One of the first things I noticed while wade fishing with Dr. Sam and Michelle Field was just how far they waded away from their boat. I got out pretty far, too, and that’s when I realized that I needed another plastic bait. I didn’t put any extras in my pocket, so I had a long walk back to the boat.
When the Fields wade fish, they make sure to carry everything they need with them when they step off into the water. Like advanced Boy and Girl Scouts, both wore belts that held everything they would need to be prepared for any situation they might encounter.
To their belts, the Fields had connected the following:
1. Rod Holder — This small, PVC-looking apparatus was threaded on much like one might slip his or her belt through a pocket-knife case. When out wade fishing, you can’t just set your pole down on the boat deck, so this holder kept their rods out of the water and out of the way while they unhooked fish from their nets.
2. Fish Basket — Some blue netting draped over a life-preserver type foam ring served as a place for the Fields to hold their fish until they could make it back to the boat. Each basket could easily hold a 25-fish limit of speckled trout, and a drawstring on top of the blue netting kept the fish from splashing out.
3. Minnow Bucket — Although Field considers himself a plastic purist, he’s not above taking live minnows if that’s all the fish want. And Michelle usually throws them right from the start. These yellow/white buckets with the black spring-loaded lids keep minnows alive and right by your side.
4. Fish Grabbers — Catfish are at home around the barrier islands, and neither of the Fields wants to tangle with them without a jaw-style fish holder. With a flick of their wrists, the jaws open and go around the fish. They squeeze the handle to securely hold catfish so they can unhook them without getting stuck by the fins.
5. Hook Extractors — Sometimes speckled trout get the bait so far down in their gullets that the only way to get the hook out is with a pair of these long, thin plier-style extractors. They also come in handy for unhooking catfish.
6. Small Tackle Box — A small, utility-style tackle box gets strapped to the top of the Fields’ floating fish baskets. These boxes hold a small selection of jig heads, hooks, weights, pre-rigged leaders and soft plastics.
Editor’s note: This article is part of the Take Home Angler feature in the July issue of Louisiana Sportsman. Digital editions can be downloaded right to your computer or smartphone.
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