Picked a windy evening to test the Little Jack Gorgon 125 and IMA Sasuke 120F. The minimal whipping gear needed (rod/reel, gear bag, wading boots) was a nice break from the stuff we have to take to kayak fish.
I had just started using a pair of entry level Simms Tributary Felt Sole wading boots from Cabelas ($100) because my neoprene $30 tabis didn’t fit well and kept giving me weird callouses. The high end tabis from Japan were more than $150 and I couldn’t justify that cost for the little I wade fished. The Simms Tributarys go on and off easier than my zippered tabis because of the speed lacing but because the felt bottom is flat and rigid, it feels like I’m an astronaut walking on the moon. Not sure if all felt bottomed wading boots are that way. Still something I’m getting used to, but at the end of each trip I barely notice that stiffness. It is comforting to know that I can kick jagged rocks and my toes are safe from eel bites.
I just had a short stretch of reefy water to cast in because dunkers were fishing both ends. Started with the jointed Little Jack Gorgon 125. It casted ok when the wind was light but didn’t do well into a strong crosswind because of the shifting center of mass. It swam incredibly realistically at slow speeds, and when I paused it, the head of the lure turned back towards its tail. At high speeds it leaned over to the side so it’s definitely a slow to medium retrieve lure. Since it floats, and submerges a few inches when retrieved, there was no risk of snagging and it wasn’t affected by the slight chop. I bet it’s gonna slay the picky fish that follow lures before deciding to eat.
It got windier so I put on the IMA Sasuke 120F. It floated, but barely, and swam in the 27″ to 36″ depth range, so I had to be careful in shallow, rocky water, but man did it punch through the wind. I was never at risk of backlashing my bait casting reel, and because it swam 2 to 3 feet under the surface, the predators would easily see its aggressive side to side head movement. Unfortunately, with no bait fish around, there was no reason for a predator to brave the cold, shallow water, so the two lures didn’t even get a sniff.
I am pumped to fish the Gorgon in areas that require finesse lures, and throw the Sasuke even when the weather conditions get a little nasty. Both lures are currently available in the Store.
Nice boots! I love my Simms vaportread salts, and am on my 2nd pair now. Some folks are fine with tabis, but like you I like the peace of mind knowing my feet are safe. It allows you to focus more on the fishing! Btw, yes felt soles generally feel that way until they are broken in. Fun fact: while felt is the traditional material for wading boot bottoms, they are banned in some places due to their propensity to harbor invasive organisms. Not an issue here, of course.
Hi Jason,
Glad to hear my felt wading boots will break in and be less stiff. Do your vaportread saltwater boots grip the algae covered rocks well? I didn’t do a whole lot of research prior to my purchase. I had Cabela’s points to use and just thought that a felt bottom, like my felt bottomed tabis, would be best over wet rocks. 🙂
I’d love to hear what other wade fishers are using.
-scott
They are rubber bottom, and have worked well for the terrain i use them for (submerged dead coral, sand etc), but felt will be superior for walking on slippery rocks.
The rubber bottom probably has a slight edge for doubling as a hiking boot. I don’t think it’s much of an issue here, but in some places you may need to hike for miles to get to a stream.
Ah ok, thanks for that feedback Jason.
How heavy did those get when submerged? Do they have good drainage?
Hi KBoyee,
I use thick wool socks to fill the boots so they fit real snug. There might be more water in them than the normal tabis and the boots don’t drain because the neoprene liner is waterproof, I think, but can still walk on land with the bit of water in them. I guess I gotta break them in like Jason said, and see how comfortable they get. Grip wise, they’re very good.
-scott
Like wader bottoms, the neoprene liner is somewhat waterproof, but water will still get in through the top. Not a huge deal, but it may feel weird if you’re used to tabis or a regular sock. The boots are actually made to be worn with a neoprene sock, and that little D-loop on the tongue is for securing the gravel guard.