# Let's talk about sting rays and their stingers.



## Paul McDonald (Jun 20, 2004)

I have caught several sting rays this summer and it has gotten me to thinking ing about their stingers. Several of the ones I have caught have not had a stinger and one I caught had three stingers stacked on top of one another. If a sting ray loses it's stinger is it possible to regrow another stinger and if so how long does it take to grow to full size? Does anyone keep the stingers of rays that they catch and release?


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## Hudak (Sep 10, 2007)

I have kept one stinger. Just because it was a huge ray. I have been told they grow back. Personally, I haven't followed up to see if it was true.

Robert


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## HooknBull67 (Jun 22, 2009)

I have several nice size stingers as "Trophys" from some rays I have caught over the years. Based on all I have read, they do grow back, but it does take a while. Unless I intend to use the ray as bait, I do not remove the stinger as this leaves them pretty much defenseless in the wild untill the new one grows back. I use a leather welding glove to release them.
I have also been told they are ivory, but have no proof on that. They are very nasty looking after they are cleaned and examined closely. Hope this helps.

Peace and tight lines,

HooknBull67


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## hamlet (Sep 4, 2007)

Stingers are calcified cartilage, sort of an extension to their cartilage skeleton. They regrow at much the same rate as human fingernails (according to wikipaedia).


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## curtisb (Jul 21, 2004)

hamlet said:


> Stingers are calcified cartilage, sort of an extension to their cartilage skeleton. They regrow at much the same rate as human fingernails (according to wikipaedia).


That would be pretty quick. I guy I use to fish with always cut them off rays he caught and released.


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## jkcam (May 2, 2004)

From personal experience, there is a very good reason they are called "Sting" Rays. I had a "stinger" go completly through a toe and break off......that was a trip to the ER. The pain from this one matched the 4 bouts I've had with kidney stones.


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## outfishin28 (Jul 15, 2005)

made a big one into a necklace one time.


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## Paul McDonald (Jun 20, 2004)

Thanks guys for the replies. Sting rays have to be tough because I caught one last year with her whole tail chopped off at the base.


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## kingfisherman23 (Dec 14, 2003)

Tourons who want to impress their friends often will take off the whole tail of a ray. IMO, it is a pretty tasteless thing to do.

Evan


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## Out Sick (May 27, 2006)

I caught a monster in the surf in Avon this weekend. My biggest one to date (woohoo...), I was guessing 35-40 lbs. He was a beast and I could see his tail flopping in the surf but could really examine it as you know how hard it is to land one of them in the surf. Anyway, I had to cut the line as he was getting ready to get into the fell's lines beside me. But I would have really like to see a tail that large up close. Can some of you guys that have em post a picture of what they look like now? Thanks. 

Ben


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## cobiadude33 (Aug 12, 2007)

kingfisherman23 said:


> Tourons who want to impress their friends often will take off the whole tail of a ray. IMO, it is a pretty tasteless thing to do.
> 
> Evan


Tourons or lazy regulars. I got no problems with killing a fish, but releasing one defenseless for entertainment is pretty sick. I usually offer to help release the next one they catch. and boy, are they fun to catch.


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## Shooter (Nov 14, 2004)

If ya need trophys, take pictures,,,, yall know I aint no PETA but that ranks right up there with killing doggies and critters just cause ya hate to catch them. Now if,n your gonna eat that sucker cut away 

I need to see if I can find that pic of Catman32 and the baby one he caught at Sharkfest,,, somewhere just the other side of a big truck hood, 3 grown men couldn't turn him over and one hail of a fight on a heavy boat rod and a TLD25 and he kept askn if anyone wanted to have some fun,, I think he was just tired of fightn that sucker


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## oldschool (Apr 8, 2008)

Fightin' truck hoods usually stops being fun after the 1st half hour.


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## Newsjeff (Jul 22, 2004)

oldschool said:


> Fightin' truck hoods usually stops being fun after the 1st half hour.


It's no fun from the get go, IMHO.

I still don't hurt them unless I need a shark bait ... which is maybe once a year.


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## Lost492 (Jun 12, 2009)

What is the proper way to release one? Since I have started I have feared catching one because I was afraid I would either hurt it, or it would hurt me with it's stinger. I don't really feel like sitting in a ER with my hand under hot burning water breaking down the poisons lol. 

Just have wondered how you guys deal with it? I know plenty of people catch them and release them safely. 

Thanks,
Steve


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## Outrigger (Nov 6, 2006)

*Scientists Seek New Medicines From the Ocean*

A colleague of my father’s is a surgeon at the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland and he passed along some ongoing ophthalmologically important research gathered on those humble and pesky rays that crowd our surf. Makes you think twice about cutting them up and leavin’ ‘em for dead.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2001/08/0807_wireseamed1_2.html

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080813101953.htm


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