Fishing Gifts for all of the Anglers on Your List
Hard to believe it’s that time of year already, but you know the saying, “Time flies when you are having fun”. For the last six months, we’ve enjoyed fishing for all the fan favorites: steelhead, halibut, kings, lingcod, rockfish, sockeye, coho, rainbows, grayling, dollies…You can see how time flies when you realize all the fish landed each season; fun in the extreme!
After drying your waders and backing off the drags on your reels, it’s time to start considering what holiday gifts you want to give to family, friends and fellow fishing fanatics on your list. We’ve polled some of our longtime advertisers and industry contacts to develop Part 1 of this year’s Holiday Gift Guide. Part 2 will appear in the December 2023 issue. We’ll place both parts of the guide on our website after they are published, so you can refer back to them on the go.
2023 Holiday Gift Guide
Part One
Chota Blue Line Deluxe Stocking Foot Chest Wader
The Chota Blue Line Deluxe Stocking Foot Chest Wader is designed to fit more men, more comfortably using the innovative REEL-FITTM sizing system. Firstly, thirteen chest-to-waist convertible sizes, all featuring an extra-wide heavy-duty tactical-grade wading belt make the perfect fit, easy to find. Additionally, an improved Duc’s suspender system; double-sided fleece-lined hand warmer; reinforced 5-ply lower leg, knees, and seat area make these waders especially rugged. Lastly, with features like a water-resistant zippered chest and interior pockets; and 4 mm ergonomic neoprene booties—the Chota Blue Line is lightweight and heavy duty all at once. The waders provide anglers with unsurpassed fit, comfort, increased agility, and performance. This is one fishing gift that any outdoorsman will love.
LeeLock Crab Cracker
This tool from LeeLock will allow you to measure your Dungeness crabs to determine which ones are legal to keep, and then crack them in half, thereby separating the two clusters from the shell and guts. The cracker has been designed so that it sits on top of a 5-gallon bucket when cleaning crabs. The bucket gives you a stable base which makes it easier to clean the crabs, and the guts and mess go into the bucket, which makes cleanup a snap.
This is a very handy design feature and makes this tool unique. Crabs cleaned this way take up half as much space as whole crabs so you can cook twice as many in your kettle. The Crab Cracker is made from solid, anodized aluminum, and greatly aids in cleaning Dungeness crabs. We’ve used this tool to crack and measure hundreds of crabs and can personally relate how this tool has saved us time and effort. If you have crab fishermen on your list, this is a great gift choice.
White River Knives Liong Mah 2 Knife Chef Set
The White River/Liong Mah Chef Knife Collaboration is a set of two knives designed to be the go-to for food prep. Liong Mah is a renowned knife designer and a former full-time chef in New York City. He knows the importance of having the right cutlery for the job. He used this experience as well as 19 years of knife design to develop this beautiful, and functional set.
The Liong Mah Chef Knife is just the right size for chopping and carving. It feels like an extension of the arm with a modern twist on a traditional Japanese octagonal handle shape that tapers toward the blade. This provides a comfortable hold when chopping and pivoting the knife vertically. The Liong Mah Utility Knife is the smaller counterpart and just as useful for smaller, more delicate tasks. As with all White River Knives, these are made in the USA and guaranteed for life and come in a beautiful wooden box, making for an attractive and highly useful gift.
Skinner Sights Cartridge Pockets
Cartridge Pockets are great for carrying a few spare rounds in your pocket while out and about. Built from premium materials in Montana, USA, all Skinner Sewing Shop products are made with durable stitching designed to last. From Alaska to Africa, this product has been tested by Professional Hunters (PH) and sportsmen from around the world, and have proven handy and effective for managing ammunition in the field. This “pocket” carrier is just right. It will fit in a front or rear pocket, securely holding four rounds of ammo.
It fits .30-30 to .45-70 ammo and almost anything else. The pocket’s rectangular shape stays oriented in clothing pockets allowing easy single cartridge withdrawal while leaving the carrier in your pocket. It is small, lightweight, lightly padded, made of Cordura, has a secure rim for ease of withdrawing rounds. It is available in Calming Olive Green, Rustic Brown, and Tacticool Black.
ZOLEO Satellite Communication Device
Over the last several years, this unit has been our go-to communication device when we travel to remote locations. It has never let us down. In conjunction with the ZOLEO app which we use on our iPhones, this device allows you to send and receive messages when you don’t have cellular coverage. We find the app on the cell phone to be easy to use, making the communication device more functional and providing a better user experience.
