Cold Weather Gear

Fishing through cold requires a system of clothing, and if you're missing a piece it can be a long and uncomfortable day.  Even though my family's from Minnesota and my ancestors are Vikings, I'm a total wuss when it comes to fishing in the cold...but I'm still crazy enough to figure out ways to get out there.  The slow nature of winter fishing has given me a lot of time to think about and refine how I suit up when the water temp is in the 40s.  Besides causing pain, numbness, discomfort, and stiff joints, cold causes you to lose concentration.  A lack of focus means missing jerkbait and jig fish, so when the big Ozark females are grouped up tight and annihilating dying shad here's what I've got on... 

Head - In most cases a beanie is good enough.  When it's cold enough that you need to cover more than just the top of your head I'm a big fan of the balaclava.  Covering the top of your head keeps most of your body heat from escaping, but there's a lot to be said for a warm face and neck.  When you're running you're going to need something to shield your eyes from the piercing wind, and if there's precipitation you're gonna need it even more!  You'll see some guys who've spent a couple hundred dollars on a motorcycle helmet and there's an occasional ski-goggle in the crowd, but I'm a fan of the lightweight masks like those from from Save Phace.  It's not completely wind proof after a little use so you need to have your hoods tight underneath, but it comes on and off easily and doesn't take up a ton of room in the boat. 

Body -  You'll probably spend the most money on the suit that covers you head to toe and it's worth it.  Buy a size bigger than normal and spend the extra money for GoreTex.  I've had suits that were made of a lesser material and they never hold up to jerkbait and Wiggle Wart trebles.  Buying a size bigger will allow you to layer in a hoodie, fleece, Under Armour shirt or whatever you might need that particular day.  If you've got a choice, take bibs over pants all day.  Bibs give you some overlap with the jacket, create a better seal, and give you a little extra warmth around your chest.  Bass Pro's Pro Qualifier suit and 100mph suit are two of the more popular buys, and I can't say enough about mine.  Even the guys from the Time Bandit on the Deadliest Catch wear these things.  I haven't fished lately, but I've been staying pretty warm and dry as I shovel the driveway in - 6 degree air temps! 

Hands -I've heard and seen just about everything when it comes to keeping your hands warm while fishing in the winter.  The problem is that if it's warm enough and waterproof, it's probably too bulky to fish with.  I've probably tried 15-20 different gloves, gone through hundreds of hand warmers, and even made out of the way trips to fly fishing shops to try and uncover some secret Holy Grail of gloves.

For the past several years I've fished with fingerless flip mitts like the ones made by Glacier Glove, but after losing one of those out the back of the boat last year I replaced them this winter with a similar model from Under Armour.  If your whole finger needs to be covered there are gloves that are decently warm and allow a good enough range of mobility, but at best they're only water resistant or fast-drying.  If you put on a pair of latex or rubber gloves underneath, you can protect your skin from getting wet and you can keep your hand completely dry if you need to remove the glove to cinch up a knot.  Wet gloves will stay warm for a little while in freezing temperatures, but I'll usually carry a backup pair or two so I can swap them out when they lose their warmth.  One of the best things I've tried to date is something I borrowed from an interview I saw with FLW Pro Scott Suggs.  While prepping tackle on a cold Table Rock morning he was wearing a pair of ThermaCare Heatwraps made for arthritic hands.  I tracked down a box of the glove-like heating pads, slid them under my gloves, and they made a world of difference.  They can get too warm, so sometimes a well placed regular hand warmer can be enough.  The underside of your wrist or the top of your hand gives that heat the quickest path to the veins that circulate through your hand so keeping the pad in one of those areas is going to get warmer blood pumping through your fingers.

Feet -  Don't underestimate a pair of good wool socks.  Under Armour makes a good football sock as well that's a little better when it comes to moisture control.  As far as boots go, I like something that covers the ankle to create a lot of overlap for a good seal in wet conditions.  Waterproof material is a must and GoreTex is preferred for it's breathable properties.  Something in the 200-600 gram Thinsulate range should be good for our area of the country, but you want to avoid staying too warm in the feet.  Wool is still going to feel warm if you start to sweat, but any perspiration is bad in cold conditions so you'll need the more breathable boot and/or sock to bail you out if you overdress.  Lastly, don't overlook the sole.  When you're standing on snowy or wet boat carpet and floating on 40 degree water, losing traction can be a scary thing!

All of the items listed above can be purchased through the 7/24 Outdoors Shop!