What Do YOU Want for Christmas?

[happyhappa]

Hi there!
Thank you so much for reading my post- I hope that you can help me!

My super sweet boyfriend is an avid bass fisherman and I am a complete newbie to fishing (I've been 5 times... and I still don't know when there is a fish on my fishing line or not).
Anyway, I would like to get him something nice for Christmas, but because I know nothing about fishing, I thought I would turn to the experts!!!


What would YOU like for Christmas?

For those who would like more information, I'll let you know everything that I know.

He has Abu Garcia reels- I think he likes the Revo ones.
I think his poles are Shimano (Is that a brand?)
He really likes the Yamamoto senkos- but I know he has swim baits and crank baits and.... spoons?
He likes frogs and spinners (are those top water?)
He has a fish finder- but I don't know what kind because it is on his big boat at his dad's house.
He likes large mouth bass the best and does most of his fishing in the CA Delta.
I have a $150 limit this year (I went a little overboard last year).

Anyway, I know you are all really busy and I sound completely hopeless with my lack of fishing knowledge (I hope that I haven't offended you... I think fishing is a fantastic sport!), and I SO SO appreciate your helping me to brainstorm gift ideas.

Thank you so much in advance!!!
I so appreciate your responses!

[BigBassin144]

As much as many people don't like to give them as gifts, I really believe gift cards are the best gift for a fisherman. It is extremely hard to shop for a fisherman because so much of fishing is personal preference.

If you want to get him something (that's not a gift card), I'd personally stay away from rods and reels. With so many variations in each, it would be near impossible to pick out one he really wants or needs without knowing the details.

I'd probably go with an assortment of some of his favorite baits. If he fishes swimbaits, you could get a couple of the more popular ones like the Huddleston, Spro BBZ-1 8" or 6", the various Mattlures, etc. Take these names into the local high end tackle shop and they'll help you pick out good sizes and colors for him to use.

Yamamoto Senkos are always a good idea. They are a great bait and if he uses them a lot, he probably goes through a lot of them and can always use more. If you get a chance to look through his tackle bag without him knowing, write down some colors he uses and get those. Without knowing what he uses, the color selection of the Senkos is going to confuse the crap out of anyone who doesn't fish (and many that do ).

Find out what terminal tackle (that's hooks, weights, etc.) he uses and get him some of those. Hooks get dull or lost and you can never have too many.

I'm sure some of other guys on here will have some more ideas as well. Good luck!

BB

[joedog]

Big Bassin144 is right, we seem to be a particular bunch!
Couple questions, is he a member here or any other forums, if so, you can check his posts to see what he likes or prefers.
Fishing magazines are a nice add on that he will use all year and there are probably Cal. specific publications. There are some great swimbait books that explain swimbaits, which is kind of a California phenomenon.
Does he fish alone or have a fishing partner that goes along when you don't.
Fishing sunglasses are great for anytime plus we love our sunglasses.
If you find something that interests you come back because these folks know the best and most affordable mail order places around. You came to the right place, these folks will help!
Somethings probably will be confusing but just ask any and all questions, they'll get answered.
Another idea is to buy both product and gift certificate, and magazine subscription to top it off.
Hope in the end you come back and let us know what you do.

[Jrob78]

Fishermen can be very brand loyal, superstitious and selective about what they use. Having confidence in a bait is critical to it being successful. I agree that rods and reels are probably out of the question. Without more specific information, it will be hard to give you very good advice, there are so many different baits out there, it's basically a shot in the dark. I think the very best we could do is provide you links to things that we think are good gifts. That list could and probably will vary widely from person to person. If that's what you want, let us know and I'm sure there will be a few people willing to step up and do that for you.

[bcklash]

You can't go wrong with a 21' Triton with a 250 Sho pushing it.

[Bassboss]

I agree, with everyone so far... we're a particular bunch of folks!

Gift cards are always great. Try a Bass Pro shops or Gander Mt. one.

Senkos are gonna be your best bet I think. Seek into his tackle box and grab on out of the bag, go to the tackle store and find the best match. MAKE SURE IT"S THE SAME BRAND lol! If there's one thing anglers are brand loyal toward, it's senkos!

[bamabassman]

i have toa gree with what everyone has posted as well. a gift card fropm bass pro shops is a fantatic gift. but if oyu INSIST on giving him something. just so he has a box to unwrap, ask him what kind of fishing line he uses. what he wants to try. then look in his tackle box, unless he keeps under lock and key, and write down the name brands of his baits, you can't go wrong in getting hime MORE of what he already uses. and everyone here will tell you more of what we use everyday is ALWAYS good. good luck and let us know what you got him. and how he liked it. and then if he ain't a member, get him to sign up. it's free to join and we are all just as nuts aobut fishing as he is.

