Added on Thursday, November 12, 2015  Gary Hurley

Holiday Gift Guide 2015

Truth Reels SM

Designed for long-distance casters who need a powerful reel capable of putting the brakes on large fish, Truth Reels’ new SW is ideal for the surf or pier angler looking to do battle with large red drum, cobia, sharks, striped bass, or other serious gamefish.

A free-floating spool, Abec-7 ceramic spool bearings, a mechanical spool tensioner, and a magnetic cast control combine to put the SM in the top tier of long-casting reels, and it’s already proven the value of those features in multiple casting competitions.

Unlike some of the other distance-casting reels on the market, however, the Truth packs some serious fish-fighting capability alongside its long-range capabilities. Examining the reel, one instantly notices the massive gearbox on the handle side of the spool. That box houses a huge main gear unlikely to strip or fail even while fighting big fish at high drag settings.

Speaking of drag, the SM’s four carbon drag washers crank out a smooth 24 lbs. of it, more than enough to get the most out of the 400 yards of 50 lb. braid one can pack on the spool.

Truth Reels are 100% manufactured in Virginia and feature a lifetime warranty. Check them out at a local dealer or visit www.truthreels.com for more information.

 

Precision Auto Reels

Taking the hard work out of repeatedly cranking in bottom rigs loaded with fish from the ocean’s depths or kites dangling baits above its surface, Precision Auto Reels combine a powerful motor with user-friendly ergonomics to help anglers get the most out of their fishing time.

The company offers both High Speed (HS) and High Torque (HT) models to allow anglers to choose whether speed or power is more important for their particular angling application. By simply swapping out the mounting hardware, the same reel drive unit will fit a total of seven different reel sizes, adding versatility to their power.

The highest-quality components—including alloy gears, stainless-steel shafts, brackets and fasteners, and a silver-contact button switch—are used in the reels and housed in a waterproof plastic coating to offer purchasers years of service in the harsh marine environment, something that the legions of Precision Autos in use for years on commercial boats heartily attest to.

Anglers can check out the reels at local dealers and purchase or learn more about Precision Auto Reels by visiting www.precisionautoreels.com.

Penn Clash Spinning Reels

Building on their heritage of manufacturing fine saltwater tackle, Penn Reels’ new Clash series of spinning reels incorporate a host of modern features to make them some of the most capable reels the company has ever made.

Penn is legendary for the toughness of their products, and the Clash carries on the tradition with a Dura-Gear system that enhances the longevity of the reels’ gearing and a full metal body that eliminates twist, keeping those gears in perfect alignment under even high drag settings. A thick aluminum bail wire means anglers needn’t worry about that common failure point either.

The Clash spools feature a rubberized ring on their spindles that means anglers can tie braid straight in without worrying about tape or backing. Line capacity rings on the spool bases let anglers know how much line they have left during battle, and a slow-oscillation system keeps line on the spool packed perfectly.

Penn Clash reels are available in 2000-8000 sizes, meaning there’s one perfect for everything from finesse trout fishing to casting big lures and baits for cobia, red drum, and other big predators.

Learn more at www.pennfishing.com or visit one of many local Penn dealers to check the Clash series out for yourself.

Costa Del Mar Playa

Featuring a classic design that bridges the gap between fishing and casual eyewear, Costa Del Mar’s Playa sunglasses add the company’s legendary lenses to a frame that keeps buyers in style on the boat, the beach, or the town.

The Playa shades feature a comfortable medium fit, ideal for slightly smaller faces than some of the company’s larger offerings.

A heavy-duty TR-90 nylon frame and optical spring hinge make the glasses durable as well as attractive.

Both 580P (plastic) and 580G (glass) lenses are offered in the Playa frames, each offering blue and yellow light blockage to enhance color while offering wearers incredible clarity as well.

The glass lenses offer the greatest clarity and scratch resistance, while the plastics are lighter in weight and more impact resistant.

Anglers with less than perfect vision will also be glad to learn the Playa style is prescription-ready as well.

Check out Costa’s Playas at a local dealer or visit www.costadelmar.com for more information.

Dorsal Tough Tote CAMO Cooler

Offering anglers one of the toughest soft coolers available for a fraction of the price of some of the competition, Dorsal’s Tough Tote Coolers are overbuilt and offer a lifetime guarantee against leakage.

The coolers are now also offered in the company’s exclusive blue digital camo pattern, making the coolers look as good as they perform.

Available in three sizes, each Dorsal cooler has a molded bottom for durability, even on the roughest non-skid boat decks.

Side pockets on the coolers help anglers keep track of smaller items, and a “daisy-chain” system of loops on the outside allows anglers to attach a wide variety of other items to the outsides of the bags.

The inner liners of the Dorsal coolers are replaceable, and the company will send out a free one to buyers if the cooler leaks for any reason.

