Rigs for Thornies

I have always been told to use a pulley pennel rig for Thornback Rays but how long do you make the rigs ?

Or are there better rigs that you prefer ?

Many thanks for any advice.

Tight lines

ha mate,, the pulley is nearly always the best as the ray will most likely stay down deep... my perfeered rigs for ray in about 18in long pulley rig , but i always crush the barbs... and have never droped a ray with them.. the reason i crush the barbs is you can do alot of damage to rays if they swollow the hook deep......

ha mate,, the pulley is nearly always the best as the ray will most likely stay down deep... my perfeered rigs for ray in about 18in long pulley rig , but i always crush the barbs... and have never droped a ray with them.. the reason i crush the barbs is you can do alot of damage to rays if they swollow the hook deep......

What would you reccomend for the length of the rig body to match the 18inch snood and what stregth line do you find best?cheers always stuck with around 30lb snoods on a pulley pennell but given that i never caught a ray i need all the advice i can get.and seeing the ray you havecaught who better to ask
cheers
ferg

There is a theory that with shorter snoods the ray could settle on the spikes of you griplead and get spooked so I have always used pulleys at least three feet long. In snaggy conditions a shorter snood is advisable. On clean marks the long and low is also a good rig for rays, it allows manageable casting length while pinning the bait to the bottom a good distance from the lead. have a look here to see how to tie it. It may look complicated but once you have done it once it is easy http://baitdigger.wordpress.com/2011/04/26/a-new-long-and-low/

That rig look interesting and will give it a try.

Many thanks for the information.

If you are fishing clean Ground I would use a 2/3 hook clipdown or a flapper depending how far out the fish are,

I have mainly fished around Dingle Harbour for Rays which is fairly clean although last year there was loads of weed.

Never thought of using a Flapper Rig but will try it.

Many thanks.

a long cascade rig or a pully rig or why not use a one up one down and target other species on the top hook?

Would reach for standard pulley rig, with 30lb - 50lb snoods to 3/0 or 4/0. I use this if using big baits and trying to target any larger thornies, say full mack fillet sausage or half fillet and squid wrap. Not as keen on pulley pennels although i still do use em, better presentation alright but thornbacks have a habit, if you leave them too long, of necking it....two 3/0's buried inside em and having to root with the gemini is a downer. Don't make my pulleys too long either, three foot snood end works for me, any longer and i find i run into issues again with them gulping the baits.

If fish aren't interested in big lumps then it'd be two or three hooked clipped cascade, 20lb to 30lb snoods and size 2's to 1's. Watch the lighter snoods though as if your getting a few and the dogs are about they can get abraided after a while. That'd be fishing mini sausages or sandeels, means you can hit the bitess a bit quicker too

Think Lucky makes a good point about crushing the barbs too.

I use pulleys most of the time as I fish mixed ground with large baits as my marks are infested with crabs. Running ledgers can be killer on the day and for me will pick up more huss and straps than pulleys on the marks I fish. I clip pulleys to a clip on the lead and use 60lb snoods and a 80lb main line. I wouldn't crush barbs but would use a gemini discourger to remove hooks from deep hooked ray.

For clear ground I would also use Golds rigs with anything from size 2 to 2/0 hooks depending on the distance needed. On some marks the fish hit the top hook and on some the bottom hook. Any double figure ray I have caught has been to an up and over.

Many thanks for all your thoughts and advice.

Tight lines

I have a theory of makin an upside down pully rig..........bit of a experiment, but if you have ur rig body for a pully rig but instead of having it clipped down make it clipped up with one of the splash release clips the release clip would b the wrong way around but i think it would release, put it at the top of the rig right below ur swivel u clip on , then just make ur snood long enuff to fall good and clear of the gripper lead, also so have a bead and crimp in place for where you want ur lead to be set........i will upload a pic when i have accomplished it........

I have a theory of makin an upside down pully rig..........bit of a experiment, but if you have ur rig body for a pully rig but instead of having it clipped down make it clipped up with one of the splash release clips the release clip would b the wrong way around but i think it would release, put it at the top of the rig right below ur swivel u clip on , then just make ur snood long enuff to fall good and clear of the gripper lead, also so have a bead and crimp in place for where you want ur lead to be set........i will upload a pic when i have accomplished it........

Look up the up and over rig

The up and over and long and low are the same rig. You could also try a running paternoster which works exactly the same as a pulley rig for casting if you use a baitclip or impact lead, however if you make the tail of the paternoster out of lighter mono and include a casting clip it acts as one of the most successful rotten bottom rigs I have tried.

TronixPro Orange Muppets baited with Mackerel, clip the weight to the top swivel, this is great when fishing Lough Swilly for Thornback Rays on the Kayaks/Boat.

mackerel feathers baited with mackerel or sand eel and if the tide is not too strong and you have room to fish use a ball weight and let it roll with the tide,the weight will roll and stir up the sand and the ray will come to investigate