If you want to buy some Christmas fishing presents for your loved ones, here are some ideas.
I love having bulk spools of line handy, so I can refill my reels as needed. My most used line is 30 pound test monofilament, and I use Trilene Big Game for it’s superb durability. It is about $40 for a bulk spool. Needle nosed pliers rust away in no time on the boat, and a new pair is always welcome. They are about $12. A good fillet knife is a must, and will set you back $30 to $40. A plastic boat knife sharpener is about $15. A large, long handled, knotless landing net is fantastic for capturing those just out of reach fish. They will cost between $100 and $180. Barbless, 3/0 Siwash hooks in bulk come in handy for replacement on spoons. Octopus 4/0’s are great for hoochies. Flashers run about $15, and faves include green/fluorescent, Purple Haze, Betsy, and Moon Jelly. Silver Horde spoons in Evil Eye, Killy MaGee, Cookies and Cream, Kitchen Sink, and Mongoose all catch fish at about $10. Hoochies in T-Rex, Blue Meany, and Army Truck are favourites. Blue Fox, Gibbs Delta Mac, Half Jigs, and Lil Nibs are great jigging lures in the two ounce size, and run $7 to $12. I use a pretty basic, very durable trolling setup on The Silver Blue. The Shimano Tekota reel will now set you back about $300, and The 8 foot Ugly Stik trolling rod around $100. But, these take a lot of wear and tear on The Blue, and stand up incredibly considering what they go through every season. Most avid anglers use single action reels, and custom rods. The reels can cost $700 to $1,000, and the rods $500 to $700. Talk to Dane or Tim at The Harbour Chandler if you’re thinking of buying rods and reels for presents, as they will customize your needs. The Brutus Ace Line Hauler is made in Nanaimo, and the service and quality of product is just outstanding. You can pull those prawn traps beautifully with this product! The rectangular metal mesh prawn traps fish best and cost about $80. 400 feet of lead line spliced to heavy poly is about $70. Floats cost about $30. So, you can buy a prawning setup for around $200 at The Chandler. Nester’s has cases of Carlyle tuna cat food available for prawn bait. Nothing says Merry Christmas to your loved one like a case of cat food!
Good fishing.