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I just bought myself a pair of [url "http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabelas-Ultralight-2-Lug-Wading-Boots/1161054.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=%2Fcatalog%2Fsearch%2F%3FN%3D%26Ns%3DMIN_SALE_PRICE%26Ntk%3DAllProducts%26Ntt%3Dwading%2Bboot%26Ntx%3Dmode%252Bmatchallpartial%26WTz_l%3DHeader%25253BSearch-All%2BProducts%26WTz_stype%3DSN%26form_state%3DsearchForm%26search%3Dwading%2Bboot%26searchTypeByFilter%3DAllProducts%26x%3D0%26y%3D0&Ntt=wading+boot&WTz_l=Header%253BSearch-All+Products"]Cabela's Ultralight 2 Wading Boots ( Lug Sole)[/url]. They came with studs, that aren't installed.
Should I install the studs? I dunno how much they help, or if they're ill advised on a pontoon boat.
I don't ice fish, I'm a fair-weather kind of guy, LoL!
And, holy cow are these things HUGE. They won't fit my fins. [shocked]
These are my first wading boots. Any tips on use / care? They seem to be fully neoprene lined. I had assumed that wading boots let water freely flow in & out...
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My boots have studs and I use them with my pontoon but mine are very short. That said I have to pull my pontoon boat onto my trailer and the studs stink with I am doing that. When I am dragging my boat into a sturgeon hole over slick rocks they are wonderful. Make sure you let them air dry between trips for the good of the boots and that is the practice for keeping invasive species in check. Ron
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I have wore studds for many years. You only need a few, maybe four in the ball of the foot and a couple in the heel, and YES they help on slime.
There is no reason to not use them on a pontoon, however, a Drift Boat or any fiberglass boat, a big NO!.
You should be able to apply them at any time or remove them. IF you are just using the boots for pontooning, I wouldn't think you need them, just watch out for moss covered cement ramps.
And you have stumbled on to the down side of studded boots. They are thick. The soles are super over sized. They are intended for rivers. You might want to look at some Flats Booties or canvas boots for your flippers. I say this from experience. Got a pair of Hippers sitting in the garage my hubby is unable to use because they are too big for the fins.
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As was said, if you are wading moving water they are well worth having. I finally installed some studs after years without, and I will never go back. They can be a little slick when you're walking down a concrete boat ramp with a fully loaded tube on your back, but other than that, they don't interfere with fishing from a tube or toon.
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The studded boots are great for wading streams.
I use a cheap pair of Walmart water shoes with the fins. A size larger to fit over the neoprene of my waders, and I am good to go.
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This year I started going waderless in my pontoons. After the water got in the low 70's I hung with it all summer even night fishing.
My boots are fairly inexpensive pair of Orvis. When I got them the place had neoprene socks to fit. So I bought a pair with a set of 5mm socks on. I have a pair of 3mm and 5mm waders and a pair of 5mm socks I use for summer. The socks for me are a must for summer. They keep down the chafing and discomfort. They also help my feet stay warm enough to not give me trouble.
They were larger than my old boots si I had to get longer laces for my fins. Those extra long laces were one of the best things I have done for my fishing last year.
Ron
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I'll probably be giving that a shot this summer - going waderless. Spending 15 minutes "getting dressed" at lakeside gets old fast! And my shoelaces seem to get farther away every year.
Now that I won't be butt-deep in algae I'm more comfortable with the idea of going out there sans waders.
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