By Special Correspondent Tobin Strickland
Last month there was an excellent article in this Publication about flesh eating Bacteria. There is just nothing better than being in the water wade fishing when it’s hot and the air temperatures are hitting the triple digit mark. With the increasing interest in wade fishing, let’s talk about other safety topics that an educated wader should look out for.
With the abundance of fish and bait in the bay there is another fish that you’ll see in many areas of the bay and surf. The ‘man in the grey suit’ as others have referred to them. Sharks. Seeing a five foot bull shark less than fifty feet away is definitely something that will raise the hair on the back of your neck, and put a little fear in you. Some quit wade fishing altogether.
While a dose of fear is healthy, there is no need to stop something you love. The real danger, and what attracts sharks to take a closer look are all those shiny fish on the end of your stringer, and any blood, or fish scent they can smell. Don’t panic! Adding a shaking tugging action to the sparkling fish on your stringer only attracts them more. If you choose to use a stringer the Number One safety requirement is to NOT tie it to you (not even a loose square, overhand, or granny knot). As soon as Mr. Shark grabs the fish he’s going to make a run for it and it’s going to tighten that knot. Once he’s on the run that stringer will be under a lot of tension and you can forget getting the knot un-done. The shark could pull you off your feet into deep water or offshore current and it could be fatal. If you are going to use a stringer, by all means utilize a wade-belt like the Fish N Hunt brand (FishandHunt.com) that has a slot that you stick the point of the stringer into without tying. If a shark grabs the stringer in that scenario, all you do is pull the point out of the slot; there is no tying involved in this scenario. Make no attempt at keeping the stringer; that shark can have it. Other wade fishermen have constructed ice chest that float in an inner tube, with the fish completely out of the water, and hence removing the attractant from the water it’s much safer.
I was reminded about another safety topic recently while riding in the Desperado center console along the outer edge of a bay drop–off. In this heat the trout move out deep this time of year until October. They’ll want to be on reefs in 6-8 feet of water. As we made our way along the drop-off in route to our next wading location, up ahead in the distance was a loan single crab trap buoy directly in our path. We were in a hurry and the 250 was roaring to get there.
As we neared the crab trap, 40 yards and closing fast, we notice that there’s a tiny graphite rod angling upward from just in front of the buoy. The sun angle and glare had fooled us into believing it was a crab buoy when instead it was a full-grown man wading neck deep with his reel and rod the only other items sticking out of the water. Luckily the Desperado turns on rails even at high speeds and we averted a very pissed off wade fisherman. Extremely respectful of fishing distance, we were embarrassed and angry with ourselves. No one intends to run that close to a wader or anyone for that matter. We were happy to avoid the angler and leave him alive whether mad or not. Point is, don’t wade neck deep to reach late season fish.
Visibility on the water while wading or kayak fishing is extremely important especially as the bays continue to attract users en mass each summer, and spring and fall conditions can cause dense fog and reduced visibility, lowering visibility for waders and kayaks. That’s where a product like the Fish Hide Sportswear’s (FishHideSportswear.com) fishing shirt become a necessity and worth every penny when it’s your life and your continued ability to enjoy what you love is concerned. And they’re not just for fishing. Dove, turkey, game birds, and bow hunting will benefit greatly from the added visibility while providing concealment.
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