Corpusfishing.com

Spurs fisherman · Joined: 14 Jun 2017 Posts: 8

You never think it'll get you. Well, my wife and I made it out to the beach close to the fish pass jetties around noon on Friday the 18th, eager to enjoy the day we'd taken off from our campuses after finishing state testing. It was a little windy, but not too bad. The beach was pretty darn nice, not too rough in the surf really. Pretty water not far out. Current wasn't killer by any means closer to the jetty, as we were. I cast out a few horse mullet halves on my bigger rods, then I went out to cast my lure a bit. I was in about 3 ft. of water when I made my way back in. I always shuffle my feet, but I'll admit to getting a bit more careless as I get closer to shore and I'm able to see my feet. That was exactly what happened when I was almost to shore, probably less than a foot deep, reeling my in my lure from a last cast. I stepped on something that wasn't sand, and I was stabbed on the inside of the left foot up by my big toe. From the size of the wound, I'd estimate a dinner plate size guy or so. Could have been worse, obviously, but I bled a good amount, and it throbbed for a couple hours. Not the worst pain ever (I've had a badly herniated disc in my lower back), but painful, nonetheless! I was thankful to a fisherman driving by who provided me with some meat tenderizer! Hope to make it back down this coming weekend. Tight lines, and keep shufflin'.

saltyhook · Horse Mullet Joined: 20 Feb 2008 Posts: 141

Sorry about your pain . Meat tenderizer helps a bit with Jelly fish wounds also. Highly recommend Hot Water or a Body warmer bag (chem type) for pain relief also the hot water helps flush out some of the infectious stuff, from those Ray's. Most people worry about sharks, the Ray's stay in my nightmares . Shocked

Hope you recover fast with no infection.
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Tyler · Site Admin Joined: 06 Mar 2006 Posts: 12865

Ouch! Knocking on wood for me. Be sure to check for infection.
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snakecan2 · Posted: Mon May 21, 2018 8:10 pm Post subject:

Worse thing to watch for is infection. Be careful and speedy recovery
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Vern · Posted: Sat May 26, 2018 8:28 am Post subject: I have always wondered

I have been going to ask this question for some time. Planned on posting this weekend anyway.
We shuffle our feet to keep from getting stung. Unless you have boots on, and if that barb is pointed toward shore (your foot) seems you could shuffle a naked foot right into the barb and get stung even if you are shuffling. Anyone hear of anybody that got stung while shuffling?
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Dubdee · Finger Mullet Joined: 28 Jul 2015 Posts: 49

"For 40-odd years I stomped around barefoot in the surf and bays like a stormtrooper totally ignoring stingrays, broken beer bottles, and innumerable other unforeseen harmful entities and remained unscathed. Oh, I encountered plenty of stingrays. It was common for me to feel their slick backs and wings slide out from under my feet as I touched them most days, and on many occasions several encounters during the same day. BUT I NEVER GOT HIT BY ONE. Then everyone began to endorse sliding your feet to avoid being struck by a stingray and I began to slide my feet as suggested. I got hit twice in three years plus one in the thumb."
-Billy Sandifer, Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine July, 2013.

ratherbefishing · Posted: Sat May 26, 2018 11:27 am Post subject:

Tyler · Site Admin Joined: 06 Mar 2006 Posts: 12865

Ha ha I remembered that!
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TroutChaser · Posted: Sat May 26, 2018 12:23 pm Post subject:

And there are a lot of rays up shallow lately from north of fish pass jetties all way to pins that I

BayFly · Posted: Sat May 26, 2018 7:05 pm Post subject:

I've ever been hit by a stingray, but read many articles about those who have been stung or stuck! My advice to anyone who has been hit is to go get medical attention, because there are many who did not, and lost or almost lost a limb, or at the very least went through a lot of pain, due to the infection becoming out of control overnight. My$.02

bd0202 · Posted: Sat May 26, 2018 10:05 pm Post subject:

Last July I was in that very same area with my GF and same here - I always used to go barefoot but was usually careful about shuffling, etc. But anyway, first cast out from the first gut (or maybe the back edge of the 2nd bar), as soon as I made my cast I got hit on my left foot, left side of the heel. Still not sure to this day if it was a ray or a crab, but I'd been hit by crabs before and this was much more painful. It was bleeding a while, but I immediately sat in my chair and had her grab the first aid kit from my truck. The wound was more of a gash than a hole, so if it was a ray it was a glancing blow, but it sure was painful for a few hours. I continued like a trooper though, hobbling back and forth to the water to check my lines (after having her clean and bandage it thoroughly). I had her help where I could (lucky me she's the fishing type). Ended up catching a baby blacktip and got to give a nearby little kid and his mom a closeup encounter and safety lesson about them before releasing it.

Ever since then, I made a vow not to go surf fishing without some type of shoe anymore (although I still swim/play/bodyboard barefoot), and that's when I started using classic Crocs. I know they won't stop a barb completely, but it gives me a chance at least combined with my other tactics. They are the best shoe I've ever used for fishing, too. They won't come off in the surf hardly (unless you sink them in some soft sand), but they respond well to the water and are heck'a'easy to clean sand off of. Dry fast when out of water, and good traction on other surfaces (piers, jetty rocks, etc). And no, they aren't paying me or giving me free pairs to say it. I've seen ZiaCatcher wearing them in most of his pictures too, so I knew he was on to something. Laughing

But yeah bottom line is, no matter how often we do this stuff and how long we get away with not getting hit, there's always close encounters to remind us and humble us back into reality. Always remember your tactics, and always be on the lookout. Never be in a hurry. Glad you're alright.

Oh yeah, and I've stepped on many things that did not feel like sand. Even though I shuffle, I also try to remain very light-footed. If my foot thinks it's not sand, I lift off it and move to the side as fast as I can. Most times it was probably just seaweed, but let's just say a few of those could have been rays, or jellies, or other icky creatures.
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RPool · Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2018 9:15 am Post subject:

This is sage advice posted on the fly fishing forum by tmcpadre:

I treat about 100 or more of these in any given year for the last 12 years. Heat helps pain, we think by denaturing the protein in the venom. antiseptic soaks. Doxycycline to cover vibrio and staph is good idea along with xray to make sure no retained spine. Retained spine only about 3 % but catastrophic for infection if missed.

Spurs fisherman · Joined: 14 Jun 2017 Posts: 8

ironmanstan · Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2018 8:01 pm Post subject:

Maybe some Epsom salts in a nice hot foot bath?? Sounds good to me. When I was a kid I stuck a hardhead through my left hand right in that spot between the point finger and thumb. The old people that managed the pier poured Clorox on it and it never got infected and it never affected me, me, me, me, me, me...
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