# Hit by a Stingray



## JimD

The different brands of guards on the market and their protection has been discussed many times on the board. 
Lets just see what protection people had.

How many of you were hit by a stingray wearing some type of ray guards? 

What brand?

Where were you hit?

What happened to get hit? Did you -Step on one moving forward, 
Step back onto one or Fall off into a hole or pocket? 

How much protection did the guards give you? 


Thanks,

Jim


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## boomer 46

*Hit by stingray*

Have been hit 3 x in last 2 years. Had Forever last guards and reef boots on. All hits above ankle. twice in Christmas bay and once in San antonio bay. One gash in guard but none in me. All happened when i stepped sidewase to cast. The Old Salt was hit last year in San antonio bay. He had on Foreverlast guards but not the reef boots and it hit him right above the big toe. Hit an artery and had to be taken to Victoria hospital. I think he now wears protection for the toe area


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## Brine Jake

boomer 46 said:


> Have been hit 3 x in last 2 years. Had Forever last guards and reef boots on. All hits above ankle. twice in Christmas bay and once in San antonio bay...


What time of year?


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## Wompam

boomer 46 said:


> Have been hit 3 x in last 2 years. Had Forever last guards and reef boots on. All hits above ankle. twice in Christmas bay and once in San antonio bay. One gash in guard but none in me. All happened when i stepped sidewase to cast. The Old Salt was hit last year in San antonio bay. He had on Foreverlast guards but not the reef boots and it hit him right above the big toe. Hit an artery and had to be taken to Victoria hospital. I think he now wears protection for the toe area


Might want to slide feet, hit 3 times is more than anybody I know, except maybe Mcbride.


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## JimD

Thanks for the report. Hopefully we will get a lot more feed back. You cannot be the only one hit on 2 cool.

Ever watch McBride wade? Not seen him wade since the hit but watching him in the distance he seemed to cover some water. 
Remember "You gotta Believe"


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## Rippin_drag

Hit in East Matty and was wearing Foreverlast reef boots with Crackshot ray guards. Cut the nylon on the outside pretty good but not me. Was wading thick mud/shell in the summer.


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## boomer 46

*Stingray hits*

Was sliding feet every time. If you read my reply closely you will notice i said i stepped sideways and back a little when making a cast . I have waded this coast for over 50 years and never been hit until the last 2 years. The Old Salt and i were fishing Christmas last week and he had one hit him again but it hit his guards.


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## lamar44

I got hit in the big toe. I didn't have any guards at the time.
you can bet that I have some now.


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## Rad A Tat

Try snake boots, never heard of them failing. Will cost you a little more than guards but are very comfortable to wear.


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## HuntinforTail

Any pictures of ray guards after they have been hit? 

I've seen how sharp some barbs are and how deep the cuts can be in flesh. I always wondered what the ray guards would look like after being hit.


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## justletmein

Those of you using snake boots, does it ruin the boots for normal use after a few wades?



HuntinforTail said:


> Any pictures of ray guards after they have been hit?
> 
> I've seen how sharp some barbs are and how deep the cuts can be in flesh. I always wondered what the ray guards would look like after being hit.


x2


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## DueSouthOutfitters

A buddy of mine was fishing with me Saturday in Port Mansfield got popped on the foot at 7:15 in the morning. He was wearing guards but not reef boots. Went to Harbor Bait and got some hot fresh water and bleach as well as some Alieve Liquid Gels. Soaked the wound in the bleach and water mixture for an hour and a half. After a while he said he was ready to go back out. Went back out and had 4 limits by 9:30 and headed home.


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## Matt31TXTT

Is someone marketing Ray Guards, lol? 

I got a pair for my birthday at Academy, havent tried em yet, but wearing tennis shoes with them may be a poor idea. I will be looking for reef boots.


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## southpaw

I'm almost positive a reef boot won't stop a stingray barb. I'm not sure they make a wading boot that will stop a barb.


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## justletmein

southpaw said:


> I'm almost positive a reef boot won't stop a stingray barb. I'm not sure they make a wading boot that will stop a barb.


It should stop a glancing blow or lessen the impact/injury from a normal stab shouldn't it? I haven't really fondled them but they look thick in the toe/foot area.


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## southpaw

justletmein said:


> It should stop a glancing blow or lessen the impact/injury from a normal stab shouldn't it? I haven't really fondled them but they look thick in the toe/foot area.


It's definitely better than nothing, but as I said I'm almost positive it won't stop it. I had a buddy get hit a couple of years ago in the side of the foot and if my memory is correct he was wearing reef boots. I'll check to make sure for you though.


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## ALL OUT OUTFITTERS

what type of snake boots are yall using?


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## JimD

Still not many people posting up that were hit wearing guards of some type. Interesting just how many were hit below the guard. 

Over the years seems a large percentage of people were hit not shuffling with no guards but when they catch a fish and step back or to the side working the fish only to get hit ( only to find out catching that fish in not all that important. 

Curious what guards have failed. 

I use the Academy rayguards but put an inside floating lining of Old Neaumark ray guards on the inside. MY gamo can put a .17 pellet thru the rayguard plastic but did not thru the Neaumark nylon (400) denier? The ray guards have the seam between the plastic inserts which is not big but a concern to me.

I use the rayguard reef boots and they have worked well as long as I do not go out and wade the oyster reefs all night/ day. Had one pair for several years but if I am out on the reefs with heavy shell I can only get 3 or 4 7-8 hr trips before the bottom sole of the boot is gone.


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## Rippin_drag

I thought there were some Simms wading boots that were 'puncture resistent'. I was told a barb could go through on a direct hit but would definitely lessen the blow.
Maybe it wasn't Simms, but another brand....

Anyhow, i heard that Under Armour is suppose to come out with some that will be advertised as as 'Stingray Safe' or something like that. Either way no company is going to use the words 'Stingray PROOF' lol.


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## SeaTex

*RedHead Bayou Zip Snake Boots*

*Justletmein - "Those of you using snake boots, does it ruin the boots for normal use after a few wades?" *

I have tryed rayguards and reefboots and found that snake boots are better for comfort and support. Most of the guys I wade with wear'em. Can't say we have any results to give you as to my knowledge none of us have been hit while wearing them.

