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This is probably the dummy question of the day. I have seen mention of wade fishing in several post.
Exactly what is it, is it down in the surf or in the lagoon or both? I can see wading the lagoon but not the surf and what are the advantages of wade fishing?
It gets you closer to the fish you are targeting.
Wade fishing is the stealthiest approach to fishing shallow water and a great way to get on level with the fish to 'count coo'.
I've wade fished in freshwater all of my life in creeks, but only in the surf a bit in saltwater. Apparently wade fishing is a big deal in Texas waters for trout and other species. They do it because of access and stealth as I understand it. I wouldn't do it because of sharks and stingrays.
You don't have to worry about sharks, out of the millions of people who get in the Gulf waters each year, what, maybe 2 get bit???
Stingrays, those are the ones your worry about. Which is why you do the stingray shuffle when wade fishing, don't lift your feet, slide them along the bottom. That way you kick the stingray vs. stepping on him and getting barbed.
Stingrays are definitely what you have to worry about. Do the stingray shuffle, or the Cupid shuffle.(; https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=h24_zoqu4_Q
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Originally Posted by CarlF
I've heard all of the statistics about sharks. Doesn't matter to me how many go in. Sharks still bite so I'll be cautious. And a wade fisherman typically has an attached stringer with bleeding stressed fish, chum to a shark. I'd rather be safe than sorry.
I always have my stringer on a float and a 15-20 ft trail and the line is clipped to my belt loop. That way they can have it if they want it. After 40 + years I have never had a fish taken by a shark, However, I did have a gator eat one of the specks I had on the stringer clip after he pulled of he and I both left the area. HAHA
When the surf is flat, wading and casting ahead parallel to the beach lip allows one to cover lots of ground. Wading inshore waters it is more about stealth and convenience.
A year or two ago, some beach-wading fisherman in the Florida part of the panhandle had stuffed some cut bait in his pocket -- leading to a brief encounter with a grey-suit when he waded too deep.
I wade out to the first bar and if I catch something I want to harvest, I tote it back in to the cooler. But I have waded out to the first bar with live sand fleas in my pocket, and never worried about sharks. Last year we saw two huge sharks coming up on us, and they turned out to be manatees. Way cool.
More likely to get in an auto accident on the way to the beach than to have an encounter with a shark! Does that mean you shouldn't travel in a car? Certainly not. Don't worry about sharks.