What to wear fishing in hot weather

[Glenn]

The clothing options for hot weather fishing has exploded over recent years, and it can get expensive if get something that doesn't work for you. So I put together this video to help guide you through the various choices.  

 

 

[garroyo130]

Jorts

 

[KYRANGERMAN]

Timely post Glenn.  I've been fishing since I was probably 6 or 7 years old and I'm 60 now.  I always "dressed for the weather" which meant shorts, short sleeve shirt and a cap in the heat of the summer.  Recently I noticed a red bump on the back of my hand that was very tender.  Made an appointment with the dermatologist and they biopsied it.  It was a squamous cell carcinoma which they removed.

 

That caused me to reassess my clothing choices when I'm on the water.  After a trip to Academy and Wal Mart I now have long sleeve moisture wicking UPF 50 shirts, a UPF 50 hat with a neck covering, light weight long pants and some UPF fingerless fishing gloves.  I'm probably going to get hotter in the summer and not last as long on the lake each trip but that is a small price to pay to reduce the chances of another trip to the dermatologist.  Any exposed areas get a dose of sun screen.

 

You younger guys take heed and protect yourself now so you'll be healthier later.

[GTN-NY]

6 hours ago, Glenn said:

The clothing options for hot weather fishing has exploded over recent years, and it can get expensive if get something that doesn't work for you. So I put together this video to help guide you through the various choices.  

 

 

I liked the shirt but it’s $150

[Herbert Lorenzo]

Listen to me , heed the warnings about the sun . I have scars all over my face and arms due to cancer removal . Don't look so handsome anymore . 

[Jleebesaw]

I wear those moisture wicking uv blocking shirts. The $20 wal mart ones. They work as advertised. I bought a couple long sleeved ones last year after getting sunburnt. I just got 2 more that have hoods to protect the neck and ears.  

     The material they are made of is great. You feel so much cooler in them. They stop the heat of the sun, but you can feel any slight breeze through them.

I highly recommend trying them.

[plawren53202]

2 hours ago, Jleebesaw said:

I wear those moisture wicking uv blocking shirts. The $20 wal mart ones. They work as advertised. I bought a couple long sleeved ones last year after getting sunburnt. I just got 2 more that have hoods to protect the neck and ears.  

     The material they are made of is great. You feel so much cooler in them. They stop the heat of the sun, but you can feel any slight breeze through them.

I highly recommend trying them.

Just discovered the Realtree UV blocking shirts at Walmart this summer. $15. I am loving them, stocked up on several. They are sooooooo much better than cotton or other materials. And I really like the looks of a lot of them. I'd love to have the disposable income to go just drop $50+ a pop on Huk shirts but the Walmart ones are really good. I also saw that Academy has some Magellan shirts in the same ballpark, though I haven't tried them yet.

 

I've also made a much bigger effort to cover up appropriately this year rather than just burn. Pants instead of shorts; I found some Goodwill specials that are tan super light rayon-type material with lots of pockets; not the most stylish pants ever but they keep me cool and keep me from burning. And they were $4.99. Also finally got a neck gaiter and fingerless sun gloves. Again would have loved to pop for some Huks but I found that the Field & Stream ones at Dick's do a really good job and are much cheaper ($15 each). 

[A-Jay]

PSA ~ 

 

About Ultraviolet (UV) Radiation and Sun Exposure

The sun sends energy to Earth in a few different ways: visible light that you can see, infrared radiation that you feel as heat, and rays of UV radiation that you can’t see or feel. Fortunately, the Earth’s atmosphere protects us from most UV radiation. While we need some exposure to sunlight to help our bodies make vitamin D, too much UV is dangerous.  Broad-spectrum sunscreen provides protection from the sun’s Ultraviolet (UV) radiation. 

 

Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

 

There are three types of UV rays:

Ultraviolet A rays (UVA)

The atmosphere does little to shield these rays—most UVA radiation reaches Earth’s surface.

UVA rays cause skin aging and eye damage, and can lower your body’s ability to fight off illness. UVA rays also contribute to the risk of skin cancer.

 

Ultraviolet B rays (UVB)

The Earth’s atmosphere shields us from most UVB rays—the amount of UVB rays that reach the Earth’s surface depends on latitude, altitude, time of year and other factors.

