Fishing Gloves: Complete Guide
Protecting your hands while fishing is an often-overlooked aspect of spending time on the water. The right pair of fishing gloves can protect anglers from cold weather, sun exposure, and even fishing-related injuries involving hooks, fillet knives, wire leaders, or fish fins/teeth/spines. AFTCO offers a wide variety of fishing gloves, all serving a specific purpose.
With so many fishing glove styles and types available, choosing the ideal pair that matches your fishing conditions and style can feel overwhelming. Our team has dissected the distinctive features of each style to help you select the perfect gloves for your next outdoor adventure.
Sun Protection Gloves
Wearing sun protection fishing gloves protects your hands from the sun by blocking or absorbing harmful UV radiation. For beginners and seasoned veterans alike, ensuring your hands are protected from the elements is crucial for a comfortable day on the water. Sun gloves rated UPF 50+ provide exceptional protection, allowing less than 2% of harmful rays to penetrate, ensuring excellent shielding against sun exposure.
One of the most popular sun glove options for anglers are fingerless fishing gloves. Fingerless style gloves are perfect for keeping your hands protected from the sun on those hot sunny days while also allowing for increased dexterity. If you’re consistently re-rigging your tackle or tying knots, a fingerless fishing glove might be the best choice for you. For a bit more protection, the AFTCO Sol Pro Gloves feature the same fingerless style but offer more coverage for your wrist. If you are also looking for extra palm protection, the Solmar UV Fishing Gloves feature extra padding in the palm while still leaving your fingertips exposed for easy knot tying. For more sun protection gear tips, check out our blog How to Choose Sun Protection Clothing for Fishing.
Cold Weather Fishing Gloves
Die-hard cold weather anglers demand fishing gloves that offer warmth, waterproofing, dexterity, and grip. Not all gloves meet these standards. Finding the best cold weather fishing gloves can be challenging, but they're essential to prevent cold extremities. We recommend a dual-layer approach to protecting your hands. As a base layer for hand protection, the Helm Insulated Fishing Gloves offer a 4-way stretch outer shell with microfleece insulation and a reinforced silicone textured palm. To accommodate various conditions, wearing the Element Gloves standalone or layering them over the Helm Gloves are among the recommended options. For ice fishing anglers and those tackling extremely cold days, the Hydronaut Gloves offer the ideal solution. They’re constructed with a 220D 4-way stretch shell and feature 3M™ Thinuslate™ insulation, water-resistant DWR, adjustable wrist straps, touchscreen sensitive index fingers, and reflective accents for low light conditions. Explore our guide for selecting the best cold weather fishing gear.
Jigging Gloves
In just a few years, slow-pitch jigging has seen a remarkable surge among American saltwater anglers, becoming one of today's hottest techniques and emphasizing the necessity of quality jigging gloves. Jigging demands constant reeling and line manipulation, often causing strain on your hands, particularly during multi-day trips. AFTCO's Jig Pro Gloves were crafted for this specific purpose—providing full-finger protection without compromising sensitivity or dexterity. Check out our guide for expert slow-pitch jigging tips.
Fillet Gloves
AFTCO Fillet Gloves are a must-have in every angler's tackle box, protecting fingers from sharp knives to improve safety and efficiency. These gloves provide a secure grip on slimy fish, making the filleting process cleaner and more efficient after a day on the water.
Saltwater Fishing Gloves
Whether navigating offshore or inshore, reliable fishing gloves are essential. Drawing from extensive on-water experience, the AFTCO team has encountered and addressed a wide range of challenges. Leveraging insights from our dedicated pro staff, we consistently innovate hand protection, providing gloves tailored for anglers, deckhands, and wiremen to cover all scenarios.
Wire Max Gloves
In big-game saltwater fishing, the wireman has the most dangerous job on the boat. Handling heavy leader with an above-average-sized fish, the wireman's role involves gripping the line by hand to bring in the catch. Hand protection isn't just a choice; it's essential. The Wire Max Gloves feature a tacky palm for improved grip and closed-cell foam with super-tough Armortex shielding the top of your hand from taut lines.
Release Gloves
As the name suggests, the Release Gloves were crafted specifically for releasing fish. Reinforced in the thumb, index, and middle finger for added strength. The index finger and outer section of the glove employ super-tough Armortex, enhancing protection during fish leadering. Additionally, they improve grip not just on the leader but also on wet boat rails.
Utility Gloves
Whether you're pulling the anchor or cinching down connection knots, the Utility Gloves ensure protection against cuts and blisters. With Ax Suede G-Series material on the palm panels, they enhance grip even in wet conditions.
Short Pump Gloves
Fishing gets slippery. The Short Pump Gloves ensure a strong grip on your rod and reel handle while preventing palm and finger blisters during prolonged battles. Constructed with Spandura 4-way stretch material and ½ length fingers, they offer the dexterity needed for rigging baits and tying knots.
Choosing the perfect fishing glove isn't just about the technical stuff; it's also about finding a brand that vibes with your values. AFTCO and the Shedd family contribute at least 10% of company profits towards organizations and causes working to conserve our oceans, waterways, and fish populations while protecting angler rights and public access to these resources. Learn more about our sustainability and conservation efforts.
