I prefer an over the shoulder bag to a wading belt when I fish the coast. I am currently using the everlast box, but it is so-so on the quality & the design is meh. I use it because it seems to be the only option. My two biggest complaints are 1. How it opens/closes can be challenging in belly deep water, its got so many velcros on the case that one is always sneaking into the lid so you cant close it. 2. I have yet to find a perfect way to hold my stringer

Does anyone have a wading bag recommendation? Im not looking for a flyfishing chest pack or anything crazy. I need a lure box, a plier holder, & something to hold my stringer. Thats it.

Hookset gear
https://www.hooksetgear.com/store

I use a stainless stringer clasp on my belt and I use hemostats as pliers and they are pinched on to my shirt.

One change I've made is getting away from the stringer and switched to the donut. The dolphins are so bad where I wade that the stringer was dangerous, It got to the point where I had a close encounter with them everytime. For some reason they leave the donut alone. That said, you can use the donut to attach lure box, etc. and not use a belt or pack. I do keep aluminum pliers in a sheath on my belt.

I started using the Foreverlast Fish Tote and attach it to my Hookset 4" Wade Belt. The belt is lightweight and minimalist and the Fish Tote has a D-Rink for my Boga and Pliers. The stringer is eliminated so I'm able to get the fish transferred much more quickly and get back to fishing.

The other great thing is that I'm able to put all my wade gear inside when I'm transporting it and everything stays nice and secure on the boat.

I generally dont use wade belts as I spend a fair amount of time in water that is deep enough to submerge the whole belt. That;s why I use the over the shoulder bags.

I like the hook set gear, I bet I can find a pouch for the pliers to go on the strap. Not sure where the boga would go though

Thats a cool idea on the fish bag, Fido, I'll check that out.

I had an old bag that finally wore out after ten years that was awesome, but that company went out of business. I can't even find old ones on ebay.

Saltwater Assassin said:

---

I generally dont use wade belts as I spend a fair amount of time in water that is deep enough to submerge the whole belt. That;s why I use the over the shoulder bags.

I like the hook set gear, I bet I can find a pouch for the pliers to go on the strap. Not sure where the boga would go though

Thats a cool idea on the fish bag, Fido, I'll check that out.

I had an old bag that finally wore out after ten years that was awesome, but that company went out of business. I can't even find old ones on ebay.

---

Was the old bag a blue one with black straps?

Aggieangler93 said:

---

Saltwater Assassin said:

---

I generally dont use wade belts as I spend a fair amount of time in water that is deep enough to submerge the whole belt. That;s why I use the over the shoulder bags.

I like the hook set gear, I bet I can find a pouch for the pliers to go on the strap. Not sure where the boga would go though

Thats a cool idea on the fish bag, Fido, I'll check that out.

I had an old bag that finally wore out after ten years that was awesome, but that company went out of business. I can't even find old ones on ebay.

---

Was the old bag a blue one with black straps?

---

YES!!!!

Do you know the brand name?

I've got away from a bag. I bought a Plano waterproof box and drilled a couple holes near the back hinges (there is room to avoid holes in the box). Then buy some Paraclete and make you a long loop to hang the box around your neck or shoulders. Keeps everything dry.

Then i just have my standard Wade belt with just stringer, pliers and net. Keep it simple.

I think the Plano box i have is similar to this one but may be smaller and thicker. Cause I've got bags of soft plastics in it.

roynonroy said:

---

One change I've made is getting away from the stringer and switched to the donut. The dolphins are so bad where I wade that the stringer was dangerous, It got to the point where I had a close encounter with them everytime. For some reason they leave the donut alone. That said, you can use the donut to attach lure box, etc. and not use a belt or pack. I do keep aluminum pliers in a sheath on my belt.

---

Rockport? I've always heard the dolphins around Rockport love stealing fish from waders and guys drifting for trout. Don't hear about it happening in other areas as much... or at least I haven't.

ttha_aggie_09 said:

---

roynonroy said:

---

One change I've made is getting away from the stringer and switched to the donut. The dolphins are so bad where I wade that the stringer was dangerous, It got to the point where I had a close encounter with them everytime. For some reason they leave the donut alone. That said, you can use the donut to attach lure box, etc. and not use a belt or pack. I do keep aluminum pliers in a sheath on my belt.

---

Rockport? I've always heard the dolphins around Rockport love stealing fish from waders and guys drifting for trout. Don't hear about it happening in other areas as much... or at least I haven't.

---

Yes, Rockport. I like seeing them in the area because that means fish are around, but if you have to hold your stringer up in the air to keep them from getting your fish it is unsettling. They will come up to within 2 feet of you. The other problem is that they eat every throw back you release. Usually if I'm only catching undersized and the doplhins are around, I move to a diferent spot instead of keep giving the dolphins free meals. I call them welfare dophins.

Hope it's ok to piggy back off this but if someone was getting into wade fishing and didn't want to break the bank, are any of the lace up options for wading boots at Academy ok to get started with?

I'm an avid coast fisherman I've just never really dabbled in the actual real wade fishing where you're doing long wades and stuff like that. Just getting out and walking in knee deep hard bottom is about all I've done.

Any other things you'd get that are must haves? I've got all the tackle, pliers, etc etc... just no wading belt or any of that. Don't have a good stringer or donut either.

I had my tackle box disappear from my belt when I wading in deep water. Shoulder strap is definitely a must.

