I think I'm going to take Nellayor's advice and get some guards. Like he said it will cost a lot more than $130 to go to the emergency room not to mention the pain and ruining a day of fishing. However I noticed on the Foreverlast website a disclaimer saying no boots are 100% ray proof....

Condoms aren't 100% either, but I'm sure not going in without one of those.

Same as with the guards, they significantly increase the chance of not getting hurt if you do happen to get hit.

I'm gonna order some tonight!

Thanks for the heads-up!

Back in the 80's I was wading off a point one evening on south Padre Island; I had only waded about 50 yards from shore when I felt something wiggle under my foot and being aware that a ray
was probably there I made a lightning fast step to the side and I'm shure it was just luck that I didn't get stung. I saw the ray moving ahead at full speed so I decided to head back to shore. I waded in a circle back to my left and this time I
swept the bottom with my rod tip ahead of me and before I could get out of there I had spooked up three more rays. Later that evening a local guide told me I was wading at "Stingray Point" and was
lucky not to have been stung! I still wade fish
from time to time but that experience has always
come to mind when wading in unfamiliar water. I always talk to the locals and ask about the rays
in the area. They always are glad to tell you where to be careful and I listen.
Before I wade fish again, I'll have a pair of
those boots or stay in the boat!

Never been hit by one but have 2 fishing buddies that have.

beware to all buy you a pair of rayguard boots they are well worth the money $105.00 at www.satackle.com or can buy at bass pro or academy for $119.00 you decide

would be money well spent

get you foreverlast at academy $119.00 or from www.satackle.com $105.00 or www.foreverlast.com $120.00

order a size bigger than shoe

Thanks Trout for the links. I'm going to get me a pair before my next trip.

Seems like I get stung by jelly fish everytime I wade. Most of the times it does'nt bother me much. But on bad stings you can rub some meat tenderizer on the sting and it will go away. A guy I fished with actually carried it in his boat for that reason...

Adolph's Meat Tenderizer is the best. Been stung by three stingray. Two while wading and one while trying to get one unhooked!

Just for your info . . . cut the line.

That's always been my approach.... Is it always an automatic trip to the hospital or does it depend on how deep the stinger goes?

I went to the hospital once. It was a large stingray that "barbed" me. I could not muster the gusto to remove by myself. I was by myself at Indian Point and drove myself to the emergency room.

I never knew that my leg hit my seat so many times while I drive, but I FOUND OUT THAT DAY!

If you want to know what it feels like try this . . take an old pencil like we used in kindergarten. Drive it into your calf, then immediately take a package of black cats and lay on top of area now covered with blood and light. Just for good measure every now and then reach down and hold a cigar to the skin while pushing in on the pencil.

Come on Willie dont hold back....tell us how it really feels!

Wow, thanks to Willie I just ordered the wading boots!

Wanted to tell my sting from hell story. just got back from port aransas this weekend. wade fishing is something im kinda new at. ive allways waded out to throw my lines when bank fishing. never had any problems with jellyfish stingrays any of that.anyway this weekend i got the wife and kids enjoying the fun and sun on the beach between the 38-39 markers. im wailking not shuffling in and out of water all morning. about 12:30pm im about in knee high water i start to head back to dry land to change my set up.all of the sudden i feel this extemely sharp pain on the back of my foot.Like im not sure what i just stepped on but i know it hurts like hell and i make a bee line straight out of the water as fast as i can. im thinking i stepped on glass,a stick,crab, some metel.its burning like crazy im thinking its just the salt water. 30 seconds after the sting/ache starts setting in. i realized its no glass,stick,crab etc. Ive been stung by a stingray. The pain was so unbarrable. i thought i was going to pass out.pain started rising up my leg reaching my left testicle.I concider myself pretty tuff. But this had me balled up on the ground begging for death. Finnaly got the nerve to drive myself to the rangerpost. The guy inside was most helpful giving me hot water treatment,confirming it was a ray sting,also confirmed i had no part of the stinger left in me. But after 2 treatments of hot water still tremendous pain.By this time im ready to go to the hospital.we take the ferry across to aransas pass( 1 hr wait)stop at heb picked up some ibruprofin and some first aid for the open stabb wound in my foot.Make our way home to san antonio. 2 hrs into the trip the pain of the sting finally stops.That was 4 hrs of burning pain i went through.Three days after foot still hurts when i walk. kinda feels like i stepped on a nail.I since have been to academy and will be purchasing the full lenth boot rayguard/reef boot made by EVERLAST they sell for about $115.00. Thats cheap considering i would have easily paid someone 300.00 to take the pain away.NO MAN SHOULD EVER HAVE TO ENDURE THE PAIN OF A STINGRAY.Id take 10 sqorpion stings over a raysting anyday.I dont care how restricive or funny reef/raygaurd boots look i wont go back into the water with out them.

From what most of you have said I'm suprised you don't hear about more people in the beaches getting stung by a ray. However, they must prefer some areas, just like fish, over others.

I stepped on one the other night in cyrstal clear water while gigging for flounder.
I never saw the ray, he stayed burried untill
I stepped on him and I consider myself as having a keen eye for spotting both flounders and rays.
I GOT LUCKY>
Bert