# WADE FISHERMAN BEWARE!



## Barbless Bob (Apr 22, 2019)

Great tip. Better to be cautious than oblivious when wading.


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## Jason M (Aug 13, 2017)

A friend is mine has similar complaints about a larval stage of some sort of jellyfish that gets him offshore.


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## Sublime (Oct 9, 2015)

When I started poling and sight fishing in 2007 and saw all the stingrays, I stay in the boat unless it is to push the boat.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

I’ve been wade fishing for over 30 years and never had any issues with vibrio, sting rays, alligators, sharks or the itch. 
Thanks for the heads up.


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## Sublime (Oct 9, 2015)

I got nailed by a stingray surf fishing. Barb went through my toe. That was fun.


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## The Fin (Sep 28, 2021)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> I’ve been wade fishing for over 30 years and never had any issues with vibrio, sting rays, alligators, sharks or the itch.
> Thanks for the heads up.


Probably because you can walk on water?😎


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## fattypoon (Aug 24, 2015)

oh dat nasty !


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

flyfishingod said:


> A few years ago I had a favorite redfish flat that always held fish but every time my legs would break out in an itchy rash shortly after. I noticed that whenever I walked other flats I was fine but this particular flat would leave me miserably scratching for at least a week. Three nights ago I walked a flat that is a few miles from the itchy flat and about 3 hours later my legs were covered in the same red spots. This is about my 5th time getting the rash now so I knew exactly what it was when I started to itch. I'm hoping by posting this I will save others the itchy headache.
> 
> If you have encountered this problem and did not know what it was then this may disturb you. This itchy nightmare is commonly referred to as swimmer's itch. Swimmer's itch is a parasite that develops in snails and primarily uses birds or small mammals as its host. When these animals that carry the parasite defecate in the flats, the eggs from the parasite hatch in the water and then "infect" snails (although I don't believe it harms the snail). At this point the parasite changes into the cercariae form which is what is transmitted to our legs from the snails, still water, or grass, hence the medical name "cercarial dermatitis". When these parasites burrow into our skin they die pretty quick because we aren't suitable hosts and our bodies have an allergic reaction causing a mean rash.
> 
> ...


Fels Naptha soap makes quick work of the itch. Scrup with the soap and then apply the cream. Presto - gone.


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## ElLobo (Sep 14, 2020)

So thankful I'm fishing from a boat now, had many run ins with those parasites in the past. They SUCK!


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## Clamfoot (Jun 21, 2021)

Has anyone experienced this rash while wearing pants when they wade? Can the parasites get through cotton/polyester?


I made a trip down to MX a while back and we knew we were going to hike through dense brush and mangrove to get in (along with the usual biting insects).
The guide suggested bringing a pair of pants that I didn't care about for this because they were going to be trashed by the end of the day.
It seems obvious now but I'd never thought of that one before.
Since then, I have taken to wearing a pair of tan joggers and a pair of long compression when I wade.
It's nice because the joggers are lightweight and moving around in them is easy, not heavy like waders or jeans. As they are tight at the ankle cuff and I can get the bottom in the wade bootie and when I cinch the Velcro strap tight it keeps 90% of the sand from getting in and what does get in stays between the sock and the boot.

I find myself getting out of the boat and wading flats much more often now with this setup.


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## Adamfishes (7 mo ago)

I was wading a river for striped bass and crossing a creek I feel into mud up to my chest and my waders filled with water. That was fun.


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

I don't usually get out of my boat, now even less. I'll let my grandson push me off that sand bar


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

It’s pretty funny, you can barely keep Texas folks in the boat, most of us wade whenever possible. Most of the rest of you act like it’s the craziest thing you ever heard of. Comical.


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## ElLobo (Sep 14, 2020)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> It’s pretty funny, you can barely keep Texas folks in the boat, most of us wade whenever possible. Most of the rest of you act like it’s the craziest thing you ever heard of. Comical.


Not really a place you wanna wade - pluff mud and oysters AKA quicksand and razorblades


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## DBStoots (Jul 9, 2011)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> It’s pretty funny, you can barely keep Texas folks in the boat, most of us wade whenever possible. Most of the rest of you act like it’s the craziest thing you ever heard of. Comical.


We got more critters in the water here that will invite you to lunch!


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

DBStoots said:


> We got more critters in the water here that will invite you to lunch!


I don’t know about that, we have gators and sharks here too. Big bull sharks on the flats and gators 10-12’ long are not uncommon. I’ve got some good video.