UVB rays cause sunburns, skin cancer, skin aging, and snow blindness (a sunburn to your cornea that causes a temporary loss of vision) and can lower your body’s ability to fight illness.

 

Ultraviolet C rays (UVC)

UVC rays do not reach the Earth’s surface because they are completely absorbed by the atmosphere.

Harmful effects from UVC rays are minimal.

The UV radiation that reaches the Earth’s surface is mostly UVA and some UVB. Almost half the daytime total of the more harmful UVB radiation is received between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Even on a cloudy day, you can be sunburned by UVB radiation.

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. While everyone should protect themselves against UV radiation, it is particularly important to protect children. Most of an average person's UV exposure from the sun occurs before the age of 18. Too much UV exposure or frequent sunburns, particularly during childhood, can make developing skin cancer more likely.

 

What You Can Do

Limit time in the midday sun. The sun's rays are strongest between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Limit exposure to the sun during these hours, even in winter and especially at higher altitudes.

Do not burn. Sunburns significantly increase the lifetime risk of developing skin cancer, especially for children.

Seek shade. Shade is a good source of protection. However, keep in mind that trees, umbrellas and canopies do not offer complete sun protection.

Use extra caution near water, snow and sand. These three materials reflect the damaging rays of the sun, which can increase your chance of sunburn.

Avoid sun tanning and tanning beds. UV light from tanning beds and the sun can cause skin cancer and wrinkling.

Wear protective clothing. Wide brimmed hats offer good sun protection for your eyes, ears, face and neck. Sunglasses that provide 99 to 100% UVA and UVB protection will greatly reduce eye damage from sun exposure. Tightly woven, loose fitting clothes will provide additional protection from the sun.

 

 Always use sunscreen. Apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a SPF of 30 or higher on all exposed skin 20 minutes before going outside. Reapply every two hours, or after working, swimming, playing or exercising outdoors.

Watch the UV Index. The UV Index provides important sun safety information to help people plan outdoor activities. 

Regardless of your exposure to UV rays, conduct a monthly self-check to look for any skin abnormalities. Have a friend or family member check your back and scalp. Look for bumps or sores that don't heal or for moles that have changed size, color or shape. It’s important to visit your physician or a dermatologist for regular skin checks and to have any new or changing mole evaluated. When caught early, most cases of skin cancer can be cured.

 

A-Jay

 

[MN Fisher]

As a red-head who lost an eye to cancer caused by...yep, not wearing sunglasses when I should have and UV rays causing the melanoma inside my eye - I'm now almost fanatical about being protected

 

Even in the heat of the summer - which even here can approach 100^o at times - light-colored long pants, long-sleeved SPF 50 t-shirts (I have 3 HUK and 1 Columbia), and a hat. Sunscreen is used on my neck and I wear light SPF rated fingerless gloves or put sunscreen on the backs on my hands.

[Do1982]

Hi Glenn, always love the videos. Do you have recommendations for big and tall? I have not really looked at simms gear yet but I will. Im about 6'6 and almost 300lbs. I've played sports and lifted weights most my life so while I'm no longer as slim as I once was people mostly guess my weight 50 lbs lighter than what I actually am. 

 

I've always had a hard time buying clothes regardless of brand or size. I could buy a pack of t-shirts off the shelf and have 2 fit great and 3 fit very poorly. Some shoes i wear a 14 4e some i wear a 16. Clothes shopping is a pain in the butt. I've yet to see a big box fishing store have a big and tall section to try stuff on so its kind of a crap shoot to buy something online. Just curious if you or any other bass resource members have experience with big and tall fishing apparel? 

[Dminor9]

I bought 4 Magellan moisture wicking shirts on sale from Academy recently and love them. Light weight, soft, long sleeve, and very comfortable. I have fished with them on in 90-100 degrees here in Texas and was not overheated in the slightest. I also wear long pants, a hat, and UV sunglasses. I rarely fish 10-11 in the morning during the summer and stay out of the direct sun as much as possible. For the very reasons mentioned above, cancer of the skin. Stay safe y'all. 

