Beating the Heat 2024
Koz reply :
The other day I purchased one of those moisture wicking, UPF50 sun protection, long sleeve Columbia shirts and I've got to say it does make a difference out there in the heat. It does a good job with the moisture wicking, and despite the humidity and the 95 degree temperature at 5pm I didn't feel overheated. I was pleasantly surprised.
I'm trying to get better about protecting myself in the sun, and although I still wore shorts I covered up with that shirt, gloves, hat, sunglasses, and a gaiter for my face and neck. I'll need to go and buy a few more of those shirts so I don't have to do laundry every day.
Oh yeah - I also found the joy of Senko fishing once again. Lately I've done well on chatterbaits, poppers, spinnerbaits, and buzzbaits but last night after fishing them for an hour with no luck I tied on a t-rigged Senko and the action was ridiculous. I landed 5 all between 2 and 3.5 pounds in half an hour before it was time to head home.
A little earlier in the evening I fished a smaller lagoon and to my surprise there were some gar meandering around in there. I couldn't get them to commit but they seemed to get pretty angry at my Teckel Sprinker Frog. I've never caught one before so I'll need to head back with some lighter tackle and see if I can land one. I have no idea what bait to use, but I'd guess grubs or small spinnerbaits might work.
Mike L reply :
Koz
Try minnow's, small in line spinners like a mepps or even a frayed nylon cord will work.
Tip...If you see a gar rolling there won't be bass because of an area of low oxygen
Mike
bagofdonuts reply :
I've lost several square bills to them.
NittyGrittyBoy reply :
Already been 100°-105° this week. So hard to fish while the sun's up.
Gar? Don't get me started. I'm ready to take up bowfishing to start getting tackle back.
CrankFate reply :
All you need to do to take more heat is dress warmer. If you get yourself used to it over time, you can easily wear a regular hoodie zipped up with a T-shirt underneath, with jeans on in the hottest 90 degree plus days. All day. It beats skin cancer and sun damage.
lo n slo reply :
i set out at first light and fish til 11 or 12
PAbasser927 reply :
The stifling hot days are the days I leave the boat and kayak behind in favor of wet wading for river smallies. The Columbia PFG gear is about the best way I have found to beat the heat out on the lake, but nothing comes close to being chest deep in the river.
Koz reply :
On 5/29/2019 at 9:48 AM, PAbasser927 said:The stifling hot days are the days I leave the boat and kayak behind in favor of wet wading for river smallies. The Columbia PFG gear is about the best way I have found to beat the heat out on the lake, but nothing comes close to being chest deep in the river.
We don't wade in the water down here. But in a few weeks I'll be moving 3 hours NW and I won't have to worry about that anymore.
PAbasser927 reply :
On 5/29/2019 at 10:25 AM, Koz said:We don't wade in the water down here. But in a few weeks I'll be moving 3 hours NW and I won't have to worry about that anymore.
Hahaha yeah that would keep me out too! I don’t even know if I would have the guts to be out in the kayak with those around!
GreenPig reply :
I'll be on the water this morning at 4 am. Gonna fish til 9 am. I go very early or all night this time of year. Going in the am to hopefully figure out their feeding windows.
Bluebasser86 reply :
Gar love minnow baits.
Search "gar rope lures" and you'll land way more of them than you will trying to actually hook them though.
I don't mind the heat, but if I have the whole day to my disposal, I'll get up early and fish until around 11, eat lunch and take a nap until about 3 then go back and fish until an hour or two after dark, or go completely nocturnal.
TOXIC reply :
On St Clair las week we had a LOT of Gar in one area we were fishing and catching smallmouth. Pods of 6 or 7 rolling on top. I wear sun clothing back here at home but usually once I become accustomed to the heat it's not a problem. Remember to hydrate all day, no carbonated drinks, no alcohol, no caffeinated drinks either. On really hot days, I start my hydration the day before. I've had heat stroke and believe me it's no fun!!
the reel ess reply :
Those gar will destroy your frog if you get them to bite. I don't want to discourage fishing in any way, but i try to avoid gar. They're the pickerel of my area since most waters here have no pickerel.
I wear one of those Columbia PFG shirts every time I go. IDK how old you are, but this is a good practice for the rest of your life.
I usually fish from a kayak and one way to avoid the heat here but still go fishing is to seek out rivers and creeks. There's usually some shade to be had in smaller ones. The running water holds oxygen and stays cooler. And the fish have to stay shallow-no choice in the matter. After you've done it a while you'll see the patterns of where fish will be holding. Of course, on bigger rivers with easy access, other people get the same idea, but most of them will be paddlers, not fishermen.
