Circle a few of your favorite items, and let them do the rest. Or simply use it to stir up your own ideas of gear that you really need for the year ahead.

The list includes tackle, clothing, and equipment, from minnow-sized items below $10, to snappers at $10 to $50, to sailfish at $50 to $100, all the way up to marlin-sized gifts over $500.

So here’s to catching a flounder on Christmas day, and checking your favorite bass spots on New Year’s Day. Here’s to the shortest days of the year and the longest nights, to your first yellowfin tuna, to landing your personal best dolphin fish this spring, and to all your sporting dreams made real.

Note to prospective gift buyers: Angler vocabulary test helps in gift selection process.

Here’s how the gift giver can figure out the right gift for the giftee. There are people who like to fish, and there are people who live to fish. It is important to be able to distinguish between the two groups when trying to buy a Christmas present for someone in either.

That's because the "like" individuals are pretty much pleased with anything that has to do with the outdoors. Most any gift that says "fishing" is just fine.

The "live" group is more complex. Make a wrong choice for one of them and the item might end up gathering dust on a storage shelf or on the $1 table in a garage sale.

The good news: there's a simple vocabulary test that can be administered to anglers in advance of the holiday season to help assess who falls into which group.

In casual conversation, ask the outdoors person (giftee) on the gift list what the following terms mean and see how closely his or her answers match up to the definitions provided for each.

Christmas stocking: a put-and-take fishery practice in which hatchery-raised rainbow trout are stocked in select rivers and/or lakes during the winter months, providing outdoor types with an excellent alternative to watching ball games between the Christmas and New Year's holidays.

Seasoning: planning out the activities for the upcoming new year according to the season (i.e. Spring = bass fishing everywhere; Summer = tarpon trip to coast; Fall = stripers on topwater; and Winter = sailfish).

Jiggin’: a small celebratory dance done on the confined space of a boat's deck or on a dock after an especially good-sized fish is caught. (Note: the catch may or may not have been made using the fishing technique known by the same name.)

Deep fried turkey: the description for an individual who has stayed afield too long in order to make one more cast or to catch one more fish, thereby holding up a long-planned meal for family members and friends.

Goggle-eye: not to be confused with the fish of the same name, this is the physical condition in which an individual stares blankly into space with total oblivion as to what is going on or being said in the immediate area, while thinking about how that big fish got away this year.

If the answers heard in no way resemble these, then your job is easy. As long as they know how to use it, almost any gift choice from the list below will satisfy the giftee. However, if the responses are indeed similar to those above, and likely even expounded upon more, then you will have to get a gift that the giftee needs and actually wants--a tougher job. Please consider one of the gift suggestions that follows, as provided by product experts from some of the best-known brands in the outdoors.

Minnows: $1.00 - $10.00
(Of course you can always buy a few of them.)

D.O.A. Hot Heads

are a Fish-Attracting Head for Soft Plastics. The head adds a fish attracting eye and contrasting color to your favorite soft plastic jerkbait, shad tail or just about any soft plastic lure. Retail $ 2.99. D.O.A. Fishing Lures are available at Tackle Retailers. 772-287-5001. www.doalures.com

Froggin for Reds - Hot Feet Ribbit

Is a 4-inch soft plastic frog with uniquely colored feet. The feet create realistic "kicking" action with an added “flash” that looks, feels, and sounds like a live frog jumping across the water. Rigged with a 3/0 to 5/0 wide gap hook inserted into the body, the Stanley “Hot Feet” Ribbit cuts across the thickest grass. Great for reds in shallow marsh. Suggested Retail: $3.69 per bag of 8 count, www.fishstanley.com

Bass Pro Shops 5-inch Swim Stik-O

Price: $4.49 for a pack of 10. The Swim Stik-O combines two of the hottest techniques to create an extremely versatile lure. It can be fished like a regular Stik-O but with more action, weightless, wacky style, Carolina rigged, or on a shaky head. It can also be fished like a swimbait with a slow steady retrieve or with an erratic stop-and-go retrieve. 10 colors available. www.basspro.com

