Bat Ray caught at the Morro Bay North T-Pier

Date; October 20, 1999
To: PFIC Message Board
From: Sam
Subject: Dangeous Stingray

I just found text below on the Net when I was trying to learn about stingray. The tail of the stingray sounded deadly, going near one doesn’t seem like a wise thing to do. Does swing its tail around like a creature from out of space? How do you make sure the tail doesn’t strike you? How do you distinguish it from the Bat Ray? Some detail information would be appreciated. Sam

STINGRAY
Phylum Chordata, Class Chondrichthyes. These possess a serrated bony spine at the base of the dorsal surface of the tail. An integumentary sheath discharges venom when ruptured. Most injuries occur when the ray is stepped on, the tail is thrust upward and forward and fired into the foot or leg. The venom is thermolabile (deactivated with heat) and induces severe vasoconstriction.
Symptoms: Intense pain is felt at the site; there is local ischemia (loss of blood supply), and edema. Edges are jagged, may contain pieces of spine and secondary infection is common. Systemic effects include salivation, sweating, vomiting, diarrhea, cramps, hypotension (low blood pressure), and cardiovascular collapse.
Treatment: Irrigate and remove remaining spine. Immerse in hot (50 C) water until pain subsides. Give local or systemic pain relief. Cleanse, debride and suture the wound. Give tetanus protection, infection prophylaxis and monitor / support cardio-respiratory system as indicated.

Posted by Ken Jones

I’ve fished from California piers for nearly 40 years, caught hundreds of sting rays/and bat rays and never been stung. (1) Learn to identify your fish. Buy my book or another book that contains pictures and read the descriptions. (2) Be patient and careful when handling the rays. (3) I generally grasp the tail of a sting ray with a pair of needlenose pliers and then remove the hooks before letting the fish go.

Posted by Mike Kai

It seems that people are afraid of stingrays as they are sharks. For a bat ray/sting ray to sting you, its tail must move vertically, exposing the stinger. This usually only happens when someone steps on a ray, especially when wading at the beach. However, to be stung on pier is pretty rare. I think it is STUPID and a WASTE for someone to cut off a bat ray’s stinger, it increases your chance of being stung, and it does great harm to the fish. I seriously doubt that the stinger will grow back in 6-8 weeks, if ever. This is the fact that the stinger is made of cartilage, the same material its wings are made of, which don’t grow back. This just makes me mad, it reminds me of going to the pier and watching retards step on short halibut or rays, then throw the dead fish back!

Round Stingray caught at the Coronado Ferry Landing Pier

Posted by tony

Last year at Bakers beach, my uncle caught a small stingray, around 20lb.’s. I was helping him take out the hook, I thought I was stepping on the tail, but the tail managed to squirm out from under my leg, My foot was between the part that connects the tail to the body, and the left wing. I was wearing tuff shoes, and it STUNG me; hurt like a .B. The dagger went through my shoe, and scraped on my bone; it electrocuted me! I felt the electricity, and it injected venom through my leg. It hurt for a few hours; still have the triangular scar on my foot and, hasn’t changed since the day it happened. It REALLY SUCKED

Posted by goatfish

Just try a little caution and common sense…A stingray can sting without warning, and it doesn’t have to be a vertical whip of the tail. Personally, I like to turn them over on their backs while I’m removing a hook, etc. but I try to stay away from getting near the tail at all. If you cut off the stinger, it WILL grow back, much like your fingernails will grow back when you cut them. More often than not, people get stung by rays because they are not paying attention, or are intrigued by the stinger and want to touch it. I’ve yet to catch a ray where the stinger was not exposed, and they WILL sting you if given the opportunity. I’ve seen people get stung, and it is not a pretty sight. Just remember to be alert and use common sense.

Posted by Anthony

Anyone ever thought about cutting the line and leaving the hook? They will rust out quicker than the stinger will come back.

Posted by Ken Jones

I actually learned about the removal of the spine and its ability to grow back from visits to the Monterey Aquarium and Chula Vista Nature Center. Both places have petting pools with bat rays in them and allow kids to pet the bat rays. After talking to people at both places I discovered that they clip off the stinger so that the bat rays cannot sting the children. Apparently it takes 4-6 weeks for the spines to grow back because they have to do this little operation on a regular basis to prevent the spines from becoming dangerous. By the way, the bat rays, minus their stingers, are about the friendliest fish you will see.

Posted by Kanamit

Ken, You are correct – I learned this too at the aquarium. The problem is sometimes that the Barnies on the pier cut off the entire tail of the ray. If this is done I don’t believe the tail and stinger can grow back. I’ve actually seen idiots cut off the tail and miss the stinger entirely – it’s too bad these retards didn’t get stung after thinking they cut off the stinger. I feel it is totally irresponsible to fish for a species of fish without learning a little about it first. It is fine to snip off the stinger but leave the tail alone! I have caught hundreds of rays and although I used to cut the stingers off I don’t really bother anymore. If you are careful I don’t believe it’s necessary.

