Felt Sole Wading Boot Ban

[Ben]

I was just shopping waders at Cabelas and saw a "check state laws before ordering" warning on some felt bootfoot waders. I thought, "What the hell?" and searched it. Apparently seven states have banned felt soles for fishing to curb invasive species, and more states are looking at the ban.

Surprisingly, CA hasn't banned them (all my waders and hip boots are felt sole), but for any of you that fish, FYI if you go to one of the "ban" states. Interestingly, Fish & Game and other state and federal people are still allowed to wear them, so they must apparently have superpowers to keep their felt soles from harboring invasives.

I guess I understand what they're trying to do, but I haven't found sole material that's better than felt for keeping me from slipping on algae covered rocks in streams. I wonder how many people are going to be slipping and cracking their heads open?

[Firethorn]

First thought - it's possible to clean them sufficiently to avoid moving invasive species, but that actually takes 'effort'.  State people probably aren't wading around in different states, reducing that risk, and states can't control federal officers anyways.

Cleaning with soap&water should do 90% of the job, and a little bleach would do the rest.

[roo_ster]

Boot+Felt+GE silicone + eff ewe staties

[charby]

When I get a new set of waders and boots, I'm going to go this route. I figure I can used the Korkers for ice fishing also.

[Jamisjockey]

Damn.  I'll have to start keeping an eye on regs especially moving back east where I may be wading in VA, NC, TN, WV, MD and PA.

[grampster]

The greeners don't care whether you crack your skull.  They only care about the snail darter.

[charby]

Cleaning with soap&water should do 90% of the job, and a little bleach would do the rest.

How many people will actually do that?

We starting to see a crack down on moving water from lake to lake, from live/bail wells. Many of our lakes are already infected with zebra muscles, Eurasian water milfoil and now Asian carp.

[Ben]

Charby, have you ever tried the setup in your pic? Just curious on the comfort.

I've always liked the bootfoot waders with felt soles because I could use them in streams, plus they made it easy to put on fins for the float tube. Cleated rubber / Vibram boots and fins don't really mix. I know some guys just use stocking foot waders without boots for float tube fins, though I'm afraid of ripping them on gravel, etc. when getting in and out of lakes.

I'm thinking I might try that anyway, though my feet tend to get cold, especially in the high mountain lakes where I float tube. Maybe putting dive booties on over the neoprene socks on the waders. I'd just be stuck spending an extra $100 on wading boots for when I'm walking streams, which is why I've never been big on the stocking foot waders.

We have the zebra mussels here, though there are no bans on boating because of it. The lakes where it's an issue either have inspection stations or are on the 'honor system" with passive enforcement and information stations at the boat ramps.

[grampster]

I chaired a Lake Improvement Board for nearly 20 years.  Had a lot of interaction with various government and lay bodies regarding water quality.  Here's a little info.

Warm water with silty or sandy lake or river bottoms will not generally have zebra mussels.  They like cold water and rocky or gravely lake or river bottoms.

Eurasian Watermilfoil is very well controlled by Fluridone.  Sold generally as Sonar or Avast or Whitecap.  With lakes, it is a whole lake treatment and generally will last for 3 or so years.  It is pricey, but the results last a long time and is cost effective.  It kills the plants by stopping the carotene process which leads to chlorophyll degradation.  It is very selective in what plants it kills:  Eurasian watermilfoil and hydrilla primarily.  It anecdotally works on curlyleaf pondweeds, (potamogeton crispus) tho some would argue about that, but I have experienced that curlyleaf dies off and its comeback is inhibited for several years.  The plants starve to death and are killed to the root and do not come back until re-introduced by either wild fowl or boaters.  It stays in the water table for a lengthy time which is good.  It is harmless to humans and fish and most other plants that benefit a lake or pond. It might make them a bit wilty, but they bounce back.  (it is actually used in medication to reduce inflammation)

[charby]

Charby, have you ever tried the setup in your pic? Just curious on the comfort.

No, but my college roommate who lives and fishes the Appalachian streams in NC swears by them, he said felt soles have let him down, but the carbine spikes grab the slimy rocks.

[charby]

Fluridone.  Sold generally as Sonar or Avast or Whitecap. 

What does it cost? Who will pay for public waters to be treated?

[grampster]

^^^^Depends on what state you live in.  How powerful is the Department of Environmental Quality or Dept. of Natural Resources?  Are they staffed with people who believe in managing lakes as a resource for humans ie: recreation, safety, quality of water, value of property or are they dedicated to manage them so humans are not considered? Ie:  If milfoil turns a lake into a swamp, that is the natural order of things.   Does your state empower Lake Boards?  Lots of things you need to know.  Many of the Resource people don't like chemicals, but most of them don't understand them either.  The best you could hope for is that the Dept of Agriculture would be the people who regulate the use of chemicals in lakes because those guys understand them.

We had a 800 acre public lake and we had an budget of around $80,000.00 a year from lawful assessment of property in 3 tiers.  Lake front at 100%, back lot at 50% and 3rd tier at 25% of the budget.  We petitioned the state to create a Lake Board which was lawful under our Inland Waters Act in Michigan.  The only way we had of doing anything was to create a Lake Board which gave us power of assessment.  Some states are more enlightened and budget for lake water quality in their budgets. 

I've been gone for 4 years and the last treatment of 3 we had was a couple years prior to our move.  I believe the cost was $55,000.00 at that time.  The cost may be lower now because the original patent ran out and there are 3 companies (that I know of) who sell Fluridone.

[Tuco]

Seem to remember, in the last few years, new data showing the danger of felt had been terribly exaggerated.  Look on the googles.  Be assured the rules wont be changed to reflect new facts.
But you are right, warm water and a chlorine bleach soak will keep you from spreading dem nastis.

For several years, out of pure stubbornness, I refused to wash my felts. 
Thing is, I only wore them on a few contiguous stretches of my beloved AuSable.
When I started fishing the Muskegon again, and after the St. Mary's, the felts were hot water hosed, soaked in bleach, and sun dried before taking them back into the holy water.

They can have my Danners when they pry them off my cold dead feet.