These are what I wear...120.00 at Bass Pro. Very comfortable with good support. End of the day wash'em out with freshwater, WD-40 the zippers and hang'em upside down to dry out for a few days.

I wear'em out of the water as well for bird hunting...they have held up well for over a year now.


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## Rippin_drag

How cumbersome are those snakeboots to wade in? They look heavy and bulky but i could be wrong.


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## justletmein

SeaTex said:


> *Justletmein - "Those of you using snake boots, does it ruin the boots for normal use after a few wades?" *
> 
> I have tryed rayguards and reefboots and found that snake boots are better for comfort and support. Most of the guys I wade with wear'em. Can't say we have any results to give you as to my knowledge none of us have been hit while wearing them.
> 
> These are what I wear...120.00 at Bass Pro. Very comfortable with good support. End of the day wash'em out with freshwater, WD-40 the zippers and hang'em upside down to dry out for a few days.
> 
> I wear'em out of the water as well for bird hunting...they have held up well for over a year now.


That's exactly what I needed to know. Wife and I both have RedHead snake boots sitting in the closet. We don't wade or even fish but a few times a year so it would be great to just use our existing snake boots but I don't want to ruin them if I can help it.


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## SeaTex

Rippin_drag said:


> How cumbersome are those snakeboots to wade in? They look heavy and bulky but i could be wrong.


IMHO they are a lot less cumbersome than reef boots and weigh less as well. At the end of the day my feet are not barking at me the way they were with reef boots and ray guards.


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## SeaTex

justletmein said:


> That's exactly what I needed to know. Wife and I both have RedHead snake boots sitting in the closet. We don't wade or even fish but a few times a year so it would be great to just use our existing snake boots but I don't want to ruin them if I can help it.


I thought the same thing when I first saw a freind of mine using them. On about the third trip I checked 'em out while loading the boat that morning and asked how he kept from ruining them. He told me just what I stated earlier about a good freshwater rinse, WD-40 zippers and hang upside down outside for several days.


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## Just One More

*top of the foot*

I got hit July 6, 2012 for the first time (wading 30 years). I was at surfside access rd 4 wearing only neoprene boots from Academy. I wasn't even sure what got me. I came in at 7am to drop off 4 trout on the stringer and get a beer. On my way back out (it was a little rough) 1st gut BAM. Hurt like some body hit me on top of the foot with a ball peen hammer. I reached down in the water and could not feel a tear or anything on the boot and walked on out to the 2nd bar. Caught a couple more fish...then my foot started feeling really hot, and I thought  I could be bleeding...shark bait. I went back to the truck and pulled off boot to see the wound (not bleeding). I figured I would tough it out and fish a little longer...that lasted about 30 minutes, and then it really started hurting...all the way up to my hip. I went directly to ER in Lake Jackson to get my bowl of hot water(betadine), 2 pain pills and a tetanus shot and a script for 2 kinds of antibiotics ($1200). They wanted also to xray and when I refused (didn't think anything was in there) the PA said he would refuse me my antibiotics (until I asked to speak with his superior). It took some effort, but I got the bill reduced.


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## poppadawg

1200 BUCKS? wow. I have heard of hot water to draw out the poison, but didnt know antibiotics were needed. At 1200 bucks I hope your insurance covered it. So if you get hit, you should always go to the ER?


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## jettycowboy47

Just One More said:


> I got hit July 6, 2012 for the first time (wading 30 years). I was at surfside access rd 4 wearing only neoprene boots from Academy. I wasn't even sure what got me. I came in at 7am to drop off 4 trout on the stringer and get a beer. On my way back out (it was a little rough) 1st gut BAM. Hurt like some body hit me on top of the foot with a ball peen hammer. I reached down in the water and could not feel a tear or anything on the boot and walked on out to the 2nd bar. Caught a couple more fish...then my foot started feeling really hot, and I thought  I could be bleeding...shark bait. I went back to the truck and pulled off boot to see the wound (not bleeding). I figured I would tough it out and fish a little longer...that lasted about 30 minutes, and then it really started hurting...all the way up to my hip. I went directly to ER in Lake Jackson to get my bowl of hot water(betadine), 2 pain pills and a tetanus shot and a script for 2 kinds of antibiotics ($1200). They wanted also to xray and when I refused (didn't think anything was in there) the PA said he would refuse me my antibiotics (until I asked to speak with his superior). It took some effort, but I got the bill reduced.


Wow, were you shuffling your feet? & did you have any ray protection? It looks to me like no ray gaurd, Crackshot or 4EverLast would protect that part of your foot- it is exposed no matter what you wear.
Just curious ,how much did your insurance pickup from the $1200 owed?? :frown:


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## jettycowboy47

sorry, i see that you had neoprene booties on. My bad...


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## McTrout

Ha....O.K guys. Yes, I have been hit a total of 7 times. The last three were actually after my "big" hit. Minor pokes/slashes all, but all were below the protection level of the classic wrap-a-round type guards. At this point I would recommend the reef boots plus guards as best option. 

Also, about that 'shuffle your feet' deal. When I got hammered by the 'bad' fish, I was standing perfectly still and had been for quite some time. We think the angler I was waiting to take a photo of spooked it towards me, bumped into me, then said "Hey I'm outta here but take this with ya". 

Anything else y'all want to know?

Oh, PS. I have done test with actual barbs on snake boots. Put them in a pair of pliers and did a "slap' test. Goes thru them like butter with minimal effort. Try it yourself and see.... Must be a different concept but I was certainly not left with any confidence whatsoever.


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## Trouthappy

Wow, I didn't know an ER could be that predatory. Sign of the times.


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## ClearLakeClayt

This snake boots idea is intriguing. I wear Crackshot's Stingray Guardz, but have gotten increasingly paranoid about my exposed toes, especially after this recent "hardhead in top of foot" incident. Ouch. A stingray would be far worse.

Can't stand the too-heavy Reef Boots, so don't like that option.

