# What to wear wading?



## Pig Whisperer

I've been wading a few times but haven't gone in the past few years. My dad loves wading and we will be fishing somewhere along the Upper Laguna Madre in late July. We have all the wading gear and he usually wears wading pants with his ray-guards. I'm personally not a fan of wading in the pants and would lean more towards just regular fishing shorts with my ray-guards (we still shuffle, don't worry). I also have breathable bootfoot waders that I use during duck season. What's the best thing to wear? I know it can vary person to person, but I also don't want to have a random run in with a jelly or anything. Dad would never let me hear the end of it.


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## FISHP

I love just wearing shorts, there was a time when I was a kid I would just wear a pair of shorts, no shoes no shirt. In recent years I wore shorts but I have had some bad jellyfish stings. Now I wear pants, most of the time you will be ok with shorts but one good size jellyfish wrapped around your legs will change your day. There is nothing you can do about it when your out wading, you just have to tuff it out, you will wear pants after that.


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## Realvestor

Long pants to avoid jellyfish stings and long sleeve shirt and hat to avoid skin cancer.


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## Reynolds4

Realvestor said:


> Long pants to avoid jellyfish stings and long sleeve shirt and hat to avoid skin cancer.


This here!

I too at one time would wade in shorts, neoprene boots and no shirt until the day I had to wade (more less swim) through chin deep water to retrieve my boat because the anchor didn't hold and a jelly fish wrapped around my chest. That was pretty much the end to that and the day


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## CoogFisher12

Typically, I will wear Columbia long pants (the ones that zip at the knees), everlast wading boots, and a long sleeve columbia shirt. If I am in the bay and it is hot, I will unzip and go in shorts, but beware of oysters. I've stepped in deep mud and raked up my leg pretty bad. The jellies aren't as bad in Matagorda bay (typically) but if I am in the surf I will always wear long pants. 

Say what you want, but in my experience Columbia just makes quality gear. Magellan is okay and cheaper, but I'd take one nice Columbia shirt over 3 mediocre Magellan shirts. The faster it dries and the thinner the material, the cooler you will. 

Long sleeve simply because I get crawfish red in no time flat. And ALWAYS wear a hat and plenty of sunscreen.


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## JMN

*What my Grandson wears*

Takes one jellyfish sting to change things.


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## mertz09

I wear paints that zip at the knee for jelly fish, hat, fishing shirt, and snake boots for the rays. I know a lot of guys who fish Matagorda who wear snake boots when they wade. I have a hunting lease south of San Angelo where snake boots are a must so I wear my old pair for wadding both the bay and surf. They are comfortable and I feel safer but also still shuffle.


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## sotexhookset

Muscle shirt, cowboy hat, tennis shoes, no shorts or pants. Shuffle, shuffle, shuffle.


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## TU MO KASSTS

pants... always... having to power-wade to shore, balance on one leg, and take a leak on your own leg in 15mph wind isn't much fun. Or so I've heard...


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## Tail Chaser

I always wear shorts in the summer, and use regular wading boots (I have the Marlwalkers). If I'm wading the surf, I wear the same shorts, but go barefoot. I know, sounds crazy, right? Well, when is the last time you played with your kids at the beach in big 'ol clod hoppers? Never. Same deal. People make too much of it, we all get stung by jellyfish and what not when we play at the beach, somehow surf fishing is supposed to be different? Bays aren't though, oysters, bay trash, etc. You need to have good foot protection. You're in more danger of those things than stingrays or hardheads.


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## Tail Chaser

TU MO KASSTS said:


> pants... always... having to power-wade to shore, balance on one leg, and take a leak on your own leg in 15mph wind isn't much fun. Or so I've heard...


Why the heck would you go through all that trouble to take a leak while wading? I just don't get some of you.