[Way north bass guy]

I’ve also been way more careful with the sun, especially since I had a kid and now he’s out with me all the time. We’re always in full gear, long sleeve uv shirts, long, light pants, big sun hats ( love my Tilley), and good sunscreen on the small exposed parts. I also work outside year round, so I’ve been wearing my uv shirts all the time to work now as well. I’ve been using the Hanes uv shirts, can get a two pack on amazon for $22 CAD. Also a fan of the Columbia sun pants. In the hottest part of the day, even while at work ( and I’m a stonemason so it’s not like I’m sitting at an office chair or in the shade all day), I’m quite comfortable dressed this way. 

[Glenn]

4 hours ago, Do1982 said:

Hi Glenn, always love the videos. Do you have recommendations for big and tall?

I'm not a big and tall guy, so I don't shop for those items. That said, I've noticed both Simms and Columbia have "tall" versions of most of their clothing.  And at least Simms has "wide" versions of their shoes and sandals.  Makes sense because they make waders and river boots too.

 

Both Columbia and Simms sells products at retails stores. Their websites list those retailers.  Might be worth a call or two to see if any of them carry what you're looking for.

 

-----------------------

 

I'm glad to see everyone is picking up on the underlying them of the video: sun protection.  While fit, function, and comfort are key, it's the sun protection that's most important....including the glasses (also mentioned in the video).

 

While it's been years since I've had a sunburn, I've had way too many in my lifetime to be complacent about it.  In fact, I'm at an elevated risk for skin cancer simply because sunburns - and sun protection - were not a "big deal" until I was in my 30's.  At the same time, fishing clothing like the kind mentioned in the video simply weren't available. And so getting a burn was something you "healed" and then moved on.  I remember as a kid, that peeling dead skin from a sunburn was "cool" and "fun".

 

I really wish I could go back in time and make better choices.  Information about sun damage simply wasn't well known then as it is today.

[Bankbeater]

The best thing I have found to cover my head, neck, and face is a wide brim hat.  I have a couple of straw hats that let the air circulate and are cooler than caps.

[RAMBLER]

I've had a bunch of those cancers cut out of my face, head and arm so I am more careful than I use to be.  I bought a couple of those UV blocking shirts and I got really hot wearing them.  They were like wearing a plastic bag.  They did have vents in the armpits (well whoopee ding ding).  I got sick enough one time that I ended up in the emergency room.  An IV and air conditioning took care of that.  Since then I went to a thrift store and found some long sleeve white dress shirts (some have blue pinstripes) for 50 cents a piece.  That are a real tight weave and I have never gotten red or burned through them.  They are mostly cotton and will wick away sweat and they are big and loose enough to be comfortable.  The blocked the sun and kept me cooler than the expensive sun blocking shirts.

[NHBull]

20 hours ago, Do1982 said:

Hi Glenn, always love the videos. Do you have recommendations for big and tall? I have not really looked at simms gear yet but I will. Im about 6'6 and almost 300lbs. I've played sports and lifted weights most my life so while I'm no longer as slim as I once was people mostly guess my weight 50 lbs lighter than what I actually am. 

 

I've always had a hard time buying clothes regardless of brand or size. I could buy a pack of t-shirts off the shelf and have 2 fit great and 3 fit very poorly. Some shoes i wear a 14 4e some i wear a 16. Clothes shopping is a pain in the butt. I've yet to see a big box fishing store have a big and tall section to try stuff on so its kind of a crap shoot to buy something online. Just curious if you or any other bass resource members have experience with big and tall fishing apparel? 

Columbia caters to gents your size and the prices are great.

[galyonj]

I have the clothes pretty much covered, but I've got to figure out some way to mitigate the fact that I sweat like a dancing mule.

 

Like I'll sweat enough that I have to wring my beard and shirt out.

[TnRiver46]

29 minutes ago, RAMBLER said:

I've had a bunch of those cancers cut out of my face, head and arm so I am more careful than I use to be.  I bought a couple of those UV blocking shirts and I got really hot wearing them.  They were like wearing a plastic bag.  They did have vents in the armpits (well whoopee ding ding).  I got sick enough one time that I ended up in the emergency room.  An IV and air conditioning took care of that.  Since then I went to a thrift store and found some long sleeve white dress shirts (some have blue pinstripes) for 50 cents a piece.  That are a real tight weave and I have never gotten red or burned through them.  They are mostly cotton and will wick away sweat and they are big and loose enough to be comfortable.  The blocked the sun and kept me cooler than the expensive sun blocking shirts.