Some noteworthy features include:
- Medical Assist with 24/7 access to non-emergency medical advice
- SOS alerting with 24/7 monitoring and progress updates
- a dedicated SMS number and email for your device
- weather forecasts
- a check-in function
- location sharing
- the ability to type messages of 900+ characters.
Version 6.1 of the ZOLEO app was recently released and offers new features including the ability to automatically start sharing Location Share+ Updates when the device is powered on, and message details now include remaining battery life. Three affordable monthly usage plans are available based on your needs. Without question, this device would make an outstanding holiday gift to any outdoorsman on your list.
Sea Tow Membership
seatow.com/southcentral-alaska
Here is a fishing gift idea for the angler who has all the gear. If you own a saltwater boat and use it for personal recreation, it’s a really wise idea to have a Sea Tow membership. Among the many benefits of the “Gold Card” plan is free towing, fuel delivery, jump starts, prop disentanglements and covered ungroundings. This array of support services will further your peace of mind, and will be much appreciated should you have problems at sea. Our friends Trey and Alyssa Hill own Sea Tow SouthCentral Alaska and operate out of Homer, Whittier and Seward. The boaters on your list would love to get a Sea Tow membership as a holiday present.
Bajío Stiltsville
Named for the ruins of several prominent Prohibition-era social clubs built at sea in Biscayne Bay, Florida, Stiltsville is also a famous flat known for phenomenal bonefishing. When you don a pair of full-wrap Stiltsville shades, enjoy the best of both worlds—hardcore bonefish hunting and perpetual party going. Tie one on and tip one back in honor of Stiltsville. Frames feature a full, 8-base wrap design for light-blocking performance.
The generous nonslip rubber nose pads and rubber temple tips help them fit snug on your face even on the roughest waters. Made from a plant-based material that biodegrades easily and is gentler on our oceans, they come in 13 lens options in glass and polycarbonate. All lenses are polarized and include proprietary LAPIS technology that blocks blue light, making them the clearest lenses on the planet. In addition, they have an oleophobic lens coating to reduce scratching and make cleaning easier. Rx and readers are available in these extra-large glasses.
Fishing gifts that your favorite angler will love!
Alaska Sausage & Seafood Company The Diamond Gift Package
Finding the right fishing gift for the angler that has everything can be a challenge. This gourmet, glittering gift package was created in honor of Alaska Sausage and Seafood’s Diamond Anniversary: 60 years in business in Alaska. It contains an unparalleled array of their best and most popular items, with many traditional favorites.
The package includes:
- Smoked Sockeye Salmon
- Smoked King Salmon
- Smoked Halibut
- Salmon Lachs
- Smoked Salmon Strips
- Alaskan Sausage with Reindeer
- Alaskan Salami with Reindeer
- Louisiana Hot Links
- German Bratwurst
- Hunter Sticks, Teriyaki Sticks
- Cheese
- Crackers
- Alaskan Chocolate
- Alaskan Moosetard
- and much more!
Finished with some diamond bling, this special package is truly a gem.
Spyderco Para 3 Lightweight
The Para 3 Lightweight expresses an ultra-compact design. In addition to injection-molded Fiberglass Reinforced Nylon (FRN) handle scales, their high-traction Bi-Directional Texturing pattern, it also features a streamlined version of Spyderco’s Compression Lock mechanism. Moreover, this knife barely tips the scales at a mere 2.4 ounces and features a 2.92” CTS BD1N blade available in two edge configurations. The knife has an overall length of 7.21” and a closed length of 4.29”. Spyderco offers a wide range of knives and speaking from personal experience, an outdoorsman can never have too many knives.
Big Ray’s Arolik Waders
Elevate your fishing adventures with Arolik, Big Ray’s exclusive line of fishing waders. Inspired by the majestic Arolik River in remote western Alaska. Arolik waders were designed by Alaskans and proven for the diverse waters of The Last Frontier. Crafted with quality reinforced materials, secure seals, and ergonomic fit, these waders offer unbeatable durability and performance.
Waders are available in three styles. The Karluk and the Naknek are designed for men and the Togiak is designed for women. Make this holiday season altogether unforgettable by gifting the ultimate gear to the outdoor enthusiast and angler in your life.