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## Lone-Star

Most of my fishing is wading the upper laguna and my summer standard is simms flats sneakers, ray guards, Columbia-type pants, long sleeve shirt and a full-coverage style hat. I do a lot of pre-dawn and after dark wading so the rayguards are a must for me which also add a degree of protection from scratches from under water hazards which is just as important to me as stingray protection. Long pants, while not necessary, are good to have as we do have jellies floating around and there have been more than a few times when I wished I had taking the time to fully gear up.


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## SeaY'all

Say what you will about me. I wear my breathables and ray guards all the time


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## Pig Whisperer

Thanks for the input folks. Dad just sent me a text and apparently he's at the Columbia outlet on his way to Kemah. Furthermore it seems he bought wading pants for our entire extended family. Don't know what I'm gonna do with him. Tight lines friends.


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## Spooley

Long pants, wade boots, snake guards, LS shirt, full brim hat, and a snickers bar.


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## Brush Country

CoogFisher12 said:


> Typically, I will wear Columbia long pants (the ones that zip at the knees), everlast wading boots, and a long sleeve columbia shirt. If I am in the bay and it is hot, I will unzip and go in shorts, but beware of oysters. I've stepped in deep mud and raked up my leg pretty bad. The jellies aren't as bad in Matagorda bay (typically) but if I am in the surf I will always wear long pants.
> 
> Say what you want, but in my experience Columbia just makes quality gear. Magellan is okay and cheaper, but I'd take one nice Columbia shirt over 3 mediocre Magellan shirts. The faster it dries and the thinner the material, the cooler you will.
> 
> Long sleeve simply because I get crawfish red in no time flat. And ALWAYS wear a hat and plenty of sunscreen.


X2 on everything but the sun screen its usually a buff that I wear to cover my neck and face. And it don't fog up the Costas.


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## CoogFisher12

Brush Country said:


> X2 on everything but the sun screen its usually a buff that I wear to cover my neck and face. And it don't fog up the Costas.


Of course, I forgot the Costas. How else am I supposed to see the fish? :biggrin:

I wear a buff when I go offshore. It takes some getting used to, but it definitely comes in handy when you burn like I do!


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## FlounderSeeker

Thin pants, old tennis shoes or wading boots, thin long sleeve shirt, hat and mask and sunglasses.


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## TexasCajun

Realvestor said:


> Long pants to avoid jellyfish stings and long sleeve shirt and hat to avoid skin cancer.


Exactly!


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## billfish3r

I love to wade with my columbia ridge cargo shorts. I did buy wading pants one time but I didnt really feel comfortable wading with it so I gave it away. Ill take my chances on the jellies.


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## Aquillin87

Long pants, ray guards, good wading booties, and a bright colored shirt so boats can see you it gets crazy in July sometimes with inconsiderate boaters


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## habanerojooz

I always wear a bright LS shirt when wading the bays during the summer. Increased visibility just doesnâ€™t hurt. Columbia style long pants and ray guards. Footwear depends on type of bottom, rugged wade boots for pure shell or heavy mud, neoprene side-zipper booties otherwise. 

For hat wear, Iâ€™ve recently discovered the hats by Shelta. Wide heavy duty brims that donâ€™t flop around in the wind. The brim also doesnâ€™t get flimsy when soaking wet. I like the additional shade provided by wide brim hats but I hated how most brims folded down when driving the boat or in windy conditions. The Sheltas wonâ€™t do that. I bought the Seahawk model and Iâ€™m very pleased with my purchase. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Aggieangler

One jelly getting up those shorts and into your nads will change your mind quick. I only wade in nylon fishing pants or waders.

My buddy wades in shorts, for some stupid reason, and he gets a good solid jellyfish welt on his upper thigh or near his junk about once a year. What's so much better about being in shorts?


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## Rockfish2

Aggieangler said:


> One jelly getting up those shorts and into your nads will change your mind quick. I only wade in nylon fishing pants or waders.
> 
> My buddy wades in shorts, for some stupid reason, and he gets a good solid jellyfish welt on his upper thigh or near his junk about once a year. What's so much better about being in shorts?


Getting that sweet wade fishing tan line on your legs...


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