# Rays for Sharks



## Brady Bunch (Jul 12, 2004)

Ive been reading and seen on a few videos these guys fishing for sharks with stingrays. Now, whats the call on that? Are you catching them in the surf first or in the bays or is there a place you can buy 'em? Me and a buddy are goin saturday and want to catch a few nice sized sharks but shad (porgies) seem to attract the little guys. Any advice? TIA.


Brady Bunch


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## Freshwaterman (May 21, 2004)

*Shark Bait*

if you are headed to Matagorda the bait store right before the ICW usually has rays and I seem to rember someone posting the name of a place in Galveston that carried them. You will likely get a lot of different replies but the sharks I caught a couple of weeks ago were all on 3-5 inch chunks of fresh cut whiting. I know you can catch 5 foot plus sharks on small baits . 
LynnW


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## Sponge (Jun 22, 2004)

*Bait*

You only want to use rays if you have the appropiate geer. You will need at least 6/0 reels or better to use big baits and a kayak to get your bait out far enough. If your using casting reels similar in size to a 4/0 I would recommend using mullet, skipjack, or whiting. Try to use at least 4 to 5 inches including the head. If you do not have a kayak you will need to swim out to 2nd or 3rd sandbar and chunk your rod or you could cast in the 2nd gut where a lot of times the small blacktips hang out. Good luck.


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## Brady Bunch (Jul 12, 2004)

Im planning on going down to Freeport around the #6 access. I have a Penn Long Beach with #30 line but might consider downsizing the line to squeeze some more on. I just came back from my 2nd home (Academy) with a bag full of goodies. #120 nylon coated steel leader line, 14/0 circle hooks and some other essentials. Im tryin to get anyone to join us with a yak :biggrin: so we can get our baits out there.
So the wise thing to do maybe would be to buy some dead scrimps fish the surf for bait then load the lines? Its just the the weekend of the 4th we went down there with shad and caught pesky 2 footers all day. Were after the big boys this time.

By the way, heres my latest "big one"


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## Bigcat (Jul 11, 2004)

The #120 nylon coated steel leader line is no good in my opinion. I tried that stuff at first and lost too many fish.

Get some 500 lb forget the # of strands but it's the aircraft approved stuff and make your own. It's cheaper in the long run also. And you can count on your own handy work a lot more than store bought stuff.

I would also use 16/0 circles. I've caught pup sharks on 16/0 so they are not too big.

All just MO's ....


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## Bigfish_04 (Jun 21, 2004)

Stingray is a great bait for tiger sharks.


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## willbo (May 21, 2004)

Brady Bunch said:


> Im planning on going down to Freeport around the #6 access. I have a Penn Long Beach with #30 line but might consider downsizing the line to squeeze some more on. I just came back from my 2nd home (Academy) with a bag full of goodies. #120 nylon coated steel leader line, 14/0 circle hooks and some other essentials. Im tryin to get anyone to join us with a yak :biggrin: so we can get our baits out there.
> So the wise thing to do maybe would be to buy some dead scrimps fish the surf for bait then load the lines? Its just the the weekend of the 4th we went down there with shad and caught pesky 2 footers all day. Were after the big boys this time.


You can pretty much scrap that #120 nylon coated leader. It will handle those pesky 2-footers, but forget about taking on 4+footers with any kind of regular success with it.

Cut Rate used to carry 250-lb coated cable made by Sevalon. That should be your minimum size cable for going after something bigger. Also, don't be afraid to go with larger circle hooks. You would be suprised at how wide a fish can open its jaw and swallow a 20/0 circle hook. (Oz's 25 inch speckled trout comes to mind)

If ya'll are ever down around Matagorda, give me a shout. I'll even let ya'll paddle my baits out off of my kayak. :wink:

good luck getting the big 'uns,
willbo


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## Surfrat (May 21, 2004)

*Re: True.*

I agree with Bigcat and Wilbo, forget about the 120#.

I learned the hard way.

Although I caught many, many Sharks 4'+ 5'+ to 6'10" on 140# 7 strand nylon coated cable (doubled up 6"s above the hook), I was lucky and it had alot to do with the mouth location of the hook sets.

This past Spring over the course of about 6 weeks I lost count of the Sharks I lost, biting through the wire even though it was doubled, I landed several too but I should've had the others.

Hence, I switched to 250 and 270# cable (for now) and I will be picking up some heavier in the near future from Capt. Spike @ Leadertec. My first order got stolen in the mail box and it took me even longer to reorder and get the new wire.

I also had several hooks straightened during that same period, live and learn but it's better to learn before that catch of a lifetime decides to stop by for a snack! That's what makes this borad so great, the sharing of tackle experiences and techniques.

I will use my 140# for Bluefish rigs though!


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## Brady Bunch (Jul 12, 2004)

Thanks to all who replied. I am not able to get down to cut rate this week before saturday so I will have to take my chances plus, were just gonna wade to the 3rd bar and cast.