[aikenyounggun]

I have to agree with everyone that you would be best served buying a gift card and lettin him pick something out. Not because you're a newbie, but because fisherman are really really particular. So many choices with colors, brands, sizes, types, it's insane. If I were you, I would go to tacklewarehouse.com and buy a gift card (they are 10% off at the moment) and let him have fun with it. They have good service and they are close by to where y'all live (cheaper shipping maybe). He will thank you for it, I promise.

[skeeter1804]

The great thing about gift cards is the after Christmas sales are usually as good or better than black Friday sales.

[keithdog]

First off, I'd like to welcome you to the site and I highly recommend that you get your boyfriend to join too! It's a great group of folks here and they are always willing to offer advice, and always eager to take advice as well. Now for your question. I too have to recommend a gift card to Tacklewarehouse or Bass Pro shops. I have family members who give me BPS gift cards every year and question me as to why I don't get tired of getting the same gift every year. And I just tell them, "are you kidding me?" " those gift cards are like gold to me"! haha Tacklewarehouse.com has a larger selection of lures than BPS from what I have seen and they are a real pleasure to deal with. But you could do a gift card and a package gift as well. You could take a few pictures of some of your boyfriends fishing lures he uses the most with a digital camera or your cell phone and then visit a local fishing tackle dealer and show him the pics and buy a few to give him along with the gift card. Be sure to tell the fishing tackle dealer your boyfriend is a largemouth bass fisherman. One gift I bet your boyfriend would appreciate is a book written by Kevin VanDam called Kevin Vandam's Bass Strategies. I asked for it for Christmas this year myself. I have my favorite lures I could easily recommend but bass fishing out where you are is a whole different animal than over here in Indiana. Best of luck and be sure to let us know how it all works out!

[happyhappa]

Goodness! Ask and you shall receive! I cannot believe the outpouring of expert advice here and all of your willingness to offer advice!
I am honestly overwhelmed with gratitude!
Thank you all so much!
I plan on breaking into his garage tomorrow and into his fishing cabinets.
I know how much he loves fishing, and for a newbie like me fishing seems to have a completely unique language, all its own.
It has been simply fascinating to begin to learn about!
I think that the fishing community has made the biggest impression on me- everyone seems so genuine and earnest.
Again, your outpouring of support and advice is astounding-
I am so thankful.
Thank you so much!
I'll keep ya posted with what I decide and how he likes it.
Thanks again!

[Jrob78]

If you can snap a few pics of some of the stuff he has a lot of, or give us an idea of specific things he likes, we might be able to provide you with some better suggestions. Good luck!

[Bubba_Bruiser]

Originally Posted by bcklash

You can't go wrong with a 21' Triton with a 250 Sho pushing it.

That $150 limit should almost fill the tank in one hahahaha.

Welcome aboard. All the guys are spot on with us being loyal to our brands. We tend to stay stuck in the box if it works. JRob gave a good suggestion about taking some pics of what he he has got. If he fishes the CA Delta alot, maybe he would be into some swim baits or a GC to one of the dealers out there to make him his own swim bait. Too bad we haven't seen Cass or Deacon (Facetious) in a while (I guess I shouldn't have used those 2 names in the same sentence). They could probably give you a little more 411 for that area.

[Tavery5]

I bet Jrob has Deacon's phone number .

[Jrob78]

Originally Posted by Tavery5

I bet Jrob has Deacon's phone number .

He won't return my calls for some reason!?!

[carolina-rig-01]

Originally Posted by Tavery5

I bet Jrob has Deacon's phone number .

HAHAHA I just spit milk all over my keyboard when I read that.

I agree with what everyone else said. Gift cards aren't a real personal gift but I honeslty think they are one of the best gifts anyone can get me if they want to get me something fishing related but don't know much about fishing.

If you can do some intel and get us some information on what kind of stuff he likes then we can probably help more.

I applaud your efforts in getting him a gift he would like. It says a lot that you are so determined to get him something he would love that you would actually join a fishing site just to ask opinions. There aren't many women out there that care that would be willing to do research on fishing equipment just to buy a gift for someone else.

[kennethdaysale]

Originally Posted by Jrob78

If you can snap a few pics of some of the stuff he has a lot of, or give us an idea of specific things he likes, we might be able to provide you with some better suggestions. Good luck!

