Added on Thursday, November 11, 2010  Gary Hurley

Holiday Gift Guide

It’s hard to find a sport as gear-intensive as fishing, which means that an angler is generally one of the easier people to shop for on your gift list. Check out our Holiday Gift Guide for some suggestions from local retailers on what to stuff your favorite fisherman’s stocking with this year.

Harmony Collapsible Live Bait Cooler—Hook, Line, and Paddle, Wilmington, NC

Kayak, beach, pier, and small boat anglers need look for a compact, portable, live bait system no longer. Available at Wilmington’s Hook, Line and Paddle Kayak Outfitters, the Harmony Collapsible Live Bait cooler has everything anglers need to keep a day’s worth of inshore bait fresh and frisky.

“It’s a one-shot deal,” Ryan Meddock, of Hook, Line, and Paddle, explains. “It’s got its own aeration system, a gear pocket on the outside, and you can use it as a cooler or crush it down so it doesn’t take up any room when you’re not keeping bait in it.”

The Collapsible Live Bait Cooler has an approximate capacity of 3 gallons and retails for $49.95.

West Marine Tall Cruising Boots—West Marine, Wrightsville Beach, NC

Fishing is supposed to be an enjoyable activity, but wet, cold feet can suck the fun out of even the most exciting trip. West Marine’s Tall Cruising Boots feature a non-marking, siped sole for non-slip performance on the wettest decks. The mid-calf height of the boots also offers plenty of overlap with foul weather gear pants so even tall anglers won’t have to deal with a gap in their outerwear.

“I’ve been wearing a pair of these boots for three years,” West Marine Wrightsville Beach’s Chris Primm reports. “We go out in center consoles all winter, and you’ve got to keep your feet warm.”

The boots boast light insulation, so anglers can wear a heavy sock beneath them for warmth in the winter, yet still use the boots during our long warm season.

Tall Cruising boots retail for $59.99.

Angler’s Fish-N-Mate Sand Spikes—The Reel Outdoors, Emerald Isle, NC

A sand spike is the ideal gift for a beach angler who doesn’t have one, as nothing will kill a saltwater reel faster than spending some time lying in the beach grit. Anglers Fish-N-Mate Sand Spikes, available at Emerald Isle’s Reel Outdoors, are a step up from PVC and other less expensive models.

“These have a foot peg that makes them much easier to get into the sand,” The Reel Outdoors’ Rich Baugess explains. “They don’t bend like some of the cheaper ones, and they’re 50” long so they keep your rod and reel a lot higher off the beach and surf, too.”

The Fish-N-Mate Sand Spikes retail for $21.99.

Shimano Stradic CI4—East Coast Sports, Surf City, NC

The latest in Shimano’s venerable Stradic line of spinning reels, the Stradic CI4 features a reinforced carbon fiber frame that makes the reels substantially lighter than the previous models at the same time they’re even stronger and more corrosion-resistant. Incorporating a host of Shimano-designed systems that improve the smoothness, durability, and casting performance as well, the Stradic CI4’s are available in 1000-4000 sizes to cover virtually any inshore and light offshore situation.

“These reels weigh next-to-nothing,” East Coast Sports’ Chris Medlin says. “They’ve got a lot of torque, they’re super-smooth, and the high speed retrieve is extremely handy.”

Stradic CI4’s retail for $209-229.

Penn Battle—Chasin’ Tails Outdoors, Atlantic Beach, NC

Penn’s new Battle spinning reels incorporate many of the features of their more expensive reels in a package costing much less. Taken from their Conquer series, the reels have a Superline Spool with a rubber gasket that eliminates the need for backing when spooling up with braided lines. Six sealed stainless steel ball bearings, infinite anti-reverse, and HT-100 drag washers ensure smooth performance from the reels while a metal body, anodized aluminum spool, and a stainless steel main shaft mean they’ll last for years in the tough marine environment.

“They’ve got an all-metal frame and body,” Matt Lamb, of Chasin’ Tails, explains, “so they hold up great.”

Available in sizes to cover anything from ultra-light trout fishing to tarpon, big red drum, and other bruisers, Battles retail for $99.99-109.99.

Ocean Tamer Bean Bags—Ocean Isle Fishing Center, Ocean Isle Beach, NC

Nothing smoothes out a long ride offshore like plunking down in a beanbag chair and relaxing with a beverage. Ocean Tamer’s line of saltwater-ready bean bags were designed to be the best on the market, utilizing top-quality materials like marine-grade vinyl, double-stitched marine grade thread, heavy-duty nylon zippers, strong nylon strap handles, and virgin polystyrene bead filler.

They’re also available in small, medium, and large sizes in Wedge, Armchair, Round, and Teardrop shapes, so anglers can customize the bag to the space on their boats and the bodies that will be filling it.

“This is actually a great gift for a husband to give to a wife to get her fishing,” Capt. Brant McMullan, of the Ocean Isle Fishing Center, explains. “If my wife and daughter are going with us, we don’t go without one, and the guys like them, too.”