So, what do we want in a wading snake boot?


Lightweight, quick drying material (i.e. no leather)
Easy on/off, so no laces, need a full length zipper
No deep lugs in the sole because of mud
Uninsulated
The third boot down on this site looks good to me, although it's pretty expensive:
http://www.snakeboots.com/​Going to look pretty doofey walking off into the surf in something like this, especially next to barefoot guys in shorts and tee shirts, but you could say the same thing about life jackets...

I'm going to send a note to Crackshot to see if they are reacting to the notes about lower foot exposure. Their Snake Guardz have more foot coverage than the Stingray Guardz, but still not enough...


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## ClearLakeClayt

McTrout said:


> Oh, PS. I have done test with actual barbs on snake boots. Put them in a pair of pliers and did a "slap' test. Goes thru them like butter with minimal effort. Try it yourself and see.... Must be a different concept but I was certainly not left with any confidence whatsoever.


Hmm, Mike edited his post while I was writing mine, adding this last paragraph. Maybe snake boots aren't that great an idea...


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## Tailshot

Snake proof boots won't stop a stingray! I was talkin to the guys at Turtleskin last year about developing some stingray boots and they said their material would stop a rattlesnake bite with 100% certainty, but couldn't come close to stopping a stingray.


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## justletmein

Trouthappy said:


> Wow, I didn't know an ER could be that predatory. Sign of the times.


Yeah I would have called that doc's bluff in a heartbeat. Withhold antibiotics because I refuse x-rays? Pfffft that's laughable...


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## Auer Power

Tailshot said:


> Snake proof boots won't stop a stingray! I was talkin to the guys at Turtleskin last year about developing some stingray boots and they said their material would stop a rattlesnake bite with 100% certainty, but couldn't come close to stopping a stingray.


Hmm, thats interesting. I'd have thought that since it was bigger than a fang it would defect off the material instead of penetrating.
Thats why I'm here....


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## sferg

We all know its just a matter of time before the law of averages catch up to us.I have wade fished for years with tennis shoes before ray guards and reef boots were invented. Since I have been wearing the foreverlast boot/guard combo, I know I have been hit on top of the foot at lease twice. Feels like a sharp pecking or vibration for a few seconds. I do not want to feel that feeling with a barb inpaled or attached to me. Standing still and getting hit is certainly an unexpected tale but guys it obviously has happened. We might wade for years and just have been lucky but there will come a day when we face the sword of the " Bad Fish"


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## boomer 46

*foreverlast guards*

One of the problems with the Foreverlast guards is the elastic bottom strap, First of all i have had it cut into the first day on an oyster reef. Secondly it stretches and allows the guards to slide around and up on your feet and legs. My brother and i talked to a representative 3 years ago at the Houston fishing show. I suggested they make the bottom stap out of the same material as the other straps. He did not even want listen to our suggestions. He made up something about putting the elastic in your shoe. Impossible. Before Foreverlast came out with theirs i wore some green ones for years and the bottom strap is still in good condition after 15 years. The old green ones were originally made for snake guards. I never was hit wearing them but at least they stayed on snuggly. After the nylon ripped into on 2 pair of Foreverlast i took some material off an old ski belt and made my on bottom strap. No problem sliding up or down now.


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## southpaw

sferg said:


> *We all know its just a matter of time before the law of averages catch up to us*.


Bingo. If you wade enough it's just a matter of time until you get hit.


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## kenny

JimD said:


> The different brands of guards on the market and their protection has been discussed many times on the board.
> Lets just see what protection people had.
> 
> How many of you were hit by a stingray wearing some type of ray guards?
> 
> What brand?
> 
> Where were you hit?
> 
> What happened to get hit? Did you -Step on one moving forward,
> Step back onto one or Fall off into a hole or pocket?
> 
> How much protection did the guards give you?
> 
> Jim


Holy recycled post! Dude, you must be bored........


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## lamar44

McTrout said:


> Ha....O.K guys. Yes, I have been hit a total of 7 times. The last three were actually after my "big" hit. Minor pokes/slashes all, but all were below the protection level of the classic wrap-a-round type guards. At this point I would recommend the reef boots plus guards as best option.
> 
> Also, about that 'shuffle your feet' deal. When I got hammered by the 'bad' fish, I was standing perfectly still and had been for quite some time. We think the angler I was waiting to take a photo of spooked it towards me, bumped into me, then said "Hey I'm outta here but take this with ya".
> 
> Anything else y'all want to know?
> 
> Oh, PS. I have done test with actual barbs on snake boots. Put them in a pair of pliers and did a "slap' test. Goes thru them like butter with minimal effort. Try it yourself and see.... Must be a different concept but I was certainly not left with any confidence whatsoever.


Hit 7 times , You are a toughter man then me.


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## Harold Ray

I grew up around rattlesnakes, and their 2 to 3 inch fangs don't even compare to a 6 to 12 inch stingray barb. I don't believe there is a chance of a pair of snake boots could stop an accurate thrust, and rays have been working on presentation for a few hundred million years.

That is my personal opinion of course, but look at the barb. Snake fangs are like butter knives when compared to this:









Foreverlast Ray Boots aren't perfect but they have worked well for me so far.


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## SeaTex

SeaTex said:


> I have tryed rayguards and reefboots and found that snake boots are better for comfort and support. *Most of the guys I wade with wear'em. Can't say we have any results to give you as to my knowledge none of us have been hit while wearing them*.





ClearLakeClayt said:


> Hmm, Mike edited his post while I was writing mine, adding this last paragraph. Maybe snake boots aren't that great an idea...


This is the first time I have seen where someone did a test...very interesting.



Tailshot said:


> Snake proof boots won't stop a stingray! I was talkin to the guys at Turtleskin last year about developing some stingray boots and they said their material would stop a rattlesnake bite with 100% certainty, but couldn't come close to stopping a stingray.


Looked at their website and all I found were leggings... I guess they don't make snake boots. 
http://www.turtleskin.com/Hunting-Clothing.aspx

The main reason I posted up was to get some feedback. (Not trying to HiJack JimD)

I'm curious as to what part of the boot McTrout punctured. Was it above the ankle or the foot section. Reason being is mine are a lot thicker in the foot section vs the uppers.