A secret that nobody wants to get out!!! I remember laughing very hard the first time I heard the phrase “fishing shirt”

3 minutes ago, galyonj said:

I have the clothes pretty much covered, but I've got to figure out some way to mitigate the fact that I sweat like a dancing mule.

 

Like I'll sweat enough that I have to wring my beard and shirt out.

That’s the curse of being alive. Most days I’ve sweated through my clothes by lunch 

[galyonj]

1 minute ago, TnRiver46 said:

That’s the curse of being alive. Most days I’ve sweated through my clothes by lunch 

Man, I guess. My dad and I both can sweat standing still in 50 degree weather. Add something simple like the sun beaming down or literally any kind of activity more strenuous than breathing, and we're soaking through shirts. Like we're not gassed or even feel hot or anything like that…we're just moist people, I guess.

 

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Angry John]

The Haynes cool dry long sleeve shirts on Amazon for around 12 bucks each are what I wear.  I choose light colors, light blue a favorite.  With a history of skin cancer in the family and the long hours in the heat tournament fishing they are the ticket.  Full brim hat and polarized glasses and your ready.

[TnRiver46]

18 minutes ago, galyonj said:

Man, I guess. My dad and I both can sweat standing still in 50 degree weather. Add something simple like the sun beaming down or literally any kind of activity more strenuous than breathing, and we're soaking through shirts. Like we're not gassed or even feel hot or anything like that…we're just moist people, I guess.

 

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I’m one of those people too! There was a guy I went to high school with that was worse though, he played low post and nobody could guard him because he was so sweaty haha

[GTN-NY]

2 hours ago, Angry John said:

The Haynes cool dry long sleeve shirts on Amazon for around 12 bucks each are what I wear.  I choose light colors, light blue a favorite.  With a history of skin cancer in the family and the long hours in the heat tournament fishing they are the ticket.  Full brim hat and polarized glasses and your ready.

Which one do you get?

this

https://www.amazon.com/Hanes-Sleeve-T-Shirt-Large-Graphite/dp/B00KBZT0BE/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=hanes+cool+dry+long+sleeve+shirts+for+men&qid=1593557128&sprefix=hanes+cool+dry&sr=8-3&isTryState=1

 

or

https://www.amazon.com/Hanes-Cool-Performance-Long-Sleeve-T-Shirt/dp/B00C179XNK/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=hanes+cool+dry+long+sleeve+shirts+for+men&qid=1593557128&sprefix=hanes+cool+dry&sr=8-4

[Way north bass guy]

33 minutes ago, GTN said:

Which one do you get?

this

https://www.amazon.com/Hanes-Sleeve-T-Shirt-Large-Graphite/dp/B00KBZT0BE/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=hanes+cool+dry+long+sleeve+shirts+for+men&qid=1593557128&sprefix=hanes+cool+dry&sr=8-3&isTryState=1

 

or

https://www.amazon.com/Hanes-Cool-Performance-Long-Sleeve-T-Shirt/dp/B00C179XNK/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=hanes+cool+dry+long+sleeve+shirts+for+men&qid=1593557128&sprefix=hanes+cool+dry&sr=8-4

The top ones are what I use. A two pack for that price is pretty darn good, and I use them for fishing and work. Even for a guy that’s lifting rock all day and working with cement, they hold up excellently. 

[Do1982]

Just wanted to thank Glenn and NHBull for the follow up. Im going to pick up a couple items here soon and try them out.  If i think about it I'll do a follow up post. I usually only lurk so I have poor posting habits. 

[Angry John]

4 hours ago, GTN said:

Which one do you get?

this

https://www.amazon.com/Hanes-Sleeve-T-Shirt-Large-Graphite/dp/B00KBZT0BE/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=hanes+cool+dry+long+sleeve+shirts+for+men&qid=1593557128&sprefix=hanes+cool+dry&sr=8-3&isTryState=1

 

or

https://www.amazon.com/Hanes-Cool-Performance-Long-Sleeve-T-Shirt/dp/B00C179XNK/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=hanes+cool+dry+long+sleeve+shirts+for+men&qid=1593557128&sprefix=hanes+cool+dry&sr=8-4

I bought the second option but it looks like the top is just a two pack of the same thing.  Wore my light blue today and the heat index was 105.  The trick is if you get hot to just squirt some water on it and it's like turning on the ac.