Log Catcher reply :
I have some BPS shirts with the sun protection in short sleeve. I also use sunscreen. I can't understand how a long sleeve shirt keeps you cooler. I am like @TOXIC in that I came very close to having a heat stroke years ago. Ever since then the heat can really get to me.
diversity210 reply :
Yeah good UV protecting longs sleeve shirts in hot weather is necessary. I fish most in the central valley of California where triple digit heat is every day in the summer. Ive taken to fishing mostly in the morning from first light to when the sun is high in the sky around 1 or 2 pm and just before sunset around 5-7pm. I had really bad sun burn a few years ago and it made me start protecting myself. Lot of black people dont think they need to protect themselves from the sun, but we do. Wearing a gaiter can be a bit annoying but it keeps the sun off the back of your neck. Also a nice boony hat is always on my head. Good polarized sun glasses will protect those eyes to. Splurge on the good ones too. All the glare from the sun just isnt good for yours eyes. Water water water. I will go through a gallon of water in half a day on hot days. Stay hydrated. Dont drink a bunch of Gatorade, soda, and energy drinks and think it has the same affect as drinking plenty of water.
Koz reply :
On 5/29/2019 at 10:26 PM, Log Catcher said:I can't understand how a long sleeve shirt keeps you cooler.
I was skeptical as well. I don't know about throwing on just any long sleeve shirt, but the Columbia PFG shirt that I have wicks away the moisture and it really does work. The only time I get any kind of sweat in the shirt is on my back when I'm wearing my backpack, and even then it's not completely drenched.
Right now you can get the Columbia PFG shirts at Cabela's, Dick's, and BPS for around $30. They are normally $40-$45.
PourMyOwn reply :
The Columbia PFG/Huk shirts are a must for me, believe me you don't know you have them on. They are that comfortable. Another benefit is that I feel less fatigued after a day of fishing with them than when I just wore a t shirt and slathered on the SPF 50.
I also agree with the early risers above. I get on the water by 6 and am off before 11:30. It helps that I'm a HS teacher, so I have all summer off!
Armtx77 reply :
On 5/29/2019 at 9:48 AM, PAbasser927 said:The stifling hot days are the days I leave the boat and kayak behind in favor of wet wading for river smallies. The Columbia PFG gear is about the best way I have found to beat the heat out on the lake, but nothing comes close to being chest deep in the river.
I agree and unlike most lakes, you get some shade while wading most rivers.
BassinCNY reply :
I bought a shirt on Amazon to try for $20 and it works as well or maybe better than my more expensive shirts. I really like the fit. I miss having a zipper at the neck but at least I can't forget to zip it and get a burned chest. The color is a little obnoxious but I figure it helps me to be seen by boats a little better when I'm in my canoe. Full disclosure, I'm in upstate NY so hot here is not the same as hot in warmer climates. Search for Key Apparel Men's Enhanced Visibility Long Sleeve Waffle Knit Pocket T-Shirt.
Hawkeye21 reply :
I stay completely covered when out in the sun fishing. I wear a sun shirt, light fishing pants, gloves and something to cover my neck and ears like a buff or hood.
A lot of people don't get it but it makes a world of difference for me. I love that I don't have to worry about getting sunburned. It does a decent job of keeping me cool. It keeps me clean. I feel a lot better after a long day of fishing wearing this gear compared to being out there in shorts and a t-shirt.
Choporoz reply :
On 5/30/2019 at 2:07 AM, BassinCNY said:I bought a shirt on Amazon to try for $20 and it works as well or maybe better than my more expensive shirts. I really like the fit. I miss having a zipper at the neck but at least I can't forget to zip it and get a burned chest. The color is a little obnoxious but I figure it helps me to be seen by boats a little better when I'm in my canoe. Full disclosure, I'm in upstate NY so hot here is not the same as hot in warmer climates. Search for Key Apparel Men's Enhanced Visibility Long Sleeve Waffle Knit Pocket T-Shirt.
Sounds good. I'm certain there's lots of good long sleeve choices....as long as it isn't a loose weave. Like those above, I favor PFG and HUK, but that's primarily because I wear hooded shirts when sunny and hot and there's not a lot of options beyond those two
LonnieP reply :
On 5/29/2019 at 10:26 PM, Log Catcher said:. I can't understand how a long sleeve shirt keeps you cooler.
Long sleeves don't work for me. I wore a long sleeve Huk shirt one 90+ degree day last summer and I hated it. Never again.
N Florida Mike reply :
On 5/30/2019 at 4:38 AM, LonnieP said:Long sleeves don't work for me. I wore a long sleeve Huk shirt one 90+ degree day last summer and I hated it. Never again.
I’ve tried too, and can’t find one that helps either. My son loves em, but I have big wrists and forearms so the fit is too tight and won’t allow good air flow. I may try a Columbia shirt tho and see how it does. My shirtless days are long gone but Long sleeves burn me up.
