Seven ways to stay cool while fishing during hot summer days

We are now in the midst of the hottest days of summer.  How can those of us who love to fish still pursue our sport and not burn up?

Last week I wrote about “burning the midnight oil” i.e. night fishing. But if you like to sleep at night here are some suggestions to help with August fishing.

1. Start early and get off the water by noon. Fish before the sun comes up. If you get to the lake at 10 a.m., you have missed the coolest hours of the day and you won’t be able to put very many hours into your fishing activity.

2. Fish rivers in a kayak.  Rivers tend to be guarded by big pecan, sycamore and elm trees. That means shade.  My friend, Mike Schlimgen, limits his summer fishing almost exclusively to the San Marcos, Guadalupe and Blanco Rivers. Cooler air coming off the cool river water is always refreshing.

3. Get wet. That’s one of the benefits of fishing a kayak on the river. Much of the time you are in the water pulling the kayak. But I go overboard in my boat when it gets hot on the lake. Wet clothing with a tiny breeze feels like air conditioning.

I wear a broad-brimmed hat and I keep it wet. When the top of your head is cool it really helps.

4. Keep hydrated. Drink lots of water. Don’t wait until you get thirsty.  You can get dehydrated more quickly than you think or before you ever realize it. Some people like to supplement water with sports drinks to add salts, minerals, electrolytes, etc. Don’t drink alcohol on a hot day on the lake.  Also, soft drinks with lots of sugar are bad. Both of these, alcohol and sugary drinks, actually cause you to lose more body fluids.

5. Wear light, loose- fitting clothing. Dark colors absorb heat. White reflects heat. I always, wear long-sleeved fishing shirts with the air vent flap in the back. I also wear long fishing pants.  These are so light and dry quickly. Blue jeans are a real bad choice. They are heavy, absorb heat and won’t dry.

Shot sleeved shirts and shorts are hot to me. Even with lots of sunscreen on they look like good clothing to fry in. With the long clothing you only need sunscreen on face and hands.

I wear light fishing gloves.  They protect from the sun and you can keep them wet the whole trip.

Neck kerchiefs can also help you keep cool. They block sun on the neck (some fishermen pull them over their face). Keep them wet if you don’t mind wet cloth on your neck. Mike Schlimgen recently brought me a nice kerchief from Venice, La. I am putting it to use.

6. Pace yourself.  Some of my fishing pals fish like a house afire. That kind of fervent activity produces heat. Slow down. It’s not December.

7. Fish the coast. Some people have the mistaken idea that the coast is hotter in the summer. Not so.  Temperatures at Aransas Pass where we fish will be consistently 10 degrees cooler than San Marcos.  Usually you can also count on a sea breeze.

By 11:30 a.m. on Lake Bastrop, I often feel like I am in a broiler but I rarely feel the heat on Redfish Bay.  Of course, I do get out of the boat to wade fish some of my favorite flats. I can’t wade nearly as long with these old legs, but I still love it.

Dehydration is no laughing matter. Our bodies are 75 percent water. When we are dehydrated our blood and other bodily fluids become thicker and less diluted. When that happens we don’t get the necessary oxygen and nutrients distributed to the body.  Soon we began to feel tired and lethargic, accompanied sometimes with headaches.  Watch for dry mouth and dry eyes.

Also, strong orange or dark yellow urine can be a sign of dehydration. This can lead to urinary tract infection. If so, drink more water.

Sometimes dehydration causes what is called brain fog which leads to poor concentration. This can make us more accident prone.

Beyond dehydration you can easily experience heat stroke in a boat in this August weather. The most common symptoms of heat stroke, as the internal body temperature climbs, are dizziness and fainting, along with nausea and vomiting.  All this is related to dehydration.  Rapid heartbeat and shallow breathing are other scary signs of a heat stroke.  If you feel any of this happening to you get in the shade or better yet inside with A.C. and drink lots of water. You may need to contact a doctor.

Just be smart and get off the lake when it gets too hot.