Inspired by Pistol Pete: Bat Ray hunting!

[legacy1]

I will admit it: the drama on the board yesterday was slightly entertaining in my opinion, and inspired me to go catch a bat ray.

So I got my fishing liscence today(thank you RayO), and made a stop at Sav-On Tackle for a few new items and picked up a few boxes of Sea Wave Brand squid at Albertson's in LB and it was off to the Newport Harbor to hopefully catch a bat ray in the +100lb range with 8lb. test. The sunset was great at Coral St. dock:
http://www.olivasstudios.com/images/CoralStview.JPG

This egret was my only company:
http://www.olivasstudios.com/images/egret.JPG

This bat ray was a few pounds short of my goal, but a great fighter nonetheless:
http://www.olivasstudios.com/images/br.JPG

Croaker too:
http://www.olivasstudios.com/images/croaker.jpg

It turned out to be a fun evening, although I did cut it short due to the high amount of debree in the water being moved by the incoming tide.
Legacy1

[sansou]

Ha ha ha!!

Good job!

...never can put enough squid on the hook when it comes to bat rays.

[IncredibleHuck]

Legacy!

it sure is fun on that light tackle isnt it? :banana:

[one_leg]

100 lb.s or better. 100 lb.s or better.

Hope it doesn't wrap you up all around a mooring, or a pier, and break you off.

One_Leg

[Troutman65]

Too funny. :lol:

Nice going out there. Thanks for the report and pics.



TM65

[tacklejunkie]

dude, I think I was petting those at Seaworld a few weeks ago :lol:
I'd be creeped out if I caught one of those. :lol: Nice work.

[ThemBastards]

I am heading to either Balboa pier or the wedge saturday, I would have better luck at the wedge for the mud marlin huh? Fishing the channel side I am assuming. If you guys want to kick down any knowledge that would be cool. Oh yeah I dont have my license yet so I need to stick to the pier or the wedge. Where on the jetty should I set-up? Come on help a ba$tard out :lol:

Oh and TJ, Bat Ray's are actually pretty fun to catch man. They call them mud marlin for a reason, these are very fast powerful fish. You should check it out.

[ghetto dad]

LOL...thanks for the report man....that ray is AT LEAST 74 lbs bro!!! :D

GD

[PistolPete]

Nice catches...Try the docks in the harbor by fun zone and the ferry, its pretty deep there and i've pulled up some decent 20-40lb rays there and also a really nice smoothhound.

[ThemBastards]

Nice catches...Try the docks in the harbor by fun zone and the ferry, its pretty deep there and i've pulled up some decent 20-40lb rays there and also a really nice smoothhound.


Yeah that is where I would have gone a month ago when I had a license, actually there is a dock on the island that I have seen a huge ray get reeled in at.... I just dont have my license yet, neither does my fishing buddy.

[Troutman65]

Ryan, If you fish the jetty or the little docks in Newport Harbor your going to need a Ca. Fishing lic. I am almost 100 % sure. Just don't want you to get a fine .



TM65

[ThemBastards]

Ryan, If you fish the jetty or the little docks in Newport Harbor your going to need a Ca. Fishing lic. I am almost 100 % sure. Just don't want you to get a fine .



TM65

Thanks for lookin out Patrick, but you can fish the Wedge without a license. I would need a license to fish the lil docks in the harbor(which is where I want to fish but can't this trip)

you should head down saturday, it's free all day :lol:

[legacy1]

If you guys want to kick down any knowledge that would be cool.

Here is all I know about catching a bat ray in my experience:

1. They eat squid. I just use a 1"x3" strip. Some guys use a whole squid.
2. It seems to be be more likely to catch one after sundown, but they eat during the day too.
3. The public docks at Coral St. and Opal Ave. on the Balboa Island are great once you get your license.

I don't fish the jetty because I am too lazy to climb over the rocks, and the pier, my one bit of advice is not to let your bait sit on the sea floor from the middle to the end of the pier...the crabs will eat it!

Hope you have success and look forward to your report!

This guy knows bat rays:
http://fishingnetwork.net/forum1/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=7005&p=79920#p79920

[ThemBastards]

If you guys want to kick down any knowledge that would be cool.

Here is all I know about catching a bat ray in my experience:

1. They eat squid. I just use a 1"x3" strip. Some guys use a whole squid.
2. It seems to be be more likely to catch one after sundown, but they eat during the day too.
3. The public docks at Coral St. and Opal Ave. on the Balboa Island are great once you get your license.

I don't fish the jetty because I am too lazy to climb over the rocks, and the pier, my one bit of advice is not to let your bait sit on the sea floor from the middle to the end of the pier...the crabs will eat it!

Hope you have success and look forward to your report!

This guy knows bat rays:
http://fishingnetwork.net/forum1/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=7005&p=79920#p79920


Thank you Legacy, those crabs will get ya at the pier(that's where i caught me only legal hali though), I think I am definately going to the wedge. I will post a report regardless of outcome.

