All I do is bank fish and I hate getting tore up by mosquitos. Nothing seems to work. Ive tried sprays, bracelets, someone even suggested dryer sheets in pockets. No luck. what do you'll use ?
My experience says DEET based repellants tend to be
the best.
Higher the DEET, better the repellant.....
Thanks Darren, I see your in Hampton Roads as well. Guess you know how brutal the mosquitos here can be. I should have known that. I used high deet sprays in Hatteras that have worked well.
Don't let it get on ANY of your fishing equipment. If it doesn't eat through whatever it touches, it will spook the fish with that scent.
Bring on the DEET!
In your case, long-sleeved clothes and DEET.
Yep, long sleeves, pants, deet based repellent, and possibly a buff if still having problems.
Nothing deters our mosquitoes. Spray that DEET on you and they just lick it off of you before the bite like biting a lime for a tequila shot.
I wear long sleeves and pants, it sort of helps but I'm still usually doing the hokey pokey for 30 minutes before and after sunset, they usually stop for the most part other than those times.
Bring a mosquito plant with you.
http://www.naturallivingideas.com/11-plants-that-repel-mosquitoes/
I take a two fold approach. First, my clothing (jacket, pants, socks & shoes and especially your hats) is treated with Permethrin spray (Cabelas). This is an actual insecticide, which has proven effective in preventing tick bites especially. It does repel skeeters to some extent as well. When insects come in contact with the treated materials, they die.
The next step is to lightly coat any exposed skin with a 100% Deet lotion, such as Bens. Notice I didn't say spray, which normally contains less than 30% Deet. Just make sure you wash your hands well before handling your fishing tackle. Then I just lightly coat the backs of my hands & wrists with the same lotion, paying particular attention to NOT touching the palms of my hands.
Been shore fishing for many, many years and have found that this approach works.
A crappy cigar will do more than any bug spray could hope to. If we are in a heavy week, I will usually grab some cheap wood tipped cigars to just let burn.
On 5/2/2016 at 6:06 PM, GetJigginWithIt said:Bring a mosquito plant with you.
http://www.naturallivingideas.com/11-plants-that-repel-mosquitoes/
I could just see myself now- swarmed and swinging a potted plant at a cloud of mosquitoes with no effect aside from exhaustion.
Personally I don't use deet due to its reputation for destroying things. I've started using a product with "Picaridin" in it and it has been awesome. It has just been released in the last few years to the US and it doesn't smell bad, doesn't destroy products and doesn't irritate the skin either. (at least for me) You can do some research but I have found it to be amazing. Good luck.
On 5/2/2016 at 9:43 AM, chmeyers said:Thanks Darren, I see your in Hampton Roads as well. Guess you know how brutal the mosquitos here can be. I should have known that. I used high deet sprays in Hatteras that have worked well.
Yes, can be absolutely brutal here.
My back yard is probably the ground zero
of mosquito breeding on the Peninsula, LOL...
100% deet is what I used to use, but it would numb my skin and make me feel like I was poisoning myself.
So I've gradually gone down in strength and found that 14% is a nice combination of mosquito repellant and human survival
Whatever the Minnesota guys say to do...do that!
Deep woods Off or similar product always work for me . I venture into some heavily infested areas . My camper is on Mississippi rive backwater . Right before dark you can here the skeeters about ten yards overhead . Get the Off ready because they will start attacking in minutes .
On 5/2/2016 at 10:24 AM, everythingthatswims said:Don't let it get on ANY of your fishing equipment. If it doesn't eat through whatever it touches, it will spook the fish with that scent.
it really will eat through about anything!
Long sleeves and pants are the best bet, along with a head net on those nights when you really need something extra.
My favorite spray is the lemon eucalyptus type. It smells better, and I've had great results with it. I started using it after a conversation with a local game warden about the nasty bugs. He'd let me try some of his and I never looked back. Haven't bought a can of Deep Woods Off since.
If you're bank fishing, I would suggest getting yourself a Thermacell. Those things work best when you're stationary. If you're moving a lot , it won't be as big of a help. But it's probably the best $20 I've ever spent when it comes to keeping mosquitos at bay.
Skin so soft by avon ...longs sleeves and pants id rather sweat and smell good then sweat and smell bad..