Bat Ray caught at the Fortman Marina in Alameda

Date: June 28, 2000
To: PFIC Message Bard
From: moe
Subject: SF Bay — Bat Ray vs. Sting Ray

Had a few q’s regarding the bay rays:
1: What’s the diff. b/w bat rays and sting rays, and how can I tell?
2: What do you do when you catch one, use a gaff or net, and if you gaff it…where on the body should I do that if I will be taking the critter home?
3: Once caught, is there anything I should do to ensure a good meal eg. bleeding, or kill them somehow?
4: Yesterday I caught something that looked like a manta ray actually,,, I didn’t get a good look at it because as I was pulling it up on the pier, it tore 20# test….could have been a halibut…
5: Which ones should I keep to take home and eat…sting vs bat ray; big one vs. small one…. and I know the wings are the good part… what about the body or tail? any help will be appreciated, dr.moe

Posted by Nate D

Moe-Bat rays have very large heads, ear holes (I use these to grab them when I pitch them back in the water), and are brownish-black on top and white on their bellies. I have never caught an actual stingray in the S.F. Bay (where I fish) but I have caught a thornback ray or two. When you get a bat ray out of the water, they will huff and snort quite a bit. They have big cow-like eyes. Funny thing about a bat ray, they’ve got black eyes, lifeless eyes like a doll’s eyes.
With large fish caught in bay waters, the sooner you clean the fish the better. This immediately rids the fish of toxins and parasites in the innards.
I have either hoisted it up by the ear holes or used a hoop net to bring it up from the pier. I don’t use gaffs, at all.
I doubt you caught a manta ray, they are off shore species and usually do not eat large baits.
A good basic rule to follow is the larger the fish, the longer it has been swimming in the water, and if that water is subject to pollution, therefore the longer it has been absorbing said pollution. I personally don’t keep striped bass over 28 inches or so, for an example. Remember that bat rays have no bones, just cartilage and fat, in addition to muscle. A flat piece of cartilage runs straight through the middle of the wing, and if you fillet the meat on either side of this, you should get four nice fillets. I personally would not eat a ray when there are perch, bass, or sturgeon to be caught, but many people do eat them. If the flesh smells ammonia like, soak the fillets in salted milk for 24 hours. Also, Ken Jones knows quite a bit about the preparation of bat rays. Give ‘Em Hell, Nate D

Posted by moe

Thanx for the reply Nate… are the smaller rays better eating than the bigger ones….maybe they would have less pollution in them?

Posted by Ken Jones

One and The Same. Probably 90% or more of the anglers around San Francisco Bay call bat rays sting rays and yes, they do indeed have a stinger/spine by their tail.
Rarely if ever would you catch a round stingray, diamond stingray or butterfly ray this far north. And manta rays are creatures more common to Baja waters — indeed they’re even very rare to southern California.
As for their edibility, they’re good. They are a little bit of a pain to clean; you need a strong and sharp knife. However, the bone-free meat has an interesting taste and texture.
Although I used to always use a pier gaff (at least on the higher piers), a net is better. A net allows you to release unharmed the smaller fish—and the larger fish if so inclined. A ray brought up from the depths by way of a pier gaff is probably not going to survive. To be honest though, many anglers, including myself, today release most of the bat rays we catch. They’re great fun to catch and deserve to fight another day. But that is a personal decision.

Posted by moe

Struck out twice vs. huge rays; guys I need some help. I have struck out two nights in a row on the ol’ mighty bay ray…. One took me out like 150 yards, then came back straight at me, by the time I caught up with him he was already under the pier, getting himself ready to wrap me around one of the posts… and as you figured, indeed he wrapped me around not once but several times, and the 30 pound shock leader I had broke!!… You gotta love it!! This guy must have been huge…I felt as if my 12’ surf rod was going to snap in half!!
The other one, I didn’t even get the chance to adjust my drag…. he took the bait…. then just took off…. I set the hook but he just kept running, till me line snapped again…. twice in the same night…Don’t know what the second one was…. maybe a shark or a ray? I need some help on the issue…. any suggestions for next time I go out? thanx

