Posted on December 5th, 2016
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Every year I think I’m going to give the best Christmas presents to my family & friends, but I procrastinate eventually leading me to some place like “Wally-World” to buy a coffee mug or box of chocolates no one really wants. This year is different. I have a plan to find gifts people actually want & support our local community at the same time. Some of our friends at area businesses gave us some cool items for our “Merry Christmas Giveaway.” More details at the end regarding the giveaway.
Our first stop was at Atlantic Tackle in West Ocean City, Maryland. A This store is so much more then just a “tackle” shop, but don’t worry they have that too! I have so many recommendations for amazing gifts from this shop depending on your price range. My favorite gift for both guys & gals are the Costa sunglasses. They have many to choose from, are durable & comfortable. I have the same pair of Costa sunglasses from almost 10 years ago & they are still my favorite (“Ballast” model). Scott loves Costa & has worn many different pairs, but prefers the “Corbina” & “Jose” models with the 580 lenses.
Next amazing gift choice are the Yeti products. I prefer the 30 oz tumbler for my beverages & Scott likes the 20 oz tumbler… guess it depends how much you like to drink! Yes, I’m talking about soda, of course! Not only does it keep your drink ice cold, but I have had ice still in my cup not melted from the day before. Atlantic Tackle also carries the colster cup (like an aluminum coozie) which is great for keeping your cans ice cold on a hot day in the sun. And for people looking for a bigger gift they sell a variety of sizes of the Yeti cooler. All would make a great gift for both guys & gals.
How about putting together your own little gift package? They have a huge selection of rods, reels for both inshore & offshore. The employees are so helpful they will help you if you are not sure what to buy & of course your loved one can exchange or return as needed. Most inshore rods/reels are on the first floor & offshore on the second floor from what I could see. If you have a flounder fisherman in your family… make sure you buy them a container of Gulp to go with your gift. We caught so many flounder last summer using Gulp. Scott’s flounder catching tip is to use white gulp with a minnow.
Atlantic Tackle has a lot of apparel to choose from for ladies, men & even kids. We wear a lot of Pelagic apparel here at the Lenox house. Make sure you check out the second floor. They have a great black Pelagic sweatshirt with an American flag for your patriot… one of Scott’s favorite sweatshirts. They also carry the Huk line which seems to be gaining in poplularity. I also saw the cutest child’s blanket called “Blankie Tails” that is in the shape of a mermaid or shark for your little cuties.
Lastly, some stocking stuffer ideas. Perhaps a “Dry Case” for your loved ones cell phone, decals for their car, truck, boat, house or ladies homemade jewelry. Our very own “Rhonda’s Osprey” mate Sasha Lickle has her own amazing line of jewelry & it’s priced very reasonably. The case is right at the cashier counter when you walk in. The bracelets were super cute & comfy. This is a can’t miss product especially knowing it was made right here by one of our own.
For more information contact Atlantic Tackle at 410-213-0421, stop by at 12930 Sunset Avenue (the old Ake Marine building) or visit www.atlantictackle.com
Our second stop during our big Christmas shopping adventure landed us at K-Coast Surf Shop on 35th Street in Ocean City, Maryland. This place is huge & the staff are so friendly & helpful! If you want to buy a surfboard, skim board, paddle board or skate board.. get here now. They have a great selection & staff to help you pick out just the right one. Any of these gifts will make you the coolest relative/friend around! Perhaps you make it a package deal with a surf board/skim board, wet suit combined with surfing/skim board lessons by one of our locals. How cool would that be!? My ten year old would love this gift! K-Coast has more information at their counter regarding surfing lessons for next summer.
K-Coast has so much to choose from… you could probably knock out a lot of your list in this one store. They have a huge ladies, kids & mens section. Tons of clothes, shoes, hats, backpacks, sunglasses & stocking stuffers galore… patterned socks, jewelry, soaps, perfumes, wallets, hair bands, watches, etc. Personal gift suggestion.. buy a backpack & stuff it with their favorite things.
My personal recommendation are the Ugg boots or slippers for ladies. My favorite pair are the tall black boots & the indoor/outdoor slippers. They are so soft & comfortable & like the Costa sunglasses… last for a very long time so you don’t feel like you’re wasting your money. Grab a pair of cute socks to personalize it a little. If your man likes Vans shoes… boy do they have a nice selection!
Bring your Christmas list & I bet you will find plenty of great gifts! They were having a nice sale while we were in there. Contact K-Coast Surf Shop for more information at 410-524-8500, visit them at 3505 Coastal Highway, Ocean City, MD or go to www.kcoast.com.
