Somewhere on the horizon lies the perfect fishing shirt. This custom garment fits you like a glove and gives you the freedom to move quickly, comfortably, and with style. While wearing this fishing shirt, you’ll reel in your biggest catch yet, serendipitously encounter a long-lost friend on the water, and cap off the day with a drink and good company.
Well - maybe. While we can’t guarantee that your next fishing shirt will bait the fish and friends of your dreams, we can offer you our expertise in the world of fishing shirt technology. If you need a checklist for your next fishing shirt purchase, look no further: look for these five fishing shirt features so that you’re ready to perform now and play later.
Best Fishing Shirts
1. Lightweight
Gone are the days of recycling your old cotton shirt for the next fishing trip. A true fishing shirt should be designed with lightweight material, allowing you to react quickly and move efficiently without instantly breaking into a sweat. The best performance fishing shirts are often designed with microfiber, which consists of a synthetic polyester blend. When designed in tandem with “dri-fit” or “sun shirt” technologies - common phrases used to describe performance fishing shirts - lightweight microfiber blends make fishing and boating much more comfortable by amplifying breathability and moisture-wicking properties.
2. U.V Protection
When you’re spending long days on the boat or just lounging on the dock, sun protection is essential. Every fishing shirt should be made with UPF 50 material, which blocks 98% of ultraviolet or UV rays. If you expect a choppy ride, it’s crucial to find a fishing shirt that maintains its UV rating when wet. Your sun-protective fishing shirt should also be waterproof to keep you cool, calm, and collected while navigating unpredictable waters.
3. Custom Designs
Who said that your basic fishing shirt needs to look basic? A custom fishing shirt empowers you to hit the water with skill and style. We recommend making your first stop at Custom Captain: our creative team has the talent and tools to transform a high-quality photograph of your vessel into a boat line drawing. Add an extra personal touch with a boat logo, fishing graphic design, and any other information - like your home port or boat name - that will take your new fishing shirt to the next level. Your high-resolution boat drawing can be printed on our dri-fit boat shirt, which features long sleeves and SPF 50 protection for a full day of fishing.
4. Performance Stitching & Materials
Performance stitching - sometimes referred to as reinforced athletic stitching, or just athletic stitching - makes fishing shirts stronger and stretchier while minimizing the discomfort of material rubbing against the skin. Other athletic designs might be sewn into the fabric of a performance fishing shirt, including:
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Vented mesh panels, which keep the air flowing and the angler moving!
- A yoked back design, which curves around the shoulders to allow for comfortable casting
- Plenty of pockets to store your loose fishing gear and bait
- Long sleeves that can be easily rolled up when things get messy; otherwise, keep them rolled down to protect yourself from the summer heat!
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A hood to maximize protection against UV rays
By combining any or all of these features in your new fishing shirt, you’ll find that your reaction time and overall comfort increase - while the discomfort of too-tight sleeves and stiff material all but disappear. The perfect fishing shirt should be just short of magical, molding to your body without restricting movement or getting in the way of your ultimate goal: the biggest catch of the day.
5. Dye-Sublimated Printing
Dye sublimation: a fancy way of saying that any graphics on your fishing shirt won’t crack or fade. When shopping for a fishing shirt, you might see a few “dye terms” bounced around, including:
- Full Dye Sublimation: This process works by dying the shirt color and the shirt graphic at the same time, fusing the print with the fabric to prevent cracking and peeling.
- Spot Dye Sublimation: In this process, the fishing shirts are colored first; then, the graphics are “spot” printed. This works best with light colored shirts and fishing graphics, as light colors don’t print well on dark garments.
Regardless of how your fishing shirt is dyed, the most important takeaway for any fisherman is the logistical benefit of dye-sublimated fishing shirts: these garments are much more durable and easier to wash than your standard cotton tee.
Fishing and boating involve lots of movement, sunlight, and unruly weather: this is why you’ll want a dye-sublimated fishing shirt to endure years of saltwater and sunlight. Pair high-quality dye with UV protection, lightweight material, athletic features, and a custom design, and your fishing shirt will be prepared to depart on its very own maiden voyage - on your body!