Begging for the big three               

The most common complaint I hear from my wife around Christmas is that she has no idea what to get me. That’s a precarious statement, because I know I could end up with a Rocket Fishing Rod, which she’ll play off as a gag the second she sees the look on my face. But in 13 years of marriage, I know my wife well enough that when it comes to $40 laughs, that’s not how she rolls.            

But this column is really for other wives and family members that need gift ideas for the angler in their lives. This is my gift to our readers, a written hint about items I own that have not only been a big hit present wise, but also have enhanced my outdoor experience. These are three items I wouldn’t want to live without, and whether you fish freshwater, inshore or offshore saltwater, you don’t want to either.

So steal your kids yellow highlighter, mark up the page and accidentally leave it open on her side of the bed. And if you don’t get what you want, ask who else has been sleeping there.


Fishworks Camo Deck Special Board Shorts
Every day I come home from work and the first thing I do is peel off my monkey suit and jump into my baggies. It’s a time of transformation, and the board shorts are the symbol of freedom.

But I don’t just hang out in them, I live in them 365 days a year, sometimes in the boat, sometimes in bed, sometimes incognito. They come in three colors of camouflage; brown, blue and grey. My wife says the brown ones make me look like a redneck, which makes me smile all the way to my garage refrigerator.

The shorts have all kinds of cool features like a heavy duty plastic zipper, which anyone who surfs knows is superior to Velcro because one side of the Velcro is a meat eater. There are also enough pockets to hold your dip, pocket knife, ATV keys, Earnhardt sunglasses and NASCAR coozie.


Plano 1450 Extreme Guide Series Case
There’s a saying that goes, “A bad day on the water is still better than a good day at work,” but the person who wrote that never lost their wallet, cell phone, digital camera and truck keys to a rogue wave. Saltwater is unforgiving to metal, and sheer hell on anything electronic, which makes me wonder why I trusted $400 in gear to a three-cent Ziploc bag.

Now I’ve got the right tool for the job, which means when the wave takes everyone else’s gear overboard or simply KO’s it with a little wet kiss, I get to call their wives and break the news. Then again, they all want to cram their gear into the box when they see my stuff going in.

The 9 inch long, 4.875 inch wide and 3 inch high poly-carbonate case is lockable and also crushproof, so when the kids decide the best way to open it to get to their candy is to smash it on the deck, rest assured you won’t be the one seeing stars.  


ARC Dehooker
As much as I like stinging fish with the gaff, there comes a time when a fish comes in that I’d rather not touch, either because of the ick factor or the fact that it comes with a complete set of razored pearlies and a bad disposition. So whether you’re trying to avoid the slime or keep from attaining the nickname Lefty, there’s an ARC Dehooker that’s perfect for your style of fishing.

I never had much need for a dehooking device until I owned one, but it’s a great way to release fish without pulling them out of the water, thereby assuring the best possible chance for survival. And whether we’re talking about a seatrout, kingfish or sailfish, there’s a part of me that insists on respecting the fish that bring me so much fun.

The single best instance for using my ARC dehooker came two years ago when I told one of my fly clients to cast at a spinner shark floating on the surface. I knew the bite and fight were going to be spectacular, but didn’t think about what I was going to do if we landed the fish. An hour later, I retrieved the fly and was still able to count to 10 the easy way.