With the Air-Tight Stud Protector,

Guard your wheel studs from the elements. The Air-Tight Stud Protector keeps your studs like new, and still allows your wheels to be removed trouble-free. The stud protector fits ½-inch/1.3-cm diameter studs, and defends against ultraviolet light and high temperatures. Retail price is $4.99. QTY: 10pcs. www.airtighthubs.com

Gyro Jig

You want action; you got action with the new Gyro Jig from Williamson. A revolutionary “rotating” jig featuring VMC 6X strong SureSet hooks. In a class of its own, the Gyro Jig features incredible casting distance and displays a unique wounded minnow action. The Gyro Jig can be steadily retrieved, jerked hard for best action, trolled or jigged for all species of gamefish around the world. Choose from five sizes and four sure-to-slay ’em holographic finishes. Suggested retail price: $4.39-$5.29. www.williamsonlures.com

Storm - WiggleWart® Madflash

Storm’s dictionary defines WiggleWart as: The lure that makes anglers dance with joy. Just like the classic, this new version sports the infamous side-to-side action and “Wart” rattle but features flashy new color patterns and yes, even three new glow-in-the-dark color patterns. The upgraded WiggleWart also boosts red VMC® Barbarian treble hooks, making this Wart stand out like a sore thumb. See your tackle store. Suggested retail price: $4.99. www.stormlures.com

D.O.A. Fishing Lures

Has recently introduced new colors in the popular shrimp series. New colors include New Penny, Stark Naked and the “Carbonated” Series: # 386 Rootbeer/Green, # 425 Watermelon, # 426 Rootbeer, # 427 Pink/Clear, # 428 Pink/Green (Electric Chicken) Retail $3.79- $7.99, Chug Heads - $3.99, Curly Tails $3.99, D.O.A. Fishing Lures are available at Tackle Retailers. 772-287-5001. www.doalures.com

Mini Tuna Dart

This lure is excellent for catching all species of Tuna, Dolphin and Wahoo. It is 4 inches in length, has a stainless steel bullet head, and a Mylar and PVC skirt. This lure comes in five fish raising colors and works so well because it matches the hatch. Retail $5, www.tormentertackle.com

X-Rap® SubWalk®

Get out the muzzle because the action of this walk-the-dog style lure is hard to tame. For the first time, apply the walk-the-dog style technique below the water surface. Twelve color patterns and a VMC® SureSet feather tail hook complete the look. Suggested retail price: $6.99 www.rapala.com

Skitter Prop® SureSet 07

Upgrades are always welcome and the sputtering action of the classic Skitter Prop just got more deadly with the addition of VMC® feathered SureSet hooks. The improved prop design with the SureSet hooks ensures no strike will go unanswered. Suggested retail price: $6.99. www.rapala.com

Krocodile® SureSet By Luhr-Jensen.

This classic multipurpose spoon now features a VMC® SureSet hook and holographic finishes. Heavy-duty construction makes this multi-species, freshwater or saltwater spoon ideal anytime you want to catch big fish. Jig, cast or troll and watch the wobbler minnow design come to life. Hold your rod tight, its game time. See your tackle store. Suggested retail price: $3.00-$5.39. www.luhrjensen.com

Kwikfish® Xtreme

New sizes and Xtreme color patterns have trout, steelhead and salmon enthusiasts covered. The Kwikfish Xtreme action is irresistible, running at eight to 16 feet. Non-rattling or rattling, the high action wiggle produced by this winner is sure to keep you on the water all day long. Made by Luhr-Jensen. See your tackle store. Suggested retail price: $4.59-$6.49 www.luhrjensen.com

