Sarley: Holiday gift ideas for the procrastinating shopper

Wow, I’ve still got two weeks left to accomplish my Christmas shopping. That’s a record for me.

Procrastination is a very awful practice for me. Worse yet is that I wait so long to give my gift suggestions out that most people have already done their shopping. I apologize. Maybe next year I can do it by Thanksgiving.

When I buy fishing equipment for my own personal use, I tend to purchase gear that offers a very good value at a reasonable price. Mrs. Sarley gets the first look at all the credit card bills and I don’t want to start World War III at the holidays. I think you can get some very fine fishing gear at prices that won’t break the bank.

I just ran across reels made by 13 Fishing that seem like a really good deal to me. Their spinning reels seem very smooth and they have drags that feel well-balanced. They retail for about $50, but they appear to be worth double that price. I just ordered and received three of them for my sons and son-in-law. I’ll let you know how they work out.

I’ve said that I think that the lowest price you should pay for a bait casting reel is $200. These types of reels are very complicated and technical. Cheap baitcasters are a letdown. Not any more. An Asian company called Kast King has come out with a phenomenal baitcasting reel that has a sticker price at merely $100.

Kast King has gotten Skeet Reese, one of the best fishermen on the water, to put his name on these fine reels, called “Icon.” This thrifty reel has solved my problem of getting birds nests when I cast. I never thought that would be possible.

If anyone wants to buy something extremely special for a very wonderful guy, here is a hint. If my family is reading this, I am blatantly giving a strong hint. I’d love to own an All-American Pro Series Rod made by the Grandt Rod Company of Arlington Heights.

My buddy, Jim Grandt, makes the finest fishing rods in the world. They are incredibly sensitive and have the best warranty in the fishing industry. The Pro Series is priced starting in the lower $200 range. The prices go up from there, and I cannot believe that rods that cost $400 and $500 a pop can be any better. The Grandt rods are like fishing with a dream.

Realizing that many of us can’t afford a Grandt rod, I’ll throw out the suggestion to look into Ugly Stik. It’s the bestselling rod in the world and works well enough for the weekend angler. Ugly Stik rods run between $50 and $80 and are a good bargain. The Elite Series rods are pretty good, but I’d stay away from the lower-level products.

I love to read and I’d like to remind all of you about a couple of books written by a pair of readers. Mike Mitten is one of the country’s most accomplished bow hunters. The book, “The Enchantment of Bowhunting,” published by Herd Bull Productions, is a tome that anyone who has hunted is sure to enjoy.

“A Life Well Fished: ‘Reel’ Adventures and the Stuff That Happened in Between,” is a great read that should resonate with most of us who have fished as a regular guy. Ed Piotrowski from Huntley is the author. I think books are a terrific choice for good Christmas presents.

Next week I’ll offer up a couple of suggestions for some last-minute stocking stuffers that won’t break the bank.

• Daily Herald Outdoors columnist Steve Sarley can be reached at sarfishing@yahoo.com.