Fish Tales with Mike Brower

Heat Kills

We all tend to forgo water for another type of beverage this time of year, and we could be setting ourselves up for heat stroke or worse. People drink everything from beer to Gatorade to pickle juice in hot weather. As long as it has some amount of water, I guess it’s okay, but nothing takes the place of water.

I have talked to several doctors over the years, and they agree that water, then a Gatorade-type product, is best to keep yourself hydrated in the summer. You want to alternate between the two, as too much water will dilute the salts and minerals and cause an imbalance. You need to replace the salts and other minerals you sweat and urinate out of your body.

While anything with a water component is better than nothing, drinking other things is not necessarily good either. You should have a bottle of water on the deck beside you and drink some every few minutes to stay hydrated and not have a heat stroke. A cool towel is the other thing that helps keep you going in the heat. Keep a wet handcloth in a baggie inside your ice chest. Then when you need to cool off quickly, take it out and wipe down your neck and head. Better yet, after the wipe-down, put it on your head and feel the heat dissipate, making you feel much better.

Don’t lose your fishing or outdoor time by overheating and having to stop.