Fastest way to land them is snag them with a lure like this.
![Fish hook Fishing lure Bait Surface lure Insect]()
![Automotive lighting Fish hook Spoon lure Surface lure Fishing bait]()
Fishing for Ray's
I'm really interested in going for some Ray's. They look like they put up a good fight and I want a few skins to tan. What's the best way to catch them and where. I'm new to working bigger water. I'm right between Port Tobacco and Benedict.
1 - 20 of 48 Posts
During the next month or so, cownose rays will be active at the surface as they do their mating activities. I often see a lot of splashing in the distance and hope it is breaking fish. More often than not, it is rays thrashing about. I don't like catching them since I am unwilling to bring them into my kayak and risk getting smacked by a muscular wing or jabbed by a spine. Once I have visually confirmed that I hooked a ray and not some other game fish, I point the rod at the ray, put my hand on the spool, and pull (or let the ray swim off). This generally causes the line to break at the lure or the leader.
I troll small jigheads from my kayak frequently during the months when the rays are around. A few times each year (my first time for 2023 was on last Monday) the jighead snags a ray in the wing. I am prepared to sacrifice an inexpensive jighead and plastic tail. The lures that Andy shows above will definitely snag a ray, but are much more expensive to replace.
I troll small jigheads from my kayak frequently during the months when the rays are around. A few times each year (my first time for 2023 was on last Monday) the jighead snags a ray in the wing. I am prepared to sacrifice an inexpensive jighead and plastic tail. The lures that Andy shows above will definitely snag a ray, but are much more expensive to replace.
Down here at Solomons/NAS pax, throwing the same baits and rigs you would for catfish, you can absolutely tear them up from the bank. So much that i gave up on fishing from the bank around cedar point using cut bait. They were all i could catch in the area.
You don't have to replace them. Fishermen know how to land them if they want to.During the next month or so, cownose rays will be active at the surface as they do their mating activities. I often see a lot of splashing in the distance and hope it is breaking fish. More often than not, it is rays thrashing about. I don't like catching them since I am unwilling to bring them into my kayak and risk getting smacked by a muscular wing or jabbed by a spine. Once I have visually confirmed that I hooked a ray and not some other game fish, I point the rod at the ray, put my hand on the spool, and pull (or let the ray swim off). This generally causes the line to break at the lure or the leader.
I troll small jigheads from my kayak frequently during the months when the rays are around. A few times each year (my first time for 2023 was on last Monday) the jighead snags a ray in the wing. I am prepared to sacrifice an inexpensive jighead and plastic tail. The lures that Andy shows above will definitely snag a ray, but are much more expensive to replace.
I am like John - not worth the strain on my reels and the wasted time. Break 'em off.
Pat
Pat
Hvymax post is "I'm really interested in going for some Ray's". Some people want to land them.
Often using light rods and we time how long it takes to land them.If can't get lure out of lips with plyers cut them off at boat. Great sport playing them
Exactly. It sounds like great exercise especially with a heavy trolling rod/reel. I hardly notice the catfish I catch till it's time to heave them into the boat. The battle is what makes it worth doing. If I wanted easy fish I would go to the grocery store.Often using light rods and we time how long it takes to land them.If can't get lure out of lips with plyers cut them off at boat. Great sport playing them
Peeler crab is a top $$$$ bait for Rays. Squid is another good one.
You may want a small gaff to assist landing them. They can destroy a landing net.
You may want a small gaff to assist landing them. They can destroy a landing net.
I am very curious what a tanned ray skin will be used for - decorative or functional?
Pat
Pat
This is going to sound crazy but they love nightcrawlers. Absolutely love them
I’m curious about the tanning too.
Mike
Mike
You should see my ray-skin business suit.I am very curious what a tanned ray skin will be used for - decorative or functional?