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## Sublime (Oct 9, 2015)

Bud Rowland really stirred up the buy an expensive-go fast-get out of the boat- throw a corky crowd when he caught the record in 2002 on a fly rod, from a boat and then released it. People were pissed that he didn't kill it.


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## Surffshr (Dec 28, 2017)

Try hot ass water in the shower directly on them. Also, wear pants with “boot bands” around your ankles.


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## hillcharl (Feb 7, 2011)

Clamfoot said:


> Has anyone experienced this rash while wearing pants when they wade? Can the parasites get through cotton/polyester?
> 
> 
> I made a trip down to MX a while back and we knew we were going to hike through dense brush and mangrove to get in (along with the usual biting insects).
> ...


I encountered the itch a couple of times. Once I put 2 and 2 together, I wear pants now. Haven't gotten it through the pants yet.


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## mwolaver (Feb 6, 2014)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> It’s pretty funny, you can barely keep Texas folks in the boat, most of us wade whenever possible. Most of the rest of you act like it’s the craziest thing you ever heard of. Comical.


His post talked about fresh or brackish water. I would image your Tejas water is very salty? Just going by your strong trout population. Hell, I don't know what I'm talking about, probly.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

mwolaver said:


> His post talked about fresh or brackish water. I would image your Tejas water is very salty? Just going by your strong trout population. Hell, I don't know what I'm talking about, probly.


It depends where you wade. We have lots of areas we wade for redfish that are pretty much straight fresh when it’s rained up the country. There are also good redfish up in the rivers miles inland.


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## fatman (Nov 23, 2012)

I "dated" a girl at one time that had the same effect.....


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## Fliesbynight (Mar 23, 2020)

Well, that's one good thing about living in the great Northeast. I rarely wet wade except in the surf during the high summer. Mostly we wear waders and stay dry. Makes it better getting in the truck at the end of the night.

No real good stories except I sometime get horseshoe crabs trying to do unnatural things to the toe of my boot...


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## devrep (Feb 22, 2009)

I've gotten chiggers a few times riding dirt bikes in the woods. sounds similar.


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## CoastalGAfisher07 (Nov 21, 2010)

Great post, I waded a flat years ago that swore I would never do it again because the itching I had later that night. I didn't break out into a rash and the water I was wading is really salty so Im not sure it is the same thing. I just thought it was because the grass was making tiny cuts on my legs. Either way I stay in the boat when possible these days.


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## The Fin (Sep 28, 2021)

Fliesbynight said:


> Well, that's one good thing about living in the great Northeast. I rarely wet wade except in the surf during the high summer. Mostly we wear waders and stay dry. Makes it better getting in the truck at the end of the night.
> 
> No real good stories except I sometime get horseshoe crabs trying to do unnatural things to the toe of my boot...


Please hope that smack doesn’t read this about the horseshoe crabs! He’ll want to move up this way!😁


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Bunch of pansies!


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## BM_Barrelcooker (May 4, 2011)

Just rub your nuts good with some diesel ……it may help with the rash too.
But at 5.85 per gallon be prudent and don’t get carried away.


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## PTLuv2Fish (Feb 10, 2021)

Stop doing that and you won't have a problem.


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## Jason M (Aug 13, 2017)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> It’s pretty funny, you can barely keep Texas folks in the boat, most of us wade whenever possible. Most of the rest of you act like it’s the craziest thing you ever heard of. Comical.


That's so true. 

I spent 5 years wading everywhere. Crawling through mangrove forests, knee deep in muck. I got a boat and hardly ever wade. The last 5 years I've been getting out more in summer time and enjoying it and doing it with the kids to show them there's not much to worry about if your aware.


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## Flyman28 (Nov 19, 2015)

We had a rule wading the marshes up here on Long Island. "Only wade on the white sand in the drains in the marshes." No chigger bites or Mud Sores as we called them and you didn't sink up to your yarbles!


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Jason M said:


> That's so true.
> 
> I spent 5 years wading everywhere. Crawling through mangrove forests, knee deep in muck. I got a boat and hardly ever wade. The last 5 years I've been getting out more in summer time and enjoying it and doing it with the kids to show them there's not much to worry about if your aware.


Hopping out and stalking fish with a fly rod or conventional gear, even bait if you are into that sort of thing...can be so much more effective on foot in certain conditions. My biggest speckled trout was on foot tossing topwaters.


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## 17376 (May 5, 2017)

That's nothing you caught from the water...that's monkey poxs


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## flyfishingod (Aug 10, 2021)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> It’s pretty funny, you can barely keep Texas folks in the boat, most of us wade whenever possible. Most of the rest of you act like it’s the craziest thing you ever heard of. Comical.