Dorsal coolers are available at a number of coastal NC tackle and outdoor shops, and anglers can learn more about the products at www.dorsalbrand.com.

Yeti Colster

Part of the cooler company’s Rambler line of beverage containers, Yeti’s new Colster represents the next evolution of the old foam and neoprene can coolers so ubiquitous wherever anglers gather to share a cold beverage.

Never has such technology been brought to bear on a personal beverage insulator, and a double-walled, vacuum-insulated design is responsible for its superior performance. The top of the Colsters feature a ThermoLock Gasket that eliminates airflow around a beverage within, locking in the cold.

Heavy-duty 18/8 stainless-steel construction and the double wall design also renders the Colsters sweat-proof, making coasters and clammy hands a thing of the past.

Check out the Colsters and the other products in Yeti’s Rambler line at www.yeticoolers.com or go pick one up for yourself at a local Yeti dealer.

Shimano Baltica Tackle Bags

Keeping tackle and the host of accessories that travel with most fishermen organized can be a tiresome chore, but Shimano’s Baltica Tackle Bags offer anglers a simple and attractive way to keep their lures, tackle, and tools organized and at the ready.

Available in Medium and Large sizes, the Baltica bags come complete with four 3650 or 3750 Stowaway tackle boxes, so anglers don’t have to buy boxes on top of a bag.

Tough 600-denier ripstop polyster construction means the bags are super tough and right at home in the boat or on a beach or pier. Large plastic zippers won’t corrode, a frequent problem with other soft tackle storage systems.

In addition to the main storage compartment, the Balticas offer generous side and front external pockets perfect for pliers, sunscreen, extra spools of line, or the myriad other accessories that anglers may find themselves wanting to bring along.

A padded shoulder strap makes the bags incredibly easy to transport even when loaded down, so anglers can pack their gear wherever the action may call.

Check out the Baltica system at a local Shimano dealer or visit www.fish.shimano.com to learn more.

Fisherman’s Post Fishing School Tickets

There’s no better gift for an angler than something that will make them a better angler, and Fisherman’s Post Saltwater Fishing School tickets fill the bill handily.

Each featuring over a dozen of the area’s finest captains and professional anglers, the Fisherman’s Post Saltwater Schools give anglers a chance to interact hands-on with the experts in their area on subjects ranging from flounder and trout fishing to Gulf Stream trolling and Grouper digging.

Returning to the school lineup this year is a less-expensive additional half-day school in Wilmington on the Sunday following Saturday’s full-day offering, ideal for younger anglers with shorter attention spans along with those who can’t make the Saturday session. The half-day event will be February 7 following Saturday’s full-day event on February 6.

Like the previous years, anglers can also choose to attend our Morehead City Saltwater School at Crystal Coast Convention Center (February 20) or the Greenville Saltwater School at Overton’s Sporting Goods (March 12) with captains tailored to their respective local fisheries.

Fisherman’s Post Saltwater Schools have been ranked among the top in the nation by Sport Fishing Magazine and score highly enough on participant evaluations to see many repeat students.

Anglers can buy advance tickets for the schools at West Marine and Tex’s Tackle in Wilmington, Chasin’ Tails Outdoors and West Marine in Morehead City, or at Overton’s Sporting Goods in Greenville and Raleigh.

For more information or to buy tickets online, visit www.fishermanspost.com.

 

  

Fisherman’s Post Hats and Visors

After much demand from the community, Fisherman’s Post is proud to bring a series of hats and visors back into the stable of merchandise available at www.fishermanspost.com.

Three types of hats are offered to allow anglers to choose the style and fit they like the best. All are adjustable and feature the Fisherman’s Post logo embroidered on the front panel.

The Richardson Trucker Snapback model offers anglers a popular style of mesh back hat featuring cotton twill front panels and visors with contrasting mesh backs and a ProCrown with buckram-fused front panels and durable ProStitching.

The Port Authority Double Mesh Snapback Sandwich Bill Cap is also a mesh back style that features contrasting mid and back layers to give the back panel an iridescent effect.

The Sportsman Brushed Cotton Twill Cap has an adjustable Velcro closure, compared to the snap adjustment strap on the other two. It also features a lower-profile look than its companions in both solid and combo colors.

A trio of Richardson visors complement the hats in the Fisherman’s Post headwear collection. The Contrast and Camo Twill visors offer garment-washed 100% cotton with an adjustable hook and loop backstrap and contrasting color or camouflage patterns. The Solid Color visor features an evolved polyester-spandex fabric that wicks moisture along with a StayDri performance sweatband, making it perfect for hot-weather fishing or fun.

All the Fisherman’s Post hats and visors are offered in a host of colors, and—no matter the hue—they greatly increase the wearer’s odds of getting a fish picture into the pages of the newspaper.

Visit www.fishermanspost.com and click on the “Store” link in the upper right-hand corner to peruse the selection and make one yours today.