Are Ray's infesting us?

[gerry]

Hi Lads
where are all the rays coming from?, we did so well this year i wonder what is going on. we must have caught 2/3 boxs of them. did any body else do the same? :shock:

[squalus]

North Coast rays very scarce this year only the odd one appearing.

[Guest]

North Coast rays very scarce this year only the odd one appearing.

well here in wexford this year we had plenty of them, big ones as well

[Guest]

I love seeing reports like this its great 2/4 boxes of ray loads of ray here, sure why is there no link that we can actually give our gps co-ords to the trawler men, my moto if an area is fishing keep it on the low key and enjoy it, you have no idea how many trawler men actually read these postings!!, these kind of reports is why there is no Blonde ray/plaice etc on the turbot bank in cork.

[JimC]

Guest,
Like a good man will you please register as a user. When you register tick the box "remember me next time...."(or somethin' like that), then you will not even have to think about loging in.
As with any conversation it's nice and only fair to know who you are corresponding with.

I would agree with you to a point about discretion but I would say that there's no point going overboard about the whole thing. I for one do not know where the first post originated from.

Lets be realistic your average trawlerman does not look at sites like this for information. They don't need to.

The lack of blonde rays and plaice on the turbot bank is a very worrying situation. I have fears that they have been decimated by trawlers, but one will have to wait and see as there are patterns of migration etc. that could be causing the shortage.
I certainly would not lay the blame for the pillaging of the bank on the doorstep of anglers reporting on a site like this.

I'm sure you'll agree with me that the trawling within the harbour is a crying shame. I'm not sure that awareness is out there of the loss of revenue to the many for the benifit of so few. Cork harbour would have the potential to be an all year round, all weather venue for boat and shore anglers.

Jim.

[liamdenn]

I'm with Jim on this one. I reckon the trawlermen that r out the whole time have a fair idea of the better sandbanks!!! Bass would b my only worry in regard to this because they can move from area to area from week to week and are especially vunreble to gill netting.

[RobertMcClean]

If someone were keeping two or three boxes of any large quantity of fish like that, they, in my opinion would want to be putting it to very good use. I only keep what I will consume or if someone specifically wants a fish.

I think keeping a good area to yourself is important. News does travel very fast, may it be word of mouth or electronically. How many Trawler men who actually review this site I would be quite sceptical about I have to say :roll: The basic equipment let alone combined with years of experience would outweigh a few comments from us mere rod and line fishermen.

However, I do think there is a degree of "gossip" which may sway the basic trawler man to fish venues like the Turbot Bank, Brandon Bay, Greystones etc., all areas which are too close to shore and far too handy for these guys. If anything there is no harm in spilling your guts about a mark 10 miles out but how beneficial it is spilling your guts about a local mark that a guy can just hop skip and jump across too, spend two hours and clear it out, well I think you all would know to keep it "low key" as our mystery guest pointed out.

It was sad to see the sight of bays in Kerry and Cork this year getting hammered by these guys day after day. It is a travesty that in my opinion there is a lazy factor and lack of any local respect when these guys trawl the Turbot Bank or similar places. These guys can travel to any sand bank etc. miles out but chose to find one possibly handiest to their local and that’s what cracks me up. When the weather is anyway bad and anglers can’t go past the limits of Cork Harbour or Brandon head etc. its the small boats and shore anglers that then suffer from that ignorance.

[pete]

Same thing happens on my patch. On a flat calm day the local trawler will still tow the s*** out of the beaches in the inner bay, same beaches and coves that support the juvenile flatties. The whole sea would be calm and they would still choose to hammer the wee beaches. Madness!

Pete

[x]

It saves on the diesel bill if you can tow close to port. Prepare to see a lot more of it.

What we really need is a 3 mile limit inside which is a marine protected area - no netting/trawling whatsoever. Prepare to wait a bit for that one...

[BigPhil]

definately, nursery areas are needed all round our coastlines.in the long term it may benefit anglers and trawlermen alike with the correct management stratagies in place.

[Sean365]

Hi Lads
where are all the rays coming from?, we did so well this year i wonder what is going on. we must have caught 2/3 boxs of them. did any body else do the same? :shock:

Why were you taking 2/3 boxes of ray? :?: :?: :?:
Catch and release, then you can post the same question again next year ...... 'Where are all the rays coming from?'

[nthclare]

I agreee with you Sean...........