It is quite comical. Guys around here have to have their 50k dollar flats boats and <5mph wind to even think about fishing. I have been wade fishing as long as I can remember and now that my skiff is gone it is all I do. I'd be lying if I said I have caught more reds on fly out of a boat. And even with the weird rash in these particular flats I will still slap on some pants and be right back in them.


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## BBYC (Feb 23, 2018)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> I’ve been wade fishing for over 30 years and never had any issues with vibrio, sting rays, alligators, sharks or the itch.
> Thanks for the heads up.


Noticed you didn't mention jellyfish.


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

My concern for my anglers is mosquitoes, no see ums, and deer flies since we never wade in the backcountry of the ‘glades… Still I regularly get anglers that show up in shorts despite my advice to wear long pants and stay “covered up”…. Brave souls… 

Like everyone else I had to learn the hard way… myself


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## Clamfoot (Jun 21, 2021)

DBStoots said:


> We got more critters in the water here that will invite you to lunch!


They just want a little nibble, and apparently from the news reports they only like dogs, small kids, and drones.








Video shows gator going up in smoke after eating drone


The footage, posted on YouTube, shows the gator taking a bite at the drone as it hovers over him and starts chewing while stunned onlookers can be heard panicking.




nypost.com




Wading in gator waters just keeps you puckered up and alert.


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## WC53 (Dec 2, 2015)

Oysters or hip deep mud make wading so much fun! Bleach baths if I get in the nasty stuff. These days I try to keep my old butt in one of those fancy yeti chairs


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Clamfoot said:


> They just want a little nibble, and apparently from the news reports they only like dogs, small kids, and drones.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I’ve had many encounters with gators and a couple still give me goosebumps talking or thinking about them but in reality gator attacks on people are so rare it’s not even a real issue. I’ve kicked 9-10 footers laying on bottom while wading and they bolted, surfaced to see what the deal was and swam off. Had one 12 footer surface about 50 yards from me, go under, pop up twenty feet from me and vibrate so I walked on water back to the bank a hundred yards away through knee deep mud just to realize it never moved from that spot. Poled up on an eleven footer in two feet of water and it didn’t even care. Kayaked a shoreline that was eye level and came up on a momma with a nest that was about five feet from me. I just cruised past and she never said a word.


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## Adamfishes (7 mo ago)

it's the one you don't see!


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

A bit of info about ‘gators and crocs… A ‘gator comes to attack at the surface - a croc comes under the water and launches an assault from under the water (thank heavens the American saltwater croc is a fish eater…).
For each species their most successful tactic is just to remain motion-less and allow a potential target to approach close enough that a single bite secures a meal…
Of the two, here in the US, the most dangerous to people is a big ‘gator… I’ve personally seen a big ‘gator leap up onto a sea wall to take a great blue heron that was at least four feet above the water’s surface. It never had a chance… That big animal had to jump straight up out of the water five feet to be able to grab that big bird…. then slide back under the water with bird sticking out of its jaws…


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Over thirty years and I’ve never seen or heard of anyone in Texas wade fishing and getting attacked by an alligator or shark for that matter and there are millions of folks wading on the Texas coast. Just saying. Idiots like Joe Dirt that play with them get bit though...


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## flatsmatt (10 mo ago)

Ugghhh ... sounds like water chiggers. Appreciate the heads up and info.


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## Jason M (Aug 13, 2017)

I saw a gator take a calf down when I was a kid here in central Florida, that was pretty crazy.

I'm more worried about a gator or moccasin than a shark.


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## Clamfoot (Jun 21, 2021)

lemaymiami said:


> A bit of info about ‘gators and crocs… A ‘gator comes to attack at the surface - a croc comes under the water and launches an assault from under the water (thank heavens the American saltwater croc is a fish eater…).
> For each species their most successful tactic is just to remain motion-less and allow a potential target to approach close enough that a single bite secures a meal…
> Of the two, here in the US, the most dangerous to people is a big ‘gator… I’ve personally seen a big ‘gator leap up onto a sea wall to take a great blue heron that was at least four feet above the water’s surface. It never had a chance… That big animal had to jump straight up out of the water five feet to be able to grab that big bird…. then slide back under the water with bird sticking out of its jaws…


Thanks, Capt Bob
But now all this gator talk has this reformed Yankee rethinking two of my favorite wade spots.

