Gifts for Offshore Angling Adventurers

[With Black Friday finally here, it’s a really good time to pick out gifts for anglers of all stripes. We’re putting together a set of recommendations and this is one installment in that series.]

We’ve loved our three trips to Casa Vieja Lodge (with another on the books for February) and our three trips to Sport Fish Panama Island Lodge. They’ve opened our eyes to new ways of fishing and new challenges. Even if you’re a “bass only” angler or a trout snob, I can just about guarantee that if you visit either of those two places you will reassess those beliefs.

Nevertheless, one complication is that you don’t need anything new to go on these trips. Both outfitters provide best-in-class gear as part of the package. I recognize that’s generally a good thing, but after years of stocking and restocking my tackle at El Salto on each journey to Anglers Inn, pre-trip retail therapy has become an almost Pavlovian obsession. Accordingly, I try to get a few new things each time we go, if nothing else for “testing” purposes. If you know someone headed down to either of those places, here are some gift ideas that are sure to please:

Yeti M30 Hopper

MSRP: $350.00

We acquired this totable and near-bulletproof cooler prior to our first trip to Panama last year and now it has successfully protected our valuable tuna on three trips from Sport Fish Panama Island Lodge to home. That in itself is worth the price of admission, but it does so much more than that – we use it on long road trips to keep drinks and lunch cool, it’s a fantastic boat bag when we go to Guatemala, and just a good all-around beach tote for days in the sane. Ours is Navy Blue, but since last year they’ve added a bunch of other attractive colors.

AFTCO Tactical Shorts

MSRP $68.99

I got my first pair of these nearly five years ago, and I’ve added two more pairs since then, but those originals are my go-to pants for fishing in warm weather and lounging around the house. During my work-from-home COVID period, I wore them more often than not. They’re water resistant, comfortable and have the functionality of cargo shorts but with a more streamlined profile. I’ll be sad when that first pair wears out, but they don’t show many signs of that happening.

Leupold Becnara Sunglasses

MSRP: $159.99

Despite the fact that I have lots of sunglasses – and several that I’d be happy to wear every day – I reach for these more often than not. They are super-comfortable and I feel like they have exceptional clarity. Moreover, I know that they’re durable and shatterproof, and since I sometime treat things roughly that’s a bonus – and it’ll also pay off if a ½ ounce tungsten weigh comes flying back at me at 100mph. As my eyesight worsens in my 50s, I’ve realized how important it is to preserve my sight and these are a big help.

Salt Life Marlin Fade Boardshorts

MSRP: $56.00

Maybe it’s superstition, but I like having a reminder of my quarry on my body, whether it’s a tuna shirt, a smallmouth hat or, in this case, marlin-patterned boardshorts. I’m picky about the boardshorts I’ll wear to fish or swim in, and these provide adequate support for the twig and berries without chafing at all. The strings stay tied and they have a handy pliers pocket as well. At the end of the day or the end of a swim, just hang ‘em and they’ll be dry remarkably quickly, too.

Weedline “Fishes Get Stitches” T-Shirt

MSRP: $26.98

Hanna wears her Weedline “Hola Fishes” tank top religiously and I like the company’s style overall. As my offshore obsession has grown, the ratio of fresh-to-salt themes in my clothing has shifted. This one gets the nod because some of my fondest memories in both Guatemala and Panama have come from gaffing and then eating Mahi that we caught hours or even minutes earlier.

Scopolamine Transdermal Patches

We’ve worn these patches to prevent seasickness every day we’ve gone offshore and neither of us have gotten sick yet. Perhaps we wouldn’t have needed them on calmer days, but why take the risk when the only side effect is a bit of cottonmouth at night? A bedside glass of water takes care of that. Lots of Rambos out there don’t want to use them, but I’ll gladly pay a few bucks to look like a dork in order to avoid ruining the trip of a lifetime.