We(I) would Love to see some pics of his fav tackle, not only would it really help us advise you of the best gifts for him, it is always fun to look inside another fishermans drawers. That didn't come out sounding quite like I wanted but yall know what I meant.

[keithdog]

Originally Posted by kennethdaysale

We(I) would Love to see some pics of his fav tackle, not only would it really help us advise you of the best gifts for him, it is always fun to look inside another fishermans drawers. That didn't come out sounding quite like I wanted but yall know what I meant.

Tightening up my suspenders!!!

[lilmule]

Hard to go wrong with a gift card.
Me all I want for xmas is my two front teeth,while there please leave another 30 molars.

[happyhappa]

Thank you all! This is so helpful!
I have not been able to sneak into his fishing cabinets, yet, to take pictures of his things.
This past week when I have gone to visit he has been hard to keep distracted long enough for me to sneak away.
I'll try to break in tomorrow around the time that he walks his dog.


So far I have purchased the Kevin Vandam's Bass Strategies book, which for the life of me I can't figure out why is so expensive.
I was able to find it for a decent price ($17) on Tackle Warehouse, but it is listed as out of print on Amazon and going for $70 on eBay!
Who knew that it would be such a hot commodity!
He loved Fishing on the Edge (so much that I had to read it to figure out what he was talking about... "Never Give Up"), and I hope that this book will be enjoyable for him.
I also bought the hardcover version of the John Weiss' The Bass Angler's Almanac... it looks like a fun coffee table book for him.

I definitely plan to take a trip to his favorite fishing store with a list of the things recommended here- hoping that with all of you expert guidance they will be able to assist me and guarantee that he can return or exchange the things that just aren't his style.

I also loved the suggestion of getting him a gift voucher to have some of his favorite reels cleaned--- gosh you are a smart bunch!

I plan on utilizing all of your wonderful suggestions of a gift card to Tackle Warehouse (you can't beat 10% off! Also, I see a new Tackle Warehouse box on his doorstep at least once a month. Ladies aren't the only ones with shopping addictions! )
I purchased him 2 tickets to the International Sportsmen's Expo, which is coming to town in January, hoping that he will take his dad out for some good ol' fashioned father son time, or bring me along to educate me as to the rather complex world of bass fishing.
Maybe he can check out all of the new toys on the market there and use the gift card to purchase what he likes, later.

I really appreciate your help, and continued help, as I continue my Christmas shopping (and starting to look ahead to Valentine's Day gifts... I might as well stock up now! His fishing passion isn't going anywhere anytime soon... and hopefully, thanks to you, I won't be going anywhere anytime soon, either!)

I wish that I could thank each of you by name--- but there are so many earnest and helpful people on here, I think it would take quite a while!
I'm astounded that so many people have taken their time and responded to guide a complete fishing novice in the right direction.
No wonder he likes his fishing buddies so much- you are a truly phenomenal group of people!
Thank you so much for all of your help--- you all are THE best!

[joedog]

happyhappa,
He'll love the book!
He'll love Tackle Warehouse gift certificate!
He'll love the Almanac!
He'll love getting his reels cleaned!
He'll love the Expo!

And finally, He's going LOVE you the most!

Oh ya, you may be able to help me out. If you have any unmarried sisters, be sure to give them the site addressl If they need help, give them my screen name. I want to help!
I can easily relocate!
Happy, you and yours, have the best holiday you possible can, I know the boyfriend will!
JOB WELL DONE!

[keithdog]

Sounds like your well on your way to making merry Christmas morning. Thats a pretty darn impressive list so far!

[bamabassman]

sounds like you got it all figured out ma'am. now ther is ONE MORE THING you can do for him. get him to sign up HERE. we ALL would love to see what he got and his catches. around here...PICTURES are welcomed GREATLY. and if he likes thie site, he can join some of us at DALE HOLOW in may. you are more than welocmed as well. then oyu can meet someof us crazy folk.

[Bassboss]

Originally Posted by bamabassman

sounds like you got it all figured out ma'am. now ther is ONE MORE THING you can do for him. get him to sign up HERE. we ALL would love to see what he got and his catches. around here...PICTURES are welcomed GREATLY. and if he likes thie site, he can join some of us at DALE HOLOW in may. you are more than welocmed as well. then oyu can meet someof us crazy folk.

x2! It would be great to see him around here, sounds like he really knows his stuff!

[hootie]

Sounds like the best he has is you in his life.
Merry Christmas!!!