photo by Linda Berry

First of all, let me make it clear that I have nothing against flowers. I have received my share over the years and yellow roses are my favorite. I also have nothing against jewelry (if it is white gold) or perfume (if it is my favorite fragrance - Xia Xiang). But if your mother, grandmother, sister or daughter loves to fish as much as I do, there are alternative gifts that might just make them beam from ear to ear this Mother’s Day, May 11^th.

FishHer.com is a great e-store to shop for “the fish-her” in your life. My favorite item is the FishHer Trolley Tote because it makes hauling my tackle easy and leaves one hand free to carry my FishHer rods when I want to go fishing at a local pond instead of taking my boat to the lake. The Trolley Tote also makes a great lap-top computer bag. I use the FishHer Bait Totes to separate and store my soft plastic baits in my boat. I have a different Bait Tote labeled for each color of plastic worms and lizards that I use frequently. It also makes a good spinnerbait bag. Most of the FishHer tackle products are in a “Lucky Lavender” color and are ergonomically designed for comfort and durability.  

How many times have you asked your wife or daughter or girlfriend to spend a day on the water with you and their argument was that “there is no place to go to the bathroom”? CoverYourBass.com has the answer! This father/son team has spent years developing a portable and compact private bathroom system for boats and “The BassRoom” is fast becoming a “must have” piece of equipment for the avid angler who doesn’t want to lose fishing time looking for a place “to go”. I love my “BassRoom” and have found many uses for it in addition to what it was originally designed for. The "BassRoom" is also kid and pet friendly by providing shelter from the sun.

A girl can never have too much plastic – bait that is!  JymSuBassBaits.com is a great place to find some of the hottest new soft-plastic baits on the market. Fill up Mom’s tackle bag with a variety of worms in different lengths and colors to fit her fishing style. JymSu also carries a variety of spinner baits and buzz baits and the popular Britt Myers Elite Series Swimbaits.

If fragrance makes Mom happy, then C B’s Hawg Sauce will delight her when she uses it on her bait to catch more bass. CB's Hawg Sauce was created in the year 2000, and is a secret formula for bass fishing that can be applied to soft plastics, spinner baits, crank baits or any type of bait one might use to catch fish. They have been proven to carry the best smell and taste that will last a long time on baits!

If the fish-her in your life has become a seasoned pro, maybe she would like a new specialty rod made by Thompson’s Custom Rods in Stoneville, North Carolina. I have known Mike Thompson for many years. Mike is well known in the Carolinas and Virginia for his ability to design and build a quality rod that will not let an angler down in any fishing situation. She can choose the colors and Mike will create the rod of her dreams!

A subscription to Outdoor Woman magazine is only $12 a year and is full of inspiring articles about women from all walks of life who share a passion for the outdoors. The current issue also includes an article on How To Choose Optics and a Gear and Product Guide. Some excellent reading material on days when she can't get on the water!

Another great idea is a gift card to her favorite tackle retailer or gas station. Make this Mother’s Day one that she will remember every time she heads for her favorite lake, pond or stream.