i want to try to fish for LMB throughout the winter. clothing?

i believe you all call it "immersion gear"?

what am i wearing during the winter months, floating in a big frosty lake?  Farmer Johns?

or a dry suit?  this is all foreign to me.  initially, i thought i would put the boat into deep storage.  now?  not so much.  i wanna keep at it.

Dry suit. Winter is my favorite time to fish. Lots less people on the lake.

reading up on DrySuits.  the information is staggering.

reading up on DrySuits.  the information is staggering.

There's lots and lots of marketing speak and that makes things quite confusing.  It breaks down to a few simple categories:  suit type (1 piece, 2 piece), garment material, seal material.

For the one piece versus two piece, I've only ever worn 1-piece ones.  I know they sell bibs and dry tops that join them and I hear they keep you dry, but I don't have any personal experience with them.  I noticed that many of the bib pants do not have booties.  A 1 piece will cover everything below your neck and inboard of your wrists including your feet.

For garment material, you'll find Gore-Tex to be quite popular.  Gore-Tex is a brand name of specific breathable waterproof materials that are only licensed to be joined with a specific list of materials (e.g. 4 layer Gore-Tex laminated with 200 Cordura nylon).  You'll then notice that each drysuit manufacturer then has their own breathable waterproof material (e.g. Kokatat's Hydrus).  Each one has their own pros and cons.

For seal material, you'll find either rubber seals that are 100% watertight or neoprene that are not 100% watertight.  The rubber seals are trimmed to fit your wrists/neck.  The rubber seals can tear and are replaceable (DIY or by a shop).  Neoprene seals are softer and less restrictive (hence not being 100% watertight).

Given all of that, you basically need to think about your specific use case.  Are you fishing lakes where you're concerned you might spend an hour floating in the cold water waiting for help?  I'd go full 1 piece with rubber seals.  Are you going to be fishing lakes where once in the water and if you're unable to get back in your kayak (let's say worst case scenario your kayak is swamped) but you can easily swim to shore?  Maybe compromising on some of the above is worthwhile (personally, I'd still be using a 1 piece with rubber seals).

Hopefully that helps clear some things up and gets you in a productive shopping direction.

reading up on DrySuits.  the information is staggering.

There's lots and lots of marketing speak and that makes things quite confusing.  It breaks down to a few simple categories:  suit type (1 piece, 2 piece), garment material, seal material.

For the one piece versus two piece, I've only ever worn 1-piece ones.  I know they sell bibs and dry tops that join them and I hear they keep you dry, but I don't have any personal experience with them.  I noticed that many of the bib pants do not have booties.  A 1 piece will cover everything below your neck and inboard of your wrists including your feet.

For garment material, you'll find Gore-Tex to be quite popular.  Gore-Tex is a brand name of specific breathable waterproof materials that are only licensed to be joined with a specific list of materials (e.g. 4 layer Gore-Tex laminated with 200 Cordura nylon).  You'll then notice that each drysuit manufacturer then has their own breathable waterproof material (e.g. Kokatat's Hydrus).  Each one has their own pros and cons.

For seal material, you'll find either rubber seals that are 100% watertight or neoprene that are not 100% watertight.  The rubber seals are trimmed to fit your wrists/neck.  The rubber seals can tear and are replaceable (DIY or by a shop).  Neoprene seals are softer and less restrictive (hence not being 100% watertight).

Given all of that, you basically need to think about your specific use case.  Are you fishing lakes where you're concerned you might spend an hour floating in the cold water waiting for help?  I'd go full 1 piece with rubber seals.  Are you going to be fishing lakes where once in the water and if you're unable to get back in your kayak (let's say worst case scenario your kayak is swamped) but you can easily swim to shore?  Maybe compromising on some of the above is worthwhile (personally, I'd still be using a 1 piece with rubber seals).

Hopefully that helps clear some things up and gets you in a productive shopping direction.

that helped in a huge way.  thanks.

reading up on DrySuits.  the information is staggering.

Hopefully that helps clear some things up and gets you in a productive shopping direction.

sorry.  one more question.  the ocean guys around here wear Farmer Johns.  is that an option for a freshwater winter lake?

reading up on DrySuits.  the information is staggering.

Hopefully that helps clear some things up and gets you in a productive shopping direction.

sorry.  one more question.  the ocean guys around here wear Farmer Johns.  is that an option for a freshwater winter lake?

I wear a farmer john wetsuit out on the ocean.  On my top, I wear synthetic wicking layers and a splash top.  From cold water survival training and years of immersion experience, I know I'm comfortable enough in a wetsuit when water temperatures are above 55° F and air temperatures are above 50° F.  Anything below that and I want a drysuit.

I know that doesn't explicitly answer your question, but a good general rule we used in the USCG was any time water + air temp was below 120 or any time water temp was below 60°, we would wear immersion gear.  If the air + water was below 100, we were required to wear dry suits.  There are other similar formulas out there and the USCG uses a more modern one these days, but you get the point.

If I were to be fishing a lake that had water temps in the 40s?  I'd want a dry suit.

reading up on DrySuits.  the information is staggering.

Hopefully that helps clear some things up and gets you in a productive shopping direction.

sorry.  one more question.  the ocean guys around here wear Farmer Johns.  is that an option for a freshwater winter lake?

I wear a farmer john wetsuit out on the ocean.  On my top, I wear synthetic wicking layers and a splash top.  From cold water survival training and years of immersion experience, I know I'm comfortable enough in a wetsuit when water temperatures are above 55° F and air temperatures are above 50° F.  Anything below that and I want a drysuit.

I know that doesn't explicitly answer your question, but a good general rule we used in the USCG was any time water + air temp was below 120 or any time water temp was below 60°, we would wear immersion gear.  If the air + water was below 100, we were required to wear dry suits.  There are other similar formulas out there and the USCG uses a more modern one these days, but you get the point.

If I were to be fishing a lake that had water temps in the 40s?  I'd want a dry suit.

Super super clear.   Thank you sir.!