tips for Ray

half a mackerel is what i use

what size hook are you using? I never go above a 2/0 and half a mack would last awhile

i think the hooks on the rig are 2/0 hooks yes the mackerel lasts awhile which is great because i can sit down and relax awhile

sorry meant to say that I wouldnt use half a mack on each hook.

I dont understand this photo. Why would you keep rays in a rock pool to take a picture of 11 rays on there backs. strangest photo I have seen of rays to be honest.

got to agree with you there. dont know why anyone would keep any fish in a rockpool just for a pic. Makes it worse when they are ray.

alive or not, i fail to see any meaningfull reason for keeping 11 ray in a rock pool full stop

I hate to see upside down. It's bit like been flashed by a bloke

Leaving Thornback ray recover in a rock pool probably isn't a bad idea. It can take them a while to get there bearings again after being caught.

I wouldn't depute you catch fish with half a mack on each feather but the casting distance of a trace like that must be desperate.

Donagh

I dont understand this photo. Why would you keep rays in a rock pool to take a picture of 11 rays on there backs. strangest photo I have seen of rays to be honest.

got to agree with you there. dont know why anyone would keep any fish in a rockpool just for a pic. Makes it worse when they are ray.

why is it worse when its ray,what about all the mackerel that are killed and used for bait,people go out and kill 80 to 100 mackerel and noting is said about that and what about whiting as well,i see a lot of lads posting shore angling reports saying whiting are a pain viewtopic.php?f=3&t=20916&p=160782&hilit=Round_ourway#p160782
why do people think ray are more important then whiting
what about the people who fish and keep all the fish in a keep net wont that stress the fish more then a rock pool anytime i use the rock pool the ray swam away happy i released a 8lb ray back into the water and he went belly up after the fight he put up got him back out and in the rock pool and the right way up,after a hour he was fit to swim away
i know the photo was not the best idea i had i was sorry after wards i took them on their backs but that was the only way i could see them on the cam phone and as red said i knew it would open a can of worms if i posted it that's why i did not post the photo in my shore report before
any fish i don't eat go back in the water,i don't like ray,i tried ray wings years ago but didn't like them
i try not kill any fish or anything when i am fishing and i don't use live bait like some viewtopic.php?f=13&t=20399&p=157252&hilit=nige#p157252

I hate to see upside down. It's bit like been flashed by a bloke

Leaving Thornback ray recover in a rock pool probably isn't a bad idea. It can take them a while to get there bearings again after being caught.

I wouldn't depute you catch fish with half a mack on each feather but the casting distance of a trace like that must be desperate.

Donagh

where i fish for ray i don't need to cast very far 25 yard to 30 yards is plenty good
it is hard to cast distance with the rig some spots you may need distance but i don't

I dont understand this photo. Why would you keep rays in a rock pool to take a picture of 11 rays on there backs. strangest photo I have seen of rays to be honest.

got to agree with you there. dont know why anyone would keep any fish in a rockpool just for a pic. Makes it worse when they are ray.

why is it worse when its ray,what about all the mackerel that are killed and used for bait,people go out and kill 80 to 100 mackerel and noting is said about that and what about whiting as well,i see a lot of lads posting shore angling reports saying whiting are a pain viewtopic.php?f=3&t=20916&p=160782&hilit=Round_ourway#p160782
why do people think ray are more important then whiting
what about the people who fish and keep all the fish in a keep net wont that stress the fish more then a rock pool anytime i use the rock pool the ray swam away happy i released a 8lb ray back into the water and he went belly up after the fight he put up got him back out and in the rock pool and the right way up,after a hour he was fit to swim away
i know the photo was not the best idea i had i was sorry after wards i took them on their backs but that was the only way i could see them on the cam phone and as red said i knew it would open a can of worms if i posted it that's why i did not post the photo in my shore report before
any fish i don't eat go back in the water,i don't like ray,i tried ray wings years ago but didn't like them
i try not kill any fish or anything when i am fishing and i don't use live bait like some viewtopic.php?f=13&t=20399&p=157252&hilit=nige#p157252

I hate to see upside down. It's bit like been flashed by a bloke

Leaving Thornback ray recover in a rock pool probably isn't a bad idea. It can take them a while to get there bearings again after being caught.

I wouldn't depute you catch fish with half a mack on each feather but the casting distance of a trace like that must be desperate.

Donagh

where i fish for ray i don't need to cast very far 25 yard to 30 yards is plenty good
it is hard to cast distance with the rig some spots you may need distance but i don't

I understand where your coming from, but would I post a picture of 11 whiting that have been kept in a rockpool.... Nope!!!!! I actually put a lot of effort into catching rays and the fact that they all look destressed alarms me.... There is almost something special about thornback rays compared to any other fish. To me Its like saying would you send a prized bull in for the slaughter.

whiting can be a pain when fishing comps as well because sure as god none of 30 you caught would be above the limit. Im sure that seal scared the life outa ya

I dont think anywhere in this quote I stated that I killed any of the whiting!!!

anywho well done in catchin so many ray in one session

to be honest why on earth would anyone want to put 11 ray in a rock pool other than to show off and try to prove something is beyond me, i usually find putting a ray back into the open sea the best way for it to revive its self, and how big was this rock pool??? 10 fish waiting for one more to be added breathing in what little oxygenated water there is left is rather cruel...
this is my opinion which may be shared with a few other members of the site, dont forget that posting photos of numbers of fish in certain situations may be used by certain activists against the sport of fishing and they would have a good case too, so rather that taking 1 photo of 11 fish, why not take 11 photos of different fish, if you notice thornies have different markings on there back so we honestly wouldnt think you are taking a photo of the same fish all the time !!!

