# PLO Report: 7/11-7/12



## MisterBrown (May 22, 2012)

Hit the pier around 9:30pm to fish the 12am - 2:30am window. Was hoping to catch some decent blues and take advantage of the full moon. Fished for spot for bait and ended up with a few snapper blues. Caught a small whiting, too. Well, happy to see blues as we weren't sure if they were around. Anyway while the fish we were after were slow, it was the skate/ray show. At one point I had three rods hit three skates within minutes of each other. And for all of us, nothing but skates, skates, skates. I think it was actually mostly cownose rays. We decided to stay and see if sunrise was any different. Nope, same b.s. Skate/ray city. Saw schools swimming around the pier and saw them aggressively splashing. We knew our day was over. Lol


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## bloodworm (Jan 5, 2007)

**** that's too bad, good thing you made it out there


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## PandaBearJeff (Aug 19, 2013)

TO be honest. We all go fishing for the same reason... and i know most gear meant for spot can't handle a big cow nose ray... but i kinda want to go to PLO and target nothing but cow nose ray... 

sounds really fun...


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## PandaBearJeff (Aug 19, 2013)

Anyone know where to get a Rope gaff? Or a Triple hook they use on the Crocodile hunting show.


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## jones112b (May 24, 2013)

PandaBearJeff said:


> Anyone know where to get a Rope gaff? Or a Triple hook they use on the Crocodile hunting show.


http://www.ebay.com/itm/Saltwater-F...902?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4868e5ad5e


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## surfnsam (Apr 28, 2008)

Anglers has big trebles that are weighed grapples.

The Tackle Box has them too.

Need the bow fishing crew down their to clear them out.


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## catman (May 28, 2001)

Barlow Tackle has giant treble hooks up to size 20/0. Just need to weight the shaft. Very EZ to do.


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## MisterBrown (May 22, 2012)

PandaBearJeff said:


> TO be honest. We all go fishing for the same reason... and i know most gear meant for spot can't handle a big cow nose ray... but i kinda want to go to PLO and target nothing but cow nose ray...
> 
> sounds really fun...


TIRING. You will get sick of 'em REAL QUICK. And getting them over the rail would be a pain in the ass...


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## MisterBrown (May 22, 2012)

Now, I did see a show where in VA they have made skate wings taste good..even though a cownose isn't a skate, I would try *shrug*


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## irrompible (Mar 30, 2006)

Buddy and I went to PLO a few weeks ago with the intent to target nothing but cownose rays. We had a blast. Would recommend a rope gaft or bridge net to land them from the pier.


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## catman (May 28, 2001)

MisterBrown said:


> TIRING. You will get sick of 'em REAL QUICK. And getting them over the rail would be a pain in the ass...


A 40" dia pier net (AKA Drop Net) is what you use to get them over the rail.


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## PandaBearJeff (Aug 19, 2013)

MisterBrown said:


> TIRING. You will get sick of 'em REAL QUICK. And getting them over the rail would be a pain in the ass...


If i was ray fishing, i was thinking of fishing off the jersey barriers up front. Idk if they swarm strong over there, but if i have that treble hook, i will man handle those prancing underwater fairies.


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## PandaBearJeff (Aug 19, 2013)

catman said:


> A 40" dia pier net (AKA Drop Net) is what you use to get them over the rail.


Net sounds boring... id rather gaff em up.


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## PandaBearJeff (Aug 19, 2013)

MisterBrown said:


> Now, I did see a show where in VA they have made skate wings taste good..even though a cownose isn't a skate, I would try *shrug*


I'm korean. My grandma can chef it up. Old school eats everything. All they had in korea was rice and grass, they incorporated Spam into their diet after the korean war. Jesus christ. But i mean... some dried seaweed... fried sliced spam... and some rice... i'll be damned. Thats some homey comfort food lol. Anyone else raised poor? 

One for grandma, and i'll give it a try. But probably only 1 time. Don't rays piss through their skin? so they are just always just nasty creatures. I wouldn't want one of those sitting in the ice box with my fish. Probably chop him up and put the wings in a baggie. Im starting to feel like a shark fin soup guy. 

but can we all disagree to agree that as fishermen we hate string rays.


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## PandaBearJeff (Aug 19, 2013)

surfnsam said:


> Anglers has big trebles that are weighed grapples.
> 
> The Tackle Box has them too.
> 
> Need the bow fishing crew down their to clear them out.


Thanks, i always go to Tackle box on the way. I didn't know they had such things.


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## MisterBrown (May 22, 2012)

PandaBearJeff said:


> One for grandma, and i'll give it a try. But probably only 1 time. Don't rays piss through their skin? so they are just always just nasty creatures. I wouldn't want one of those sitting in the ice box with my fish. Probably chop him up and put the wings in a baggie. Im starting to feel like a shark fin soup guy.
> 
> but can we all disagree to agree that as fishermen we hate string rays.


Technically, a Cownose isn't a skate or stingray, but I digress.

As far as pissing through their skin...I believe when they die, they excrete one of the main compounds found in piss...urea. If you don't gut and clean them and pack them on ice right away, that urea turns into ammonia or something like that.