[Guest]

I love seeing reports like this its great 2/4 boxes of ray loads of ray here, sure why is there no link that we can actually give our gps co-ords to the trawler men, my moto if an area is fishing keep it on the low key and enjoy it, you have no idea how many trawler men actually read these postings!!, these kind of reports is why there is no Blonde ray/plaice etc on the turbot bank in cork.

Yes i never thought of this you are so right

[gerry]

Guest,
Like a good man will you please register as a user. When you register tick the box "remember me next time...."(or somethin' like that), then you will not even have to think about loging in.
As with any conversation it's nice and only fair to know who you are corresponding with.

I would agree with you to a point about discretion but I would say that there's no point going overboard about the whole thing. I for one do not know where the first post originated from.

Lets be realistic your average trawlerman does not look at sites like this for information. They don't need to.

The lack of blonde rays and plaice on the turbot bank is a very worrying situation. I have fears that they have been decimated by trawlers, but one will have to wait and see as there are patterns of migration etc. that could be causing the shortage.
I certainly would not lay the blame for the pillaging of the bank on the doorstep of anglers reporting on a site like this.

I'm sure you'll agree with me that the trawling within the harbour is a crying shame. I'm not sure that awareness is out there of the loss of revenue to the many for the benifit of so few. Cork harbour would have the potential to be an all year round, all weather venue for boat and shore anglers.

Jim.

I am only new here still feeling my way around the site sorry
Gerry

[gerry]

Hi Lads
where are all the rays coming from?, we did so well this year i wonder what is going on. we must have caught 2/3 boxs of them. did any body else do the same? :shock:

Why were you taking 2/3 boxes of ray? :?: :?: :?:
Catch and release, then you can post the same question again next year ...... 'Where are all the rays coming from?'

dont tell me you never took a Ray;; Now come on? :?:
When i said 2/3 boxs Ray even so this was over 6 months between 50 anglers or more. we did not keep all rays we caught,

[RobertMcClean]

Well that's good to hear Gerry, conservation is top of the members agenda on this forum so hence the stick :lol: For a minute there I thought you worked for Macari myself but in fairness who keeps ray in that quantity.

Anyways tight lines

Rob.

[Sean365]

Gerry,
I have never taken a ray. Totally catch and release. I caught quite a few this year and all went back alive. Hopefully they will be back again next year and a few pounds heavier!

The lads I fish with regularly have the same policy especially when it comes to ray.

[JimC]

Guest,
Like a good man will you please register as a user. When you register tick the box "remember me next time...."(or somethin' like that), then you will not even have to think about loging in.
As with any conversation it's nice and only fair to know who you are corresponding with.

I would agree with you to a point about discretion but I would say that there's no point going overboard about the whole thing. I for one do not know where the first post originated from.

Lets be realistic your average trawlerman does not look at sites like this for information. They don't need to.

The lack of blonde rays and plaice on the turbot bank is a very worrying situation. I have fears that they have been decimated by trawlers, but one will have to wait and see as there are patterns of migration etc. that could be causing the shortage.
I certainly would not lay the blame for the pillaging of the bank on the doorstep of anglers reporting on a site like this.

I'm sure you'll agree with me that the trawling within the harbour is a crying shame. I'm not sure that awareness is out there of the loss of revenue to the many for the benifit of so few. Cork harbour would have the potential to be an all year round, all weather venue for boat and shore anglers.

Jim.

I am only new here still feeling my way around the site sorry
Gerry

Gerry,
I was more concerned by the "guest" post than yours.
Obviously we as anglers must play our cards close to our chest. Catch and release is great but anglers should appreciate that if an angler wants to keep some fish then he is quite entitled to do so. I myself keep a good lot of the fish I catch and distribute it to very happy friends and family.
Jim

[Guest]

why were u concearned about my post jim from cork, i think keeping two to three boxes of ray at this day in age is disgrace family, friends or other wise, but i say we got the wrong end of the stick with gerrys post, he clarified later on so nuff said bout that.

[gerry]

Well that's good to hear Gerry, conservation is top of the members agenda on this forum so hence the stick :lol: For a minute there I thought you worked for Macari myself but in fairness who keeps ray in that quantity.

Anyways tight lines

Rob.

yes Rob i do not keep very many fish the odd 3/4 and very little ray i do release alive but yes i do keep the odd like most anglers if they wear to be honest ya?