Need a line stretched? - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

08-27-2009, 11:41 AM

cant wait to hear the report
good luck!

joyjiggin' · 08-27-2009, 09:45 PM

Ummm, this is a dumb question, but how would you get something like that up to your yak and not get stung by it's tail??

dorf · 08-28-2009, 07:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joyjiggin'

Ummm, this is a dumb question, but how would you get something like that up to your yak and not get stung by it's tail??

Carefully.

I have had great success in the past with frozen anchovies. Talk about a sleigh ride. Great fun. Unfortunately I am unable to participate because of a move. I have everything packed up for the movers.

Best of luck to you all.
Don't forget your saftey gear (PFD, lights, reflective tape etc.)!

Toad Patrol · 08-28-2009, 08:52 AM

joyjiggin, not that stupid of a question. The barb at the base of a rays tail is a defense mechinism to protect it's internal organs. Since rays, and sharks have only soft cartliage, not a rib cage, they are suceptible to internal injury. If you happen to step on the back of one they react by triggering that barb, usually into your shin or ankle. Keep the ray in the water and carefully remove the hook with pliers, or just cut the line as close to the knot as posible, and the hook will eventually rust out. Don't worry about getting bit, rays have no teeth, only crushing plated in the back of their mouths.
Rays and sharks should be considered a catch and release species only, (they have an important job in the food chain) and are definately a blast to have drag you around, good practice for that big yellowtail or white sea bass you should be catching instead.
Good luck and tight lines,
-Scott

JrBasser · 08-28-2009, 09:12 AM

It isn't thatttt dumb of a question.. except the opening line is sorry this isn't a kayak report but....

To answer your question though, big bat ray I have found to be pretty docile when you handle em right. A bat ray as large as we've been getting I would just cut the tag end and its mouth or remove the hook if it was visible. But to be completely honest, if I knew I was fighting a bat ray and was on it for two hours, I'd have the heebee geebees about pulling it to the kayak. For a sub 50 pound ray, I will grab it by the breathing holes behind their eyes and slide him up onto my kayak between my legs. The large flat deck allows most of the fish's weight to be supported well and keeps them calm. This also keeps the added weight centered and the boat stable. Sometimes when their big enough their wings hang over the sides of the kayak into the water. From there I can get the hook out, get pictures, whatever. When cutting/removing the hook from a batray in the water you have no risk of the fish "turning on you" with those big ass wings 180 degrees to sting you. My method is a little more risky, you have to be swift with it. If you try to pull the fish slowly, he could panic and start flapping his wings. We all see where this could lead. Also, if you lift the weight out of the water slow, it will be harder to lift. You could lose control of the weight and have a batray come sliding into your boat tail first. And yes, I've done it, but got out of the way. Basically as you slide the bat ray up onto the kayak, spin him around so his tail is away from you.

bennofish7 · 08-29-2009, 01:40 PM

Am I missing something? It seems we are talking about Batrays, that have no stinger and/or Stingrays with a toxic stinger.

Spyder · 08-29-2009, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bennofish7

Am I missing something? It seems we are talking about Batrays, that have no stinger and/or Stingrays with a toxic stinger.

Um, yes they do..............

http://jaffeweb.ucsd.edu/pages/proje...Ray%20page.htm

Matt · 08-29-2009, 01:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JrBasser

It isn't thatttt dumb of a question.. except the opening line is sorry this isn't a kayak report but....

To answer your question though, big bat ray I have found to be pretty docile when you handle em right. A bat ray as large as we've been getting I would just cut the tag end and its mouth or remove the hook if it was visible..

If your whole intent is to catch and release..............why not use a circle hook??

08-28-2009, 08:52 AM	#4
Toad Patrol Junior Join Date: May 2007 Location: Pt Dume, Malibu Posts: 8	Stingray risks... joyjiggin, not that stupid of a question. The barb at the base of a rays tail is a defense mechinism to protect it's internal organs. Since rays, and sharks have only soft cartliage, not a rib cage, they are suceptible to internal injury. If you happen to step on the back of one they react by triggering that barb, usually into your shin or ankle. Keep the ray in the water and carefully remove the hook with pliers, or just cut the line as close to the knot as posible, and the hook will eventually rust out. Don't worry about getting bit, rays have no teeth, only crushing plated in the back of their mouths. Rays and sharks should be considered a catch and release species only, (they have an important job in the food chain) and are definately a blast to have drag you around, good practice for that big yellowtail or white sea bass you should be catching instead. Good luck and tight lines, -Scott

08-27-2009, 11:41 AM	#1
NextBite Guest Posts: n/a	cant wait to hear the report good luck!

08-27-2009, 09:45 PM	#2
joyjiggin' Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Huntington Beach Posts: 109	Ummm, this is a dumb question, but how would you get something like that up to your yak and not get stung by it's tail??

08-28-2009, 09:12 AM	#5
JrBasser Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 260	It isn't thatttt dumb of a question.. except the opening line is sorry this isn't a kayak report but.... To answer your question though, big bat ray I have found to be pretty docile when you handle em right. A bat ray as large as we've been getting I would just cut the tag end and its mouth or remove the hook if it was visible. But to be completely honest, if I knew I was fighting a bat ray and was on it for two hours, I'd have the heebee geebees about pulling it to the kayak. For a sub 50 pound ray, I will grab it by the breathing holes behind their eyes and slide him up onto my kayak between my legs. The large flat deck allows most of the fish's weight to be supported well and keeps them calm. This also keeps the added weight centered and the boat stable. Sometimes when their big enough their wings hang over the sides of the kayak into the water. From there I can get the hook out, get pictures, whatever. When cutting/removing the hook from a batray in the water you have no risk of the fish "turning on you" with those big ass wings 180 degrees to sting you. My method is a little more risky, you have to be swift with it. If you try to pull the fish slowly, he could panic and start flapping his wings. We all see where this could lead. Also, if you lift the weight out of the water slow, it will be harder to lift. You could lose control of the weight and have a batray come sliding into your boat tail first. And yes, I've done it, but got out of the way. Basically as you slide the bat ray up onto the kayak, spin him around so his tail is away from you.

08-29-2009, 01:40 PM	#6
bennofish7 Junior Join Date: May 2007 Location: carlsbad Posts: 10	Am I missing something? It seems we are talking about Batrays, that have no stinger and/or Stingrays with a toxic stinger.