Thornback rays are known for playing with bait before swallowing it. Don't tighten your line as soon as you feel the slightest pull, wait until your line pulls away strongly and then tighten and reel-in. Thornback rays travel across the seabed in small, sociable groups.

How do you hold a ray?

Grip either side of the nose with a cloth or around the tail, but not with bare hands. Sting ray should not be handled and never stand on them because the venomous spine on the tail can whip over their head and penetrate rubber. My top ray bait is a frozen sandeel. There is no argument about that.

Can thornback rays hurt you?

The thornback ray is generally harmless to humans. On the other hand, they are often hunted for their meat and thorns, showing that humans can cause harm to this fish species.

Can you eat a thornback ray?

Rays have value to commercial fisheries and are taken for human consumption, although a lot of thornback rays taken by commercial vessels are bycatch which may be discarded at sea.

Is a thornback ray a skate?

While those with shorter snouts are called rays. ... For example the Thornback Ray is called a ray but it's actually a skate! To avoid confusion, we refer to skates and rays by their common British names. There are around 18 species of skates and rays that are regularly found in UK waters.

Thornback Rays, Skate, Roker - Boat Fishing Rigs, Tips & Tactics!

44 related questions found

Are there sting rays in UK waters?

Dasyatis pastinaca is the only true stingray species regularly encountered in UK waters. The size of Dasyatis pastinaca can be up to 140 cm body disc width and 250 cm total length. The snout is short and leads towards the pectoral fins in an almost straight line.

Which rays are edible?

Rays are edible, and may be caught as food using fishing lines or spears. Stingray recipes can be found in many coastal areas worldwide. For example, in Malaysia and Singapore, stingray is commonly grilled over charcoal, then served with spicy sambal sauce.

How big do Thornbacks grow?

Adult fish can grow to 1 metre (3.3 ft) in length, although most are less than 85 centimetres (33 in). This ray can weigh from 4.5 to 8.75 lb (2 to 4 kg). Their colours vary from light brown to grey with darker blotches and numerous small darker spots and yellow patches.

Is an eagle ray a stingray?

Stingray: A diverse group of rays that range is size. They have a disc shaped body as their pectoral fins are rounded on the edge. Eagle Ray: Usually around one or two meters in wing span with a diamond body shape as their pectoral fins are pointed at the ends.

Are undulate rays protected?

Undulate ray are classed as endangered by the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) on a global basis and Near Threatened within European waters. ... For these reasons all shore caught undulate ray should be returned to the sea (after taking a photo or two) in order to help stocks recover.

What is the best rig for rays?

There is one rig that is particularly favoured for catching rays, and that's the pulley rig. This is a single hook rig that mixes the principles of a flowing trace with a mono paternoster. It is considered ideal for catching big fish at maximum range, and is particularly efficient at avoiding snags.

What do thornback rays feed?

Thornback rays are found around all British coasts and feed mainly on crustaceans though they are not above taking any fish that swims a little too close!

Do thornback rays have teeth?

They Have Teeth

Despite being cartilaginous creatures, rays have teeth strong enough to crush mollusk shells, and their jaws are made up of several layers of calcified cartilage to keep them light but durable.

How does stingray taste like?

Stingray meat is flaky yet dense and chewy and tastes like a mix of fish and lobster.

Is it safe to eat stingray?

Yes, you can eat stingray, and they do make good eating. ... As unappetizing as they look, and as weird as their anatomy seems, stingrays (skates too) aren't much harder to clean than your usual table varieties. And, yes, they make delicious dinners.

What part of stingray is edible?

Generally, the most desired parts of the stingray are the fleshy wings, the "cheek" (the area surrounding the eyes), and the liver. The rest of the ray is considered too rubbery, due to the large amounts of cartilage, to have any other culinary uses.

Does skate smell like ammonia?

The skates are very primitive biologically, storing some uric acid in their flesh to maintain a proper osmotic balance. Upon death the uric acid in the skate will sometimes develop an ammonia smell.

Are skates Boney?

As sharks, skates have no bones, but rather a skeleton of cartilage that cooks nicely in a soup preparation once the fillets are taken off.

Is skate edible?

Skates are like sharks and have no bones, only cartilage. The edible portions of the skate are the wings and the cheeks. The wings are composed of strands of flesh, a layer of cartilage and then more strands of flesh. The skin should be removed before cooking and the cartilage can be easily removed after cooking.

Can you eat blue spotted stingray?

lymma is eaten and therefore hunted for its meat. It is also used in fisheries and for commercial purposes in aquariums (Cribb et.al. 2004). The most dangerous predator to blue-spotted ribbontail rays are human beings.

How do you remove a stingray barb?

To remove a barb, hold down the end of the tail firmly, preferably with pliers. Then, take a 2nd pair of pliers to grasp the barb and fold it upwards while pulling. It should come out. Be careful doing this, as your hands will be very close to the business end of a ray.

Can you eat a cow nose stingray?

In the Chesapeake Bay, cownose rays are commercial bycatch of the fishing industry and are often targeted for recreational fishing. ... For those who may try to eat them, rays can be difficult to cook—only 30 to 34 percent of the flesh is edible—and have a very bitter taste.