Thread: Stingrays???

What is the bet way to handle them if you happen to catch one?

Flip them over and take hook out, watch out for the tail. Or cut the line.

If you are not sure how to handle Stingrays or toothy critters, then don't. Cutting the line and losing a hook or two is way cheaper and less painful than getting gigged by the barb. Be safe!

For me being somewhat inexperienced (I only get to surf fish one week per year and it's hard to really hone a skill in such a short period of time), I usually keep cutting the line in the back of my mind at all times, as lures/tackle just doesn't cost that much in the grand scheme of things. When I have caught rays, I generally try to flip them over and place something across their tail that can have pressure applied to it (but not so much as to hurt the ray) from a distance (think sand spike if you have an extra with you) and use pliers to remove hook (gives you a touch more distance. When in doubt though, I cut the line because all you have to do is google "stingray barb" and read the horror stories to know that it's easier than you think to get stuck.

Originally Posted by Irish Fisherman

What is the bet way to handle them if you happen to catch one?

CAREFULLY ;-)

lol

They really are 'teddy bears' as their ONLY defense is to wiggle that tail and the barb is near the base of the tail (not the tip).
I usually just grab the tip of the tail (on a small or medium sized one) and flip it onto its back to the remove the hook from the mouth.
Then pick it up by the tail with needle nodes pliers and support the head with my other hand to release it.

Bigger ones (like more than 20 pounds) are probably easier to just cut the line or leader as they are harder to control and flip over safely (includes cow nosed rays).
If it's on the pier I use a landing net and keep the ray in the net.
Makes it easier to turn them over and release by letting back down with the rope so they just swim out...

Hope this helps!

Thanks for all of the advice. I will be very careful.

Worst sting I ever experienced. After safely releasing many, many rays, I was showing off for my sweet and beautiful wife and her girlfriends. When I turned my head to look up to see if they were admiring my consummate skills , the ray got me. Managed to release the ray ok, and pretended the sting was nothing much. One
hour later, I was writhing in pain. Ice water made it so much worse. Someone wrapped my hand in a heating pad, and I passed out. Woke up before daylight and the pain was completely gone, and I don't ever want to do that again. It may have wised me up a little. Sweetheart told me I had paid for my education, and now I no longer show off too much.

I always used to cut the line. I still do if I get one that is in an awkward position, but typically if I catch a ray it's on my steel leaders which I hate losing. Plus I hate the thought of a fish with a mouthful of hard wear that I put there. Rays have relatively small mouths and i'd imagine it would make it hard to eat for a few days while the hook rusts.

Last year we caught so many massive Rays that I was starting to run short on leaders. A local saw us fishing and came over to watch. He helped me safely flip these 100+ lb Rays and get the hook out. The big ones really don't even move at all once you get them on land. Also keep in mind the barb is maybe 2 inches long at the base of the tail.

The trick to handling them (big ones) seems to be using their eye sockets for leverage to flip them. Stay away from the rear end unless you are sure the barb is in a safe spot. Once you have them flipped over you can work on removing the hook. They have no teeth (more like sandpaper), so they wont bite you. If you want to get a little less careful after removing the hook, you can prop them up on their barb, using the weight of the ray to hold its tail down. Then you can snap some pics.

I only cut the tails off rays i keep but heres some pics


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1. Close up of the barb next to a hacksaw blade
2. Holding the barb in my hand (not alive of course)
3.A few barbs i got when spearfishing