Wading boots for slippery mossy rocks

[blanked]

Old tennis shoes won’t cut it there Boulder size rocks.  What’s popular, felt with spikes?   No socks or neoprene?   Talking summer only here.  What brand\ model?

[A-Jay]

Wandered all over many a slippery Rock Jetty for years up & down the Atlantic coast.

Almost all of it at night

I wore Korkers - IMO they are the definitive & only non-slip deal I'd wear.

They are several models but the Rocktrax is what I'd recommend.

 

https://www.korkers.com/footwear/fishing/rocktrax-plus.html

 

A-Jay

 

 

[MrFrost]

Got waders and wading boots from the wife for Christmas, the boots are Korkers Greenbacks, and it came with the studded lug soles and felt soles, interchangeable.  Haven't had a chance to wet them yet, but have heard nothing but good things about Korkers.  

[bagofdonuts]

i second the korkers, they are the bomb.

[Kev-mo]

You're going to need some type of metal stud whether you go with something on the boot or something like A-Jay suggested.

[Frog Turds]

ive never used spikes myself so cant compare but felt soles grip algae covered rocks amazingly well...

[BassThumb]

Korkers. Felt without spikes. Amazingly good grip while wading or walking on slippery rocks. Spent a decade in my teens and twenties wading the Upper Mississippi in boots like these. 

[MrFrost]

1 hour ago, Frog Turds said:

 

ive never used spikes myself so cant compare but felt soles grip algae covered rocks amazingly well...

That's good to know, as I have not wet mine yet, so wasn't sure which soles to have on first.  

[FishinBuck07]

Just make sure you check if the state you live in allows the felt soles.  I know some states up north here don't allow them because of transfer of things from stream to stream.

[Scott F]

I hope Korkers has redesigned their removable soles. Several guys in my club had those a few years ago. Everybody had problems with the soles falling off and getting lost. 

[KayakFish107]

Just a heads up as I saw another member mention it. Be careful and courteous if you use felt soles by cleaning them off thoroughly. Especially if wading multiple streams.

[Crankin4Bass]

7 hours ago, A-Jay said:

Wandered all over many a slippery Rock Jetty for years up & down the Atlantic coast.

Almost all of it at night

I wore Korkers - IMO they are the definitive & only non-slip deal I'd wear.

They are several models but the Rocktrax is what I'd recommend.

 

https://www.korkers.com/footwear/fishing/rocktrax-plus.html

 

A-Jay

 

 

Those look good. Did you wear those over bootfoot waders?

[A-Jay]

1 minute ago, Crankin4Bass said:

Those look good. Did you wear those over bootfoot waders?

Yes ~ 

I did use them over both boot waders and wading shoes wore over stocking foot waders.

Ensuring they are properly sized & fastened will improve your wearers experience.

Also the spikes do wear over time depending on use - check them regularly and replace them before they need it.

You'll know what I mean once you get them on.  Extremely worn spikes are like no spikes.

If you decide to go this route - purchase the  install tool & a full set of extra spikes in advance.

You'll be glad you did.

When new these things will give the wearer a sort of false sense of security, meaning they really work well.

However care still needs to be exercised when on that type of surfaces - falling is always a bad time.

Have fun & stay safe. 

A-Jay

[Gundog]

I've used felt sole waders since I was 18 for flyfishing and river fishing. The only problem is the felt on some of the brands peels off after 1 years worth of fishing. I've tried putting them back on with plumber's glue but they never seem to hold. Now, because of concerns over transporting "rock snot", felt soles are illegal in some states and becoming harder to find in stores. I might decide to buy korkers for my next set. 

[Crankin4Bass]

31 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

Yes ~ 

I did use them over both boot waders and wading shoes wore over stocking foot waders.

Ensuring they are properly sized & fastened will improve your wearers experience.

Also the spikes do wear over time depending on use - check them regularly and replace them before they need it.

You'll know what I mean once you get them on.  Extremely worn spikes are like no spikes.

If you decide to go this route - purchase the  install tool & a full set of extra spikes in advance.

You'll be glad you did.

When new these things will give the wearer a sort of false sense of security, meaning they really work well.

However care still needs to be exercised when on that type of surfaces - falling is always a bad time.

Have fun & stay safe. 

A-Jay

Thanks!  I just bought my first pair of waders which are bootfoots. (Thinking I may hit the beach and try for some stripers here in Mass.) These looks like a great option if I want to hit the rocks. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. 

[A-Jay]

52 minutes ago, Crankin4Bass said:

Thanks!  I just bought my first pair of waders which are bootfoots. (Thinking I may hit the beach and try for some stripers here in Mass.) These looks like a great option if I want to hit the rocks. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. 

You're Welcome & they worked Great for me ~

I was an seriously addicted Striper guy for a long time.

Chased them up & down the east coast.

Good Luck

A-Jay

[Crankin4Bass]

On 4/11/2019 at 5:55 PM, A-Jay said:

You're Welcome & they worked Great for me ~

I was an seriously addicted Striper guy for a long time.

Chased them up & down the east coast.

Good Luck

A-Jay

That's a beast!  Forgot to ask you what are the specs of that rod. I bought a calcutta 300d and am looking for a similar rod. 

[TnRiver46]

On 4/11/2019 at 11:22 AM, FishinBuck07 said:

Just make sure you check if the state you live in allows the felt soles.  I know some states up north here don't allow them because of transfer of things from stream to stream.

I think a lot of the newer research, especially with didymo, has found that felt soles don’t transfer algae any more than any other kind of shoe. A lot of the felt sole bans have been lifted. The key is to dry out your shoes (no matter what kind) before hopping from one watershed to another 

[A-Jay]

10 hours ago, Crankin4Bass said:

That's a beast!  Forgot to ask you what are the specs of that rod. I bought a calcutta 300d and am looking for a similar rod. 

That is a fairly rare stick.

 It's a west coast jigging rod.  A real pool cue.  8 Feet long and very stout.  Don't know the exact specs but I fished heavy braid with a 40 - 60 mono leader if that tells you something. I needed heft to throw 2-3 oz bucktails into big wind & waves.  Also fighting 30 lb plus stripers on a short lease from the rocks at night was a true tug of war - tight drag and hold on.  Only got pulled off the jetty once - but I got the fish.  Rod came with no reel seat so we taped one on.

I still have it.  Man I miss those days - that was some of the most intense & wild fishing I've ever done; and I did a ton of it.

A-Jay

 

[Crankin4Bass]

14 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

That is a fairly rare stick.

 It's a west coast jigging rod.  A real pool cue.  8 Feet long and very stout.  Don't know the exact specs but I fished heavy braid with a 40 - 60 mono leader if that tells you something. I needed heft to throw 2-3 oz bucktails into big wind & waves.  Also fighting 30 lb plus stripers on a short lease from the rocks at night was a true tug of war - tight drag and hold on.  Only got pulled off the jetty once - but I got the fish.  Rod came with no reel seat so we taped one on.

I still have it.  Man I miss those days - that was some of the most intense & wild fishing I've ever done; and I did a ton of it.

A-Jay

 

Wow that sounds like a blast!  Thanks as always for sharing your knowledge.

[bayvalle]

Felt is illegal here in Ohio and I believe in MD because they have a tendency to trap Zebra mussel eggs. 

[moguy1973]

1 hour ago, bayvalle said:

Felt is illegal here in Ohio and I believe in MD because they have a tendency to trap Zebra mussel eggs. 

Yep, illegal here in MO too due to didymo (rock snot) being transferred from stream to stream.