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Hey guys and gals I had a question for the cold water anglers. I've been out three or four times so far this year with nothing spectacular to report but after getting tired of not being able to tolerate the 37 degree water for more than a few hours we finally decided to try a lake a few hours away with a warm water arm from a hydro. Water was great at 67 degrees but the current and wind made it a shorter trip than anticipated. Also wipers weren't biting just a few small largemouths. As I said the water was great but I still need to find a better answer for the hands. Tried taking wool gloves off and on to keep them dry but that doesn't seem to work well. Does anyone use the neoprene and if so which style ie fingerless, slits, etc. I question whether they really keep your hands dry or if they just wind up trapping water inside the gloves. Love to hear some others ideas. Hey TD I broke a little ice this year myself but nothing like what you ran into. Sure got some funny looks from the boat crowd though.
Good fishing all
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[cool][#0000ff]Welcome aboard. Good question. Keeping warm in cold weather can make the difference between enjoying and enduring a trip. The head is the source of most heat loss, but when you get cold fingers the fun goes right out of the fishing.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Over the years I have experimented with just about everything made for fishing in cold weather. I think I have myself convinced that the fingerless ragg wool gloves are better than anything else. Even when they get wet, they still insulate against the cold...somewhat. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I don't like neoprene for a couple of reasons. They are hard to get on and off and they reduce the "feel" even more than wool gloves. They do cut out the wind better though.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have had a couple of pairs of fleece fingerless gloves that worked pretty well. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Don't worry about taking them off and putting them back on again. Just be careful when handling fish, so that you don't get them any wetter or slimier than necessary. I keep a piece of cotton towel handy for grabbing fish I want to keep, and lip the rest...except walleyes.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]If you get your gloves "exposed" to wet and fish slime, be sure they get prompt attention when you get home. Soak them in a Woolite solution and rinse them well before drying. That will prevent your nostrils from slamming shut the next time you get them out to go fishing. And, it will help preserve the gloves longer too.[/#0000ff]
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Just like TD mentioned, nothing beets a good pair of wool or fleece gloves.
Out here in SoCal, we don't get near as cold as you guys in the hard water district.
Occasionally we will get a chilly morning or two and I end up with the Shimano neoprene gloves. I am allergic to wool so there goes that option.
The neoprene gloves by Shimano offer a flip-back thumb and forefinger. It help for tying your knots as well as feeling for line ticks from the light bighters.
The options are out there and it just boils down to what each of us prefer. If I was in the hardwater district, I would opt for warmer than neoprene.[cool]
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I would have to agree with TD and TubeN2. Up here in the Northwest we do not get the cold weather like other parts of the country, at least not on the west side of Oregon and Washington. However, it does get pretty cold at times especially with all of the rain. I swear by the fingerless wool gloves when winter salmon and steelhead fishing. They keep your hands warm, but still allow better feeling. On days when it is really cold, in other words picking ice out of your line guides every other cast, my father often will put one of those instant handwarmer pouches in each pocket or in the front pocket on his waders. That way if his fingers get too cold, he can warm them up and get back to the most important thing--fishing.
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I wear the wind stoppers with the rubber in the palm. The fingertips are exposed with a fold over mitten and the thumb has it's own cover. I do pull them off when putting my hands in the water as they will absorb, but, they do stay warm even when wet, just uncomfortable. I think the windstopper material is the best, I tried the neo's, but there is nothing there to keep your hands warm, and they are like wet suits, you hands will still get wet.
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I use surgical gloves under fingerless wool gloves, and that works fine for me. It's been suggested to me to use a little vaseline on my hands before I put the surgicals on, but that just seems kinda ooogie to me.[sly]
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Sounds like everyone has tried everything and the old stand by wool gloves are what I am going to stick with. I had my doubts about the neoprene and since I must own 10 pairs of various hunting gloves, mittens, wool fingerless, etc. I am going to avoid shelling out the money for the neoprene. Might try the surgical gloves on under the woolies though. I never thought of that and I buy them by the box load for cleaning game, and using wood finishing. Funny how you can own something and never even think of the additional uses. It is almost 3:30 in the am and am heading out to try some trout fishing in Iowa. No tube this time but I guess the old fashion way of sneaking up on the pools is better than a day with the inlaws so here I go woolies in (or is that on ) hand. Anyway thanks for the tips and good fishing.
Waiting for the water to soften
vl
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I use [url "http://www.sealskinz.com/cgi-bin/psProdDet.cgi/KJ851||~@c~@b|0|user|1,0,0,1|19|"]these[/url] and I swear they are outstanding gloves! WAterproof, tough and warm as heck. Hiked, biked and fished with them. Simply killer!
-ABT-
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[cool][#0000ff]Look good, but they have closed their online ordering. Also, prices are in pounds, not dollars. Not likely to be able to find a source in the USA.[/#0000ff]
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