28 Best Fishing Gifts for Women Who Love the Water

Hours on a boat or a sandbar are hours of reflected sun, and this is the layer most women anglers end up living in. The hood has a ponytail opening so it actually stays up under a cap, the thumbholes protect the backs of her hands while she casts, and the fabric dries quickly after a wet release. It is the kind of gift she wears every trip.

For warm-weather fishing where a hoodie is too much, a fitted UPF sun shirt keeps her arms covered without the heat. It washes easily after a day of fish slime and sunscreen, and at this price you can buy her two colors.

Polarized lenses are the most underrated piece of fishing gear: they cut the glare off the water so she can spot fish, structure and weed lines she would otherwise miss. These are light enough to forget she is wearing them, and the adjustable nose pad helps them fit a narrower face than most unisex fishing shades.

The back of the neck is where anglers burn first. This wide brim hat adds a removable flap for the hottest hours, adjusts to fit over a ponytail, and folds into her bag between trips. A small, useful gift for under $10.

A wet boat deck is slippery and a muddy riverbank is worse. These women's deck boots keep her feet dry and give real grip, and the ankle height is easy to pull on and kick off between the truck and the boat.

If she fishes rivers or the surf, waders open up water she cannot reach from the bank. Many waders are only cut for men, but these come in women's sizes, and the welded boot feet mean no separate boots to buy.

Hands take a beating on the water from sun, line and fish teeth. These fingerless gloves protect the backs of her hands while leaving her fingertips free to tie knots and handle lures, and four pairs means one can always be drying.

A neck gaiter is standard kit on flats and offshore boats, where she can pull it up over her face when the sun gets brutal. This six-pack gives her enough to share with fishing friends or keep one in every bag.

If you want to give her one serious fishing rod, this is the safe bet. The Ugly Stik GX2 is famous for surviving years of slammed truck doors and big fish, the clear tip makes light bites easy to see, and the 6'6" length handles bass, walleye and panfish. It is a rod she will still be using in ten years.

For the woman who has said she wants to try fly fishing, this kit removes every excuse. The reel comes loaded with line, the 5/6 weight rod suits trout streams and bass ponds, and it packs into a case small enough to carry on a hiking trip.

A telescopic rod lives in the car trunk or a suitcase, so she can fish on vacation, at a campground or on a lunch break by the lake. This one is all graphite, which makes it lighter and more responsive than cheaper travel rods.

Whether she is just starting or her lure supply has been raided by snags, a full tackle kit gives her a bit of everything to try. It pairs naturally with any rod on this list for a complete beginner gift.

For the fly angler who likes winter projects, tying her own flies is the next step. A true rotary vise lets her spin the fly while she wraps, and catching a trout on something she tied herself is a special kind of satisfaction.

Every angler needs one box that holds the essentials, and Plano has been making this one for decades. The two trays keep lures sorted while the deep bottom swallows pliers, line and sunscreen. Fill it with a few of her favorite lures before you wrap it.

For the woman who walks or paddles to her fishing spots, a sling bag beats a hard tackle box. She can swing it around to grab a lure without taking it off, and it rides comfortably on a kayak seat or a long hike in.

Good pliers are the tool every angler uses on every fish, for unhooking, crimping and cutting line. This saltwater-rated set survives the salt and adds scissors that cut braid cleanly, and the bright orange makes them easy to find on a cluttered deck.

Settle the fishing-trip arguments for good. The lip gripper holds a fish securely for a quick photo and release, and the slim scale records weight in seconds, so she has proof of her personal best.

Losing a good fish at the boat is heartbreaking, and a proper net fixes that. The rubber mesh is kind to fish she plans to release and does not grab treble hooks, and it floats if it slips off the kayak.

If she keeps what she catches, a good fillet knife makes cleaning fish faster and safer. This set covers panfish to salmon with four lengths, and the roll bag keeps the blades protected in the boat or truck.

Size limits and catch-and-release tournaments both require an accurate measurement. This roll-up ruler lays flat for a clean photo of her catch, and the bump board end means no guessing.

Long days in the sun need cold water, and a Stanley keeps ice frozen from sunrise until the last cast. The handle makes it easy to carry from truck to boat, and it fits most boat and kayak cup holders.

The best bite is often at dawn or dusk, when she is tying knots in the dark. A headlamp leaves both hands free, the red mode does not spook fish or blind her fishing partner, and the second lamp is a ready spare.

She wants photos of her catch, but phones and lakes do not mix. These pouches keep a phone dry even if it goes overboard and still let her snap the picture, all for less than the cost of a phone repair deductible.

A little fish she can wear off the water. These dainty earrings are subtle enough for work but say exactly what she would rather be doing, and they make a sweet add-on to a bigger fishing gift.

Not every fishing gift has to go in the tackle box. This gold-plated fish hook necklace celebrates lake life in a piece she can wear every day, and it is a lovely gift from a partner who fishes with her or a friend who knows where she spends her weekends.

Serious anglers know that patterns in weather, water temperature and bait are how you catch more fish. A log book helps her spot them, and years later it becomes a record of every memorable day on the water.

A fun, inexpensive way for her to make her gear her own. Fifty waterproof fishing designs are enough to cover a tackle box, cooler and that new Stanley, and they hold up to splashes.

A classic Hallmark ornament for the angler on your list. Hang it on her tree or tie it to a gift bag as a holiday keepsake that marks her love of fishing year after year.