Can't say I will stop using my snake boots as the comfort and support are superior to the reef boots. I may add my ray guards for more upper protection.


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## kcliff

I never wore ray type boots (past tense) till i rushed a friend to the hospital after getting hit by a stingray. next day we both got everlast boots at academy. i guess i will add more to the conversation, these boots http://www.flyfishinsalt.com/predator-pro-reef-boot were worn by his cousin in the surf and it didnt stop the barb, the article says stingray resistant i believe, dont you just love advertising and the tactical use of words. lol


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## JimD

NO problem.

Kenny is right and this has been hashed and rehashed more than once. It is that time of year.

I have gone thru 5 -6 pair of Rayguard boot and ? number of leggins. Two days on the big oyster reefs and the boots have no sole left in the toe area.

Looking at the Crackshot that people are talking about at the last hash session. They appear not to have the seams between the plastic inserts like the RG does. The down side is Crackshot only protect up to 12 in height as compared to the height to the RG.

Hey McBride- Least You did not get hit 7 times with lighting. You would glow in the dark.  

My question is how high up were most people hit? Is 12 inches enough height?


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## specks&ducks

I 've been wading for 35 yrs and have never been hit, I know my luck will run out someday. I wear Simms wading boots, and I suspect they would do very little for protection, but they are comfortable and thay come up my ankle quite aways. I wonder if wrapping them in Kevlar tape would help. Is there such a thing as Kevlar tape?


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## Backcast

Hey Jim,
Read the whole thread and was thinking about making an acrylic sheath to go over the top of the foot out of jet acrylic and attach to Crack Shot Guards. As one dentist to another!

Would be interesting to test a barb against some denture acrylic!

Joe


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## Blk Jck 224

Never been hit...Not taking any chances. :ac1090:


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## JimD

Someone asked about how I rigged mine and here is a px.

Measured the height and they are ~12 high from where they fit on your boot. I do not realize that I have a second layer under the Ray guards once I put the on. They are tie wrapped on in only inside top and bottom and once on the top so that they float independently inside the guard.

I used to work for Brown and Root when in Dental school/ college along with other construction jobs so this is a quick version of what I call Brown and Root rigging. 
These were done 5 or 6 years ago. If redone I would leave them a little longer with more of the top of the of the foot covered. Will they work? ? But it gives me a second free floating layer of protection. I feel better with the guys I used to fish with not wearing them and calling out rays all the time midcoast.

Only had two near accidents and they were down off Pelican and I stepped on two small flounder when we were wading with a lot of rays. No "accident" but I found I could jump about 2 ft in shin deep water and mud and luckily did not have to go empty the waders when you feel one move under your boots. 

Guess the next rig is how to put a trap door in the waders.  

Something like this might be an easy rig for most people that have the old guards in the garage somewhere.


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## redman71

I suspect I was hit a couple of years ago while wading Keller. My partner found the fish but he was a couple of hundred yards away. I was moving as fast as I could to get there. Stepped down and felt like someone tried to drive an ice pick into the outside of my foot with two quick hits. Never did see anything, but I didn't stop to look. We ended up with some nice stringers that day.

Was wearing the reef boots w/the wrap around guards. No penetration at all.


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## Tailshot

SeaTex said:


> Looked at their website and all I found were leggings... I guess they don't make snake boots.
> http://www.turtleskin.com/Hunting-Clothing.aspx


Nope, they don't make boots, they make snakeproof material. Might even sell that material to snakeboot manufacturers. The point is, they were working on developing a ray proof material and couldn't get there with cloth only. What would stop a full-on rattlesnake bite wouldn't stop a stingray barb.

I think the answer is a combination of ballistic-type snakeproof cloth and hard material to get as close to impenetrable as possible...and shuffling your feet.


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## justletmein

redman71 said:


> I suspect I was hit a couple of years ago while wading Keller. My partner found the fish but he was a couple of hundred yards away. I was moving as fast as I could to get there. Stepped down and felt like someone tried to drive an ice pick into the outside of my foot with two quick hits. Never did see anything, but I didn't stop to look. We ended up with some nice stringers that day.
> 
> Was wearing the reef boots w/the wrap around guards. No penetration at all.


Did it hit the boot or the guard?


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## justletmein

I just ordered a pair of these:


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## fishin shallow

Never have been hit but my ForEverlast look like they have been hit 100's of times as bad as they look


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## 24Buds

The reason I got a yak.


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## JustSlabs

24Buds said:


> The reason I got a yak.


 X2


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## Just One More

jettycowboy47 said:


> Wow, were you shuffling your feet? & did you have any ray protection? It looks to me like no ray gaurd, Crackshot or 4EverLast would protect that part of your foot- it is exposed no matter what you wear.
> Just curious ,how much did your insurance pickup from the $1200 owed?? :frown:


The ER was $411 (got it reduced to $283). Still disputing $812 bill for PA that has been reduced to $175. I am on a NEW HSA plan at work and basically it is out of pocket until your $3000 deductible is met. It does cover 1 physical per calendar year.


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## Smackdaddy53

justletmein said:


> I just ordered a pair of these:


Better wear a pfd fo sho with those things on

-mac-


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## JimD

Just one more. That cost makes the guards look real cheap. 

My wife got a finter caught in the door and almost lost the nail and top of the finger inc a little bone and $16,000 was the fianl plem bill she got from the different people. specialist did not feel the er did the best in the west either when he got it cleaned up and ready for surgery to build her a new nail. Told her I could have done a better job but she was freaked. Ins paid but .... 16k all total??????

No one else hit??? Not many responses.


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## WRECKER

Rad A Tat said:


> Try snake boots, never heard of them failing. Will cost you a little more than guards but are very comfortable to wear.


I'll have to look for it but there was an article a few years back in where they proved that larger rays would pierce snake boots/ chaps. The smaller area of a fang with a much lighter blow that a barb dealt, didn't require the thickness that ray guards provide. Thay basically said the two were like comparing apples to oranges. A hard blow from a ray would potentially pierce the boots.