A bigger reel and a yak are now on my wish list so well go from there, but I will post a report as to saturdays trip. Good luck to anyone else goin out, hope the waters nice and weedless.


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## Bigfish_04 (Jun 21, 2004)

One thing we do when we rig up stingray is use 2 or more hooks (if you have a big ray or a big piece) they seem to bite some where the hook is not.


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## Skavatar (May 24, 2004)

you can get small (6 inch) stingrays and larger batrays from ben's bait and tackle at High Island. i've caught some randomly at SLP. 

i use the 120# berkley steelon cable for casting, i get it from Academy 30 feet for $3. for my yakking rig i have the AFW 400# 7X7 49 strand cable from cutrate. it's 30 feet for $11. its diameter is similar to 200# mono.

you should also get that hook file, the one with the yellow plastic handle, from Academy for a few dollars and sharpen your hooks. yes the hooks are pretty sharp out of the package, but not sharp enough to go through a big shark's jaws and tough skin.


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## Brady Bunch (Jul 12, 2004)

I said I'd post a follow up, Ive already posted one in the "Walmart does it again" story.

After casting and netting a few 12" mullet we rigged up. We were over on access # 6 on the surfside....side and were using ~12" mullet on a homemade double rig. After about a half hour of waiting my buddies reel starts singing at a constant rate. After about half an hour of steady fighting he had the fish to knee deep water and it broke him off. We had about 5 cars pulled over watching and one guy was saying by the way it was fighting (just holding steady in one place) that it was most likey a ray. I wish I could have seen this fish, we did get our fight on film!...... just the ending sucked! No sharks what so ever. Oh well, maybe next weekend.


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## willbo (May 21, 2004)

Brady Bunch said:


> I said I'd post a follow up, Ive already posted one in the "Walmart does it again" story.
> 
> After casting and netting a few 12" mullet we rigged up. We were over on access # 6 on the surfside....side and were using ~12" mullet on a homemade double rig. After about a half hour of waiting my buddies reel starts singing at a constant rate. After about half an hour of steady fighting he had the fish to knee deep water and it broke him off. We had about 5 cars pulled over watching and one guy was saying by the way it was fighting (just holding steady in one place) that it was most likey a ray. I wish I could have seen this fish, we did get our fight on film!...... just the ending sucked! No sharks what so ever. Oh well, maybe next weekend.


Could you tell where the breakoff occured? Was it the knot, leader connections (crimp failure), or the line?

That fella was probably right about it being a ray. If ya'll had a shark in knee deep water, you would have seen it.

better luck next time,
willbo


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## F.A.T. (May 21, 2004)

This is an idea of how to rig a decent size ray for sharks, you want those hookes realy exposed and faceing up, you can use zip ties to realy get them to stay buy if you rig it right its a no brainer.
Here is another shot of a whole whiteing.


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## Brady Bunch (Jul 12, 2004)

willbo said:


> Could you tell where the breakoff occured? Was it the knot, leader connections (crimp failure), or the line?
> 
> That fella was probably right about it being a ray. If ya'll had a shark in knee deep water, you would have seen it.
> 
> ...


The broke off occured in knee deep water. It wasnt due to any of my leaders or knots, I know this due to the amount of line he (he was my buddy). I personally think it was due to him thumbing the spool, I told him 3 times while he was fighting it to let go of the spool. Ya, better luck next time, maybe this weekend, the wife has to work saturday, that means I get to play with the fishies!!!:fishy:

Is there anywhere in the Galvez or Freeport area that sell rays?


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## willbo (May 21, 2004)

Brady Bunch said:


> Is there anywhere in the Galvez or Freeport area that sell rays?


Cross the causeway, take the first exit. Smitty's first, then Bayou Bait & Tackle. That should do it.

good luck,
willbo


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## F.A.T. (May 21, 2004)

Those two bait shops rarely have rays, SMITYS has some off shore baits like Bonito and Ribbonfish.
Best bet is to make the drive one morning to HI and hit BENS bait shop on the left a ways befor the beach, always has some fresh big ones and a ton of frozen small ones.
SEE YA!!!!!!!!!!


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## Sponge (Jun 22, 2004)

*Shark Leaders*

Don't forget to make your shark leaders 8 ft and longer. I had an 8ft shark leader on time and had a 12" mullet for bait when my 6/0 starting screaming. I was taking my time before I was going to set the hook and then the unthinkable happened, my line just slacked up and I realized I was cut off. I realed in my line and felt the end of it and it was very ruff and frayed. What happened was that the shark was longer than the leader and when a shark makes a dead run straight away from you the leader and line run along it's body and the tails ripping through the water and you know how a sharks skin is. It cut my line with it's tail in a matter of seconds. You do not have to use cable for your entire leader, use 150lb+ mono on the top half. Just a tip!


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## F.A.T. (May 21, 2004)

I use about 12-15' 700lb mono cliped to a 2-4' cable drop for the buisness end
on all my sentors.
I use 4-5' 130lb coated cable for my casted baits with a ttop shot double the line strength.
Havent had a chance to see thebig leaders in action yet though.


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