24,000 Smallmouth Bass Later: Why I Never Fish Without Sun Gloves

Guest Blog by Bill Schultz, Glacier Outdoor Pro and Smallmouth Bass Legend based in New Berlin, Wisconsin. 

Have most of us had more sun exposure than we need? I think in most cases the answer is "yes"! Are there activities that we love to do that many times are enjoyed out in the sun? For me this activity is fishing, and in particular catching and releasing smallmouth bass (a.k.a. "smallies")!

I got back into fishing after many years in 1992, caught my first smallmouth bass in 1994, and as of the other day I have caught and released over 36,000. That's a lot of days or parts of days in my YarCraft fishing boat, one of my Jackson kayaks, or in a pair of waders in one of our southern Wisconsin rivers.

Like most, I really enjoy being outside, but I've always tried to do a decent job of protecting myself from the sun. I have a picture of me with one of my first river smallies from August 1994. I'm standing in the Wisconsin River in shorts and a short-sleeve shirt. I did have a hat and sunglasses on, but how I was dressed is very different from how I've evolved in my on-the-water clothing to protect my skin from the sun. Going back through my thousands of pictures with smallmouth bass, by the early 2000s I was wearing Columbia pants, long-sleeve fishing shirts, a hat, and sunscreen for exposed skin, especially the backs of my hands and face. But grabbing all those smallies, the sunscreen quickly wore off, and the backs of my hands were getting too much sun!

2010 was the year I began wearing Glacier Outdoors sun gloves, and I remember how excited I was to "really" protect the backs of my hands. A few years later, I started wearing a buff to protect much of my face and neck. I'm probably a dermatologist's poster boy now, and I enjoy emphasizing and showing sun protection in my talks each year for sports shows and fishing clubs! Having kept a fishing log each year since I got back into fishing, I can tell you that I have caught and released my last 24,000+ smallies wearing sun gloves by Glacier Outdoors!

Over the years, I have primarily worn the Islamorada and Ascension Bay gloves for my warmer weather fishing. They are comfortable, have UPF 50+ sun protection, come up to cover my wrists, and the synthetic leather on the palms adds a layer of protection without losing any flexibility. When the temps start getting below 50 degrees, I wear and love the Alaska River gloves with the felt backs and thin neoprene palms. On those colder days, my hands stay nice and warm!

Over the many years I've been wearing Glacier Outdoors sun gloves, the colors have evolved, and now there are several great options! I've talked fishing so far, but these gloves are great for all your outdoor activities when your hands are going to get a beating from the sun. With the synthetic leather palms, they're also great for kayaking, which I use them for as well, along with many of the hikes I enjoy taking with my spouse.

So the next time you're headed out on the water, or anywhere else the sun is going to find you, do your skin a favor and give Glacier Outdoors sun gloves a try. Thirty-plus years of chasing smallmouth have taught me that it's the small habits that add up over a lifetime, and protecting your hands is one of the easiest ones to build.

Learn more about the Glacier gear Bill loves.