This is not the best place to get the info you want. Lots of bad info on DEET. Some good info on DEET. Anyone who uses 100% DEET is playing with fire, both from a health standpoint and the destruction of anything other than metal that comes into contact with it. Winn warned us at a meeting recently that Winn Grips will not stand up to DEET, and they were not even talking about 100%.
It is my opinion that you will be able to find some fairly effective repellents without resorting to DEET. And there are some that contain low percentages of DEET that might makes sense if you are careful with its application and your equipment. And you wash it off after its use. But 100% DEET is outrageous.
http://healthresearchfunding.org/dangers-deet/
I have tried a lot, and the best one I have found is VBS. It's Vanilla Bug Spray. It smells exactly like vanilla, and is safe. It's isn't completely 100% effective, but it's better than anythin else iv tried. I fish the Mississippi River often, and it can get pretty harsh in some of the swampy backwaters. And it's worked for me. And it smells good
I fished the everglades and central american rivers for years and deet was the only product I ever found effective - after applying I would wash it off of my hands and then wear sungloves - serious shower at the end of the day-
I know the downside of deet but managed it without damaging gear (a little goes a long way) and (in central america) I didn't get malaria.
Long sleeves of course and now buffs
http://www.thermacell.com/mosquito-repellent
DEET makes everything greasy and melts anything plastic. I don't really bother anymore.
Avoiding bugs while fishing is like avoiding STDs from sex...only two effective solutions- abstinence, or barrier protection.
Deet is the key. !00% deet is what your looking for. Long sleeve clothing and pants will help. I just wait till the sun comes up and they are gone.
I use a Thermacell when fishing at night. Nothing is ever 100% effective but these units work as well or better then bug spray without putting any chemicals on you. Deet is some nasty stuff.
On 5/4/2016 at 3:32 AM, onetime said:http://www.thermacell.com/mosquito-repellent
+1 for Thermacell products.
Keep a lantern on the back porch for summer evenings. Step outside of the radius and you get bit instantly/continuously... stay inside the radius, don't even see a mosquito. I haven't tried the clip-on thing yet, but if it's half as good as the lantern, it's better than spray.
On 5/2/2016 at 1:05 PM, Bluebasser86 said:I wear long sleeves and pants, it sort of helps but I'm still usually doing the hokey pokey for 30 minutes before and after sunset, they usually stop for the most part other than those times.
get into this mindset and mosquitoes become a minor nuisance. the onslaught is just as predictable as their departure.
On 5/2/2016 at 11:59 PM, FluffChucker said:Long sleeves and pants are the best bet, along with a head net on those nights when you really need something extra.
My favorite spray is the lemon eucalyptus type. It smells better, and I've had great results with it. I started using it after a conversation with a local game warden about the nasty bugs. He'd let me try some of his and I never looked back. Haven't bought a can of Deep Woods Off since.
If you're bank fishing, I would suggest getting yourself a Thermacell. Those things work best when you're stationary. If you're moving a lot , it won't be as big of a help. But it's probably the best $20 I've ever spent when it comes to keeping mosquitos at bay.
I use the Repel Lemon Eucalyptus spray and it works great. I can't stand Deet as it makes my skin feel really funny (tough to describe the feeling) but the Lemon Eucalyptus spray works wonders.
I have worked as a fishing guide in Western Alaska for 25 years. Clouds of mosquito's are out 24 - 7. Every year clients come to Alaska with the newest bug protection on the market. I have only seen two things work. Clothes and a head net, or DEET. I hate wearing head nets, so I use DEET. The lighter concentration sprays will work for a short time. 100% for longer periods. For white sock nats, and no see ums only large doses of 100% DEET, used often is effective. Like I tell the new guides every year. DEET is toxic, but it's better than bleeding to death.
I have worked as a fishing guide in Western Alaska for 25 years. Clouds of mosquito's are out 24 - 7. Every year clients come to Alaska with the newest bug protection on the market. I have only seen two things work. Clothes and a head net, or DEET. I hate wearing head nets, so I use DEET. The lighter concentration sprays will work for a short time. 100% for longer periods. For white sock nats, and no see ums only large doses of 100% DEET, used often is effective. Like I tell the new guides every year. DEET is toxic, but it's better than bleeding to death.