Waders??? 2024

shootermcbob reply :

I am a bank fisherman w/ no hope of buying a boat/canoe/kayak for at least another year. My question is, does anyone use waders in a lake. There are a couple areas where I know the water is not real deep, and I can gain access to some rip rap, bridge pilings etc. Would this scare the fish???

bilgerat reply :

By all means do it. I own a boat but still wade at times. Some advice:

- Be mindful of where you are walking. Pay attention to the bottom. You don't want to sink in muck, scary stuff.

- Carry a few choice baits in a small Plano type box. Don't bring everything, pack smart. Don't forget pliers. Drill a hole in one of the plier handles and make a lanyard to tie off to your wader suspenders. No lost pliers.

- You WILL dunk your reel whether you mean to or not. Better learn some basic reel cleaning and lubrication.

- You will scare fish initially, you can't avoid it. Try to get yourself into the water way before the spot you want to fish. Walk as softly as possible and keep the noise to a minimum.

Have fun with it.

RandySBreth reply :

You could get a float tube for almost nothing, at least under 50 bucks. If you're stuck wading, look up where your Smallmouth rivers are at, you'll do better wading and fishing them versus thrashing around the rip-rap of some huge lake.

Taylor Fishin 4 life reply :

if you live in south dont worry about gators they wont mess with you they are more curious than anything

Not_Here reply :

i do alot of wade fishin in both rivers & lakes. i never leave home without them if shore fishin. gets you out that little extra needed distance and opens up a much larger area to work/access. and also gives you clear casting room from brush & trees etc.

i used to tube fish also & i still always wore my waders with my kick fins. helps keep me from getting chilled being in the water for hours. plus i don't like weeds and crap touching my bare legs or finding leeches, creeps me out.

like mentioned be very mindful of the bottom substrate. soft is one thing. but super mushy deep muck could get yourself stuck and that could make for a really bad day. wear the chest strap.

its very rare i don't use them shore fishin, couldn't imagine not having my waders.

Patrick Ferguson reply :

says your in ohio so i assume the water is cold so id buy some waders but if the waters warm i wouldnt bother with them

shootermcbob reply :

Thanks for the input fellas. Here in Ohio the water will be cold most of the year. Anybody have any suggestions on brands/type???

Not_Here reply :

there are 2 types, neoprene & the breathables...

neoprene when its hot out, you'll sweat it out. but in cool waters they'll will keep ya warmer with out layering up...

breatheable waders, when its cold you'll need to layer up. but much cooler in the heat of summer...

theres regular boot type tred on some, which are fine for lakes but are a bit more slippery on rocks in rivers...

then theres felt bottoms shoes on either the 1 piece waders. or theres the bootie type waders where you buy the felt boots seperately.

felt bottoms are non slip and excellent for rivers and just fine for lake bottoms.

i like the stout types because theres more room and not skin tight like a wet suit. gives me a little extra room for layering.

on the straps, get the kind that are stretchy/elastic style vs the full nylon. the straps that you can stretch to buckle stay on your shoulders better.

cabelas has a good assortmant of waders.

shootermcbob reply :

I am a large fella,I think neoprene would be a disaster to get on and off??? Thanks again for your input

Not_Here reply :

they do make big man neoprenes but i'd get stout breathables and layer up when necessary. neoprene is hot as hell in summer, this i know very well ;D . early spring fall they are fine but you'll sweat buckets in summer...

shootermcbob reply :

Thanks for all your help. I'm gonna take a look at them.

SirSnookalot reply :

Wear a belt or tie a rope near the top of waders in case you fall, the waders will not fill up with water.

Delaware Valley Tackle reply :

I do a lot of wading and use neoprene with wading shoes.When the weather heats up I pair my wading shoes with a pair of shorts. I would add wearing a PFD to the other good safety advice given already. Give wading a try especially in the smallie creeks!

Wild Bill [NY] reply :

I am a suprised that NOBODY has suggested to use a wading staff to probe the bottom consistency [and softness] out in front of you.

I personally never used to use one, but now I would not EVER wade without one.

There have been times when I have BECOME STUCK in mucky bottom that I had to take my waders off and swim out of them, and then retrieve them by swimming .

Not only would you find soft spots, but also drop-offs and trip spots which both could present a serious problem to those wading.

My wading staff actually floats, and I have an elastic cord holding them to my waders.

Delaware Valley Tackle reply :

Quote
I am a suprised that NOBODY has suggested to use a wading staff to probe the bottom consistency [and softness] out in front of you.
I personally never used to use one, but now I would not EVER wade without one.