Saltwater Assassin said:

---

Aggieangler93 said:

---

Saltwater Assassin said:

---

I generally dont use wade belts as I spend a fair amount of time in water that is deep enough to submerge the whole belt. That;s why I use the over the shoulder bags.

I like the hook set gear, I bet I can find a pouch for the pliers to go on the strap. Not sure where the boga would go though

Thats a cool idea on the fish bag, Fido, I'll check that out.

I had an old bag that finally wore out after ten years that was awesome, but that company went out of business. I can't even find old ones on ebay.

---

Was the old bag a blue one with black straps?

---

YES!!!!

Do you know the brand name?

---

I have an extra one in the garage....will look at it for you this evening.

Aggieangler93 said:

---

Saltwater Assassin said:

---

Aggieangler93 said:

---

Saltwater Assassin said:

---

I generally dont use wade belts as I spend a fair amount of time in water that is deep enough to submerge the whole belt. That;s why I use the over the shoulder bags.

I like the hook set gear, I bet I can find a pouch for the pliers to go on the strap. Not sure where the boga would go though

Thats a cool idea on the fish bag, Fido, I'll check that out.

I had an old bag that finally wore out after ten years that was awesome, but that company went out of business. I can't even find old ones on ebay.

---

Was the old bag a blue one with black straps?

---

YES!!!!

Do you know the brand name?

---

I have an extra one in the garage....will look at it for you this evening.

---

Pretty sure we just became best friends

This is still the best lure tote made..

Aggieangler,
Just picture salt assassin as Donald duck swimming in gold coins before you sell to him!
At least trade a fishing trip or custom house!

I use a Yeti side kick on a neoprene camera shoulder strap with d-rings to attach stuff to. I can put a Plano box with lures and my phone in there and it is waterproof. Works great and it is over one shoulder and not hanging off my neck or always sitting in the water on a wade belt.

I use the old Academy blue belt that has a pouch with the plastic box that I put a couple of topwaters and a spoon or two in. The belt has a PVC rod holder on it. Plus a long nose plier holder. And a bracket to slip in the spike for the blue stringer that came with the whole package.

An extra pre-rigged soft plastic or three gets placed on the stringer cork.

A couple extra 1/16 oz. screw on jig hooks are in my shirt pocket, along with a few extra soft plastics.

Go and wade, when you're done if you've had any success toss your stringer into the ice chest and thoroughly rinse the belt and its contents.

If dolphins are an issue on the flats with a 6 foot stringer, something isn't right.

There's a guy on Facebook that makes a box on a shoulder sling. On top of the box is a place for your pliers and there's a D ring for your boga. The strap is paracord. It's what I've been carrying for two years. The guy sells it under "pro wade fishing" on FB.

If you buy a fish bag, I think Hookset's new bag is superior to Foreverlast's green bag. YMMV

Kurt Gowdy said:

---

There's a guy on Facebook that makes a box on a shoulder sling. On top of the box is a place for your pliers and there's a D ring for your boga. The strap is paracord. It's what I've been carrying for two years. I'll try to find the guys name.

If you buy a fish bag, I think Hookset's new bag is superior to Foreverlast's green bag. YMMV

---

This sounds awesome

NuMark? If so, I don't think they're still around. I have several that are 25+ years old.

roynonroy said:

---

One change I've made is getting away from the stringer and switched to the donut. The dolphins are so bad where I wade that the stringer was dangerous, It got to the point where I had a close encounter with them everytime. For some reason they leave the donut alone. That said, you can use the donut to attach lure box, etc. and not use a belt or pack. I do keep aluminum pliers in a sheath on my belt.

---

Donut story -- wading a good half-mile off the shore at Smith Point and we are just getting started. I hook up something big and it swings over right at the donut we are sharing. Big F'ing stingray - gets all tangled up in the netting and mad as hell. No way I'm going to try to untangle that thrashing f'er underwater, so I get to walk back the half-mile to shore to get him loose. My buddies got into the reds while I was working on this mad ray.

Brazos1865 said:

---

NuMark? If so, I don't think they're still around. I have several that are 25+ years old.

---

Thats the one

Ive looked online and cant find them. I even tried EBay to find an old one. No luck

I think the extra one I have is just the pouch sling, with tackle box. It doesn't have the pliers sheath or stringer slide. Got busy last night, but will confirm this evening.

no worries bud

I think I'm going to try one of those pro wade gear bags.

No problem. I am a tackle *****, so I actually wade with a sling bag that will fit two large boxes. It slings out of the way and doesn't bother me much. I also don't wade above waist deep all that often, unless it is mid-summer. At that point, all I need is two tops, and a bag of plastics in my shirt pocket. Jighead box in the other pocket.

Mine are starting to show their age. I need to figure out a good way to keep them going.

Just Type in Water Master or click the link and find the Beast Sling.... You wont find something more durable than this thing! I've had it for years and no rust and zippers work great.


Click Here

The perfect hat for fishing and hunting!

I use a wade right which is great for the back and holds everything high. It is a halter with a rod holder on the back and can attach everything on the front. Not something to take off and on though.
https://www.coastalfishinggear.com/osfm_wade_right.php

Got my Hookset belt, stringer, and tackle box this evening! Just in time to head to POC after work tomorrow. Now to learn a whole other way to fish the coast, wading...

TH36 said:

---

Got my Hookset belt, stringer, and tackle box this evening! Just in time to head to POC after work tomorrow. Now to learn a whole other way to fish the coast, wading...

---

Learn to untie your stringer quickly so the sharks don't drown you before they eat you.