As people that love to fish, we can’t help but look forward to buying that hot new reel, lure or even a bass boat. But something we seldom focus on the importance of owning is quality rainwear.
In fact, I would say that rainwear is for sure one of the most important – yet most often overlooked – pieces of “fishing equipment” on the planet.
There is more than one great brand of rainwear in the market these days. But none of them are cheap. You really need to budget around $500 for a jacket and matching bibs or pants. That’s a ton of money, especially for us college anglers. But it’s way more than just a “rain” suit – and it’s not uncommon to get 10 years of use from one suit.
Whether it’s raining or not, with the exception of hot summer, I wear my Carhartt Shoreline Vortex apparel nearly every day I fish because it’s warm and comfortable, and also, because it guards me against chilly wind, whether I’m standing there casting in a 20 mph north breeze or running down the lake at 70 mph in my Skeeter FX 20.
And to be honest, most of today’s rainwear is stylish enough that my serious fishing buddies and I often wear it as our primary jacket just living daily life. So you’re going to get way more out of your investment than just staying dry in a monsoon.
And when it does rain – if you’re cold, wet and miserable – there’s no way you can enjoy using the latest lure or reel anyhow. So again, quality apparel is critical to being able to enjoy your time on the water to the fullest.
Whether you’re fishing professionally, or a few Saturdays a year with family and friends – you deserve to be comfortable whether they’re biting or not. And let’s be honest, if you’re cold and wet, you’re not going to stay on the water near as long as you’d like to.
If you’re not 100 percent comfortable and confident in the rainwear you currently own, I would highly encourage you to save up your money and make your next significant fishing related purchase a great rainsuit. It’s a great value, and you won’t regret it. In fact, you’ll probably regret not investing in one way sooner.