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## WRECKER

Smackdaddy53 said:


> Better wear a pfd fo sho with those things on
> 
> -mac-


Sweet! Keep some WD40 handy though.


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## sdereki

of all these posts, everyone hit has been hit in the toe area...anyone ever have one go through their guard


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## ak

24Buds said:


> The reason I got a yak.


X2... I got clipped once only thing that saved me was my cat like reflexes and some bulky nylon wind pants that kind of hung his barb up from cutting my leg more. Wish I had wore my ray guards and slid my feet but I was young and in a hurry.


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## ak

sdereki said:


> of all these posts, everyone hit has been hit in the toe area...anyone ever have one go through their guard


People who wear ray guards are very concious of rays so they probably slide there feet well and if a ray would kind of hit them like most minor ray cuts they probably wouldnt really feel it through the pads so thats probably why theres no post about it.


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## JimD

I still slide all the time with my boots and guards but then there is thick mud and pot holes.

*At one time with a lot of the hit reports it seemed stepping back or to the side with a fish on or possibly a mid coast pot hole caused the most hits but with these few reports????????????????
*
*Interesting on the FEW responses we got. May be we need Poll for everyone to see what people were doing when hit. Still does not help trying to fig out if the guards worked or not for that hit. 
*
Then there is McBride and 7 times being hit. We could almost enter him for the record book with the guy that has been hit by lighting so many times.  Ought to be good for an article on "What I was doing each time" to to get hit 7 other than fishing a lot more than most of us.


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## Rippin_drag

Rippin_drag said:


> Hit in East Matty and was wearing Foreverlast reef boots with Crackshot ray guards. Cut the nylon on the outside pretty good but not me. Was wading thick mud/shell in the summer.


Here's a pic of my Crackshots after the hit i referenced. Was on top/side part of the foot. As you can see it easily cut the outer material. On the close-up shot it broke through the plastic on the inside too. Luckily it didn't get to my skin. I had the Foreverlast reef boots on underneath.

And please ignore the hideous color, these are from way back when they first came out and was the only color. LOL


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## JimD

The pxs look a lot better than the ones of McBride's foot couple of days after the hit plus the vibro infection.


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## mwatt007

man you guys are scaring me....i don't fish "alot" but never wore any boots for protection....tennis shoes...but lately after reading these posts the last 2 times out in the bay i have taken my flounder gig with me and poke in front of me as I wade out and back in....

gonna have to look up and see what the Crackerjax cost.


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## JimD

Call cutrate and see. iirc 50 to 60 dollars for the guards and 45 for the boots is cheap vs winning the lottery at the er for $$$$ if simple and not a serious stick that lays you up for several weeks or you get the vibro and look like Mc'Trout and a gimp and laid up for 6 months. Mike posted up a px of his foot several years ago on the site and EJ has it in his mag this month in an article done by another writer.


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## Steven H

Size 10 Rayguards attached to the boots available for Pickup in Kingwood, for a 12 Pack of Fat Tire Amber if anyone is interested. 7 out of 10 cosmetically, too small for my fat foot.


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## B2

FYI guys you will have a better comfort factor if you get the boots much larger than your size. I wear a 10, bought a 13. In summer I wear neoprene socks to make up the difference.


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## JimD

Here is an old recycle of rays and getting hit.

Be curious if McBride's record of 7 stingray hits is a record and if he has been hit since he retired.


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## rat race

poppadawg said:


> 1200 BUCKS? wow. I have heard of hot water to draw out the poison, but didnt know antibiotics were needed. At 1200 bucks I hope your insurance covered it. So if you get hit, you should always go to the ER?


Not poisonous

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## dk2429

0 times... I wear foreverlast wade boots and guards.


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## kenny

JimD..... record holder of resurrected threads.


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## JimD

Good one to bring back up Kenny between stingrays and vibro.


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## Sgrem

dk2429 said:


> 0 times... I wear foreverlast wade boots and guards.


Zero for me too....I wear old ars nike tennis shoes.


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## C.Hern5972

Blk Jck 224 said:


> Never been hit...Not taking any chances. :ac1090:


thats what i wear


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## Longshot270

At least he's using the search function...

I'm glad to see some of these old threads resurrected but would like to see people continue posting what works and what doesn't. There are likely more options than there were in 2012 when this thread was started. New companies may have pulled ahead and cheap ones popped up that aren't any good.

After my last surf fishing trip, my feet were all cut up and bleeding from stepping on crabs. I figured some cheap tennis shoes would be fine until I watched my brother spent 30 minutes chasing a ray with a cast net.


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## Rippin_drag

I can't understand that here in 2016 there hasn't been a light weight, flexible, puncture resistant, mid to upper calf height boot developed by a company like Simms and others.

I guess the cost of R&D, production, & materials is greater than the demand for them.
I'd pay a premium price if a boot like that existed.

I heard from a guy that attended ICAST a year or 2 ago Under Armour was coming out with something like this but maybe that was just rumor.

Guess I'll keep rolling w/my Everlast or Magellan boots and the Crackshots for now.


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## kenny

JimD said:


> Good one to bring back up Kenny between stingrays and vibro.


You're paranoid.


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## Its Catchy

You can get hit in any bay on the Texas coast. But if you are wading Christmas bay your odds go up like one million percent.

I gig their quite often and I have never seen a bay with more stingrays. If you fish their wear guards period the end. It's not if but when will you be hit.


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## JimD

The key thing about Christmas is you can see the bottom there a lot better than our other bays. 

The only difference is you can see all the rays around you where most of our bays are not that clear to see the bottom clearly. 

Try wading Port Mansfield and south. I wear the reinforced guards, still slide and still poke the rays out of the way down there. Amazing what you can see in clear water. 
___________
Kenny Remember I am getting old but still not as old as you.  Not many people can remember when Gieger fished Galveston Bay. 

Some of these old posts are as good now as they were then esp with all the new people.