Pat
BTW, as an aside, I have no issue with people catching rays and putting them to good use. I do have an issue with the wanton killing of them, such as the supposed sport-shoots with bows that then leave the rays to die. Every biologist I've spoken with about rays, in both VA and MD, has expressed doubt that the population of rays has increased beyond levels the Bay has seen in recent history. Maybe they've increased from the late -70s and 80s when the Bay was super-polluted, but there's an aerial photo of a massive school of rays at Thomas Point taken from, I think, the 1940s. And an old Bay pilot I knew told me of a a school at least twice as long as his ship that they passed by in the 50s, so wide that they couldn't see the edge of the school from up on the ship's bridge. More likely, our evolving fishing methods (esp. trolling with lots of rods) and increased numbers of us leads to the impression that we have more. I'm actually seeing less in the Severn the past few years than I saw in the early 2000s. Like sharks, they reproduce very slowly. If we do decimate their numbers, they won't be recovering anytime soon.
A couple other myths. First, they don't do much damage to oyster reefs (although they do some). Virginia studied this: once oysters get about 2-years old, rays jaws aren't powerful enough to crush them. In the Severn's restoration reefs that have a lot of rays literally swimming among the oysters all summer, we've seen zero evidence of ray damage. They prefer invertebrates and mussels, or will also pick up and suck on (I guess?) old shell, which to the untrained eye can look like damage.
Another myth is that the lack of sharks has caused an overpopulation of rays. According to the biologists I've spoken with, there isn't a lot of evidence that rays are a preferred food source of our coastal sharks. And in event event, unlike the rest of the world, coastal shark populations along the U.S. Atlantic coast have increased since a low point in the 70s, thanks to conservation efforts. So, it seems that the Chesapaek ecosystem evolved to have a ton of cownose rays.
A couple other myths. First, they don't do much damage to oyster reefs (although they do some). Virginia studied this: once oysters get about 2-years old, rays jaws aren't powerful enough to crush them. In the Severn's restoration reefs that have a lot of rays literally swimming among the oysters all summer, we've seen zero evidence of ray damage. They prefer invertebrates and mussels, or will also pick up and suck on (I guess?) old shell, which to the untrained eye can look like damage.
Another myth is that the lack of sharks has caused an overpopulation of rays. According to the biologists I've spoken with, there isn't a lot of evidence that rays are a preferred food source of our coastal sharks. And in event event, unlike the rest of the world, coastal shark populations along the U.S. Atlantic coast have increased since a low point in the 70s, thanks to conservation efforts. So, it seems that the Chesapaek ecosystem evolved to have a ton of cownose rays.
Thanks Jeff
I used to be very discouraged when I would see rays while I was fishing. I believed if rays were there I would not catch any rockfish. I have since learned that, if you wait a little while until the rays have moved on, the Rockfish will often move in to take advantage of the disturbed bottom that introduces New Life to whatever reef you are fishing
I used to be very discouraged when I would see rays while I was fishing. I believed if rays were there I would not catch any rockfish. I have since learned that, if you wait a little while until the rays have moved on, the Rockfish will often move in to take advantage of the disturbed bottom that introduces New Life to whatever reef you are fishing
It should go well with Ray-Ban sunglasses.You should see my ray-skin business suit.
I am very curious what a tanned ray skin will be used for - decorative or functional?
Pat
[/QUO[/QUOTE
Mine will be functional. I have a Nodachi I made in the 70's and an authentic Rayskin grip would be the perfect addition. Chrome tanning works great on them I have read. The calcified nodules on the skin make a tremendous grip material. I might even cover a few pistol grips with it and a wallet would be great as well. It's durable and grippable. Anything you can do with leather you can do with Rayskin. I might need a new BBQ holster as well. Google Rayskin wallet, holster, sword grip etc.
Well that is just about cool as hell
1 - 20 of 48 Posts
Tidal Fish Forum
A forum community dedicated to Mid Atlantic fishing and sporting enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about safety, licenses, tips, tricks, piers, reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more!
Full Forum Listing
