# cownose rays



## coontail (Jan 11, 2012)

has anyone seen any skates yet? probably a little early but wont be long.


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## BigJ (Jan 18, 2011)

caught clearnose skates, seen southern stingrays, no word on any cownose rays yet


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## huntingwood (Jun 13, 2009)

Same here. Still a little early, but they should be thick in a month and a half or so.

Curious, why do you ask?


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## coontail (Jan 11, 2012)

thanks, i like to bowfish for them and eat them.


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## andrews (Jul 20, 2009)

BigJ said:


> caught clearnose skates, seen southern stingrays, no word on any cownose rays yet


Any big southern rays yet?


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## BigJ (Jan 18, 2011)

none that ive seen. maybe by may? right around the same time the 60+lbers show up


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## VA Slacker (Oct 27, 2009)

Coontail,

We were catching cownose down in Hatteras (ramp 55) and the southern tip of Ocracoke last weekend. they should be on their way.


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## coontail (Jan 11, 2012)

yep, cant wait. what were you catching them on slacker?


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## JPChase (Jul 31, 2010)

We were catching a ton of cownose as well with some southerns mixed in down at buxton last week.

We were throwing mullet at em.


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## VA Slacker (Oct 27, 2009)

*Same Thing as JP*

cut mullet. Even foul hooked one with a drop rig. Fun to bring in but stink to set free.


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## bloodworm (Jan 5, 2007)

VA Slacker said:


> cut mullet. Even foul hooked one with a drop rig. Fun to bring in but stink to set free.


thats like saying its fun to cast far but when when you get far out there you have to bring it back in,ouch


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## cobia_slaya (Jan 19, 2010)

a couple cownose caught off buckroe a few days ago


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## coontail (Jan 11, 2012)

should be close


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## lil red jeep (Aug 17, 2007)

huntingwood said:


> Same here. Still a little early, but they should be thick in a month and a half or so.
> 
> Curious, why do you ask?


Usually, where you see rays, the man in the brown suit isn't too far away!


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## adp29934 (Dec 30, 2008)

Saw them in Lynnhaven yesterday. Great to see!


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## BAYSLA-ER757 (Oct 26, 2009)

They are here and im loving every min of it. Warm of for the brown bomber


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## virginia boy 1 (May 8, 2003)

They are in the york river now. hooked 3 monsters while croaker fishing. grrrrrr


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## Stinky_Pete (Mar 28, 2011)

Cow-nosed rays are real treat for me. Secret is to muscle them in - don't allow them to play around and make long runs, etc. Trick is to keep the fight under seven minutes, you can even do this with 17# test, if you tie good enough knots. It's easiest to land them from the shore - just pull them up on the sand on a wave......sometimes, it takes three or four of them to beach. If they start flapping their wings, just hold steady till they stop. :fishing:


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## BigJeff823 (Oct 14, 2002)

Dont even mention Stingrays;I hate them almost as much as snakes.But all these creatures surve a purpose;alot of guys like to eat them Big Skates.


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## map120277 (Jul 17, 2008)

BigJeff823 said:


> Dont even mention Stingrays;I hate them almost as much as snakes.But all these creatures surve a purpose;alot of guys like to eat them Big Skates.


The only purpose a Stingray serves is destroying oyster beds.


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## LOC (May 3, 2010)

Question do all the stngrays ,batfish ,cownose ray,etc have the infamous crocodile hunter killer tail


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## coontail (Jan 11, 2012)

i dont think the clearnose skates have stingers but the cownose rays have them but they cant work them as good as a southern ray.


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## Stinky_Pete (Mar 28, 2011)

map120277 said:


> The only purpose a Stingray serves is destroying oyster beds.


Complete hog-wash. They are an important part of our ecosystem. People used to say stuff like this about sharks, too.


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## map120277 (Jul 17, 2008)

Stinky_Pete said:


> Complete hog-wash. They are an important part of our ecosystem. People used to say stuff like this about sharks, too.


Try telling that to the oystermen of the eastern shore. :beer:

Sharks on the other hand are a very important part of the ecosystem.


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## Jake Ace (May 4, 2000)

I have lost many rigs to the infamous cownose ray in the last few weeks both around Willoughby in shallow water and along the Colonial Parkway from Yorktown ... 6 one day around Yorktown earlier this week, and pulled 2 to the boat around Willoughby today, big ones. I can fully attest that they are ALL here, and they are all over my jigs; you may catch a couple with Gulp ear rings dangling off them.

THROW SOME BACK

Jake Ace


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## Aaron T (May 9, 2000)

map120277 said:


> Try telling that to the oystermen of the eastern shore. :beer:
> 
> Sharks on the other hand are a very important part of the ecosystem.


rays have been around for thousands, if not millions of years. When the first colonists came to Virginia they could walk across most rivers on the oyster reefs. So you really think the rays ate all the oysters and us humans haven't wiped them out like we have most of the other resources in this country


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## Tom Powers (Aug 2, 2001)

A big part of the problem is a lack of sharks. The big ones will eat cow nose rays and help to keep the population down to reasonable levels. . . .balanced ecosystem it is not. . .


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