Fishing Gift Guide for the Angler on Your Christmas List

It抯 difficult to find gifts for a person who has everything, especially if that person is a fisherman! So to make this task a little easier, here are a few thoughts that might help you to decide on the perfect holiday gift.

It抯 helpful to ask a friend or fishing buddy for ideas. Be sure to get an exact description of the item your angler is hoping to receive. Sometimes fishing catalogs left open to a particular page, or hints dropped in casual conversations will also lead a gift giver to a perfect gift selection.

Another option is to ask the sales representative at your favorite outdoors store what the most popular selling gift items for anglers are this season. Better yet, good ideas come from shopping several outlets. The nice thing about beginning your quest early is that there is plenty of time between now and Christmas Eve to make your purchases. Keep in mind that when all else fails, a gift card is a great gift for the 揾ard to buy for?angler.

One thing about fishing equipment, there is always a never ending stream of new items, and this holiday season is no different.

A high dollar item on some 搘ish lists?is the Ulterra i ?Pilot, an electric trolling motor made by Minn Kota (http://www.minnkotamotors.com). It features a wireless remote that uses GPS to remember fishing spots, controls speed and steering, and it holds a boat in place over a fishing hole. In addition, with the push of a button, the motor will automatically deploy, stow and trim up and down. While pricey, (starting at $1989), the convenience and ease of operation makes it a discerning gift for the fisherman who has everything.

Closer to reality, is a new crop of inexpensive fish finders beginning at $99.99. First, is the Elite - 3X by Lowrance Electronics (www.lowrance.com). This high resolution color unit has speed over water and water surface temperature readouts, which make it the perfect match for pontoons, kayaks and other boats with limited space. Another low price unit is the Echo 151dv by Garmin (www.Garmin.com). This black and white unit features down VU which shows easy to identify underwater objects.

Plano (http://www.planomolding.com) has a vast selection of soft sided tackle bags that hold varying numbers of plastic stowaway boxes for lure and tackle storage. These relatively inexpensive bags are easy to stow or carry from place to place. Prices begin at $19.99.

Hot Spots: Hybrid striped bass are hitting surface lures around humps and channel points at dawn and dusk. To catch them at mid-day, use a variety of trolling methods near deep water channels. Crappie fishing has improved with cooler water temperatures. Best baits to use are minnows around bridges and submerged brush piles to twenty five feet deep. Bass have been constantly on the move and are harder to find than normal. Try fishing the back coves where bait fish have congregated.

Tips from Capt. Gus! Watch for diving sea birds. They point the way to surface feeding hybrids, bass and perch.

Upcoming Events: Free Fishing Seminar - 揇eep Water Winter Fishing for Hybrids, Bass and White Perch?- I will discuss using live baits, shaky-heads, drop shots, Alabama and Sabiki rigs to catch cold water fish. This all new ninety-minute session will begin at 6:30 p.m. on November 12^th at Gander Mountain, Exit 36 in Mooresville, NC. For additional information, call 704 658 0822.