“As a solider’s feet go, so go the soldier,” a wise man once told me. I have never forgotten the point of his lesson  – keep those feet dry, warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

The Bassmaster Classic offers one of the greatest testing grounds for any type of outdoor gear that can be used by bass fishermen, as well anybody who spends time on the water in unpredictable, often harsh conditions.

The 2013 instalment of bass fishing’s world championship was an exceptionally cold event. The first trick to keeping feet warm is to keep them dry. When we bundle beneath multiple layers, it’s easy to begin sweating, especially in insulated boots and the like. And what’s the purpose of perspiration? To cool the skin. Not what you want when the air temperature is in the 20’s and you’re about to ride in an open boat at better than 70 mph.

Perhaps no group is more environmentmally active than bass anglers. Whether enhancing habitat, cleaning up a stretch of shoreline or simply practicing catch-and-release, anglers are stewards.

The people at Swiftwick share our love of a healthy environment. In fact, their Sustain line of socks is made entirely from recycled nylon. Any one who has recycled old monfilament fishing line can relate to that!

The environment I loved most during the recent frigid Classic was the environment these socks provided my feet.

And I love that all Swiftwick socks are made in the USA.

In a week that featured snow, high winds and freezing rain, Swiftwick socks kept my feet dry and warm as I rode across Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees to film the action for the Progressive Weekend Bass Wrap Up TV Show and for AnglersChannel.com.

Without a doubt these socks wicked moisture away during one of the coldest weeks of my life, but let’s think about the other end of the spectrum. Summer heat.

You know it’s coming. Sure the birds are chirping, the dogwoods are blooming and the bass are biting right now. Life is good. If Swiftwick socks are comfortable now, just wait and see how their moisture-wicking compression technology earns its keep when temperatures begin to boil in a couple of months. Talk about keeping your feet dry – we all know how important that is when the mercury climbs into the 90’s. That happens for 5 solid months of the year along the Florida/Georgia border where I live. With Swiftwick  socks keeping my feet dry and comfortable I will feel more lively as I battle the stifling humidity of Florida’s interior regions in search of big bass. Bring on the summer! I’ll put on my Swiftwicks and see y’all on the water.