Make sure you are well hydrated. That means drinking water the day and evening BEFORE fishing.
Use the cooling towels...keep 2 and rotate in cool to cold water. Use ice water with caution.
Wear a wide brimmed hat to keep the sun off your head and neck.
Wear light, loose fitting clothing that allow you to perspire and evaporate. DO NOT wet them down. This only slows perspiration and evaporation...the body's natural cooling system.

When it becomes uncomfortable, go in and cool down. Age and your physical health has a lot to do with how long you can stay out. Fishing is supposed to be fun and relaxing...keep it that way.

All of the above are such great steps to take to help with the heat of the day. I also add Elete to my water bottles. This is the best hydration water additive there is. No more leg cramps at night. Nothing in this product that will off set your medications. No sugar and low sodium. I highly recommend you try it and have samples I can send out. I just need the postage for you to try it. I make no money on the product; but can save you the higher postage from ordering straight from the factory Website that is in my signature. You can read about ELETE by clicking on the link.

Thanks,
Donald

The sports drinks that replace electrolytes also help. What most people don't know is that they don't kick in until a couple of hours after you drink them, so start before you get on the water.

Yea, I just started night fishing, nice and cool , relatively speaking, no heatstroke to deal with, the wind usually lays at night...and no party craft to worry with...just mostly have the lake to yourself.

I go out about 6am, fish until maybe 10am. Go home, take a nap, eat lunch, drink plenty of water. Go back out about 6pm and fish until dark. It helps that I live less than a mile from a boat ramp.

I am older as well and have similar issues. My days of walking up Ozark streams in 90 degree heat all day are over. It's all boat and lake.

Here are the things I do to keep cool:

1. Fish late in the evening and into the night.
2. Fish in shady open slips. The ones for big boats without a lift are what you are looking for.
3. Stay hydrated. Water alone won't cut it for me. I use watermelon. I'll usually have a big container of cut up watermelon heart in my cooler.
4. If I start out when the sun is still up I take the boat to the swim beach and get wet first. PK is a nice lake for this, as the water is clear. Downside is this makes you a target for biting flies.

Bimini top hands down. I put a B top on my bass boat for the gkids 6 years ago. I removed it for Fall and Winter. About 3 years ago, I started leaving it on the boat permanently. It makes a huge difference. When going from A to B it is a cooler ride. If fishing and a slight breeze or more, the tunnel effect makes it cooler in the sun. The gkids are not kids anymore but I leave it on. Those that fish with me will first snub their nose, to only to brag later about the top. If getting too hot, just get under it and cool off. Depending on the type of fishing, i.e., a brush pile, it can be fished under the top depending if you have the patience to argue with the bimin's poles and sun angle.

I paid $109 for it six years ago. It is aging well and this may be its last season but for less than $20 a year it has been well worth it. I also use a wide brim had from 'Sunday'. I forget if that is the hat model or brand name. When going from A to B, I place my ball cap (LSU of course) under it to keep the brim from obstructing my view. It has a neck flap too. My ears and nape never get sun burned. It is endearingly ugly. LOLs.

I fish all day and I am in my 7th decade. I stay hydrated like others have pointed out. My choice of refreshment is a little different but to each his or her own.

Recently I have noticed wearing shirts made specifically for fishing in the heat are a big improvement over T-shirts.

Lots of excellent advice here, I'm not old by any means but I'm also not a fan of cooking alive in the Texas heat! A nice shady spot works wonders, I'm always surprised at the temperature difference under a tree and under the sun.

Yes, I agree...that deal about wearing cool clothing and jumping in the lake, along with that wide brim hat...makes fishing tolerable in the heat...oh yea, if you are in a boat alone, make sure you beach it before or tie off a rope to you before jumping out or be prepared for a long swim! Ask me how I know!

I rigged this up for the wife....works good.

I too like to bring along a zip bag full of ice down cut watermelon or mango. Munching on big slices of that cold fruit really takes the edge off the heat. Any kind of shade helps. I�ve put bags of ice under my hat or on the back of my neck to cool down. Wading or swimming helps, but that�s not a good idea in some waters. I try to be well hydrated before a hot day of fishing. I also try to avoid all day fishing marathons in the heat. A few hours out usually scratches the itch.

Invest $25 in a LONG SLEEVE Magellan fishing shirt from Academy. Lots of other options that are just as good, but most cost way more money. The thin loose fitting material makes its own shade and still allows air movement. You'd be surprised how much cooler it keeps you when in direct sunlight. And get a wide brimmed hat.

Also, freeze a few bottles of water and put them in your ice chest. They help keep your ice longer, and when they start to melt you can drink them and have the best most refreshing coldest water ever.

My dad would always stick his wrist down in the water for a few minutes. He always said it worked.

I fish until it gets too hot then I move to the bridges and fish there. Even if I decide to tie off and fish for crappie or take a nap I am fine. Then when it cools down i move back out. Otherwise take a long break at a marina store or restaurant with a/c.

I built 2 of those for our boat. You can turn them out of your way and still have some shade. They make a heck of a difference