Are you ready for summertime Chesapeake Bay fishing? Of course you are! And these hot new goodies are sure to come in handy, so check out our top picks for new fishing gear for the summer of 2024.
New Baits from Fishbites
Fishbites has a new trick up its sleeve for oceanic anglers with E-Z Pro. Designed for offshore bottom fishing, these bait bites are made with their Longer Lasting formula plus a cloth binder in the middle. That boosts durability so you don’t have to work about losing your bait after a missed strike and can keep those hooks down there where they belong. E-Z Pro comes in shrimp, crab, and squid, and like their other offerings provides all the scent and attraction of the real thing but with no mess and no refrigeration necessary. Also from FishBites for 2024…
There’s news from Fishbites’ Fight Club line, too. These lures are infused with the same flavor and scent technology as Fishbites artificial baits, and for 2024 they have some new color options: Slugger and Pink Shiner. Slugger is a green-pink large-profile twister tail with glitter, which reminds us a lot of the patterns often called Electric Chicken. Pink Shiner is a pink/white combination. Anglers familiar with soft baits featuring baked-in flavors and scents know that color choices are often limited and these two new options expand the appeal of Fishbites’ patented hydrogel lures, which don’t dry rock-hard on the hook nor add PVC-based plastic into the environment every time you lose a lure. There’s only one question left: are you ready to rumble? Price: $6.99/4-pack 6” grubs.
The Wheel Deal
You know those paracord wraps that can turn a steering wheel into a grippy work of art? You could spend hours and hours customizing your boat’s wheel with one — if you know how — or you could enlist the services of a pro. Annapolis local Jake of @getagripwraps, a college student back home for the summer, is a wheel-wrapping sharpie looking to make your boat look better and create his own summer business at the same time. Price: $140 to $220. Email [email protected] or DM @getagripwraps on Instagram to find out more.
Tinman Lures: Flatfish, or Catfish?
We’ve mentioned Tinman Lures Floaters on these pages before but they warrant a revisit, because after using them for a period of time we’ve made an interesting discovery: although they’re generally used for flounder fishing, it turns out these things are killers for blue catfish. Yes, you read that right – catfish. Blue cats don’t sit in the mud like some catfish, but are active through the water column and often fishing a floated bait just off bottom is more effective than letting your offering sit as though dead. In fact, during last year’s Fish For a Cure, FishTalk’s own Zach Ditmars caught the largest fish registered in the entire competition, a 33” blue catfish, while using one. Rig them about three feet above a three-way swivel or fishfinder, add a chunk of cut fish and hold on tight! Price: $3 to $4; visit Tinmanlures on ebay.
Free Fly Apparel Bamboo Shade Hoodie II
By Kaylie Jasinski
Hold the phone because I just found my new favorite sun hoodie. I’ve never been a huge fan of long-sleeve sun protection shirts because either a) I get too hot, b) they get smelly, c) they aren’t super comfortable, or d) all of the above. This is not the case with the women’s Bamboo Shade Hoodie II from Free Fly Apparel. This is the second generation of this popular style, now with an updated and super dialed-in fit. The fabric is stretchy and buttery soft (68 percent viscose from bamboo, 29 percent polyester, 3 percent spandex), so comfortable you could sleep in it or wear it all day fishing, and it’s stylish enough to easily transition from the boat to a bite in town. It also features a relaxed hood for increased protection, and thumbholes keep sleeves in place while also offering sun protection for the backs of your hands. But what really sold it for me is the fact that this hoodie offers UPF 50+ protection, it’s naturally odor resistant, and is even temperature regulating, meaning it’ll keep you at that just-right temperature, even when the forecast throws you for a loop. I’ve worn mine while spring fishing on the Chesapeake when the temperature goes from 75 degrees one day to 50 the next, and I’ve worn it all day in the hot Florida sun while fishing for redfish and did not even break a sweat. Offered in a variety of colors; $74.