Two Academy Fishing Sun Hoodies That Keep Earning a Spot in My Boat
Every time I climb aboard Captain Shane Jarvis's boat in Panama wearing my vintage camo Magellan Outdoors Men's Pro Jacob Wheeler Tech Hoodie, he asks the same question.
"Are we going duck hunting today, Pete?"
We travel to Panama to chase tuna, roosterfish and billfish, not waterfowl, so the camouflage always gets a laugh. I own plenty of fishing shirts in the more traditional shades of light blue, mint green and white, but I keep reaching for this one because it has proven itself trip after trip. It's been splattered with tuna blood, drenched in sweat and saltwater, stuffed into duffel bags and washed countless times, yet it still looks good and no longer smells like fish after a normal trip through the laundry.
That's saying something because I've accumulated at least two dozen fishing sun shirts over the years—button-downs, crewnecks and hoodies—from companies including AFTCO, Free Fly and several other quality brands. Different shirts excel in different situations, but this year two have likely spent far more time on my back than most: the Magellan Outdoors Men's Pro Jacob Wheeler Tech Hoodie and the Magellan Outdoors Men's Pro Jacob Wheeler Ventilated Hoodie.
The Ventilated Hoodie made an impression the first time I wore it, too. As I was getting ready to leave before dawn, my still-half-asleep wife, Hanna, looked up and asked, "Where did you get that? I love that color." Academy calls it orange, but she insisted it was peach. Whatever you call it, it stands out among the sea of blues and whites that dominate fishing apparel, and I think it photographs especially well.
Why I’m Picky About Fishing Sun Hoodies
At 56, I'm also a lot pickier about fishing shirts than I was twenty years ago. A hoodie that's too tight highlights every flaw and becomes uncomfortable once the temperatures climb. One that's too loose flaps around in the wind, catches on gear and generally becomes a distraction. Both of these Jacob Wheeler hoodies strike the balance exceptionally well. The sleeves are snug without feeling restrictive, the hoods stay put when needed without flopping around when they're down, and the overall cut is comfortable enough to wear all day. From there, however, the two shirts begin to separate themselves in different ways.
Tech Hoodie: The Workhorse
The Tech Hoodie is the one I reach for when I'm expecting a long day offshore. Despite feeling almost like a cotton T-shirt, it kept me comfortable under the Panamanian sun, dried quickly after spray or sweat, and somehow still doesn't show the tuna blood it's absorbed over multiple trips. It's made from 74% polyester, 19% Tencel and 7% spandex, which means you can wear it back at the lodge or even to a restaurant or bar and stay comfortable. They’ve built a lot of features into it, including ventilation, a cloth to clean your sunglasses, and a zippered chest pocket. I don’t really use the latter two, although I probably should – I’m always digging around in storage compartments to find a cloth. Most importantly, even in the hot Panamanian sun, it kept me cool and protected me from the rays – and still doesn’t show tuna blood.
In addition to the vintage camo, it comes in a total of seven patterns, including several other camo patterns. I really think that the Vintage Indigo Topo Bait stands out as different from anything else I’ve seen (and would still probably garner a remark from Capt. Shane). Sizes range from Small up the XXXL.
Ventilated Hoodie: Featherweight Comfort
If the Tech Hoodie is my offshore workhorse, the Ventilated Hoodie is the one I grab for hot summer bass fishing. It has all of the same benefits, but it’s a very different feel from the Tech Hoodie. In fact, it feels substantially different from any other fishing hoodie I’ve worn. Many are sort of slick and shiny, but this one feels softer, like a liner. It’s made of 86% polyester and 14% spandex. Would I wear this orange one tuna fishing? Probably not, because any stain would be magnified, but it does come in a total of five solid colors, including black, royal blue and navy blue, that would do better in offshore battle.
Still I wore it on local rivers and when covering heat-dominated bass tournaments. I like the fact that the hood stays on at mid-range bass boat speeds (up to 45-50 mph I felt comfortable that I wouldn’t lose my hat) and what makes this shirt especially nice is that it’s remarkably lightweight, almost feathery. It doesn’t have the side ventilation panels or the chest pocket like the Tech Hoodie, but I didn’t miss them. It does have a built-in sunglass cloth. The key element in my mind is that it kept me cool and protected at the same time. Hanna and I spent a 90 degree plus day on the Potomac and the light breeze somehow kept it cool and dry until we got home and I worked on tackle in the garage for an hour – at that point it finally got quite damp from sweat.
The only thing I didn’t like about it was that it has less stretch than the Tech Hoodie, so taking it off I had to be careful pulling my arms out not to rip the seams. That’s the price you pay for the fit.
Both of these shirts fall in the mid-range for quality hooded sun shirts -- $49.99 for the Tech Hoodie and $54.99 for the Vented Hoodie. That’s less than some other premium brands, but more than what you might pay at, for example, a Columbia outlet. What’s nice is that Academy is expanding its footprint beyond just a limited swath of the south, so there’s an increased ability to go into the store and try one on – as well as the competition. They also put their gear on sale fairly frequently – indeed, I see that one color of the Tech Hoodie is already on sale for $15 off in limited sizes. I like the fact that both of them feel like they were cut to fit for me, but don’t have cookie cutter looks.
I’m sometimes wary of signature series, or big box stores’ house brands, but so far everything I’ve tried in the Jacob Wheeler collection has been a winner, like their namesake.
