# New to the forum, new to wade fishing...advice?



## cwall (Apr 14, 2013)

Hi all,

Well, this new wade fishing forum convinced me to stop lurking and join (thanks Mont). I've been fishing from my canoe, a little pier, and a little shore up to this point and have recently decided to get more serious about fishing the coast (I live in Sugar Land).

Until I decide how serious I am with wade fishing I don't want to spend big bucks on the best Simms and other gear, and from what I've read most everything fails after a season or two anyway.

My thinking is to use a dedicated pair of regular hiking boots x2 sizes larger than my shoe size, which I have already, and something like the Caddis breathable waders (like these: http://www.amazon.com/Caddis-Attractive-2-Tone-Breathable-Stocking/dp/B000LX7O82/ref=sr_1_3?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1366029126&sr=1-3&keywords=waders+fishing) I plan to call them today to try to decipher the size thing as it seems the feet sizes run large. Anybody own these?

The rest of the gear I can mostly patch together from what I have. With the bottoms we have here, do you guys use felt boots? It seems they would get shredded by the oysters and gummed up with the gumbo-funknasty-muck. I've just used rubber boots up to this point. Do the boots with spikes help here? Sorry for such basic questions, just coming late to the party. I appreciate and all advice.


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## Part Timer (Jul 2, 2012)

Its almost time to start wet wading (if this weather ever makes up its mind). I waded for years in tennis shoes and jeans(jeans help avoid the jelly fish). I wouldnt blow a bunch of money until you know you're going to like it. Just remember to shuffle your feet! 

Welcome to 2cool!

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


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## Wade'n4fish (Jul 30, 2012)

Wading to me is a minimalistic adventure. Decent shoes and a rod. Choosing the right spot is more important than anything else to me. Even with the best equipment there are areas that will still be too dangerous or too nasty to wade. Make it comfortable to you. And always do your best to plan for worst case senario , as long as you come home in one piece than it was a successful trip in my mind.


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## Wade'n4fish (Jul 30, 2012)

Where abouts in sl? I'm in sl as well.


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## CulturedHick (Jun 11, 2011)

For years I waded in bluejeans and tennis shoes and never had a problem. Now I use Everlast wading boots with the seperate ray guards and the Magellan Backcounry Zip Off Belted pants. The are thinner and lighter than wet bluejeans and the legs of the pants zip off to make shorts.

Good luck!
Alan


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## tamucc04 (Jun 21, 2011)

I like the same pants as above for jelly fish and use the neoprene boots with thick rubber sole and like the fact that the tops are snug above the ankle to help keep little pieces of shells out. Also prob dont need waders for much longer but I like to buy mine from LL Bean as they have a life time warranty and when they get holes you can send them back and they send a new pair.


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## cwall (Apr 14, 2013)

Thanks for all the feedback. I was wondering just how many people do the jeans/tennis shoes thing...that is the only way I've done it other than some rubber hip waders when I lived in Alaska. Maybe I'll hold off on the waders until the end of summer when I have more wading experience. More money for gas to get down there! Having already had one unfortunate run in with a sting ray, I do plan to use some type of guard though. I got barbed in the ring finger when I got careless releasing a ray in near darkness...one of the more painful experiences in my life. 

I do have neoprene boots (from snorkeling), but the lack of ankle support and ray-barb protection make me a little nervous.

Would nylon pants be better than jeans? Like the kind coaches wear? I used to have a pair of those (maybe still do?) and they dried really fast and offered good wind protection.


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## That Robbie Guy (Aug 11, 2009)

Part Timer said:


> Its almost time to start wet wading (if this weather ever makes up its mind). I waded for years in tennis shoes and jeans(jeans help avoid the jelly fish). I wouldnt blow a bunch of money until you know you're going to like it. Just remember to shuffle your feet!
> 
> Welcome to 2cool!
> 
> Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


I wet waded yesterday, in shorts & boots, and it was just fine.


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## KDubBlast (Dec 25, 2006)

I would get a pair of Magellan wading pants and a pair of everlast stingray boots. 
Wading during the warm months in waders is hot and a pain. The wading pants are like 20 bucks at academy and have zip off legs. The boots I recommended are fair priced and are tough boots that I wear all the time. I've had mine for about 5 years and the zippers still work. Just always remember to shuffle your feet and take it slow. Nothing worse than falling in the water and slicing your hand up on a oyster bed. Good luck


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## OnedayScratch (May 23, 2012)

welcome in. big bucks aren't needed. as stated, shuffle, go slow, enjoy the right spots, and call me if you're on em'.


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## hoosierplugger (May 24, 2004)

Your nylon coaches pants are fine. Minimalist is good. Less to go wrong.


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## omgidk (Nov 5, 2010)

I wear a cheap pair of basketball shoes and neoprene waders, I've used jeans in summertime before.


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## curmudgeon (Dec 23, 2010)

OK, All these guys are correct about not wearing anything fancy. I've got several pairs of "Fishing Pants" that work great, but you can wade in just about anything you want. When I'm in the surf I usually wear shorts or swim trunks.
On the other hand, a good pair of waders is indispensable. I've got a pair of Caddis waders I've been pretty happy with so far (although their neoprene socks are HUGE). If I had the cash I'd blow it on a good pair of Simms, but then again I'm pretty cheap. Depending on how much you wade, a decent pair of waders might be in order. The first pair I got were some Hodgemans that I picked up from ebay for $40 and lasted me a year. It was enough to let me know I was going to need and use them.
Anyway, unless the front that's coming through this week is very chilly, it's about wet wading season. See how much you wade and shop around for some breathables. You may find a good deal that will suit your needs and your wallet.


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## cwall (Apr 14, 2013)

You guys are great. I'm definitely going to start out with a used pair of shoes and some cheap nylon pants. I've done a little wading in jeans in the past and it wasn't my favorite, especially getting them off afterwards. 

I hate the really super hot/humid weather of course, but from a fishing perspective I'm done with cold fronts and ready to catch fish.


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