common sense usually prevails in these situations, and its good to see when anglers use it for the protection, safety and welfare of the fish...

to be honest why on earth would anyone want to put 11 ray in a rock pool other than to show off and try to prove something is beyond me, i usually find putting a ray back into the open sea the best way for it to revive its self, and how big was this rock pool??? 10 fish waiting for one more to be added breathing in what little oxygenated water there is left is rather cruel...
this is my opinion which may be shared with a few other members of the site, dont forget that posting photos of numbers of fish in certain situations may be used by certain activists against the sport of fishing and they would have a good case too, so rather that taking 1 photo of 11 fish, why not take 11 photos of different fish, if you notice thornies have different markings on there back so we honestly wouldnt think you are taking a photo of the same fish all the time !!!

common sense usually prevails in these situations, and its good to see when anglers use it for the protection, safety and welfare of the fish...

if i did want to show off i would have posted the photo long before this and all my shore reports would show that i caught fish every time i went out and not blanks
i only caught 7 species of fish last year as anyone can see on my signature if i did want to show off i could have put more species on it
the rock pool is fed with water from the sea all the time with oxygenated water and all the ray were released alive and well
even if i did kill all the ray have i not got the right to do so,even you said that ray wings were yummie viewtopic.php?f=1&t=18249&hilit=ray+wings
i knew posting the photo would upset a lot of people
people get very upset if they see 11 ray but if they see 80 mackerel after a mackerel bashing session they say that was fun
i know thornies have different markings on there back and i would not worry that people on the site think would think i was posting the same photo

i notice on this site that some members are very quick to criticize others over there fishing and the tactics they use,can they say that they never killed a fish themselves
i myself have posted ideas and have been laughed at on this site,even in the beginning of this post when i said i catch ray on mackerel feathers baited with half a frozen mackerel
how many laughed and criticize my idea when i posted honestly how i catch ray

laugh all ye like but i am still the one that caught 18 ray in one session,how i am showing off

the 3 hook feather does work ,got 3 ray last night on it . i got a 6 hook mackerel set and cut it at the 4 th feather and made a loop, this shortens it up to allow casting, not very aerodynamic ,but could get it out 60 yards or so.
another tip is to add some red and blue beads to the rig it certainly works in connemara.

to be honest why on earth would anyone want to put 11 ray in a rock pool other than to show off and try to prove something is beyond me, i usually find putting a ray back into the open sea the best way for it to revive its self, and how big was this rock pool??? 10 fish waiting for one more to be added breathing in what little oxygenated water there is left is rather cruel...
this is my opinion which may be shared with a few other members of the site, dont forget that posting photos of numbers of fish in certain situations may be used by certain activists against the sport of fishing and they would have a good case too, so rather that taking 1 photo of 11 fish, why not take 11 photos of different fish, if you notice thornies have different markings on there back so we honestly wouldnt think you are taking a photo of the same fish all the time !!!

common sense usually prevails in these situations, and its good to see when anglers use it for the protection, safety and welfare of the fish...

if i did want to show off i would have posted the photo long before this and all my shore reports would show that i caught fish every time i went out and not blanks
i only caught 7 species of fish last year as anyone can see on my signature if i did want to show off i could have put more species on it
the rock pool is fed with water from the sea all the time with oxygenated water and all the ray were released alive and well
even if i did kill all the ray have i not got the right to do so,even you said that ray wings were yummie viewtopic.php?f=1&t=18249&hilit=ray+wings
i knew posting the photo would upset a lot of people
people get very upset if they see 11 ray but if they see 80 mackerel after a mackerel bashing session they say that was fun
i know thornies have different markings on there back and i would not worry that people on the site think would think i was posting the same photo

i notice on this site that some members are very quick to criticize others over there fishing and the tactics they use,can they say that they never killed a fish themselves
i myself have posted ideas and have been laughed at on this site,even in the beginning of this post when i said i catch ray on mackerel feathers baited with half a frozen mackerel
how many laughed and criticize my idea when i posted honestly how i catch ray

laugh all ye like but i am still the one that caught 18 ray in one session,how i am showing off

leave it be mate we all show off every now and then but the point here is the safe return of the fish...as stevecrow said take 18 different pictures instead of 1 pile up off some very distressed looking fish..looks much better in the album when your showing it to your mates!!

catching 18 ray means nothing btw..most ive ever had was 8 but then again i was a little more sporting with two rods and single snood rigs...

just my two cents worth.....
when i catch a ray i sometimes take a photo, then get it unhooked and i get it back into the sea as fast as i can to allow it to recover quickly...

I caught ray from boat using joey mackeral flapper on tope rigs.
I was aiming for tope. No luck on that front, but caught thornbacks all day.

anyway im heading to fahan tonight and fishing 2 moro , im going to use 3 hook mackerel feathers with half a mack on each hook !! and if it dont work your going to get abosolutly slaughtered when i get back mate !!

anyway im heading to fahan tonight and fishing 2 moro , im going to use 3 hook mackerel feathers with half a mack on each hook !! and if it dont work your going to get abosolutly slaughtered when i get back mate !!

use frozen mackerel,the older the better,when you see the bite don't strike leave it a min or 2 let it hook it self,the spot i fish is not a beach its a rock mark with maybe 4m or 5m of water with a sandy bottom
there is a spot north of fahan about 10 miles called crummie`s bay that is similar to where i fish,it might be worth a try,fish the deeper water from one of the points not the beach,fish between 2 hours after low tide up to high tide

i can't see the photo