[nowisthetime]

Cool report! :thumb: :thumb: :thumb:

[dirthead]

I've had mud marlin break me off with 50# mono fishing balboa island. they are hard to land with all the moorings and pilings in that area.happy hunting and hang on.
DIRTHEAD

[flyngby]

Disclaimer I am not a (BAT RAY EXPERT)

So with that being said I/we have caught a few since my first post last April 13 of 2007. We have caught a few very small ones and 1 to a guesstimated 50 lbs. in my 9/25 nph posting. But we have a wide range of weights up to about 30 lbs in most of our other posts.

When we fish the NPH I fish 1 pole a 5 1/2' Diawa pole and medium size spinning reel with the 10 lb. line for the bigger species that may decide to take the offerings on the end. This setup gives me some backbone to put some pressure on them to turn them but not much. It is all in technique once they are on.

I also fish a smaller rig for the others I have posted. I believe in all respect the key is in the light line to get the best action. Works for us!!!

As for the bats we have figured out how to do battle with them. When they take the bait they take the bait and go. They seldom bite and sit on the bottom. You are in for a battle on this rig. They will do 1 of 2 things like head for open water very rapidly whether it be straight out or side by side or they will come in toward you and you must be quick to keep up or get tangled on something. They will usually make a big run in the beginning and there is no stopping them on this setup but we have learned to let them take line and even free spool them as to let them think they are free and they will usually settle down for a moment.

That is when I put the pressure back on them and gain some back as they turn back and make a run in the other direction. They same technique is used again as they speed by in the opposite direction. This will go on for several revolutions with the larger ones until eventually they will change up their tactics and come at the dock and try to wrap you on something or will come in close and suction themselves to the bottom right in front of you and if you get over powering and try to pull them off the bottom on the light line it will snap. Wait for them to take off again and play the game all over again. It is a cat and mouse game that I have played for up to 30 minutes to get them in. I have lost very few with this technique and I am stationary on the dock. (ADVANTAGE TO THE BAT).

Most fish squid for bait but I have little success on it. I throw a combo with of mac and anchovie. Very productive for a lot of species we have posted and bats will take either 1 of them.

Best for us is on the incoming tide. Most of ours were caught in the daylight at various locations. I do not have a favorite bat dock as we have had good success at all of our locations.

At another posters fame spot for the Bat I have very little success so what do you do???????????

Best of luck to all. They are great fun!!!!!!!!!!!!

I now have a scale that will definatley get used for my next larger 1 for all to see. :beer:

[seanboi]

great report and nice job on the ray. A real good place for bat rays is in Avalon, i swear i got demolished like four or five times using 50 lb on a 2 speed avet. They would spool your *** right into the anchor line of moored boats. I also got some cool pics of some 80 to 90 pounders sittin right underneath the pier in avalon.

[ThemBastards]

Disclaimer I am not a (BAT RAY EXPERT)

So with that being said I/we have caught a few since my first post last April 13 of 2007. We have caught a few very small ones and 1 to a guesstimated 50 lbs. in my 9/25 nph posting. But we have a wide range of weights up to about 30 lbs in most of our other posts.

When we fish the NPH I fish 1 pole a 5 1/2' Diawa pole and medium size spinning reel with the 10 lb. line for the bigger species that may decide to take the offerings on the end. This setup gives me some backbone to put some pressure on them to turn them but not much. It is all in technique once they are on.

I also fish a smaller rig for the others I have posted. I believe in all respect the key is in the light line to get the best action. Works for us!!!

As for the bats we have figured out how to do battle with them. When they take the bait they take the bait and go. They seldom bite and sit on the bottom. You are in for a battle on this rig. They will do 1 of 2 things like head for open water very rapidly whether it be straight out or side by side or they will come in toward you and you must be quick to keep up or get tangled on something. They will usually make a big run in the beginning and there is no stopping them on this setup but we have learned to let them take line and even free spool them as to let them think they are free and they will usually settle down for a moment.

That is when I put the pressure back on them and gain some back as they turn back and make a run in the other direction. They same technique is used again as they speed by in the opposite direction. This will go on for several revolutions with the larger ones until eventually they will change up their tactics and come at the dock and try to wrap you on something or will come in close and suction themselves to the bottom right in front of you and if you get over powering and try to pull them off the bottom on the light line it will snap. Wait for them to take off again and play the game all over again. It is a cat and mouse game that I have played for up to 30 minutes to get them in. I have lost very few with this technique and I am stationary on the dock. (ADVANTAGE TO THE BAT).

Most fish squid for bait but I have little success on it. I throw a combo with of mac and anchovie. Very productive for a lot of species we have posted and bats will take either 1 of them.

Best for us is on the incoming tide. Most of ours were caught in the daylight at various locations. I do not have a favorite bat dock as we have had good success at all of our locations.

At another posters fame spot for the Bat I have very little success so what do you do???????????

Best of luck to all. They are great fun!!!!!!!!!!!!

I now have a scale that will definatley get used for my next larger 1 for all to see. :beer:

:udaman: :udaman: :udaman:

Thanks for sharing your experience with me.