Choose this rain gear to stay dry and toasty on your next fishing trip. You can fish in the rain from land, wading in the water, floating on the water, or from a boat using this clothing and awning, tent, and canopy options.
All you diehard fishermen out there need amazing rain gear to keep you dry. You need rain gear to protect you from the morning mist over the pond or river from the fog on the lake and the downpour of rain in the ocean. Why let a little precipitation ruin a beautiful day at your favorite fishing hole?
Table of Contents
Types of Rain Gear for Fishing
What do you really need to remain dry while fishing?
The answer depends on whether you stand on land, in the water, or on a boat. Your fishing rain gear changes a bit depending on the spot from which you cast off.
Fishing from Land
Prepare for bad weather by taking a rain suit with you, as well as waders, rubber boots, and gaiters. You should also pack a tent or single-person popup. Skipping the wading jacket, rain jacket, and fishing jacket for the rain suit keeps you dry on top and bottom.
Your rain suit consists of a rain pant and a raincoat. If you have ever watched a movie about fishing or with a fishery featured in it, you have probably seen these bright yellow get ups. Think “The Perfect Storm” or “Jaws” and you will be on the right track. You won’t need a fishing hat because these fishing suits have the hood sewn onto them.
You can pull on a pair of waders over this if you want to remain utterly spotless. These heavy PVC overalls may make you look like you work down on the farm, but they provide you with a waterproof fishing experience. This is foul weather gear for any precipitation.
On your feet, ditch your sneakers or hiking boots just before the rain hits. Keep your thick socks, then add a pair of rubber boots. Over these boots, add a pair of gaiters so the water does not seep in through the tops of the boots.
Use a tall tent that lets you stand inside it but has a full-height opening so you can still cast off properly. While you can fit two people in one tent, it works better if you use a one-person popup tent. This option lets you keep off the bugs like mosquitoes that come out during wet weather, too. Others provide a larger space and more privacy so you can sleep in them, too.
Even if rain manages to splash towards you while you remain in the tent, your wet weather gear keeps you dry. You can continue to reel them in all day in this fishing rain gear because the tent’s storm flap keeps you dry.
Fishing in the Water
While you fish in the water, you wear the same clothing as fishing from land. Your fishing rain suit with its hooded jacket, waders, rubber boots, and gaiters. These slickers typically have two large cargo pockets instead of one chest pocket, so you can still carry items with you easily. You should choose boots that go as high as possible since you might find that the water rises while you fish.
Think about it. You started out fishing in one water level but once the rain starts falling, the water level rises. For this reason, you either need to pack boots that go higher than you typically wear, or you wade toward shore, so you do not stand as deep. Otherwise, chances are good that the water level will overtop your boots.
Gaiters can only block so much, and they are really meant to block debris from falling into or bugs from crawling into your boots. Rain can fall inside your waders despite gaiters or neoprene cuffs.
These factors explain why, on land, the tent works to keep you dry. What works when you stand in the water? Glad you asked.
If you are thinking you really do not want to get wet at all, meaning you want no rain pelting you, you just need a tent you can wear in the water. Here you go, the outdoor unisex mosquito netting hat tent. You can also try this umbrella hat that keeps you and the area surrounding you dry.
They both keep you from looking as if you were trekking to the Arctic, which happens if you wear this all-over thick waterproof jumpsuit with a cinched hood and face covering. Do you really want to dress like a mummy? Perhaps you want a full tent you can wear in the water. Certainly. It is bright yellow, just like your favorite childhood rain slicker probably was.
You can wear it and its attached hood while you fish in the water. It is an actual tent and the trekking poles you can use for hiking convert to tent poles. You will actually pitch this to sleep in but do pack a waterproof tarp because it does not have a tent floor.
Your final option is a floating tent. You can not only fish from it while anchoring it to a single spot, but you can also sleep in it. This tent raft/boat lets you float the river or lake as you fish. It provides a roomy space for two. Toss your sleeping bags in with your fishing gear and enjoy the weekend in the rain or sunshine.
Fishing on a Boat
Of course, you need your snazzy rain gear outfit. The breathability of these slickers and pants with their adjustable hood cannot be matched. Wear your rain suit here, too. Throw on a jaunty fishing hat if you want to look like you are out to capture Moby Dick or a great white like in “Jaws.” Remember your rubber boots and your gaiters over your pants. You can skip the waders on board.
You might want something to hang overhead though, besides an umbrella hat. On a boat, you probably have more than one fishing buddy with you. You need something like the retractable awnings you see advertised on TV for your house.
Yes, they make those for boats, too. Try the T-Top Boat Shade, so you can stay dry while you fish. It covers the entire bow of your ship, so you can fish while it rains. But wait. You say you fish from something smaller and not on a seafaring vessel?
You can cover your kayak with this awning so you can fish from it while the rain falls. Perhaps, though, you prefer something with closed sides like a tent. You want more of a canopy than just a boat shade. You can also cover your boat with a canopy that will also keep the bugs off of you during and after the rain.
Try this zip front opening canopy to stay dry while you continue to fish in the rain. The bug-proofed windows let you see out and the zippered door lets you open that flap and continue fishing. Zip it shut to enjoy dry weather during the storm once you have caught lunch.
Keeping Your Gear Dry
Your fishing rod and reel can get wet, but you probably want the rest of the items you brought with you to remain dry, especially the food! You only need a waterproof duffel bag or backpack. Anywhere you go, take with you this waterproofed duffel bag roomy enough for your overnight gear and your fishing equipment. You can get one for each member of the family in their favorite color since it comes in seven different hues. No need for anything to get damp.
Your foodstuffs stay dry and immediately munchable when you carry them in these zippered, handled insulated grocery totes. Get one for drinks, one for food, and enjoy your meal. This lets you carry food you can immediately eat while you fish.
You can take a small, tabletop cooker with you, so you can cook your fish while on your camping trip. Take charcoals with you or gather firewood ahead of the rain. Since all of your above overnight accommodations remain ventilated, you can still use a tabletop cooker like this one that uses butane as fuel.
Where to Buy
You can follow the links in this article for direct access to the options discussed. If you want to peruse some equipment on your own and shop for other good rain gear, try REI, Walmart, Amazon.com, Airgas, Bass Pro Shops, and Cabela’s. You will have an incredibly easy time finding rain gear for fishing online. Best of luck catching the big one on your next fishing trip.