1) fast-moving shallow (1-2ft) freshwater - Little Econ River. I have seen bigger gators up the econ but they have always been off the main river in slower-moving drainage canals and near deeper (4-10ft) slower-moving, dark muddy bottom. I have a wade spot on the Econ that is only 1-2ft and fast-moving water, narrow, sandy bottom with steep banks. I've never noticed a gator in this run. It's a great spot because it holds big largemouth bass and the only way to fish it is to hike/wade in or paddle upstream a mile or so.

2) shallow slow-moving Saltwater - South end of Mosquito Lagoon in a sandy bar that has good wade access to a few 3-4ft drop-offs but no nearby water access to the swamp and mud areas where you typically see gators. Again I've never actually seen a gator or signs of one in this area either but I've had people tell me to watch out for them.

In your opinion do these two areas (fast-moving shallow fresh water and sandy bottom saltwater with no vegetation cover or swamp access) sound far too risky to wade or are those conditions tilting the odds well enough in my favor that I'm probably ok?


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## flysalt060 (Aug 5, 2012)

ElLobo said:


> Not really a place you wanna wade - pluff mud and oysters AKA quicksand and razorblades
> 
> View attachment 207085


Home ,sweet, home. Smack, the Coastal Empire bottom, fuck that low country bs,is pretty much like that. You loose footwear, sink to knees and get oyster cuts. There is some hard pack to wade from the bank and from a boat. Hell there is pluff mud from Panacea to Apalach in places.


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## chumpwg (Aug 6, 2021)

my pops got vibrio in his foot while wading in Port Mansfield TX, had wade boots on but no waders.
he was in hospital for over a week and almost lost his foot.
it started out with bad cramps in his foot the day after the wade, so he went to doctor who sent him to hospital after realizing might be vibrio.
doc at hospital said if he had waited a day or two they probably would have had to amputate.

nasty stuff, dont take chances and do everything you can to prevent it.


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## flyfishingod (Aug 10, 2021)

flatsmatt said:


> Ugghhh ... sounds like water chiggers. Appreciate the heads up and info.


Yup, I always referred to them as "marsh chiggers"


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## citadelmarineservices (Jan 22, 2021)

Useful info here is wear pants when wade fishing. Surprised anyone would try to wade that shit in shorts. 

I got that itch the first couple years I walked the grass flats but your body becomes immune to it eventually after a bunch of times.


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## Jason M (Aug 13, 2017)

I've personally known 1 person that got hit by a moc, none by a gator. I've been chased by a gator though but I spent basically every day in the lake during summer as a kid. A few by vibrio, nasty stuff


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## Littlefish (11 mo ago)

My crew used to blaze down the river in a jon to wade fish lower Myakka lake as soon as we got our licenses in the '80s. If the bite was on it was incredible, hits on every cast as they were untouched. This was before tilapia and the cover was so thick you could barely wade at times. Gators were only aggressive in May if I recall right. 2 things happened that changed that: tourists started feeding the gators at the upper park, and we all got married. Enough of that shizzle!


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## finbully (Jan 26, 2013)

Maybe irrelevant here but when I was in the Amazonas region of Brazil, the guides most feared freshwater sting rays. They are black with with white spots and about a foot in diameter. We sometimes had in disembark from our boats and drag them through shallow or foliage covered areas to get to the logons/ponds we fished that are off the main rivers.


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## Backflow (Nov 20, 2019)

X 2 with what lemaymiami says. I was at chekika park years ago bass fishing. There was a male gator ,far away ,at the edge of the water. About 4/5 ft above him was a female gator, it was mating season. Out of the corner of my eye I see a huge splash and the male gator was on the bank ontop of the female gator. Those things can propel and launch them selves. Still makes me weary to kayak around big lizard areas.


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## 1Fishhead (8 mo ago)

lemaymiami said:


> A bit of info about ‘gators and crocs… A ‘gator comes to attack at the surface - a croc comes under the water and launches an assault from under the water (thank heavens the American saltwater croc is a fish eater…).
> For each species their most successful tactic is just to remain motion-less and allow a potential target to approach close enough that a single bite secures a meal…
> Of the two, here in the US, the most dangerous to people is a big ‘gator… I’ve personally seen a big ‘gator leap up onto a sea wall to take a great blue heron that was at least four feet above the water’s surface. It never had a chance… That big animal had to jump straight up out of the water five feet to be able to grab that big bird…. then slide back under the water with bird sticking out of its jaws…


Misinformation!!!


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## finbully (Jan 26, 2013)

1Fishhead said:


> Misinformation!!!


Great first post dumbass.


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## Kpack (Mar 9, 2021)

Damn that makes me itch just reading it. Thanks for the info!


