Let's face it: The fishing and boating industry is full of one-hit wonders. Companies are always looking for a creative edge, and because of that gimmicks run rampant. Cruising through ICAST, the Bassmaster Classic Outdoor Show or the FLW Tour Championship show you can see everything from light-emitting lures to weedless props to the next helicopter lure. Some work but some don't, and it's up to the angler to bite the bullet to find out. Some risks can be costly, but some may pay dividends and actually work as advertised.

Recently we found an innovative product that has no peers in the marketplace. At first glance it looked like Jason from the Halloween movies, or maybe even ET. But closer inspection proved that the new mask by Save Phace, called Fish Hedz, was well-designed (by fishermen), looked cool and actually served an untapped need.

Ever been hit by a wayward Junebug on your way down the lake? Or been pelted by rain that felt like 1,000 needles? How about had your face frozen solid on an early-morning run? The Fish Hedz mask eliminates all those problems.

Its ergonomic design makes it fit comfortably, it's lightweight and stores easily, and it will not fog up. It also protects your ears from wind noise, and floats. Other somewhat-similar products we've seen that were touted to do the same thing scratched easily, blew off at high speeds and made the boater look like they were auditioning for Revenge of the Nerds.

If you hunt, take a four-wheeler out and mountain-bike, you can use Fish Hedz for those activities too. Whether it's protecting you from bugs, wind or cold, or from branches and sticker-bushes, this mask is the ticket.

Fish Hedz also offers customization. Standard colors include black, red and camo, but customized colors are available – check out the sweet American flag design on their web site (click here). You can also add signage, company logos or even special graphics for great photo ops, and the advertising potential is limitless.

Bottom line: The Fish Hedz mask is one of the neatest, functional and most useable products we have seen in boating this year.

Notable

> At $109.95, the masks aren't cheap. But you get what you pay for – and how much are your eyes worth? Plus the mask has a 30-day money back guarantee and a 1-year manufacturer's warranty.

> It's available in "one size fits 98 percent of the population."