“Not only is Luke one of the best up-and-comers on the water,” says Tim Golden, U.S. National Sales Manager, Gill Fishing. “He’s an excellent promoter and has a very keen sense for contributing product design ideas that can help us continue to excel at making the best fishing gear.”
Golden continues: “I have worked closely with Palmer, and I can tell you he only expects top quality products. We are honored he chose Gill.”
With regards to its move to title sponsorship with Bassmaster Elite Series pro, Luke Palmer, “Luke Palmer has an incredibly strong work ethic. He’s always willing to help with product development, social media exposure and truly anything we need from him,” says Golden.
Although this is Palmer’s first year with Gill, he’s already been through many events in the apparel, ultimately putting it through the challenging real-world tests that pro bass anglers face each and every day.
“It’s been great working with GILL. The people are incredibly passionate about their product and really care about it. That was the main thing for me. I’m one who wants product that really performs and GILL has the product that does it. The rain suits do what they say, they keep you dry and comfortable—and they’re durable,” says Palmer. “They also offer a whole line of apparel I can wear both off and on the water. I work at a hardware store when I’m not competing and GILL offers nice collared shirts and products that satisfy everyday needs. Their apparel fits me good and it’s the most comfortable of anything I’ve ever worn.”
Expect to see Luke Palmer wearing Gill’s new Pro Tournament 3L Jacket in the upcoming Bassmaster Classic. In particular, Palmer points out he was very pleased with the Vortex hood in the products he’s been wearing. “I’ve been wearing the original Tournament Jacket and the Tournament Bib. That’s been my go-to on the trail. It’s more of a medium, not extremely heavy jacket, but it covers you really well in mid-range temperatures and the situations I face in tournaments. For winter tournaments and the upcoming Bassmaster Classic I’ll be wearing the Pro Tournament 3L Jacket and the Tournament Bib. But in both, I’ve come to really appreciate the Vortex hood. When you run down the lake, in a lot of the rain suits I’ve worn in the past, the wind gets under your hood and sucks your head back the whole time. The Vortex hood stays right down on your cap and doesn’t allow that pressure to get under you. It’s a really smart design.”
Palmer adds that another hallmark of Gill wear is comfort besides its resilience in inclement weather. “For example, the bibs are light so they don’t wear your shoulders down. Instead of big and bulky buckles on the shoulder, the bibs feature a large strip of Velcro and it alleviates pressure points off of you and allows me to cast all day without knowing I’m even wearing bibs. The jackets are also really comfortable and keep you completely dry. I like how the cuffs cinch down tight. I have smaller wrists and this helps immensely so I don’t get water running up my forearms like I have with other rain suits in the past,” comments Palmer.
New to Gill’s collection for 2020, the Pro Tournament 3L features a highly technical design that offers protection against the wind and water. It features 3-layer fabric construction and fully taped seams, which combined with the enduring water repellent finish gives great protection from the elements. The Vortex hood technology has been designed to keep the hood in place when traveling at high speeds, making it perfect for getting around on a bass boat. The modern fishing jacket comes in either graphite or taupe with subtle branding across the chest. This men’s fishing jacket is also highly breathable and adorned with zippered chest pockets and spacious side pockets for added storage.
GILL is proud to announce that the Pro Tournament 3L, Tournament Jacket, and Active Jacket are all currently available at www.gillfishing.com and will be on display at the Bassmaster Classic. Looking forward to the Bassmaster Classic, marking its 50th anniversary, Palmer believes it’s going to be one of the best events ever—for both anglers and spectators.
“It’s going to be great! With regards to the fishing, we should be getting into perfect timing. There’s going to be a lot of stuff going on, especially since we’ve had a pretty mild winter this year. I think the fish might be a little bit ahead of where they normally are for March 1st. I think you’re going to see some big bags, some stringers over 30 pounds. And being the 50th Classic, the crowd’s going to amazing and huge. In that part of the country people love bass fishing. It’s going to be a heck of a show!”