Ray hunting 28/4/11

bassmanrob · #1 04-28-2011, 09:02 PM

Even before all the reports of rays have been coming in I've been trying to get out there for a ray bash. Even though I had an early start the next day I had the chance so I quickly loaded the car and grabbed some baits from the freezer. I arrived and walked along the beach and had a chat to a couple of guys already fishing. Turns out they are members on here PSmith and Kennedy, was nice to meet you both. I was setting up for half seven and lobbed out some fish baits in the hope any turbot may be about. Nothing in daylight and as dusk fell the weed started towards the end of high and the start of the ebb.

It made fishing difficult but I was confident it would clear soon as it often does along this coast. I was forced to fish close in and tried a big crab bait on one rod close to the groin incase any bass were on the prowl. I was keeping a close eye on the other anglers close by to see when the weed eased. After a while it seemed to be so I baited a long and low rig with sandeel and hit it as far as I could. It held OK so now the ray fishing could properly begin and I started baiting up another ray rig. As soon as I put a sandeel to the hook I had a decent bite!

It kept bouncing away and I hit it and immediately felt a good fish on. It kited to the right on the way in and was putting up a very good fight. I had to go over the other rod fished close in and then saw my prize fighting in the shallows. I beached it and was delighted to bag my target species and a new PB, a 6lb 10oz small-eyed ray.....

I quickly got both rods baited with sandeels and belted them out again. During a quick phonecall to Lee (Cuckoo) I had a rapid bite and then slack. I soon had another decent fighting ray on and another small-eyed was soon on the beach. This one went 3lb 5oz.

Both fish had taken a single sandeel on a long and low rig(pennel), the first time I've used this rig and two nice rays in two casts! The very next cast produced a smaller but persistant bite but the fish managed to somehow avoid the hooks and a well chewed sandeel came in. Things then went quiet for a while and I had a chat to my neighbours and watched the shooting stars.

The ebb was probably now in it's last hour but the fishing hadn't finished yet. Another persistant bite on sandeel, hit it and felt something on that didn't really do much until the shallows. I could see another ray in my head-torch that beached white side up, a male fish this time. I flipped him over and was chuffed to see a species that has always eluded me, a spotted ray! PB number two of the night, it went 3lb 6oz.

I only had one dogfish after this and packed up around two. A great nights fishing, one of my best ever.