All Good in Da Hood
You know that warm feeling you get when you get in your car and the sun has been beating down on the dash? To me, that is absolute heaven. I love it. I hate being cold.
I like swimming, but I despise the feeling I experience when I first get out of the pool or ocean. Wet + cold = yuck. I hate it.
A lot of people ask how I can hate being cold. After all, I was raised in Chicago, where it seems like it’s cold all the time. But I always remind them – I moved away. I’d much rather vacation on a Caribbean island than at a ski resort, and as much as I love to fish, I don’t look forward to fishing in the cold and rain.
Getting out of bed at 4 am, walking out to 40 degree temps with light rain is DEFINITELY NOT my thing, no matter how well they are going to bite.. Those are the conditions I faced this past weekend but I actually had no complaints because of a lesson I learned from my longtime friend Bradley Simmons: “There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad gear.” You get what you pay for and I attribute my comfort to three items of clothing – my new two-piece rainsuit and my ultra-warm hoodie.
For the longest time I have been wearing my red 100 MPH Bass Pro Shops rainsuit. Lots of people have the same red rainsuit but you knew it was me because I was the one that looked like the Oompa Loompa. The smallest one I could find was a Men’s size medium and although a kids XL rainsuit would’ve been better, I couldn’t find one. All I wanted was to find a rainsuit that fit me and still made me look like a WOMAN.
In 2019 I was walking around the convention center at the Bassmaster Classic and I came across Gill Marine wear’s WOMEN’S rain suits. That was it, price unknown, I had to find one that would fit my female frame and curves and purchase it.
If you know me, you know I am short -- really short -- and it’s rare that I find pants that I don’t have to alter. The Gill Women’s Active Bib Trousers (FG300T) for $159 are perfect, and the Velcro at the bottom helps keep my socks dry. The Gill Women’s Active Jacket (FG300JW) for $229 is fitted (even zips with a sweatshirt over my ample chest). The medium is the perfect arm length and has adjustable Velcro cuffs so your undergarments don’t get wet.
Another company whose gear I love is AFTCO (American Fishing and Tackle Company). They have fishing garments for women that are actually comfortable, functionable and FASHIONABLE. The one that I can’t live without is the AFTCO Reaper Hooded Tech Sweatshirt (WF4152). At just $69, it provides far more than your typical hoodie -- including thumb holes, a built-in buff, and an awesome custom hi/low ponytail hood. Someone finally consulted with a woman and figured out what we really needed.
So not only did I look good but I felt good (thank you Billy Crystal) and I’m more willing to venture out in the cold. Get yourself some of this gear, fitted properly, and you won’t have to question which days to go out. You’ll be comfortable year-round, in even the worst conditions. As for bikini season, you’re on your own.