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## Instigator

Thanks for the heads up Catchy. I was just about to go wade Christmas for the first time. I've been lucky for over 50 years of wading. Kicked a bunch, stepped on a few but never stuck. I just wear neoprenes which might as well be barefoot for ray protection. 

I used to fish the Lower Laguna a lot and there were a couple of times around the mouth of the Arroyo that I was surrounded by them. It was like being in the middle of a bunch of rattlers. That was a very sloooooow wade back to the boat. Seems like whenever I run into more than the stray ray I am also into the reds big time. Good news but also not the time to get too distracted by wakes and tails.


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## cloudfishing

So true Instigator, our guide has always told us "You find the Rays and you will find the fish!" I always hated the ones that are about 18 inches across they swim up to you and stop. Sure wish they still made predator reef boots.


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## Sgrem

Rays arent aggressive and don't want to be stepped on either. They are part of the food chain and can be spooked just like reds. If they bump ya or you slide into them they will happily move. Don't take big running steps or step backwards.


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## artys_only

I was hit above the ankle barb went thru and broke off , barb was about 2 1/2 " long , just using wade boots , it was east Mattie in the spring of 02 , always shuffled but now Simms wade boots and crack shots for me , have been slapped several times , it's just part of the game of wading do it long enought and it will happen , my Er trip was not that expensive . A few shots and 3 weeks back in the water but I still carry the scar !


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## duckmania

I've waded for decades and have never been hit. I sure hope I can say that when my wading days are over. I've stepped so close to them I could feel their wings on my legs. i wear Simms wading boots, hopefully that would slow down the barb a little.


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## duckmania

whats a crack shot?


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## Rippin_drag

http://www.stinkypantsfishing.com/Ray guards.htm


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## JimD

Crack shot guards are very similar to the ray guards.
Probably have a better top of the foot cover and better strap for under the instep.

Oyster bars will eat both up pretty quickly along with the ray guard boots.

If you have not looked at they have the canvas cover with plastic like fins in between sewn partitions. We needed a few people that were hit wearing them for opinions on the help. 
I can shoot .17 pellet thru them with no worry. If you look at my old rig job px I have an old old 400" denier nylon New Mark ray guard cuts and set on the inside of the ray guards for extra support. Pellet did not go thru the New Mark but does not mean that a big mamma ray will not go thru both.

*Think I still have a pair of Ray guard boots in size 13 if some one in the Spring area wants them*. They have a little wear on the soles but are too small for me and the kids and we are 10-10.5 shoe size and wear 14 ray guards with waders. 
They would probably fit a 9-9.5 American size shoe. Drop a pm if you want them and I will send my address and leave them out side.


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## El General

I got hit when I was 15 (94 or so) down in Mansfield wearing just Hodgeman neoprene wading boots. I got gangrene (because of a snafu in the hospital in Harlingen) and ended up in the hospital in Beaumont for a week. Walking through two airports on a swollen to the bursting point foot was easily the most painful thing I have been through by far.

We had jumped a last minute flight out of Houston on Saturday morning when a group of my Dad's friends had a full boat cancellation, so we had a couple of days guided and lodging for the price of two tickets on Southwest. We intended on staying until Monday to fish a half day then flying back.

It hit the side of my right foot and went through neoprene like butter. We were wading in crotch deep dirty water in west bay late in the afternoon. I had just caught two reds back to back casting 90 degrees from the direction of our wade. I waved the other guys over (I was on the end) and took a step to the right. Boom.

It took me a couple of minutes to figure out what happened as the pain increased. The feeling of the puncture was very like getting shocked by a cattle prod.

I called my dad over and told him what happened. He asked me if it might have been a catfish. I told him I didn't think so cause it hurt alot more than that. We waived and hollared for the guide for a bit (Terry Neal) and he brought the boat over. Hot water is supposed to be what to do, so he filled a bucket from the motor pisser and I stuck my foot in that. That hurt like hell.

Got back to the condo and somebody boiled a pot of water and I stuck my foot in that while we drove to Harlingen. That hurt more. Got to Harlingen Hospital pretty late on Saturday night and of course we had a considerable wait in the emergency room as per usual. They were criminally understaffed that night and the only doctor on duty spoke mostly Spanish. He cleaned it up and bandaged it and gave me a prescription for Amoxcil. We didn't pay attention to the dose until much too late because they gave me some at the hospital. Because I was 15, he gave me a child's dose. It was even the flavored chewables. I was legally a child, but I weighed a solid 180 at the time. 

I talked my Dad into letting me fish the next day on the condition that I not get out of the boat. I was disgruntled because I had never fished down there out of the boat, and figured that it would be poor fishing for me, but it was better than sitting in the condo, which was his first inclination. My Father, his long time friend James that we saw much too little of, and I were at the dock on Pelican's Point waiting for Bob Norton when he pulled up what proved to be just a few short hours after we returned from Harlingen. He noticed that I was walking funny and we only brought two sets of wading gear and gave my father a questioning look. Pops explained to him what had happened and that I would be fishing out of the boat for the day. I expected some guide grumbles, but Mr Norton said no problem and started stowing our gear and sandwiches.

We turned North out of the harbor with the harbor ***** screaming at us per usual. Not three minutes after we get on plane Norton shut down the engine suddenly and grabbed us (still befuddled from lack of sleep) and handed us rods indiscriminately. He urged us to cast toward the slight glimmer of sun. We had no idea what was going on. We had run straight in to a considerable pod of redfish and we all four hooked up and landed solid reds to 27". We drifted for a few minutes and one at a time we caught four more before we powered up to move on. The sun hadn't quit the land and we had two limits and lacked one more for a third. There was a lot of smiling and backslapping then.

We pointed North again and ran for quite a while until Bob shut down again (much less suddenly this time). There was a single bird hovering over what proved to be a pretty decent pod of reds with trout on the perimeter. He anchored and Dad and James bailed out to wade up to them because the wind was wrong for a drift with a single admonishment from the guide, "Don't throw in the middle of them with that top water," to my father. They both hooked and landed a red well before they got to the group. I could see the bird, but not the fish as it was still fairly dark and we were looking west, so I asked Bob how he knew there were fish there. As the sun spread some light on the seen, Mr. Norton handed me a pair of well worn binoculars and when I put them to my eyes the sight of boiling red and silver water with an occasional powder puff blue tail popping out of th water hit my eye. I was insanely jealous for an instant, and then decided watching this with a front row seat in the increasing light of dawn was breathtakingly beautiful, and I was more than lucky to be right where I was right then.

