Summer can be a great season for catching fish but the scorching sun, heat and high humidity can take its toll on you. The dangers of summertime fishing include heat stroke, dehydration and severe sunburns if you don’t take some vital steps to cool down, especially during the heat of the day.
Fishing dawn, dusk, or through the night are good ways to catch bass while keeping cool.
One way to avoid the heat is to fish early and late in the day or at night when the air temperatures are cooler. Fishing smaller rivers or streams is another way to beat the heat because there is plenty of shade on the water from overhanging trees and high bluff banks. Fishing on a pontoon boat with a canopy also provides some relief from the heat of the scorching sun.
Water Is Your Bestfriend
Staying hydrated is the number one rule to fishing during a scorcher.
If you plan on fishing all day in the heat of summer, there are some precautions you can take the night before your trip to stay hydrated the next day. It’s really important to start drinking water or eating juicy fruits such as watermelon, cantaloupe or honeydew melon the night before your summertime fishing trip.
During your time on the water, it is recommended you drink at least a gallon of water. Avoid drinking beer or soda in the heat because that’s like putting oil in the radiator of your car. So you need to put water in you the same as you do in a radiator to keep your car cool. Juices with electrolytes and Gatorade are also good for keeping your body hydrated in the summertime heat.
Gear Up Against The Sun
Wearing the right hot-weather attire is vital to keeping you cool in the scorching sun. Going shirtless and wearing shorts is the biggest mistake I have seen anglers make while fishing in the summer sun. Although taking off your shirt feels cooler at first, the searing sun soon starts broiling your skin and that burning feeling you get will last long after your fishing trip ends. Here are a few tips to help you keep cool.
Fishing Shirts
If I know I will be fishing all day in the summer sun, IQ wear loose-fitting, long-sleeve shirts and pants, both made from a light material. I also wear white or light-color clothing to reflect the sunlight and avoid dark clothing which tends to absorb heat.
Bundling up in the sun sounds like it would be hot, but you actually stay cooler when wearing today’s sun protection clothing. Today’s fishing shirts are lightweight and more breathable than other shirts. Many of the fishing shirts feature a fast-drying technology to wick away sweat and a mesh-lined vent in back to provide ventilation.
Fishing Pants
Zipper off fishing pants (also known as Dad pants) aren’t very fashionable but they’re actually pretty nice to have.
Fishing pants are also ideal for hot weather fishing because the pants are made of a lightweight breathable material that speeds up evaporation and cools down your legs. Some of the pants also offer the option of converting to shorts if you want to expose your legs in the afternoon when the sun is high and the sun rays aren’t directly hitting your legs.
Fishing Hats
The MTB Crest Hat will keep you feelin’ and lookin’ cool at the same dang time
A good hat also prevents you from overheating. You should wear either a light-colored wide-brimmed hat or a white cap with a back flap that shields your head and neck from the sun. A light-color straw hat that you can dip in the water and put back on your head provides some quick relief from the summer heat.
Fishing Neckos
A necko, shades, and a ball cap are tools of the trade for sunny day anglers
Wide-brimmed hats offer plenty of protection from direct sunlight but your neck is still exposed to sun rays reflecting off the water. Touring bass pros protect their necks from the sun glare by wearing neckos. I prefer wearing a baseball cap, like MTB Hat Guy rather than a wide-brimmed hat so I protect my face and neck by combining a necko with my cap. The best sun protection is made from lightweight, quick-drying stretch fabric with a UPF rating of 50.
There is no correct way to wear a Necko so try to cover up as much of your head as possible. When I am wearing a ball cap, I pull the Neck up over the back of my head but under the cap so I shield my ears from the sun. Your forehead will still sweat some even when wearing a lightweight mesh hat or cap, so always carry a towel with you to wipe off the perspiration and help cool you down. If the heat becomes unbearable for you, there is still one more trick for cooling down. Just strip down to your skivvies and jump in the water.
