Gear Review: the Bass Pro Shops 100mph Suit

If you have ever found yourself fishing in inclement weather where you were ‘cold’ and/or ‘wet’, this is the type of serious gear you wish you had. I know, because I’ve fished without it for a few tournaments, and it sucks.

The problem with being ‘cold’ and/or ‘wet’ (I.e. miserable) while you are fishing is that it is highly distracting. You spend more of your brainpower figuring out how to be less cold or less wet, leaving much less time being mentally focused on fishing. Cold/Wet weather can also constrain you in terms of moving the boat to your favorite fishing holes. If your best holes are some distance away, and running to them means driving wind and rain, you are less likely to commit to those longer distance runs. However, when you have the right gear, all bets are off.

I’d like to start by saying that the Bass Pro Shops 100mph suit (Bib and Parka) are indeed the ‘right gear’…

We just got done with our first club tournament of 2015 on the Harris Chain of Lakes in central Florida. A cold front pushed through during the week, dropping temps significantly a few days prior to the tournament. Both Brian and I received 100mph suits for Christmas (Thanks, Tiia!). We suited up at the ramp. I had thin Columbia fishing pants on underneath the bib, and my team jersey, fleece, and team hoody on underneath the parka. I also had a good pair of columbia gloves, as well as my faithful old Gore-Tex Timberland Chukka boots. We were both warm and comfortable. It was a windy 41 degrees that morning and we made a long run from the Hickory Point Ramp all the way to Lake Griffin. It is usually a 45 minute run for us. We wouldn’t have made that run had we not been warm and dry for the ride. We were, thanks largely to the 100mph suits.

I could go on and on about all the little features of the suits – neoprene tight-sealed cuffs, air tight zippers, detachable hoods, fleece-lined pockets and collars, etc… The whole is greater than the parts in this product’s case. The suits flat out work. They keep you warm and dry, allowing you to remain fully focused on fishing.

They aren’t cheap, but they aren’t the most expensive gear available either. I’ll go out on a limb here and say that I doubt you’ll get better bang for your weather-proofing buck than the Bass Pro Shops 100mph Bibs and Parkas!