Of course, James and Dad got within casting distance and launched there lures (a weedless spoon for James and a Bone Jumping Minnow for Dad) at the same time. I instantly saw that Dad had misjudged the wind an plopped his top water in the middle of the pod of reds as James skillfully placed his spoon on the downwind edge. They both hooked up, Dad with a red and James with a very nice 23" trout, but spooked the pod. Mr. Norton gave my father a few grumbles as they waded back to the boat.

We then proceeded north and worked groups of birds all day without seeing other fisherman, a rare phenomenon for the three of us that called Galveston Bay our home water. I knew the exact number of groups then, but can't recall now. It was in the high 20's. We finally completed our limit of trout without ever keeping a fish that required measuring continuing far north within sight of the Land Cut about noon. It was easily the best trout trip by numbers I have had down there and the most unique because nobody got out of the boat save that one short wade early in the morning.

By this time, my foot had swollen to the approximate roundness of a grocery store ham in its plastic wrapper. I was in considerable pain that I managed to conceal from my father until the last group of birds when I had stoop up and yelped. He took one look at my livid red and swollen foot and told Bob that we needed to head back. I knew that the trip was cut short, but it had been such an amazing day that I didn't utter a word of protest.

Back to the condo and quick phone calls Southwest to change our flights, and we piled into the ancient Isuzu Trooper that James' brother Will kept at Harlingen Airport and generously gave the use of to his friends. We had to cut the tongue out of my brand new Nike Air Huarache's to get my foot in inside, which pained both my father and I for different reasons.

The pain of limping through Valley International and then Hobby was really more than I could take, and I finally told my father about half way through Hobby that I couldn't take another step. Even light pressure on my foot caused hot needles of pain to shoot through my leg. I could put my full weight on it no longer.

In Harlingen, there had been a flight delay. My father was mortally afraid of flying and took Zanex to make it through. When our flight was initially called, he popped his Zanex as we stood in line to board. Evidentally, some mechanical flaw was found right before we got on the plane and we were told there would be a 2 hour delay before take off. James and Dad decided that this called for a bit of liquid courage and repaired to the bar where they had a few scotch and waters waiting for the flight. 

I had never seen my father visibly drunk before and would only see it one more time after. When we finally got to the Yellow Jeep Wrangler that was to be mine in a few months, he realized his mistake. 

"Son, I am in no condition to drive." Let me tell you, driving a standard transmisson vehicle with one foot is beyond difficult, especially for an underage driver who was not a complete master at the manual transmission as of yet. Every use of my right foot on the accelerator or brake caused an audible groan and a little of the color in my father's face to drain away, but once we got on the highway it was perfectly manageable with only my left.

With our late arrival home in Beaumont, it was not until the next morning that I went to see a doctor. He took one look at the foot and booked me into St. Elizabeth's for surgery to lance the wound and cut away the gangrenous tissue.

Luckily, it hit a place between my ankle bone and where the foot bones begin that is just soft tissue. They cut out about a cubic inch of tissue and then I just sat in the hospital for a week while they monitored the effects of the all the Cipro they pumped into my arm. The Cipro hurt like hell also.

My father often bemoaned the amazing cost of our free trip to Port Mansfield in the years after the incident.

Walk n Wade's were the only ray guards available at the time, and they wouldn't have helped me on bit. They tended to float up a bit and leave a small amount of the foot undefended. They were also amazingly cumbersome and wore blisters where the top rubbed on my leg above the calf. I used them for half a morning on our next trip to Mansfield and have never worn them again. Because of the large circumference of my calf, the various modern stingray proof boots don't fit on my legs, so I haven't worn stingray protection in the 22 years since. I think my Simms Flats Sneakers would turn a barb, but they certainly provide no protection above the ankle.

Lessons learned:

1. Get the right antibiotics, as a full dose of antibiotics would have likely saved much trouble and coin.
2. Don't fish the next day
3. Shuffle even if you have to do it sideways.
4. Be doubly careful in dirty water where the rays have less of a chance to see you and vacate the premises.
5. Don't mix Zanex and booze.
6. Later, the doctors told us hot water may actually work to draw some of the poison out of the wound and break it down. 
7. Stingray venom is, chemically, remarkably similar to rattlesnake venom, but the dose is minisucle in comparison.

As an aside, by remarkable coincedence, in the hospital room next to me was a twelve year old boy that had been hit by a stingray in the chest playing in the surf at Bolivar. This is much more serious, as Steve Irwin was to later learn to his final chagrin. If you get hit in the torso, treat the injury as life threatening.


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## [email protected]

I posted this while El General was posting - but caught up in time to preface with this edit. That is an amazing story and I want to thank you for posting it. So now for what i had to say...

In the early days cheap running shoes were standard gear and I eventually moved up to Shimano booties to keep shell fragments out, and then Crackshots over booties when they became available about 2000. I never had much luck keeping the Crackshot or any other brand from working loose and riding up my leg, especially in mud. In 2003 Billy Gerke brought out his RayGuard Boots with foot/leg guard attached and been wearing them on every wade since.

I have never been hit by a ray (Thank God) although I have felt them fluttering underfoot more times than I care to remember. For whatever it is worth, Billy Gerke and Gary Gray assisted in the most realistic RayGuard Boot test I could conjure up - live stingray in a kiddie pool tormented with a RayGuard Boot mounted on a piece of 2x4. It was a decent sized ray and it slashed and jabbed at the boot dozens of times without penetrating. We ran a piece in the magazine. Not saying RayGuard Boots will fend off every direct strike but it's the best protection I have found so far. And I get a good workout on every wade!


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## Instigator

You gave me a good nostalgia chuckle sgrem.