Ocean Tamer bags are also available with custom colors and monogramming, and they retail from $120-200.

Ross Pescador Pliers—Great Outdoor Provision Company, Wilmington, NC

A good pair of pliers is an invaluable tool on a boat, and Ross Reels’ Pescador Pliers, available in 6 and 7.5” models, are more than that. Aircraft-quality 6061 Aluminum construction means they’re incredibly lightweight and strong, while stainless-steel jaws, tungsten-carbide cutters, and a diamond-coated hook hone are optimized for performance in the marine environment.

“The jaws, cutters, and hook sharpener are replaceable,” Great Outdoor’s Will Huffine says, “so every part of the tool that can rust is replaceable and they’ll last forever. Everybody I know who has them loves them. The 6” model is what most of our inshore guys like, and you can hardly find those guys without them on their hips.”

The Pescador Pliers come complete with a Cordura sheath and a self-coiling lanyard, so anglers don’t have to worry them ending up in the drink. They retail for $150.

Yeti Tundra Coolers—EJW Sports, Morehead City, NC

A cooler’s a cooler—right? Not when one of them is a Yeti. Yeti Coolers were designed to surpass all others in durability, looks, and all-importantly, the ability to keep things colder for longer than the competition. To that end, they feature more than twice the insulation of other coolers and a full-length, freezer-style gasket around the lid to lock in the cold. A host of custom accessories are also available for the entire line, making them more versatile than the standard cooler as well.

“These coolers will outlast a standard cooler many times over,” EJW’s Arlen Harrell explains, “and they’ll hold ice for up to two weeks. They’ve been really popular, especially the college team color editions we sell. The most popular accessories we’re selling are deck pads, which turn the coolers into non-slip casting decks, and seat cushions.”

Yeti Tundra coolers are available in sizes from 50-180 quarts and retail starting at $229.

Moye’s Custom Lures—Intracoastal Angler, Wilmington, NC

Big game anglers looking for a leg up on the competition need only to stop by Wilmington’s Intracoastal Angler and check out Andy Moye’s line of custom skirted trolling lures. Based on a proven set of head designs, Moye makes lures from smaller tuna to marlin teaser sizes and can incorporate custom colors, boat names, and a variety of other fitted touches to craft a unique lure that anglers can’t simply pick up off-the-shelf.

“He uses a polyurethane resin instead of casting resin, which is much harder,” Intracoastal’s Frank explains. “Some of our guys ran one over with the boat and just scratched it. Each lure is handmade, and we can take care of virtually any skirt options right here in the shop.”

Moye’s Custom Lures start at around $65.

Cape Fear Sportswear—Tex’s Tackle, Wilmington, NC

Marine weather is notoriously unpredictable, and in order to ensure a comfortable and enjoyable trip, anglers need to be prepared for whatever the sky and sea can throw at them. Local company Cape Fear Sportswear has an entire line of clothing running the gamut from their Moisture Wick Long Sleeve UPF Long Sleeve shirts (cool-wearing, sun-protecting garments perfect for a hot day on the flats) to their Storm 3-In-1 Jacket (a waterproof, breathable garment that features a zip-out inner fleece beneath an outer waterproof shell). Both pieces can be worn separately or together for a variety of cool, cold, and wet weather situations.

Cape Fear Sportswear long sleeve shirts start at $40, and the Storm jackets start at $269.

Song of Cape Fear—Island Tackle and Hardware, Carolina Beach, NC

Chock-full of tales of the area’s angling heritage, the late Bill McDonald’s recently published book is sure to please any angler with an interest in Cape Fear region’s fishing history. An outdoor writer for a host of area publications, McDonald was in the process of compiling stories for a book at the time of his death in 1989. His son and sister saw the book to its posthumous completion, and now, for the first time, a run of the books has become available to the public. Well-known local figures like Eddie Haneman and Skip Winner share the pages with many other area angling pioneers, and the book is a hard one to put down for anyone curious about the maritime heritage of the area.

Song of Cape Fear retails for $17.95.

Saltwater Fishing School Tickets—Fisherman’s Post Newspaper

What better gift for an angler than something that will make them a better angler—tutelage from a dozen of the area’s top captains on subjects ranging from flounder and trout to Gulf Stream and grouper fishing. With one-day sessions at Wilmington’s Coastline and Morehead City’s Crystal Coast Convention Centers on February 12 and 26, respectively, anglers can pick the school closest to their homes or most convenient to their winter schedules. Rated one of the top fishing schools in the nation by Sport Fishing Magazine, the schools also score stellar ratings on participant evaluations and boast big numbers of repeat students.

Fisherman’s Post Saltwater Fishing School tickets are $90 before January 29 and $100 after, and are available in person at Tex’s Tackle and Chasin’ Tails Outdoors, online at fishermanspost.com, by calling (910) 452-6378, or by visiting the Fisherman’s Post booth at the winter boat shows.