# Shark Bait-Stingray Run starting



## tentcotter (Oct 23, 2009)

We caught 7 stingrays at SLP yesterday afternoon on dead shrimp lobbed out about 50 to 75 yards from the bank. All dinner plates. Time to catch and freeze this year's shark bait. They run good this time of year through February at SLP. Must be spawning. Shuffle your feet.


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## Fbird55 (Sep 26, 2013)

Awesome! Headed down that way in a few days. Lots of freezer space waiting to be filled.


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## surfguy (May 17, 2011)

All southern rays? Any cownose?


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## tentcotter (Oct 23, 2009)

All southern. Near the bridge. Galveston side.


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## scrambler (May 28, 2004)

The stingrays were hot and heavy yesterday in the same place tentcooter described. I only had an 1 1/2 hours to fish but ended up with 3 small rays.


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## troutless (Feb 17, 2006)

What is the difference between the Cownose rays and Southern rays for fishing? I just use mullet and whiting that I can catch in the surf. But I don't fish for large Sharks.


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## surfguy (May 17, 2011)

troutless said:


> What is the difference between the Cownose rays and Southern rays for fishing? I just use mullet and whiting that I can catch in the surf. But I don't fish for large Sharks.


Cownose have a more blunt nose than southern and are usually bigger and thicker but not as plentiful to catch. Big sharks like big baits (most of the time) but when they're hungry, they will hit a smaller ray wing, whiting, pompano or other smaller baits. If you have to buy them, cownose are a little more expensive too. That's why it's great to catch them when the're running in big schools. The other difference I notice is southerns will suck on the bottom when hooked but cownose will surface and start flapping their wings like crazy. They are both very strong fighters.


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## tentcotter (Oct 23, 2009)

*Cownose vs Southern*

Cownose has pointy wings and shorter tail. Southern more round with longer tail.


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## HuntinforTail (Mar 29, 2011)

The rays running through the pass right now are Atlantic Rays not Southern Rays. Not a huge difference between the 2 but there is a difference. 99% of the plate sized rays you see at bait shops are Atlantic Rays. They don't get nearly as big as Southerns. 

Troutless, I think you were asking what is the difference between the 2 as a bait, not what is the difference between the 2 as a species, right? Cownose is considered the best ray bait. For some reason sharks seem to like them better. Especially when the cownose are in close to the surf. That's when you'll hear about a lot of bigger sharks being landed.


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## troutless (Feb 17, 2006)

Thanks Chris, that was what I was texting about I just couldn't figure if the Sharks could tell the difference between the two.


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## surfguy (May 17, 2011)

Cownose are often called "Bat Rays". Here's a rare double hookup of a cownose and sheepshead on a homemade heavy duty sabiki rig tipped with shrimp.


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