Water is capable of sucking the heat from your body at a rate that is 25 times faster than air. When you are Ice Fishing you are already exposing your body to air temperatures that are below freezing. It is imperative that you were something on your hands that will protect them from the cold, and keep them dry.
You will be surprised how landing just one fish with wet, cold hands will put a chill in your body, and will make your hands nearly inoperable. You will have a tough time baiting a hook, adjusting anything, and forget about trying to tie a new hook or lure on your line.
When your hands are cold, you are miserable, so the best Ice Fishing Gloves will help you fish longer, miss fewer fish, and enjoy the sport a lot more.
The following gloves are all designed with ice fishing, water, and cold temperature activities in mind.
Best Ice Fishing Gloves for the 2019-2020 Season
Windrider Rugged Waterproof Winter Gloves
These gloves by Windrider provide excellent protection for ice fishing anglers, and other outdoor winter activity enthusiasts. They are unisex gloves that are comfortable on either men or women.
They are constructed with a Cordura nylon shell that is rugged. The nylon is coated with a waterproof coating to make it impossible to penetrate. Also, you won’t have to worry that the outer shell of your gloves is going to tear easily.
They are made waterproof by the Hipora liner, which is the essential barrier for not having a pair of soaking gloves half way into the day. The Windriders are made wind and cold resistant by the 70g of 3M Thinsulate foam insulation. The combination of waterproofing and thermal qualities makes these gloves pretty effective on the ice. They have a soft fleece lining that makes them warm.
It should be noted that these gloves have some foam inside them which make them a little larger and “puffier” on your hands. If you prefer a form-fitting glove, look at the two neoprene options we outline below.
The gloves have the unique technology of touchscreen fingertips, something that we more commonly see in running gloves. The fingertips will allow you to answer your phone, but they are not designed to allow you to have enough dexterity to text while you wear them.
On the back of the glove there is a small pocket that is large enough for you to keep a credit card in. This can come in handy during some outdoor activities, but do not trust this exterior pocket to be as waterproof as the interior of the gloves. In other words, don’t put something in the pocket that could be ruined by water.
Palmyth Neoprene Fishing Gloves
Ice fishing requires you to be able to use your hands for tasks like baiting a hook, removing a hook from a fish mouth, and other activities that require you to have the nimble dexterity of fingers. That is why these gloves are designed with a thumb and index finger that have flip back fingertip coverings. You get the protection you
need, with the dexterity you need.
The Palmyth Neoprene gloves are designed to fit your hand tightly so you can feel the action in your rod. They can be worn by men or women. Therefore, they also have a Velcro strap on the wrist so you can make sure they fit you, excuse the pun, like a glove.
These gloves will keep your hands warm, and dry, while they allow you the freedom of movement that you must have while fishing. Neoprene is a great material when it comes to thermal insulation for wet conditions. They handle water well, and after an initial shot of cold, they use your own body heat to keep your hands very warm.
The gloves are great for anglers, hunters, archery enthusiast, runners, hikers, and most other outdoor winter activities.
Bass Pro Shops Neoprene Gloves
These are good fishing gloves, built specific for fishing in cold conditions — fall or early spring fishing, as well as ice fishing in the dead of winter. The Bass Pro glove seams are glued together, then stitched to help them to remain watertight. They are labeled as water resistant instead of waterproof because they cannot withstand the water if they are submerged.
The exterior layer of the gloves is 2mm thick. This allows them to protect your fingertips and the palms of your hands. The material is based on noeprene, meaning they will perform well when wet and keep your fingertips warm. One thing we like about them is the fold-back fingertips. Some ice fishermen just prefer to have the feel of their fingertips on the line when flirting with a walleye that wants to strike but needs some coaxing — these are great for that. But if you just want to keep the fingers covered, the gloves provide good sensitivity through the neoprene.
The covering on the palm and fingertips creates a strong grip for the wearer. The gloves do not easily allow items to slip from your hands.
They have adjustable wrist straps that make it possible for you to customize the fit. This makes them great for men or women, and insures that less wind and cold can seep into the glove.
What to Look for in Ice Fishing Gloves
Warmth – Your warmth will come from the lining, and from the amount and type of insulation the gloves have. One option is always to get just moderately-warm gloves, and then put a handwarmer inside them on those very cold days.
Waterproof – The ability to be waterproof will be found in the exterior layer of the gloves. This layer of material should be treated with a waterproofing agent that is strong and resilient. This is the point that should be non-negotiable. A glove that is “a little wet” is just wet.
Good Grip – The grip is important. It allows you to handle your rod without dropping it. The grip also helps you to handle your tackle, and your fish when you catch them. You do not want gloves that have slick fingertips that do not help you to get a grip and hang onto what is in your hands.
Folding Fingertips — This one is based largely on personal preference, but if you like the feel of your fingers on a line that is about to catch that fish, go with a glove that has folding fingertips. Otherwise, you will probably end up taking the gloves off and putting them on a lot.
Ice Fishing Glove FAQs
Q. Are Ice Fishing Gloves Waterproof?
A. When you are ice fishing there is a good chance that you are going to get your hands wet. You need waterproof gloves to protect your hands from cold damage that can occur.
Waterproof and water resistant are not the same thing. If the gloves are waterproof they are impervious to water, and water is not likely to penetrate them. Some gloves are labeled water resistant only because they will eventually absorb water if they are submerged for any length of time.
If the glove is labeled as water resistant then they are designed to resist water penetration, to a degree. At some point water resistant gloves are going to let your hands get wet.
Q. Why can’t I just use my normal gloves for ice fishing?
A. Normal gloves are not designed to be waterproof. When normal gloves come into contact with water they soak the water up. This means that when wearing normal gloves your hands get wet, and once wet the gloves cannot stop the cold from penetrating the material and seeping into your fingers and hands. A glove that gets “a little wet” is just wet, and it has been proven that garments lose way more heat when the outer layer has been permeated by water or moisture. A wet glove is pretty close to worthless when you are ice fishing.