WRB reply :
Add a Sunday's Afternoon wide brim hat to your SPF gear.
Tom
Bankbeater reply :
I've got two old wide brim straw hats that I wear when the sun starts getting hot. They really let the air through and keep my head cool. My kids say they look terrible, but I don't think the fish mind.
Paul Roberts reply :
My summer "fishing shirts" are long-sleeved. I try to minimize sunblock, but do use it on the backs of my hands, neck, face, and ears. Beats skin cancer, which is easy to get here at altitude. I buy my shirts at thrift stores, looking for mid-tone colors/patterns, in the lightest thinnest cotton I can find. Not too hot. They tend to wear out after a season or so, but at $3 a pop, that's aok.
As to gar, their mouths are nearly all teeth and bone -not much tissue to sink a hook into. They will chase, and grab, a minnow imitation, like a Rapala, really well. But, they are nearly impossible to hook. This is why people use rope lures, as bluebasser mentioned. These tangle in the teeth -no hooks needed, or wanted.
Also, gar have a peculiar way of catching fish prey. They cannot inhale -use suction- and they cannot bite straight on. Instead, their jaw morphology allows them to slide those long narrow jaws up next to a fish, then grab it with a side-ways snap of the head. So... you need to swim your lure up ahead of them and, if they are in the mood, allow them slide their jaws up beside the lure. Then... whap! Not unlike a mousetrap! But, again, hooks don't help much. I've never tried a rope lure though, so I've never got one in the boat. Cool to see anyway. Nifty critter.
scaleface reply :
I cant beat the heat . I use to look forward to hot summer days . I wear short sleeves , shorts and a wide brim hat . I dont think all that wicking gear works in high humidity on a person that sweats profusely . I fish in the wind , or just wait for night . If its hot with no wind , I cant do it . I was a firefighter for 27 years and think I got overheated too many times .
RAMBLER reply :
I've tried the UV blocking shirts, but they didn't let my body heat out. They felt almost like wearing plastic. I've gotten really sick from heat, wearing them. I went to a thrift store and bought white long sleeve dress shirts (usually have blue stripes) that have a lot of cotton in them. That wicks the moisture off my skin and a breeze will blow through them and I can feel a chill (even in 90 degrees). Being white, they reflect sun. I've gotten a couple of them for .50 a piece, too. Beats $30-$40. Still wear gloves, buff, wide brim hat and sun block on the little bit that's uncovered.
I've had several pieces of my hide cut out that was cancer. I tend to be pretty careful.
Brad Reid reply :
I just don't fish the middle of the days any more over the summer months, not here in Texas. I have been getting out around 5:30 PM and fishing into the dusk hours, last light. Or, still on occasion in the AM but less so these days.
Sun protection:
I use sun block on my hands, my upper face area;
I have a hat with that "drape" thingy on the back that keeps sun off my neck;
I wear long pants and long sleeved shirts;
and, I grew a beard and that pretty much keeps my neck and face a bit protected.
Brad
Koz reply :
On 5/30/2019 at 5:26 AM, WRB said:Add a Sunday's Afternoon wide brim hat to your SPF gear.
Tom
When I see myself in a wide brimmed hat all I can think about is that I look like some sort of weird mushroom. Every wide brim hat I have tried is either too big or too small and none just right.
I was in Dick's today to pick up some Senkos and tried a few hats on but I looked ridiculous. So for now I'll just use my Huk fishing cap and a gaiter for protection. Someday I'll find the right wide brim hat...
txchaser reply :
On 5/31/2019 at 5:32 AM, Koz said:When I see myself in a wide brimmed hat all I can think about is that I look like some sort of weird mushroom. Every wide brim hat I have tried is either too big or too small and none just right.
I was in Dick's today to pick up some Senkos and tried a few hats on but I looked ridiculous. So for now I'll just use my Huk fishing cap and a gaiter for protection. Someday I'll find the right wide brim hat...
https://www.sheltahats.com/
They are almost silly expensive, but I can't see going back to a canvas boonie hat in Texas. Really well thought out hat.
Harold Scoggins reply :
I carry a couple of reusable, refrigerant gel cold packs inside a small, soft side cooler. Hold one against your neck and it cools you down pronto.
FishinBuck07 reply :
On 5/29/2019 at 9:48 AM, PAbasser927 said:The stifling hot days are the days I leave the boat and kayak behind in favor of wet wading for river smallies. The Columbia PFG gear is about the best way I have found to beat the heat out on the lake, but nothing comes close to being chest deep in the river.
I am with you on this one! Nothing better when it is hot and humid than wading a cool creek smallie fishing!
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