Hampshire Beaches

[Crusty]

Anyone fishing for or heard of any rays coming out of Hampshire Beaches such as Hordle yet?

They normally crop up at start of April but I have a feeling they're going to be earlier this year.

[gullyworm]

No nothing yet still mainly pout and pin whiting at night.
A few plaice have been caught off southsea but there few and far between,i expect and hope things to improve as this month goes on.

[Crusty]

Thanks for reply. Can you tell I'm getting sick of fishing in matches for rockling and need to get the zziplex and smack out a sandeel or two!

[PlanktonBoy]

Still a few coming out at Southbourne near the Bistro i hear.

[Ben]

i would like to get a ray this year, might make that 1 of my missions, along with a bass over 6inches, and a 10lb smut

[Crusty]

I have had strange experiences with Ray fishing. They have always been a favourite fish of mine but I had little luck with them until about five years or so ago.

I didn't radically change tactics or anything but it suddenly all clicked and I've gone through a phase of catching a lot of them. One year I caught over 20 rays from three different marks.

Key lesson I learnt (again) is to target them very specifically. Fishing the right tides and venues at the right time of year. If any of these is not right I don't bother.

Problem is I'm not aware of any prolific marks near you that produce rays consistently. Your best chance is a thornback, at this sort of time of year that filter inshore around some beaches in the Solent. Lee on Solent can produce but mostly at long range I think.

[iowangler]

i think crusty`s right if you fish a night tide with the right bait (sand eel or fresh mackrel) you should catch a skate or two most of mine are at range
i have found that the skate come and go alot,
a good set of tides never fish the same one night might fish and the next blank ?????????