Turnout drops fast once the cold sets in. The launch that was jammed in July has plenty of striped concrete to spare, and the guys who swore they'd be out every weekend have suddenly found other things to do. The weather does its part to thin the crowd, too, tapping on the bedroom window at 5 a.m. with sleet and making a pretty convincing case for staying under the covers.
The fish didn't get the memo, however. They're still eating, some of them harder than they have all year, and the anglers who show up have them mostly to themselves. All it takes is outerwear that keeps you warm without making you fish like you're zipped in a mummy bag.
Whitewater Fishing built the Great Lakes Pro Insulated Jacket and Bib for exactly those anglers. It's lightweight, technical outerwear with a range of motion you'd never expect from something this warm, built to keep you casting as long as the fish keep biting.
Empty Ramps All Over The Map
Once the weather turns, you'll find open parking at launches from coast to coast. On Lake Erie, it's November walleyes on big water, with spray freezing to the rod holders. On a Great Lakes pier, it's steelhead rolling at first light in a wind that turns your fingers to wood. In Texas, it's a January front that drops the temperature 30 degrees overnight and pushes bass to the bottom of the creek channels. On the Chesapeake, it's stripers busting in a slashing wind that cuts straight through a cheap jacket.
Different water, different fish, same problem. You need to stay warm and dry without giving up a good cast, and every cold-weather angler knows the struggle. And yes, when the lakes lock up, the Great Lakes Pro is outstanding on the ice, too. It just doesn't stop there.
"People see the name and the insulation and assume it's an ice-only suit, and that sells it short," said Doug Veldhuizen, Whitewater Merchandise Manager. "We built the Great Lakes Pro Insulated for anyone who fishes when it's cold, period. It's light enough and adaptable enough that you forget you're wearing insulated outerwear until the wind kicks up, and then you're really glad you are."
Built To Move
Mobility came first, before a single ounce of insulation went in. Both pieces use a three-layer build with a durable ripstop, 4-way stretch nylon shell that bends and stretches in every direction, and if you snag it on a hook or a cleat, the ripstop weave keeps a small puncture from turning into a big tear. Add articulated construction that follows the way anglers actually move, and the Great Lakes Pro Insulated never fights you, whether you're stepping up onto the deck, leaning over the side or kneeling down to land a fish.
Just as important is what Whitewater left out. Every pattern was cut to exact measurements to eliminate extra material, because extra fabric means extra bulk. Freedom of movement comes from precise fit, not from making things baggy, and that's why the Great Lakes Pro looks as sleek as it moves.
Warmth Where It Counts
Warmth doesn't have to come with bulk. Whitewater uses PrimaLoft® Silver, a lightweight, quick-drying insulation that stays warm even when wet, then thermal maps it, putting more warmth where your body loses heat and less where you need to move.
In the jacket, that means 170 grams in the back and 133 grams in the front for core warmth, dropping to 100 grams in the sleeves so casting stays easy, with 80 grams in the hood and collar to keep your neck and ears out of the wind. The bib follows the same thinking, with 60 grams in the upper front, 80 in the upper back and 100 below the waist, where you sit, stand and kneel on cold surfaces all day.
Keeping weather out matters just as much. Both pieces are built around a windproof, waterproof/breathable 30K/13K lamination with taped seams, plus a DWR treatment that sheds water before it has a chance to soak in. Heavy rain, wet snow and wind-driven spray stay outside, while breathability lets perspiration escape, so you don't end up damp from the inside.
Details That Earn Their Keep
The little things are where good outerwear separates itself, and Whitewater sweated them. AquaGuard® water-resistant zippers keep your storage dry. The jacket carries five pockets: two zip chest, two zip waist and an interior zip chest pocket for your phone. The bib adds six more: two chest, two waist and two cargo.
Both pieces get two sewn-in D-rings, the lower one for a safety cord and the upper one for trolling motor fobs. The jacket's adjustable hood and waist lock in a secure, custom fit. The bib brings adjustable suspenders with silicone grip so they stay put, plus waist-high side zippers for easy on and off.
Then there are the knees, which take the worst of it. Kneeling on a dock to land a fish, bracing against the gunwale or digging through a tackle bag on a gritty boat deck wears through ordinary fabric fast. That's why the bib gets lightweight Bemis knee overlays. Bemis is known for bonded technical materials, and these overlays add a tough second skin that stands up to scuffs and abrasion. They also help keep water from pushing through where you kneel, and they do it without adding stiffness or bulk.
"Every feature on this suit had to earn its place," Veldhuizen said. "Pockets where your hands go, zippers that keep water out, knees that hold up to real abuse. It's technical outerwear that happens to be warm enough for ice fishing, not an ice suit trying to be everything else."
So, whether your cold-weather season starts on a frosty October morning or runs clear through the last raw day of spring, the Great Lakes Pro Insulated is ready for it. Let everyone else sit this stretch out. There's plenty of room at the ramp.
Great Lakes Pro Insulated Jacket FEATURES:
- 3L Design with a Durable Ripstop 4-Way Stretch Nylon Shell and a 100% Nylon Lining
- Windproof & Waterproof/Breathable 30K/13K Lamination & Taped Seams
- Thermal-Mapped PrimaLoft® Silver Insulation for Warmth Without Bulk (80 g Hood & Collar, 133 g Front Body, 170 g Back, 100 g Sleeves)
- DWR Treatment Helps Shed Water
- 5 Pockets: 2 AquaGuard® Water-Resistant Zip Chest, 2 AquaGuard® Water-Resistant Zip Waist & 1 Interior Zip Chest
- 2 Sewn-In D-Rings (Lower Ring for Safety Cord, Upper Ring for Trolling Motor Fobs)
- Adjustable Hood & Waist for a Secure, Custom Fit
- COLOR: Storm | SIZES: S–3XL
MSRP $549.99
Great Lakes Pro Insulated Bib FEATURES:
- 3L Design with a Durable Ripstop 4-Way Stretch Nylon Shell and a 100% Nylon Lining
- Windproof & Waterproof/Breathable 30K/13K Lamination & Taped Seams
- Thermal-Mapped PrimaLoft® Silver Insulation (60 g Upper Front, 80 g Upper Back, 100 g Below Waist)
- DWR Treatment Helps Shed Water
- 6 Pockets with Highly Water-Resistant AquaGuard® Zippers (2 Chest, 2 Waist & 2 Cargo)
- 2 Sewn-In D-Rings (Lower Ring for Safety Cord, Upper Ring for Trolling Motor Fobs)
- Lightweight Bemis Knee Overlays for Abrasion Resistance
- Adjustable Suspenders with Silicone Grip
- Waist-High Side Zippers for Easy On/Off
- COLOR: Storm | SIZES: S–3XL
MSRP $549.99