No time like the present to cast for Christmas gift ideas

Christmas is still more than a month away, but there is no time like the present to start shopping for the outdoors junkie on your gift list. Just be sure to shop smart.

One of the best ways to start is by casting for a few hints. You might even reach out to the gift getter’s closest hunting or fishing buddies to share some ideas.

In my book, the best gifts are those keep right on giving long after Christmas Day. Here are a few goodies to consider for on your shopping list:

State Park Pass

A Texas State Park Pass is a great gift for the entire family. The annual pass sold by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department costs $70 and provides unlimited year-round access to more than 80 state parks, natural areas and visitor centers around the state.

Texas State Parks are a valuable resource that provide a pathway to wide variety of activities like hiking, fishing, paddling, camping, biking, bird watching, picnicking and much more. Several state parks host holiday events, seasonal workshops and other special events over the course of the year.

Fishing is free in state parks with no license or endorsements required. This means the whole family can fish for free. Park passes are issued to one person; second passes for someone who lives at the same address cost $25. You cannot purchase a pass for someone else. If you want to give a pass to another person, please purchase a gift card instead. tpwd.tex.gov.

FFS ELITE Trolling Motor Mount

Florida-based Transducer Shield and Saver’s FFS Elite mount makes fine-tuning Garmin and Lowrance Live Target forward facing transducers a breeze. Made from durable aluminum alloy and features interlocking teeth that allow for rotating transducers in five-degree increments. Fits all trolling motors and rotates between forward/down and perspective/scout settings. Sells for $299. Transducershieldandsaver. com.

Trigger Stick Gen3 Tall Tripod Shooting Stick A great addition to every hunter’s arsenal. The shooting stick adjusts quickly up or down using a patented trigger release and extreme leg angles to provide a solid rifle rest on any terrain. Ideal for spot and stalk hunts or for use in ground blinds. Doubles as a mount for spotting scopes and other accessories. Sells for $169.99. Also available in monopod model for $79.99. primos.com.

Cash or Gift Cards

Cash or gift cards make great safety nets for undecided shoppers or those who wait until the last minute. Most major sporting goods retailers offer eGift Cards that can be purchased online and customized for automatic delivery to the recipient via e-mail on a specified date.

Guided Trip

A guided fishing trip makes a great gift for casual and serious anglers, alike. Fresh and saltwater trips are available for individuals or small groups for those with friends who might want to split the cost.

Guided crappie fishing trips are especially popular with freshwater crowds these days. The fish are relatively easy to catch and liberal limits allow anglers to take home plenty of tasty fillets to eat.

Rates vary guide to guide according to the number of anglers and the services offered. To wit: Josh Sikes with Bent Rods Guide Service charges $600 per for up to four people and $100 for each additional person up to eight people. All tackle and bait are provided. Fish cleaning is $1 per fish.

Gerber Lockdown Drive Multi-Tool

It’s a high quality multi-tool small enough fit your pocket, yet big enough to tackle multiple jobs in the field with a mix of eight useful tools. Features a 2 1/2 inch locking knife blade, double-sided bit driver with 1/4 inch bits, file, chisel edge and a replaceable #11 utility blade. Measures just over three inches when fully closed and comes with a handy pocket clip. Sells for $60. Gerber makes a wide variety other multi-tools. Check them out at Gerbergear.com

Abu Garcia Zata 2LP-HS Reel

Bass anglers can never have too many bait casting reels. Abu Garcia’s Zata LP is packed with a long line of goodies aimed at top level performance and durability for a price that won’t break the bank ($189.95).

Among other things, the low profile reel features a smooth 20 pound Carbon Matrix drag, Duragear brass gears, 11 stainless bearings, bent carbon handle, over-sized grips and an Infini magnetic/centrifugal braking system with 27 points of adjustment. The Zata family also features a series of spinning reels available available in three sizes — 2500, 3000 and 4000. Abugarcia.com Matt Williams is a freelance writer based in Nacogdoches, mattwillwrite4u@yahoo.com.