Christmas is just a few short days away and it seems like just yesterday that I sat down and hammered out last years Christmas column about the items that you could purchase for the sportsperson on your list. Here are some items that I highly recommend this year. I will start out with items that are small in price, but big on the idea of giving. Our first selection is one of the ultimate gifts for an outdoors person. I have written articles before about custom rods; Kris Kristufek builds one of them that is the very best here in Minnesota.

Kris builds award winning functional custom fishing rods “As Individual As You Are.” At LakeLady Custom Rods, he offers handcrafted fishing tools that are custom-fitted to your individual measurements. Using premium blanks and components, each rod is crafted with care, distinction and attention to detail, creating a unique fishing rod for the discriminating fisherperson. Check out LakeLady Rods at www.lakeladyrods.com you can always get a gift certificate for a rod and your special someone can develop their own rod.

Every sportsman needs new line for his reels. Berkley has made some excellent line in Berkley XL, XT and my favorite is Sensation. If he fishes in a clear lake you might want to get him Vanish a Fluorocarbon line that is an inexpensive gift for a child to give to a parent. Everyone’s tackle box can use a variety 1/8 or 1/4 ounce Northland Gami UV jigs™ and Impulse smelt and paddle bug™ for plastic trailers they are some little items that can be given to any sportsperson. A small gift that keeps on giving is a Northland Tackle Tamer. It’s a convenient anti-tangle storage system for snells of any length. It allows one to wind and unwind snells and leaders with ease. Each Northland Tackle Tamer features 12 divisions for organizing the live bait rigs, spinners, or floating snells. The unique keeper slits reliably hold snells in place, with hooks embed firmly in high-density foam. Northland Tackle Tamer takes up little space in the tackle box. And they float! Don’t overlook small items such as Forage Minnows in some great fish catching colors. This new revolutionary artificial bait is great for panfish to muskies. Tyger Leader is a great inexpensive gift for the angler. You might not find this at Cabela’s or Gander Mountain, but you can contact them online at www.tygerleader.com. Tyger ™ Leader is flexible enough to tie to your monofilament using virtually all monofilament knots. Due to the high quality nylon coating your knot never slips. State of the art technology allows this stainless steel knottable leader, designed to handle toothy fish, and is nylon coated to resist abrasive rock and coral.

If you are looking for things for your spouse then a Calyx/Scimitar Rod and Reel Combo from Shimano is a great choice. If you really want to buy a gift that keeps on giving then the new Calcutta TE DC bait casting reel from Shimano is the perfect gift to give. Or you might want to purchase a Lowrance HDS-8 Gen 2 or a Lowrance HDS-10 Gen 2 (Depth finder) so the whole family can see all the fish that are down there as well as plot a course on the GPS.

If the outdoors person in your life isn’t into fishing I know some outdoor products that he might like to have. One tool that I never leave home without is a universal multi-tool from Leatherman. You might have run across them in Cabela’s magazines, they look like a folding pair of pliers, but they are much more. There are screwdrivers, leather punches, scissors etc. stored on this one little device. The multi-tool that I have and use all summer long is called the Wave. Another great tool for a person is a folding knife; I would recommend one from Buck Knives. Here to, these knives do more than just cut; many of them might have features for cleaning birds or sawing a small tree. Needless to say they are great to have when you are outdoors.

Every sportsman needs new line for his reels. Pure Fishing (Berkley) has many excellent lines to choose from, an inexpensive gift for a child to give to a parent. If you are looking for things for your spouse then the G-Loomis jigging or a bass rod is and excellent choice. Team this up with a Stradic Shimano reel and you have a combination. When your spouse is not using this rod and reel it might be something that you will want to use. Maybe even a pair of Cabela’s hip boots or waders might be on the list for both you and your spouse. These come in handy in the spring when wading the streams for trout and smallmouth bass. If you are looking for a unique stocking stuffer you can’t go wrong with the Gulp Gripper from www.kasswinns.com. This device will take your favorite Solo cup and put an attractive handle on it.

Hoppe’s Elite Copper Terminator / Gun Oil — Go green this Christmas with non-toxic, biodegradable and non-flammable cleaning products from Hoppe’s. The new Elite line of cleaning products is odorless and won’t harm the environment. The Copper Terminator and Gun Oil are now available in 2- and 4-oz. spray bottles. The Copper Terminator will quickly remove copper fouling from the bore without the use of ammonia.

As long as we are looking at guns you might look into purchasing a gun safe. They range in price from $100 to several thousand dollars. Price corresponds to effectiveness; ranging from keeping your guns from children on up to keeping them out of the hands of heavy-duty burglars. You may also want to look at fire protection. Maybe your sportsman is a bird hunter and in that case a small inexpensive gift might be a box of Remington Shotgun shells.

Turkey Stix — The turkey hunter on your list will appreciate the new Turkey Stix from Stoney Point. It eliminates the need to balance a shotgun on your knee until that tom turkey comes into view. The Turkey Stix is simple yet effective. Constructed of durable aluminum shafts with a quick assembly shock cord system, it attaches to the barrel of the shotgun with a non-marring friction clamp that stays in place as you pick up your gun. Assembled it is 25” high yet folds to half its height for easy stowing. It’s ideal for novice turkey hunters and seasoned veterans.

When shopping for that Sportsperson, listen to what they would like and make a note of the things. Some things might have nothing to do with fishing. For example, all outdoorsmen value their photos, maybe a digital camera would be the ideal gift. Or you can’t go wrong with camouflage clothing. There’s a ton of it on the market, and a host of patterns to choose from.

Most important thing to remember when considering a gift for the Sportsmen is to keep it simple and well within your budget. If you have a young child allow them to make something for the Sportsman. Remember the gift is in the giving. It can be as simple as a carved whistle, or as elaborate as a new boat motor and trailer. Whatever it might be the ideal gift for your Sportsman is within us all, just stop and think and you will come up with the ideal gift.

To each of you and yours, we would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Joyous and Happy New Year.