I went through the same ray behavior routine that you just did the first time I took my wife wade fishing waaaaay back in the day. We were just getting into the bay a little after sunrise and came up on a dinner-plate sized ray in about a foot of gin clear water. My then girlfriend was very spooked so I calmly recited our wade fisherman dogma and then said, "Now watch. I'll tap the ray on his back and he'll scoot away. No worries!" The ray was pointed directly away from us and when I tapped him on the back he did a 180 and scooted right between my then almost former girlfriend's ankles, wing tickling both ankles on the pass. 

That was the end of the trip. Almost the end of our relationship and I have more than enough fingers to count the times that she has wade fished with me in the 40 years since then.


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## Trouthappy

Glad I missed any stingray hits. All I ever wore was Keds high-tops. Had a few flounder or stingrays flutter under it, but no hits. That, and we walked the jetties more than waded, which helped. Although I've thrown a castnet since 1967.


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## Trophytrout_47

[email protected] said:


> I posted this while El General was posting - but caught up in time to preface with this edit. That is an amazing story and I want to thank you for posting it. So now for what i had to say...
> 
> In the early days cheap running shoes were standard gear and I eventually moved up to Shimano booties to keep shell fragments out, and then Crackshots over booties when they became available about 2000. I never had much luck keeping the Crackshot or any other brand from working loose and riding up my leg, especially in mud. In 2003 Billy Gerke brought out his RayGuard Boots with foot/leg guard attached and been wearing them on every wade since.
> 
> I have never been hit by a ray (Thank God) although I have felt them fluttering underfoot more times than I care to remember. For whatever it is worth, Billy Gerke and Gary Gray assisted in the most realistic RayGuard Boot test I could conjure up - live stingray in a kiddie pool tormented with a RayGuard Boot mounted on a piece of 2x4. It was a decent sized ray and it slashed and jabbed at the boot dozens of times without penetrating. We ran a piece in the magazine. Not saying RayGuard Boots will fend off every direct strike but it's the best protection I have found so far. And I get a good workout on every wade!


I remember seeing that article in your rag EJ.


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## JimD

EJ- That is why you fish with McBride with his Guinness record of 7 string ray hits. 

He is a sting ray magnet. 

Not talked with Mike lately. Has he added to his record since he retired?


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## [email protected]

JimD - Saw McMullet Saturday evening at the party following Port Mansfield Chamber Tournament. He was not limping...which is a good sign. LOL!


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## trome55

Been hit twice with my ray guards on. Luck on my side both deflected off fairly well. The second felt like someone slammed me in the back of my leg with a hammer. Used to "forget" to wear them out of pure comfortability but after how powerful the last hit felt I won't enter the water without them


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## glojim

Just One More said:


> shot and a script for 2 kinds of antibiotics ($1200). They wanted also to xray and when I refused (didn't think anything was in there) the PA said he would refuse me my antibiotics (until I asked to speak with his superior).


Kinda reminds of me of dealing w/ crooked auto mechanics and their pricing policy and gouging. smh


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## glojim

[email protected] said:


> Billy Gerke and Gary Gray assisted in the most realistic RayGuard Boot test I could conjure up - live stingray in a kiddie pool tormented with a RayGuard Boot mounted on a piece of 2x4. It was a decent sized ray and it slashed and jabbed at the boot dozens of times without penetrating. We ran a piece in the magazine. Not saying RayGuard Boots will fend off every direct strike but it's the best protection I have found so far. And I get a good workout on every wade!


Which monthly edition was this? Perhaps I can look online on your website, being a digital suscriber.


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## sea hunt 202

painfull indeed


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## JimD

bump for fun


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## Wedge

*Stepped on a few*

I know I have stepped on a few as I could feel the vibration when they swam away. I have been lucky. A good friend of mine that is guiding in East Matty told me to invest in a pair of guards because the rays were worse than he has ever seen. I suppose I opt to stay in the boat and use the trolling motor.


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## Texun4

I know this was bumped for fun but I am glad it was as it has a lot of good info. I will definitely be investing in some raygard boots and shields. Thanks!!


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## TexasWineGuy

Texun4 said:


> I know this was bumped for fun but I am glad it was as it has a lot of good info. I will definitely be investing in some raygard boots and shields. Thanks!!


Me too. Reading this thread scared me.

Texun4 - Hockley? Me too!

TWG


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## Texun4

TexasWineGuy said:


> Me too. Reading this thread scared me.
> 
> Texun4 - Hockley? Me too!
> 
> TWG


Ya moved from Cypress to get a little further out! haha!


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## ATE_UP_FISHERMAN

I had a ray hit my Simms boots in East Mat. The only reason I know is the barb was broke off in my shoe laces.


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## glojim

I"m so paranoid now that I'm gonna get me some good snakeboots AND some rayguards. Im gonna double-up! lol


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## gsb

Reef boots and crackshots for me. The boots last one season but the crackshots have held out for a couple of years. some swings, no hits!


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## pocjetty

I didn't mention this in the fishing report, but the rays out in front of the lakes on St. Joe are ridiculous right now. I usually don't worry about them too much, but I wouldn't wade that area without guards right now on a bet. The only good thing is that they are mostly all up and moving - the shoreline looks like a big stingray parade. Sometimes they're all buried up like flounder.

I was out in about 3' of water, and thought I was coming up on a sandy pothole. Then I noticed that the pothole was moving. I would say how big I think that ray was, but I'm not sure I'd believe myself. It was large. Very, very large. Big ol' eyes like golf balls.


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## JimD

It is more fun to wade around Port Mansfield where the water is crystal clear and you can actually see all of what you are missing wading Maty and Galveston bay systems.   

We have had a lot of discussons on the board about the different guards and boots. There was good one on how to put soles on the bottom of the worn out ray guard boots and it works. When I was wading oyster all the time I found that the boots made it about 5 all night trips till the bottom and the toe were gone from the shell. If you were not doing heavy shell you can get multiple years out of the boots.

I had a set I rigged out of an old tire and another out of bed liner. The bed liner was better, liter and did not show much wear from the shell and a good use for a set of worn out boots.


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