Warm Weather Dreaming with the AFTCO Female Pros
I hate having to put on multiple layers just to take out the garbage. Every morning at this time of year, just warming up the car feels like torture. Winter is here and all I can think about is sunny, hot temperatures and wearing lighter, less constricting clothing.
Looking good and making a fashion statement are important while on the water but the most important thing is to shield us against the sun’s rays. Choosing the right clothing is not just a matter of style but reduces risk of sunburn, premature aging and the potential harm of UV radiation.
The ladies of AFTCO are passionate about their fishing. They need to be comfortable and functional in the heat and the sun, and they’re picky about what they’ll wear. Everyone has different bodies and different tastes, but here are their top choices when they plunge into a warm weather fishing adventure.
KAITLIN WOODWARD
HPFC: What is the one AFTCO item you cannot live without in warm weather?
Kaitlin Woodward: Samurai LS Sun Protection shirt (crew).
HPFC: What is your go-to color in that item?
Kaitlin Woodward: Space blue heather
HPFC: What makes it right for where you fish or your fishing style?
Kaitlin Woodward: I like the material, I like the way it feels on my skin, I like the heathered blue color, and I like how the men’s small fits me. I wear this almost every day in the summer months.
HPFC: Where do you fish most often in warm weather, and for what species?
Kaitlin Woodward: Northern Wisconsin (summer) walleye, smallmouth bass.
HPFC: What is your bucket list warm weather fishing trip?
Kaitlin Woodward: So hard to pick. I really do enjoy the bull-red fishing down in Louisiana.
MOE NEWMAN
HPFC: What is the one AFTCO item you cannot live without in warm weather?
Moe Newman: Women’s Yurei Air-O Mesh hooded shirt.
HPFC: What is your go-to color in that item?
Moe Newman: Coral Heather
HPFC: What makes it right for where you fish or your fishing style?
Moe Newman: It has the best thumb holes for good hand coverage, and the hood has good fit so doesn’t fly off easy with wind. It’s cool on the hot summer days and quick to dry once wet when dealing with bait or fish.
HPFC: Where do you fish most often in warm weather, and for what species?
Moe Newman: Venice, Louisiana. Many different offshore and inshore species.
LAKELYNN PARKER
HPFC: What is the one AFTCO item you cannot live without in warm weather?
Lakelynn Parker: Board shorts. Before I was a huge fan of the microbite, but I’m loving the board shorts even more! But also, any hooded fishing shirt especially the Air-O Mesh!
HPFC: What is your go-to color in that item?
Lakelynn Parker: I love colorful options. I tend to wear a lot of the blues for board shorts and shorts. The long sleeve purple Air-O Mesh hooded shirt has also been my go-to this year.
HPFC: What makes it right for where you fish or your fishing style?
Lakelynn Parker: The shorts dry out incredibly, along with breathable material so my legs/booty don’t break out in hives from so much sweat/water throughout the day. I’m in the live wells all day, washing down the boat, etc. I also feel being a woman fishing around men usually on our boat, that these shorts are appropriate! I feel I can bend over and you won’t see anything you shouldn’t. They’re a great length. They do run a little big on me, but it works out fine. The shirt for me is the same -- it dries our way faster than the normal fishing shirts and I love having a hood to keep the sun off my face as much as possible.
HPFC: Where do you fish most often in warm weather, and for what species?
Lakelynn Parker: The Gulf, out of Venice, LA. For yellowfin tuna and swordfish.
HPFC: What is on your bucket list warm weather fishing trip?
Lakelynn Parker: I would LOVE to go back to Panama to Juan’s lodge, the Tucan Lodge.
KATIE COECKELENBERGH-SAWYER
HPFC: What is the one AFTCO item you cannot live without in warm weather?
Katie Coeckelenbergh-Sawyer: I've been LOVING the women's Reel Skort.
HPFC: What is your go-to color in that item?
Katie Coeckelenbergh-Sawyer: Black -- goes with everything. although I’d love more color options!
HPFC: What makes it right for where you fish or your fishing style?
Katie Coeckelenbergh-Sawyer: I like that it is feminine, cute, and yacht-like, but also very fishing functional. The release knife pocket is always great and when not on the boat it’s great for my phone, too. Blood rinses out very easily and the skort dries super quickly. All around a really great product.
HPFC: Where to you fish most often in warm weather, and for what species?
Katie Coeckelenbergh-Sawyer: I travel a lot for fishing, and I am a billfisherman. I am in Baja now for the striped marlin bite, then heading to Costa Rica for sailfish. I will be back in the Gulf of Mexico in the summer working both on boats and on the dock for tournaments. The skort is also GREAT for my work I do on television.
HPFC: What is your bucket list warm weather fishing trip?
Katie Coeckelenbergh-Sawyer: Cape Verde, 100%.
You don’t have to fish to wear the outdoor clothing from AFTCO but I’ve consistently found it to be among the highest-quality, most suited to hard core fishing, yet still fashionable. The colors and the fabrics are eye-catching and comfy -- What more can you ask for?
The best part about the company is that anything we purchased from AFTCO, 10% goes directly to support conservation initiatives and AFTCO is made in the USA.
