All good advice above. I’d say first and foremost try and be confident in what you’re doing.
As above, getting an idea of the ground you’re wading is probably the first step. Be aware though that the seabed does change regularly so don’t assume anything even if you checked it out the week before.
When wading out, take your time, feel ahead with a foot and check for sudden dips or softer sand/mud. If your foot sinks well in, draw back quickly to more solid ground - it doesn’t take much to temporarily trap a boot and then you can become unbalanced and worst case fall over.
As to how far, stick with what’s safe/comfortable. Ie don’t wade out to above your waist then a larger wave takes it up to your neck (!) so give consideration to sea conditions.
For example here we have big tides and very shallow beaches so on a calm night potentially can wade out 200-300 yards, not that I’d recommend that!
In any case, if you’re bass fishing, the fish will be in the surf close in, not miles out.
When you initially wade out, as above, be extremely cautious and feel your way. Once you know what is underfoot you can be a bit more relaxed knowing what’s behind you back to the shore. Obviously if you change location, again be cautious until you’ve got the lie of the terrain.
Be super super careful about anything behind you back to the shore such as gullies. If you cross one to head out, make sure you note the time it was safe to cross ie two hours before low tide, and head back to dry land BEFORE that marker on the flood.
It’s not uncommon for the tide to flood quicker than it ebbed, driven by wind or swell, so keep a very close eye on any features at your back. For example, if you crossed a gully two hours before low, go and physically check it an hour into the flood, you might be surprised how quickly the tide has returned.
Better to leave a half hour early than a half hour too late. We have a rock mark here with a gully that needs to be crossed and on more than one occasion I’ve been shocked how close the water was when I thought I had at least another hour. It has caught out some very experienced anglers too (no casualties thankfully).
As I said at the start though, try and be confident but not take risks - always respect the sea and expect the unexpected but you need to be happy in what you’re doing.
Much like driving - it doesn’t do to take risks or be over confident, but equally it’s counterproductive to get behind the wheel terrified, as that will affect your judgement too, if that makes sense?
If you know anyone in the area who is experienced and could accompany you for a first trip, or even book a local shore guide if there is one, that could be a very good starting point.
A useful tool for orientation on the shore and particularly at night, is using the What 3 Words app on your phone to mark places and tracks in and out but DO NOT rely solely on it or any electronic device
