Anyone seeking a last minute gift for their favorite angler can't go wrong with an IOU for a charter with a favored skipper, or party boat trips on the boat he normally patronizes. Those arrangements can be completed after Christmas. Though every fisherman has his own preferences, I can highly recommend the rigs I normally use. For the surf, I prefer the Shimano Baitrunner 6000D spinning reel with 30-pound braid and the two-piece Okuma Cedros Surf CSX-S-80M -- an 8-foot medium action rated for 14-to-30-pound braided lines and 3/4-to-2-ounce lures. That covers the vast majority of casting we do locally, and that outfit also works well from the boat. For throwing heavy pencil poppers to large stripers in the spring, I change the reel over to a 9-foot, one-piece Seeker rod. The one rod I use for almost everything while boat fishing is the Tsunami LSW706C, a 7-foot, extra-heavy model that I can cast with light sinkers and jigs -- or with adult bunkers and sinkers heavy enough to hold in Ambrose Channel. My reel is a Canyon HS-16, which is assembled in Brick. It's filled with 50-pound braid, and that lightweight rig is even sufficient for smaller school tuna. Tsunami also markets the exceptionally lightweight Marlin boots that are relatively inexpensive but perfect for boating throughout the season. Every fisherman needs a good knife sharpener, and the Chef's Choice Marine Sharpening Station from Edge Craft fills the bill. Not only does the diamond hone system handle all sorts of knifes plus scissors, but it also features a fish hook sharpener. Tactical Anglers has a great stocking stuffer with their Fishing Clips -- a paper holder type that replaces snaps that often are opened up by big fish. The Tactical Anglers snaps are made from a single thick stainless steel wire to provide maximum strength. A variety pack includes sizes testing from 50 to 175 pounds. Al Ristori: cristori@aol.com