Guys,

I need your help...I want to catch a good sized shore caught Ray from the Guernsey.

It is very unusual for anyone to catch a Ray from the shore over here above 8lb - but I want to.

Anyone have any tips, the trotters get loads during winter off the west coast and this coast is rarely fished during winter so the chances of one being 'accidentally' caught are low.

The trotters get 'em just after dawn within a big cast and on whole calemari. Any secret weapon baits to try that you can stil get the distance. Fish'n'strips worth a try??

Any help appreciated.

[ 10. January 2005, 07:29 PM: Message edited by: Caleb from Guernsey ]

Ray are said to prefer very fresh oily fish, cut in a lump rather than a filet. Having said that I usually catch them on fresh macky filet in the summer and squid in late autumn/early winter, but I'm not specifically targetting them. This is just 70 miles from you on the other side, so I expect the habits are very smilar - may even be the same fish.

Spot on Salar

I have seen the better rays in a session - thornbacks - caught on fresh launce (greater sandeel), sliced up a bit to get the juices flowing, usually cut in two and bound slightly with elastic to a pair of 3/0s on a pennel rig, clipped down for distance, when the rest of us were catching the smaller fish on lugworm and mackerel and other assorted baits inc. crabs.

Some people will tell you to let it get serously stinky (akin to dabs and dogfish's like for five day old lugworm) but I've never bothered myself, mind you I've never taken one of 6 lbs from the shore...

Someone on this forum told me that the bigger sting ray will seek out king ragworm and peeler crabs, the latter especially in estuaries, in preference to mackerel and the usual baits...

The other rays we have in Ireland do not go over 8 lbs with the exception of the blondes, which with one or two special marks excepted, are usually caught when fishing for thornbacks or tope etc and as I suggested, very very rarely from the shore.

FWIW...

Try launce/squid cocktails. Also learn to cast further
PS. There's an article in the latest TSF about catching big blondes of the shore in Wales. You have a 'big blonde' already, so why you want more I don't know.

[ 11. January 2005, 12:25 PM: Message edited by: Toerag ]

My favorite ray bait is fresh pouting or poor cod.
Set up a paternoster baited with worm and catch a few in the six to eight inch range then put them on to a pulley rig or running ledger. One at a time obviously, cutting the spine out and then binding the fish back up with bait elastic is a good tip as this increases scent and movement.
I would watch the rod tip and give the bite plenty of time to develop as the ray will sit on it for a while manouvering it around until it can get it in it's mouth.

Hi Socksy

Why cut out the spine - never heard of that before - but it sounds interesting. Is it to increase movement? Would you advocate a few floaty beads?

What kind of ground are you fishing onto with these baits?

Thanks m8

Hi Kieran,

We find a bit of mutilation increases the attractiveness of the bait. The big advantage of pout is that it does not seem to attract the doggies like mackerel or sandeel.
We are fishing off St Catherine's and this is doggy city, the ray would never get to a mackerel bait before it had been torn apart by a pack.
It is broken rock at the foot of the wall then sand with patches of eel grass, rocky patches etc.
The rays and conger tend to patrol the sand close to the edge of the rock at the foot of the wall and we lob the baits as close to this as we dare. It is a lot of waiting for the odd fish but they can be large.

I should add that we are fishing for undulate rays.

excuse my ignorance but what the hells a trotter.
fresh mackerel always does the business for thornies for me.

Trotter, one who lays trot lines. Trot lines are fixed lines laid on the rising and collected on the falling tide. A trotter must watch out for gulls, both avian and human, that will try to steal the catch so it helps to be an early riser

[ 11. January 2005, 06:07 PM: Message edited by: Socksy Squirrel ]