If you have ever looked at buying your first pair of fishing gloves, or maybe want to treat yourself to a nicer pair, this guide will help you decide what pair is best suited for you. You might be surprised by the amount of styles and options that are out there and a bit lost at what to choose, so hopefully with this article you will be able to rest assured in your decision!

There are also more reasons to wear fishing gloves than you might think. You probably know that there are fish with sharp dorsal fins that can stab your hand, but you might not know that these fins can actually cause an infection that if left untreated can go to your heart and be fatal. 

Of course, that might not be as common of a problem to solve as the other reasons to get gloves, but it is very important to protect yourself when fishing. You also want to protect yourself from your fishing line cutting into your skin (especially if it is braided).

Styles

There are two main styles of fishing gloves. You have the fingerless designed fishing glove which allows you to keep your fingers free for careful precise tasks like baiting, tying knots, and rigging. On the other hand, you have the full-fingered design which is all about protection first, though different options will allow you to have a bit more control over your digits. 

Fingerless Design 

If you have ever used gloves that cover your fingers while fishing and noticed how often you were taking your gloves off to do certain tasks, then you might want to look at fingerless gloves. These gloves will allow you to take pictures of your big catch, send a quick text, tie knots, and be quick and versatile with swaps in your rig. 

The benefits might outweigh the cons with this design but it will be up to you to decide if it’s worth the risk of losing some protection. You might also want to consider what kind of fish you are catching--do they have sharp teeth that might grab your fingers? Also anytime you are handling fish with sharp dorsal spines, you could risk getting stabbed and an infection in your fingers by using fingerless gloves. 

Obviously there are times where both designs work best, and if you have the money and think that the pros of fingerless gloves are worth the cons for some fishing trips then you might want to just buy a pair of each. 

If however, you are tight when it comes to funds, then you might want to opt for a pair of full-fingered gloves to get the most protection and just deal with the minor inconveniences of taking your gloves off anytime you need dexterity and range of motion. 

Full Fingered Design 

If you are looking for a pair of fishing gloves that offer more protection for your entire hand then you should look at full-fingered gloves. These gloves will give you more peace of mind and make sure that you are covered for any task at hand. Any time that you do not need the benefits of fingerless gloves you should definitely have a pair with the full-glove design. This will ensure that you don’t have to worry about removing a hook from a fish with teeth, a task I wouldn’t dare an enemy to do without gloves or even with fingerless gloves. 

You can also choose a full glove that is designed to give you more grip and that is weatherproof to give you the grip that you will want when out on the water during a rainstorm. There are definitely some gloves that are inherently bad but there is not one glove that is right for every person and every situation. The closest exception to this would be the End Game Pro gloves, which are full fingered to protect your fingers, and also works with touchscreens like your phone or touchscreen boat displays for navigation. 

Price 

This is the greatest divide amongst what you will be looking for in a pair of fishing gloves. If you want to get an okay glove you can find a pair for $5 but you probably will be skimping out on either some protection or durability, plus you probably will not be able to get it from a company with as good of a reputation. 

If you are just looking for your first pair and want to get something between the $5 to $15 range that will be pretty good for the price, here are a few recommendations.

• Rapala Marine Fisherman Glove - $9
• Alaska River Series Fingerless - $12
• Berkely Fishing Gloves - $7
• Abaco Bay Sun Glove Fingerless - $15

Durability

When looking for either style fishing glove you should look for a glove that is durable to make it worth your purchase, even if you decide to go for a more budget friendly option. When looking for a durable glove you really just can’t go wrong with looking for a glove that is reinforced with kevlar. This will make sure that the glove survives as long as possible and through teeth, fins, hooks and more.

Here are some durable gloves that will last you a long time:

• Stormr Typhoon Neoprene Glove: 3mm Thick and Rubberized Palm for Enhanced Grip
• AFTCO Release Fishing Gloves: Protection for Heavy Tackle Fishing and Releasing
• Lindy Fish Handling Glove: 800% more puncture protection when tested against other gloves
• Pro Angler by Glacier Glove: The Glacier Glove uses neoprene to provide excellent durability while you’re using them. The slits in the fingers give you the ability to move your fingers perfectly. 
• Berkeley Neoprene Fishing Gloves: The PVC material makes the gloves durable enough to handle the toughest fish. You can easily handle any wet fish that may try to get away because the grip is so good.

Protection From The Elements

A great all around full fingered glove that protects you from the sun as well as it protects you from cuts is the Release Glove by American Fishing Tackle Company. 

They are made up of braided material that protects your hands while staying comfortable enough to wear them for extended periods of time and have an SPF rating of 50. They also make Merino Wool Gloves that will protect you from the cold up north or those early mornings in early Spring or for Fall fishing. 

Here a few recommendations for gloves that work great in different climates and weather conditions:

Summary

We would recommend you start by looking at what your budget is and then narrow your choices down by fingerless versus full glove design when choosing your pair of fishing gloves. This will give you an idea of what to expect from manufacturers, durability, and features, like built in finger tips that work with smartphones. 

Sources:

https://www.diversalertnetwork.org/medical/articles/Spines 

https://www.dupont.com/what-is-kevlar.html 

https://www.liveabout.com/catch-and-release-unhook-fish-properly-1310783