The Gift of Fishing - Holiday Gifts for Bass Fisherman

There are so many options to choose from if you are planning on buying a fisherman gifts that they can really use while out on the water instead of just some knick knack fishing related trinket. If you are looking at getting a bass fisherman set up with a whole new rig or just need an idea for a basic gift check out any of the following items. They are all proven fish catchers and by being recommended here should work across the country for most ponds, lakes, and rivers that hold bass. The following are some of the best bass fishing gifts that you could give during the 2011 holiday season to the anglers that you are shopping for.

If you are setting up an angler with all of the basics that would include:

• Rod
• Reel - either a spinning reel or a bait casting reel match with the rod
• Spool of line
• A few different baits whether soft plastic or hard plastic lures.

Any angler in your circle of friends or family will always enjoy even just one of the basics as every angler can always use another of any of the above. Gift certificates to shop at Bass Pro Shop are also a great option.

There are two different styles of fishing rods and reels that are used by bass fisherman. The spinning reel is the style of reel that has a bait that you manually click over and hold the line with a finger for the cast. The bait casting reel is used by just depressing the button underneath the thumb and holding the line. A baitcasting reel is generally the choice of most bass fisherman except for specific techniques and for younger anglers as the spinning reel can be easier to master at a young age versus the baitcasting reel which requires more focus and practice.

The spinning rods and reels will tend to be alittle lighter and more suited for lighter lines versus the bait casting rods which are generally focused on the higher impact fishing techniques like flipping and pitching or ripping a jerkbait or fishing a spinnerbait through heavy cover.

The Lamiglass Certified Pro Baitcasting rods are superior fishing rods. There are many different rod lengths available but for bass fishing anything between 6' and 8' is standard. A 7 foot medium or medium heavy action rod can be used for many different techniques.

If you are looking for a special spinning rod then you can't go wrong with a G Loomis, they are phenomenal rods and have a classy look.

The Shimano Curado is the best low profile baitcasting reel on the market at a reasonable price. Shimano has been making the curado line of products for many years and they are exceptional reels. Most bass fisherman are familiar with the Shimano curado and no one would be unhappy unwrapping a present to reveal a Curado was under the tree.

Quantum fishing offers a great selection of Spinning reels that are perfect for bass fishing including the Quantum Energy PT that features 10 bearings for smooth casting. Whether it is for a light line drop shot or other finesse lure presentation or the reel is a little heavier and will be used for traditional bass fishing techniques, quantum energy is a reel that will perform on the water.

There are so many different kinds of fishing line that it is hard to decide exactly what to buy. There is monofilament which is the most traditional line, flourocarbon which has special characteristics that make it perform well, and braided line which is extremly strong. The following are suggestions of brand, lbs test and why it will be used by the average bass fisherman.

1. Berkeley Big Game in 15lbs test. This line is great for lots of fishing from texas rigs to spinnerbaits and it is in a lbs test that is used by most fisherman for several different techniques.

2. Berkeley Vanish Fluorocarbon in 8lbs test. Fluorocarbon excels in clear water situations where light line techniques tend to work better then heavy line and big baits. The Berkeley vanish has special characteristics that allows the line to appear to disappear in the water allowing the fish to be more likely to bite the lure.

3. Powerpro Microfilament Braided Line in 50lbs test in the moss green color. This line is very heavy and tough but it also floats. It can used for topwater lures like spooks and buzzbaits and is the only line that is acceptable to use when fishing with a frog or when flipping and punching the really heavy vegetation around the lake.

There are so many different kinds of fishing lures that you can select when at the fishing store or when browsing an online store. It is hard to decide what is best or will work for the anglers you are giving a gift for. While it is fun to pick out a few crankbaits that look like minnows or a topwater frog or something else that looks cool like a big trout imitation swimbait. Another option is to purchase Gary Yamamoto soft plastic baits. Almost every bass fisherman has probably fished with a Senko at sometime. The other great GY baits that you can think of purchasing are the double tail grubs, single tail grubs, the swimbaits and really anything that you think looks cool. The Yamamoto custom baits are all phenomenal but make sure to get at least one bag of senkos, they always catch at least one.