New Daiwa DB Minnow SP and DC Classic Shad Lures

Daiwa has introduced two new suspending lure models – the DB Minnow SP and DC Classic Shad SP--both featuring lifelike scale patterns, 3-D eyes and enticing actions. The DB Minnow SP jerkbait dives up to three feet, drawing aggressive strikes from bass and other freshwater game fish. The DC Classic Shad SP also suspends upon retrieve, producing a wide wiggle that largemouth, smallmouth and other predators can’t resist. MSRP: $6.95, www.daiwa.com

Weighted Superline EWG

Gamakatsu’s most popular worm hook would have to be the EWG. It was only a matter of time before they designed a new version, the “Weighted Superline EWG”. Developed with the braided line fisherman in mind, it was designed with a heavier wire to withstand the demands of today’s braids but also weighted for when a slower presentation is needed. Whether you’re flippin’ or pitchin’ your favorite tube or stick bait, in heavy cover or swimming your bait at the perfect speed, the “Weighted Superline EWG should be in your arsenal. Available in sizes: 3/0, 5/0 in 1/16, 1/8 oz. Suggested Retail Price: $4.99/Pack. See your tackle shop. www.gamakatsu.com

X-Rap® Shad

It’s a family tradition. Combining the legendary Shad body shape with the attitude of an X-Rap creates a one-of-a-kind action with the X-Rap Shad. Features like suspending action, feathered tail hook and holographic foil makes this lure the new bad boy on the block. Suggested retail price: $6.99-$7.49

Compost Starter

Every angler can help cut down on nitrogen and phosphorous-rich effluents into our waterways by adopting healthier land management techniques, starting at home. Compost Starter is a natural biological activator for use with compost piles and solid organic wastes. Many people like to use a compost starter with their compost bin to get the decomposition process started a little faster. It not only ensures a faster startup time but also a more complete digestion of organic waste. Compost Starter contains specific bacterial and fungal cultures that are needed to inoculate a new compost pile. Our compost starter is 100 percent natural and environmentally safe. This little 4-ounce container can treat up to 1,000 lbs of material to be composted. $9.99; www.cleanairgardening.com

Tormenter Vertical Jigs

Available from 3 oz. to 14 oz. and are a fraction of the cost of many other jigs. They come equipped with split rings and come in several vibrant colors. The 14-oz. Ribbon Fish was recently used to catch the current 42-lb world record snowy grouper. Retail $7-23. www.tormentertackle.com

EWG Monster Hooks

Gamakatsu’s newest evolution in worm hooks is the “EWG Monster”. Designed large enough for the biggest tubes or swim baits, and based on the proven wide gap design. When only a high carbon steel, heavy wire hook should be considered, the “EWG Monster” should be your choice. The improved shape and a super sharp hook point inline with the eye will give it the positive hook setting power needed when using larger and thicker baits. And it is heavy enough to pull the most stubborn fish out of heavy cover. Available in sizes 5/0 thru 7/0 in the popular NS Black finish. Suggested Retail Price: $4.50 /Pack. See your tackle shop.www.gamakatsu.com

Swim ’n Eel 07 & 10

Slippery, slimy and long, there’s nothing more lifelike then the unmatched action of the new Storm® Swim ’n Eel. At 7 and 10 inches, this is the perfect choice for striped bass, cobia and other predators that can’t resist the mouthwatering, slithery motion of an eel. Two hooks and through-wire construction make this long lasting soft plastic the perfect choice. Suggested retail price: $8.99 - $11.99 www.stormlures.com

Musky Buck Spinner Bait 10

This top water machine is all about getting noticed. Bring this inland lure to the salt and give it a try. You might get wild results. Producing an agitating splash and a commotion as it tears through the water, its large blades create an enticing flash just below the surface. Designed with big fights in mind, the Musky Buck Spinner Bait features a premium heavy-duty hook assembly, an extra-strong stainless steel shaft and real deer hair bucktails. At 12½ inches long, with four color patterns and an extra ribbon tail tantalizer, it’ll ensure you’re in the game longer. Suggested retail price: $9.99. www.bluefox.com