Nothing is more difficult than shopping for the fisherman that has everything. But truthfully, you can never have too much fishing gear. Gear wears out, gets lost and can break easily (particularly if it was cheap). This means that any practical fishing gear will be certainly appreciated.
If you want to get a gift that stands out from the rest… Well, then that’s a different story. There are tons of cool fishing gadgets out on the market, like a line-cutting ring called Thread Cutterz and an underwater LED green fishing light for night fishing.
You can also get him a portable digital scale with a built-in measuring tape to help him measure fish size limits. I once got my buddy a fishing bite alarm indicator that alerts him when a fish bites his line. I loved that thing so much I had to get one myself! There are seriously so many unique gifts that can be used as great stocking stuffers.
As a hardcore fisherman myself, I will say that great gifts are not so much about flashy gadgets and gear. For instance, my son got me a personalized “Love you, Dad” fishing lure that never fails to make me smile.
There’s so much more to fishing than catching the next big game. For me, it’s about the memories I make visiting new destinations with my fishing buddies and family. I carry a fisherman journal with me wherever I go and log my fishing days along with pictures of some of my best catches. It’s the best way to reflect on my year of fishing.
If you have no clue what fishing entails and are worried about what to get the fisherman in your life, a simple log journal, fishing book or art piece would be your best bet. For the fly fishing enthusiast (like me), I highly recommend A River Runs Through It by Norman Maclean. You can thank me later!
To learn more about the types of gear that expert fishermen may need or be interested in, download our guide on mastering fishing.