I am so excited to tell you about my next recommendation. It’s JPR Custom Rods. Scott surprised my son Ryan & I with custom inshore rods last Christmas. It was an amazing gift! Scott designed the rods so that they are personal to each of us. Ryan’s rod is blue & silver with his name on it, my rod is pink & blue with my name & a flounder pic & Scott’s rod is the “Redskins” rod with our company logo. They are beautiful, well made, strong & durable. I love, love, love my rod so much that I am asking for another rod this year with my own custom design. Personal gift ideas… perhaps they love a sports team? Scott has a custom Redskins rod & JPR recently made a Green Bay Packers rod for our buddy David Wells of DW Mowing.
Seriously, you can’t go wrong with this gift! Our rods are in the $250-$280 range, but check out his website for other rods & ideas. Owner Paul Reyburn said he can have your custom rod ready in time for Christmas if you contact him ASAP by Friday, December 9th at the latest. He’s also offering a 10% discount on his custom rods or purchase a $1,000 gift card & he will make it $1,200. What a deal!
Contact our buddy Paul of JPR Custom Rods at 610-316-3594 or visit online at www.jprrods.com. Tell him Fish in OC sent you for your discount. Then send us a pic of your new beautiful rod after you get it!
If you’re looking for an affordable, quality production rod then check out Okiaya Rods. Local owner Sophia Christian will take good care of you. Okiaya Rods offers everything from inshore spinning rods to heavy offshore trolling rods at extremely reasonable prices. For example, we just gave away on our Facebook page a 30-60 lb inshore spinning rod that retails at $89.95.
Contact Sophia at 443-880-2222 or go online to www.okiaya.com for more information.
If you have a golfer in your family then we suggest Ocean Pines Golf & Country Club. Scott was the assistant golf professional there for years & I spent a little time driving the beverage cart. We love that course & the staff members too! If you haven’t played at Ocean Pines Golf & Country Club in a few years then come back & check it out. Superintendent Rusty McLendon & Golf Professional John Malinowski have worked tirelessly to make this course beautiful. They are open year round unless there is snow on the ground.
I recommend a personalized gift for your golfer including a gift card for a round of golf. Currently, it’s only $30-$35 per golfer including the cart. That’s a steal! Perhaps make a little golf gift basket to include the gift card, a hat (they have a table with Nike hats on sale for $10) & a box of golf balls (Nike balls on display are $12).
They also have apparel, shoes, hats, golf bags & stocking stuffers like gloves, balls, ball marker repair tools & tees to round out your golfer’s gifts. John is offering a deal for anyone purchasing $100 in gift cards to receive a free Ocean Pines logo hat valued at $19.99 though 12/31/16 while supplies last.
Contact the golf shop for more information at 410-641-6057, visit at 100 Clubhouse Drive, Ocean Pines, Md or www.oceanpinesgolf.org.
Do you have a T-shirt collector in your home like I do? (Scott!!) If so, check out the apparel at Hooked on Oc & Wicked Coastal. Both companies offer quality clothing at an affordable price. We all wear these comfortable shirts year round.
Check out www.hookedonoc.com or www.wickedcoastal.com for more information or to order online.
My last gift recommendation is a gift for the whole family. Rent a room for a night or two at the Francis Scott Key Family Resort in West Ocean City, Maryland & take the kids to their amazing indoor pool. It’s fun for the whole family. We love the pool & it’s always a balmy 84 degrees inside their pirate themed oasis. Francis Scott Key’s indoor pool is always a comfortable 82 degrees. It’s great for all ages as the pool slopes from six inches to four feet. The kids will love the water slides, dumping buckets of water & water volleyball. Mom & Dad will enjoy that too & the hot tub as well!
This would make a great gift from grandparents too. Perhaps the grandparent could gift this overnight stay/pool adventure & take the kids giving the parents a night out to enjoy a quiet, romantic dinner. Perhaps include a restaurant gift card for the parents & you have a unique gift that keeps on giving while you spend quality time with your loved ones.Make sure you check their offseason pool hours calendar before you make a reservation!
Contact the Francis Scott Key Family Resort for more information at 800-213-0088, visit at 12806 Ocean Gateway, Ocean City, Md or www.fskfamily.com.
We would like to thank our friends at K-Coast Surf Shop, Ocean Pines Golf & Country Club, Wicked Coastal & Hooked on OC for donating items to include in our “Merry Christmas Giveway.” Giveaway items include from K-Coast- Size L youth purple hooded sweatshirt, Size M ladies teal hooded sweatshirt, Size L mens gray and burgundy hooded sweatshirt; Hooked on OC- Size S blue t-shirt, Size M black t-shirt; Ocean Pines Golf & Country Club Nike hat; Wicked Coastal- gray & orange hat, Size L gray t-shirt, Size XL long sleeved indigo blue shirt, two coolie cups & a couple of decals. Please visit our friends on Facebook, online or in person & let them know Fish in OC sent you. We personally recommend every business in this gift guide & look forward to hearing from you.
I hope you will find some of these ideas helpful as you Christmas shop this season. Scott, Ryan & I would like to wish you all a very happy, healthy and Merry Christmas!
Kristen, Scott & Ryan
