ripstop make for a tactile dream keeping you cool both on and off the water! Comes with bass, walleye or redfish pattern so hardcore anglers can honestly wear their heart on their sleeve.
Vexilar Sonar Phone and T-Box — $150-200
Sonar Phone turns your smartphone or tablet into a fully functional touchscreen sonar system and you don’t need cell phone coverage to use it.
Functioning as its own WiFi hotspot, as many people as you want to share can use their phones to connect to your underwater electronics with range up to 100 yards.
ThermaCELL Heated Insoles with Remote Control — $180
Warm feet are a great idea, but ThermaCELL has kicked it up a notch with a remote control to adjust their heated insoles to high, medium, or no heat at all. Perfect!
Half-day guided fishing trip — price varies
Purchase a half-day on the water with a guide, like with my friend and amazing Lake Erie angler Capt. Julia Davis. A day with a guide on a new body of water is great fun for any angler, but especially for those who only get out a couple of times a year. What a treat to fish with pros who have all the right gear and know where to get on the fish because they are out everyday (or almost) on their home waters. It is truly a gift that feels like a mini vacation, and most often they are trips for two or three people.
Check out Juls Walleye Fishing Adventures or book a guide you know.
Recommended reading — $13-55
I love a good read, and maybe because I treasure getting books for gifts, I like to give them, too. You can’t go wrong with any of the following.
Keynote speaker at the SEOPA conference in October, Ron Rash read “Their Ancient, Glittering Eyes” from this collection of short stories and poetry entitled The Ron Rash Reader. Any angler would not only enjoy the story, but also Rash’s incredible gift in the telling. Rash’s novels Serena and Saints at the River also come highly recommended and are on my wish list this year. The Ron Rash Reader is available in paperback for about $20 and hardcover for $55.
Sharon Rushton, pro bass angler and founder of the Hooked on Fishing, Not on Drugs program, wrote No Paved Road to Freedom based on the inspiring true story of Cornel Dolana’s quest for a life free from communist oppression. Excellent and just a tad more than $17 at Amazon for paperback.
Okay, a little shout out for my own book with co-author Bill Miller, Reflections Under the Big Pine. Keep Christmas in your holidays this year with hunting and fishing themed devotionals. About $16 at Amazon for paperback.
Lastly, Victoria Houston writes light murder/cop mysteries and most often several of the main characters are pretty serious anglers. Dead Angler is the first in the series. Easy, peasy, and only about $13 in paperback.
K.J. Houtman is the author of the award-winning Fish On Kids Books series, chapter books for eight- to 12-year-olds with adventures based around fishing, camping, and hunting. Her work is available at Amazon and local bookstores. Find out more at fishonkidsbooks.com.
Houtman writes books embracing the great outdoors for children and adults. Available as paperbacks and e-books at Amazon, they are: A Whirlwind Opener (#1), Driving Me Crazy (#2), Spare the Rod (#3), Duck, Duck Deuce (#4), Born to be Wild (#5) and A Second Chance (#6) as well as K.J.'s Reflections Under the Big Pine with Bill Miller, a non-fiction devotional for adults.
“I thoroughly enjoyed the Fish On Kids Books series – Houtman has a wonderful talent. I'm engaged in the life of Gus and when one book ends, I want to find out what he is up to in the next.” Sharon Rushton, Outdoor Writer and author of No Paved Road to Freedom
“From cover to cover the best series of chapter books I've seen in years. These books are wholesome with a focus on adventure. Wish I had them when I was a kid. I'm still a kid at heart and prolific reader. These are my kind of books.” Larry Rea, host, Outdoors with Larry Rea, Memphis, TN
“I’ve read them all and think these books are great.” Jim Zumbo, professional hunter and outdoor writer
