Last-Minute Holiday Gift Ideas
FLW staff picks for the procrastinators among us
Still fretting over what to get the picky angler in your life? Fret not. Our staff has assembled a few gift ideas that will surely make even the most seasoned angler jump with joy on Christmas morning.
For other gift ideas from our staff, click here.
GIFTS FOR LESS THAN $50
Secret Lures 2XHD Flipping Jig – $4.99
There aren’t too many double-weedguard jigs on the market, but the newest addition to the category is the Secret Lures 2XHD Flippin’ Jig. This heavy-cover jig is versatile enough to flip grass and any other type of heavy cover. Regular flipping jigs can get hung up in wood or thick grass, but the double weedguard helps guard the hook and keep this jig from rolling, thus preventing it from getting buried into a snag. A few of these jigs would make a perfect stocking stuffer for the bass angler in your life.
Picasso Shock Blade – $7.99
When it comes to fishing offshore, most people think of big crankbaits, spoons, swimbaits and worms. Vibrating jigs, which have been around for a while in the shallow-water game, have recently taken hold out deep. The new 1-ounce Picasso Shock Blade is exactly what the doctor ordered for triggering bass on the ledges. Make a long cast, and slow-roll this bait back to the boat, keeping it close to the bottom at all times. Tip it with a trailer such as a swimbait or a large craw to give it more action.
Skirts Unlimited Skirt Making Kit – $25.99
This kit has everything for getting started making skirts for jigs. Being able to put together a skirt on the water or in the hotel room before a tournament is always sweet – and there’s nothing better than catching fish on a bait you customized. Plus, putting a personal touch on a bait is never a bad thing.
The standard skirt-making kit is probably the best start. It includes staple colors, plenty of bands and the required skirt-making tool. It’ll probably get the recipient going into making skirts, and once that starts there are plenty of other colors and styles of material to pick out.
Rapala 15-Pound Touch Screen Scale Tournament Model – $49.99
When a school of fish is fired up, there is no time to waste in the culling process. The Rapala Touch Screen Scale Tournament Model makes culling quick, easy and accurate. With eight memory slots on the touch-screen display, the scale records each fish’s weight and adds up the cumulative total. This would make a great gift for any angler, from the weekend warrior to the savvy veteran. For $50, the Rapala Touch Screen Scale is a quarter of the price compared to similar scales, which is a heck of a deal.
HIGH-DOLLAR GIFTS
Roman Made Negotiator – $150+
Though limited supplies make it hard to get, this big-ticket item will make the serious angler forever grateful. Used often by such luminaries as Brad Knight and Cody Meyer, the Negotiator is a midsized glide bait that is top quality and manageably sized for most anglers. This thing flat out catches fish (Knight rode it to a top 10 in an FLW Series event on Lake Guntersville in 2014) and is a bait that not many would buy for themselves. Glide baits have been catching on in recent years, and the Negotiator is still at the front of the pack.
Though eBay is probably the fastest way to get one, you can also order directly from Roman Made, but you might have to wait awhile to get it. A card in the tree that says “Negotiator on the way” would be a heck of a way to build anticipation.
Simms Guide Mid Top – $89.95
The Simms Guide Mid Top makes a perfect mid-layer for those cold winter days on the water, but it also works just as well as outerwear in the spring and fall. Heck, it looks so good you could even wear it out for a night on the town. The inside is lined with fleece and offers breathability plus moisture-wicking performance to make it comfortable and functional.
For a gift that will likely get plenty of use both on and off the water, the Simms Guide Mid Top is a great choice.
Buck Knives Splizzors – $79.99
In designing its Splizzors, Buck combined a scissor and pliers to create one of the most useful tools an angler could own. The replaceable blades (it includes an extra set) on the Splizzors cut through monofilament, braid or fluorocarbon like butter and make it a breeze to trim brush guards or jig skirts. The long blades are tipped with a section of pliers for removing hooks. Add in crimpers, a bottle opener and a carry sheath and the Splizzors tool has anglers covered for nearly any task.
Tackle Warehouse Angler Bag – $69.99
This bag is perfect for any angling adventure. The large compartment fits three Plano StowAway boxes, and several pockets hold bags of soft plastics. It also has pockets for a phone, sunglasses and a fishing license. Whether you’re headed to fish off a bank, hike up a stream or jump in a buddy’s boat, this bag can fit a surprising amount of gear. It also makes a great tackle bag for any tournament co-angler.