Basically it seems like they can be good eating, but you have to put in a work on them the second you pull them out of the water.

Now this makes me wonder, when I see skate wings at H-Mart, I have seen signs warning you they are fermented or something and may stink. I wonder if it is because of this "piss". I am guessing if it smells like ammonia, they aren't cleaning them properly.


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## PandaBearJeff (Aug 19, 2013)

MisterBrown said:


> Technically, a Cownose isn't a skate or stingray, but I digress.
> 
> As far as pissing through their skin...I believe when they die, they excrete one of the main compounds found in piss...urea. If you don't gut and clean them and pack them on ice right away, that urea turns into ammonia or something like that.
> 
> ...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBYrG0daiHs

here at 12:30. its about 5 mins. Its a clip from Bizarre Foods. 

You don't even know mr Brown lol.


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## PandaBearJeff (Aug 19, 2013)

But thank you for clearing it up on the cleaning portion. I will make sure i research how to clean a ray before i go.


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## MisterBrown (May 22, 2012)

PandaBearJeff said:


> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBYrG0daiHs
> 
> here at 12:30. its about 5 mins. Its a clip from Bizarre Foods.
> 
> You don't even know mr Brown lol.


Yup - That's what I was referring to earlier -- I saw that and thought about what they taste like...


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## Stinky_Pete (Mar 28, 2011)

You guys may want to re-think your stance on the cownosed rays.

They are REALLY good to eat and there are too many of them, now. 

Please bring them in in, kill them and eat them. They taste a bit like clam but not as tough ... kind of like a scallop. 






Like snakehead fishing, removing rays is fun because you are actually targeting them for food. It's not like fishing for something that you throw back - there is more of a rewarding feeling of accomplishment associated with it. 

They really aren't that hard to bring up - the trick is to muscle them in. Don't 'play' them - tire them out by 'fighting' them.

I like using a roped gaff or from the shore, I like to beach them by ridding them in on the waves. If they start beating their wings, allow them to stop before trying to move them - just hold steady until they exhaust themselves.


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## PandaBearJeff (Aug 19, 2013)

Thank you Stinky Pete... i was going to commit murder on Rays anyways, but i know how a lot of you guys are sensitive about that stuff, so i decided to tread carefully...

yea i understand the rewarding feeling. Such as taking out rodents and evasive species, its like pest control. But you can eat em this time! 

I wonder how much protein they have, thats the real question.


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## PandaBearJeff (Aug 19, 2013)

This is the gear i have stinky Pete. 

i have a 12 ft tsunami surf, 12 ft beef stick, 12 ft ocean master, 12 ft okuma longitude. 

i think all of them can beat a ray, the longitude, i am reluctant to try - would probably snap....

As for reels... i have 2 stock spinning reels ( Optix ), sturdy, but idk the max drag. 

And i have a daiwa sha 40X and a penn squidder. 


Gear wise, i think i am ok. But i have no idea how to set up for sting rays? 

Do it the same way you would for sharks? Just don't need all the metal?


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## Stinky_Pete (Mar 28, 2011)

Not like shark in the least. Just a mono leader and maybe a 'shock' leader about 2x your line strength. The important thing about shock leaders is tying the knot so that it doesn't 'catch' when you cast. 

Cow nosed rays love cut bait, but will hit squid, clam, worms, etc. 

They really aren't that big, but pound for pound they are enormously powerful. There fights are generally pretty steady, but they do make nice runs and if you fight them properly, they will ware you out! 

Use 17+# test. My favorite for them is Cajun red. 

That's about it - use good knots or your line will snap at the knot. 

Fish-n-fool or Berkeley braid knot. 5/0-7/0 hook - they have HUGE mouths.

Change bait after half an hour and WATCH THAT TAIL! It can be a killer. 

Same for sting rays which there are a lot of now days. Stings' will bury themselves in sand, so don't allow them too - keep the fight on. Stings' are easier to bring up. 

Good luck.


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## PandaBearJeff (Aug 19, 2013)

Okay, thanks. 

i think i will bring my garden clippers. 









and just chop those tails off.


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## Stinky_Pete (Mar 28, 2011)

Smart move, but kill them first. 

Thanks.


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## QBALL (Jun 26, 2014)

thanks that was a neat video.


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## Stinky_Pete (Mar 28, 2011)

I invented "neat" along with the "pier-pal 3000" and "pop-rocks."

"you're welcome!"


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## PandaBearJeff (Aug 19, 2013)

Np. Kill first, i can do that.


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## surfnsam (Apr 28, 2008)

I had 1 messing up my fishing at crab ally a few years ago every time I pulled it in to get my rig back the line would break so I got a hand gaff. The next time I hooked it I slammed it in the head and pulled it in. Cut the wings off and put them on ice. I fileted the skin and cartilage out and sauted some in olive oil with tomato and green olives very tasty but a lot of work skinning. Old timer said to just bake them like chicken and the skin comes right off. U get a lot of meat from a 50# CNR.


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