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## tx8er (Jun 3, 2016)

Sublime said:


> Bud Rowland really stirred up the buy an expensive-go fast-get out of the boat- throw a corky crowd when he caught the record in 2002 on a fly rod, from a boat and then released it. People were pissed that he didn't kill it.


Coincidence. I just finished tying up a fresh batch of Numero Unos


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## Skintback2011 (7 mo ago)

flyfishingod said:


> A few years ago I had a favorite redfish flat that always held fish but every time my legs would break out in an itchy rash shortly after. I noticed that whenever I walked other flats I was fine but this particular flat would leave me miserably scratching for at least a week. Three nights ago I walked a flat that is a few miles from the itchy flat and about 3 hours later my legs were covered in the same red spots. This is about my 5th time getting the rash now so I knew exactly what it was when I started to itch. I'm hoping by posting this I will save others the itchy headache.
> 
> If you have encountered this problem and did not know what it was then this may disturb you. This itchy nightmare is commonly referred to as swimmer's itch. Swimmer's itch is a parasite that develops in snails and primarily uses birds or small mammals as its host. When these animals that carry the parasite defecate in the flats, the eggs from the parasite hatch in the water and then "infect" snails (although I don't believe it harms the snail). At this point the parasite changes into the cercariae form which is what is transmitted to our legs from the snails, still water, or grass, hence the medical name "cercarial dermatitis". When these parasites burrow into our skin they die pretty quick because we aren't suitable hosts and our bodies have an allergic reaction causing a mean rash.
> 
> ...


I know what you mean! It will keep you up all night scratching. happen to me a couple times but all over my body from swimming! Born and raised Wando river.


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## stuntdubl (Jan 23, 2020)

One big reason I wouldn't wade fish in a good chunk of flamingo area everglades. I'm sure skeeters, muck, bull sharks, and other baddies are a good enough reasons also. That said, I've had to jump out to push once or twice.

This mama was in about 2 ft of creek less than 10 ft away. Gonna go ahead and say it was about the size of the skiff (16).

I know there's no known occurrence of an American croc bite, but I definitely don't want to be first. From the looks of things, she's been on that bank a while, and was pretty cool to see a dinosaur slide away invisibly in less than a few feet of water.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

stuntdubl said:


> One big reason I wouldn't wade fish in a good chunk of flamingo area everglades. I'm sure skeeters, muck, bull sharks, and other baddies are a good enough reasons also. That said, I've had to jump out to push once or twice.
> 
> This mama was in about 2 ft of creek less than 10 ft away. Gonna go ahead and say it was about the size of the skiff (16).
> 
> ...


If she wanted to kill a human I’m sure it would have happened by the time she got that big!


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## 17Patriot76 (8 mo ago)

stuntdubl said:


> One big reason I wouldn't wade fish in a good chunk of flamingo area everglades. I'm sure skeeters, muck, bull sharks, and other baddies are a good enough reasons also. That said, I've had to jump out to push once or twice.
> 
> This mama was in about 2 ft of creek less than 10 ft away. Gonna go ahead and say it was about the size of the skiff (16).
> 
> ...


Holy Christ that’s a big lizard… It’s really crazy when fishing Tamiami trail just how close you can get to those dinosaur sized animals without spooking them. And then when you do, you hope you brought a change of britches…..


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## The Fin (Sep 28, 2021)

1Fishhead said:


> Misinformation!!!


You will need to expand on that!


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## mfdevin (Jun 18, 2020)

Welp, ive contracted the itch, from a flat right near my house, buying some pants to wade in, can confirm, it sucks - a lot


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## 7WT (Feb 12, 2016)

A lady was bit by a gator about a block from our house in Englewood trying to rescue her dog. And some idiot diving for golf balls at a local golf course also was seriously bit by a gator- something about that stupid is as stupid does bit. Quite a few other gator attacks in the area as well. I do wade in salt but mostly to walk a bank to get to a spot no skiff can. On Tortola once wading something really bothered me like tiny stings while wading for bones- probably thimble jellyfish often mistaken for sea lice which is what they called it there. Up here in Maine I have seen great whites within 400 yards of shore and just a couple weeks ago saw a whale in only 15 feet of water also close to shore- that was very unusual probably a Minke- thankfully no gators up here- yet! worst are the "greenheads" which take chunks.


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## Reverse (Dec 9, 2017)

DuckNut said:


> Fels Naptha soap makes quick work of the itch. Scrup with the soap and then apply the cream. Presto - gone.


I've gotta ask, what is the cream you mention? Recently diving for bugs in the intracoastal and keys i've been getting stung up bad almost every dive. Still rocking itchy bumps on my arm from the keys trip at the opening of lobster season 😩


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