Fishing professionals play it safe

We're going to look at some of the safety precautions pro anglers take as well as how what professional anglers wear has affected fishermen.

Have you noticed that most professional bass fishermen don't have cracked skin that's brown as a berry, swollen eyes and a rich robust tan like most rugged outdoorsmen have? Professional outdoorsmen know the danger of overexposure to the sun. Most of the pros use either 30 or 45 SPF sunscreen and apply it in the morning over their entire bodies before they go out fishing. If you're wise, you'll follow their example, feel better and have fewer ill effects from the sun.

Generally when you see professional fishermen on the water, they've got on their sunglasses, although the TV cameramen make the anglers remove their sunglasses when they're on TV. Wearing eye protection when they're on the water . . .

Keeps bugs, dust and debris out of their eyes when they're running down the lake at 50 to 70 miles per hour,

Protects their eyes from the harsh rays of the sun,

Cuts the glare off the water so they can see down into the water and spot bass,

Enables them to see their lines better to tell when bass bite,

Eliminates eyestrain and eye fatigue that often comes with concentrating too long and too hard on something as small as fishing line,

Helps them to detect subtle changes in water speed, color and depth,

Allows them to spot baitfish on the water's surface that they probably can't see without their sunglasses.

Another safety precaution of the pros is that they're kill-switch conscious and keep them attached to their life jackets. When they're in the cockpit driving their boats, they'll wear their life jackets zipped and snapped-up with their kill switches attached.

Just before they reach the spots where they're planning to fish, they'll cut off their big engines, take off their life jackets and get on the bow with their trolling motors to get into position to make their first casts. These pros know what can happen if you get thrown out of your boat without a life jacket with your engine still running, and they don't want to be involved with a water accident.

Fashion for fishing has changed. No longer do tournament fishermen wear Brogan boots, bib overalls and a white T-shirt. Most of the pros wear some type of Sufflex shirt and pants that look nice, are as light as lingerie and pull moisture away from the skin, thereby keeping their wearers cool and comfortable all day.

They're also shoe conscious. To develop the best pair of shoes he could fish in, Woo Daves, a Bassmaster Classic Champion, met with the people at Georgia Boot and developed his own line of fishing shoes. He wanted shoes that would give him comfort and support and keep his back from hurting after standing on a casting deck. Most professional fishermen are as particular with their footwear as basketball players, track athletes and tennis pros.

When you earn your living on your feet, you enjoy wearing the best.

Also, you won't see a professional fisherman wearing a $5 plastic poncho if he gets caught in a downpour. Since the pros fish in bad weather during many tournaments, they purchase and use the finest GoreTex available.

High-quality rainwear not only will keep you dry and warm, but it also will help you fish much more comfortably because you won't think about how miserable you are.

If you want to catch more fish, more comfortably, and fish safer, learn from the men who bass fish for a living. The pros set the standard and define quality both in fishing, tackle and in safety gear.

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