There have been times when I have BECOME STUCK in mucky bottom that I had to take my waders off and swim out of them, and then retrieve them by swimming .

Not only would you find soft spots, but also drop-offs and trip spots which both could present a serious problem to those wading.

My wading staff actually floats, and I have an elastic cord holding them to my waders.

Excellent suggestion. You can't be too careful.

midnighthrasher reply :

I wade fished for about a month last year due to some unforseen problems with my house. I baught a pair of super cheap waders at canadian tire for 29.99. worked great no problems at all.

shootermcbob reply :

Thanks for all the good suggestions.

Jon in VA reply :

I've only used my waders to trout fish in. Never even thought of wearing them to bank fish. It'd definitely help ya get out in an open area to cast in and closer to the cover you're fishing. I'll have to give that a try next time the boat goes on the fritz...

simplejoe reply :

I use chest waders with the built in boots.

Here's the ones I use, but I have the ones with the built-in boots. Couldn't find those ones on there.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?_DARGS=/cabelas/en/common/catalog/item-link.jsp_A&_DAV=MainCatcat20166-cat350005&id=0066717831175a&navCount=5&podId=0066717&parentId=cat350005&masterpathid=&navAction=push&catalogCode=IA&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat601233&hasJS=true

donmac reply :

Quote
I use chest waders with the built in boots.
Here's the ones I use, but I have the ones with the built-in boots. Couldn't find those ones on there.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?_DARGS=/cabelas/en/common/catalog/item-link.jsp_A&_DAV=MainCatcat20166-cat350005&id=0066717831175a&navCount=5&podId=0066717&parentId=cat350005&masterpathid=&navAction=push&catalogCode=IA&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat601233&hasJS=true

he could buy a kayak for the price of those :-/

simplejoe reply :

Yeah maybe a cheap @$$ kayak, the one when you hit a rock you'll have a hole. I only buy things that are going to last me a long time, I do alot wading up by my camp so a cheap pair wouldn't get me anywhere. Just a headache.

shootermcbob reply :

Hey Simplejoe and others, do you get your waders a size or two bigger so you can layer up underneath them in cold water???

Not_Here reply :

honestly i didn't really even look at the size when i got any of mine. i just tried on ones that felt right with some wiggle room, but not sloppy. my "stouts" are probably one size larger. your just going to have to try them on and see what feels right to you.

i have both bootie and ones with boots. the ones with boots attached. I got the boots one size larger for cold season.

pending on your body type, you might want to get the bootie type waders that fit you properly, then get the boots seperate.

when i tubed alot with waders, i like the bootie type also. because the fins fit better (i used regular diving fins). you have better ankle/kick movement with the booties then with kick fins over hard boots imo.

Eternal Angler reply :

I would never do it, it's not worth the risk. If you hit a bunch of muck like bilgerat, you could actually be risking your life.

Blade-Runner reply :

Cabela's First Flight Breathable Waders.

FFF-150 reply :

I wade and tube. When wading or tubing, I wear stocking foot gore-tex waders made by Hodgman with felt sole wading boots. You'll get a better fit with the wading boots rather than the with the bootfoot waders. The wading boots pull out of the muck better too. You can wear fleece and long handles (several pair even) when it's cold. The problem with neoprene is that they are really hot in the Summer and if you're going to hike a ways in them they can make you sweat like a pig. I wear the Gore Tex waders even in the cold.

If you're going to keep fish like crappie or bluegills, buy a mesh zip up bag at Wal Mart that women put hose in to wash in a washing machine, attach a cord to your belt and drag it behind you. Makes a great live well.

ToledoEF reply :

I live in Ohio, the only time I wear waders is early spring for the walleye run, 5mil thick with 1000mg thinsulate boots and dress warm. Late spring and summer I wade the maumee river with shoes and a pair of shorts fishing for smallies!

shootermcbob reply :

Thats cool. When I was in college, I had a friend who fixed a few of us some deep fried walleye that he caught up around Maumee. Best meal I have ever had.

Smiths.R reply :

I wear my waders as long as the water is cold. I have a bad leg, so my wading stick is ALWAYS with me. But even if I had two great legs, the stick is the perfect way to find out what you're about to step into. Getting stuck in the much is NOT what you want to be doing.

VABassin'14 reply :

Quote
Hey Simplejoe and others, do you get your waders a size or two bigger so you can layer up underneath them in cold water???

Yes.

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Waders??? 2024

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