http://susquehannafishing.com/
By Jeff Little
I wore blue jeans and construction boots the first time I went kayak fishing in cold weather. Three hours into the 9 mile float trip, my legs were soaked and cold from the paddle shaft drippings alone. The boots got tossed a few weeks after the trip, because they got wet and started to give me foot funk. 12 years later, I’m wearing the best money can buy for kayak anglers. The evolution shows a gradual increase in what I will invest in for on the water comfort and safety.
The first upgrade from blue jeans was a move to a cheap pair of 3.5 mm neoprene waders with accompanying felt sole boots. I wore multiple pairs of wool socks, sweatpants and long johns underneath. I looked like a cross between Godzilla and the Michelin man. Despite all the bulky extra layers of insulation, I was still cold. This set up was acceptable through November, but in December, January and February I just toughed through it. I can’t say I fished to my potential in those early years of learning how to catch winter river smallmouth. Comfort does translate to angling success.
So I moved on to a thicker 5 mm neoprene wader with attached boot foot. I was actually warmer wearing fewer layers. One huge upgrade was the socks. I found SmartWool. One pair of these with a hand warmer tossed down in the bottom of a spacious boot kept my feet from going numb. When I was cramming three pair of socks on before, it constricted blood flow, leaving my toes first cold, then near frost bitten.
Somewhere in there, I experimented with paddler dry pants with gaskets at the ankle that never seemed to keep the water out. I even shaved my ankles to see if it was my hair letting the water seep in. I also used a pair of breathable waders instead of neoprene. They were OK for October and November, but just didn’t afford the insulation of neoprene.
The biggest leap forward came with the descriptive words “relief zipper”. I will never go back to not having this amazing feature. The Kokotat Whirlpool Bib with relief zipper that I wear now allows me to put down the rod, unzip, grab the other one, take care of business, zip up and get right back to fishing in less time than it takes to retie.
I can remember driving home from trips when I wore waders realizing that I had become dehydrated. I think that I developed an aversion to hydrating myself. Subliminally, I knew that it would lead to the 15 minute process of paddling to shore, taking off the life vest, removing my spray top, then pulling a bulky pair of waders down, then reversing the process. Things are better now.
Under the bibs, I wear a moisture wicking top and bottom, also made by Kototat called Outer Core. The thin layer wicks away perspiration that can later leave your skin cold. Top it off with a hooded spray top and PFD, and I’m warm and ready for a 33 degree rain and smallmouth hitting hair jigs!
Editor’s Note:
Another great option is to wear a combination of dry pants with integrated dry socks, like the Kokatat Tempest Pants, matched with a dry top.