Posted by Leapin Bass

1) Use a conventional reel instead of a spinning reel. A high speed reel will help your first problem although they do that sometimes and there’s nothing you can do about – part of fishing from a pier. I’ve never caught a yellowtail from a pier and the pilings are the reason why.
2) Use a 7 or 8 ft. rod rated for 20 – 40 lb. test (or somewhere in bewtween) designed for use with a conventional reel. I’ve seen so many people loose rays because they simple can’t control them with those long surf rods.
It’s much easier to fight large fish on conventional gear. You use your bicep instead of your wrist and forearm. The drags are usually better and even if they’re not you can always loosen it a bit and control it with your thumb (be careful not to burn your skin off). You can set the alarm instead of loosening the drag (which will eliminate the second problem you had). I don’t mean to toot my own horn but I can cast further with my 7 ft. Musky rod and Daiwa SL30SH with 20 lb. test further than anyone I’ve ever seen on Goleta pier with one of the ridiculously long surf rods and spinning reels. Anyone can do it with a little practice.
I have caught countless large (up to 56 inch wingspan) rays on medium casting rods and I’ve never used anything more than 30 lb. test. These days I stick to 15 and 20 (25 if a friend who doesn’t fish much is with me – on his/her rod).
With a decent rod and reel and a few rays under your belt you can easily handle most of them on lighter tackle – not to mention it’s much more fun and challenging.

Posted by Monkfish

Funny thing about a bat ray….. they’ve got black eyes, lifeless eyes like a doll’s eyes…. Hey Nate D….sure your name isn’t really “Quint?” Just when you thought it was safe to fish the piers again.

Date: October 1, 2000
To: PFIC Message Board
From: mobilesuit
Subject: STING RAYS

I heard that when you catch a ray, you are supposed to cut the stinger off. If this is true, how are you supposed to do it? So I cut the whole tail off or just some part of it? Thanks.

Posted by Iso Lunkers

No… No cutting anything off. First of all, you need to make sure it is a “sting ray” and not something that has no stinger in the first place. Then, you want to bring a towel to grab its tail so you do not get slapped with it, plus it is one of the only ways to hold them when throwing them back in and unhooking them. I have seen people cut the tail off and that is just plain cruel. I hope this helps.

Posted by mobilesuit

Thanks for the feedback. So basically you don’t do anything to it right? k. Oh and um, when you do hold the ray, where do you hold the tail with the towel? And how thick should the towel be? It just seems like I can still get stung, even with a towel. Well, thanks again for the feedback. Good fishing.

Posted by Black Marlin

Mobile-I have landed well over 500 bat rays and skates since I started fishing for them at 12 years old. I used to cut off the stinger from rays when I was young if it was really big, as the stingers reflected the overall size of the ray. I kept them in my tackle box and they served as a sort of status symbol in the pecking order that existed in the small culture of ray fishermen in my town (Sausalito, CA). Now, I still fish for and catch many rays each year but as a wiser, more cultured man I’ve dropped the stinger cutting and replaced it with a cheap camera and tape measure. I think if you are going to catch and release any fish, it must be returned to the water as it came out, minus the hook in it’s mouth. No exceptions. Best of luck. Give ‘Em Hell,, Black Marlin

Posted by Leapin Bass

Although it is not necessary, cutting off the stinger is okay if you really feel you need to because it will grow back relatively quickly (they do this in aquarium touch tanks like the one at the Monterey Bay Aquarium). Definitely do not cut off it’s tail because then it’s stinger (which is it’s only method of defense) can not grow back. It also helps to know where the stinger is – at the base of the tail. Some people think it’s on the tip of the tail.
One time at Goleta I saw some guy who was fishing with a bunch of rods, keeping illegal-sized bocaccio and using them for bait. He caught a small bat ray, cut the tail off thinking he was safe and then got nailed by it’s stinger as he threw it back (oh yeah I forgot to mention that the jerk gaffed it to bring it in – then released it!). Anyway, him and his buddy left immediately (I assume to a doctor or hospital) which gave me his spot on the end of the pier.
I’ve seen a few people cut only the tails off and not the stingers but this was the first guy I saw get nailed. I felt it was justice for all the other crap he was doing illegally.

Posted by Ken Jones

If you are in a group it is often possible to have one person hold the tail (with a towel) while you remove the hook; then let the stingray go. However, I am often alone and at times it may be hard to remove the hook in a safe manner, especially if the fish is hooked deep. What I do then is to grasp the tail with needlenose pliers and cut off the stinger (spine). The ray is then safe to handle and the stinger will grow back in approximately 4 weeks time. DO NOT cut off the entire tail.

Posted by readership

Is there a trick to bringing up big fish (such as stingrays) when you are fishing alone? I was at Pacifica Pier the other night and landed a fatty smooth hound shark. Luckily there were some crabbers to help me out, whom I gave the catch too. otherwise, winds blowing, flashlights barely shining, eyes straining, whew…fish on!

Posted by Leapin Bass

Walk it to the beach if you have a fishing license. Otherwise – good luck!

Posted by mobilesuit

What are the chances of getting stung? I was wondering what were the chances of getting stung by a stingray you just caught. (When you’re shore fishing that is). I don’t know if you’re supposed to but I always go into the water about knee or thigh deep to cast, because I have a short rod and am also not the best caster. Thanks for the help. gl fishing

Posted by Leapin Bass

According to the guys in Grand Cayman stingrays do not sting when they are swimming around – only when they are sitting on the bottom. When you wade in the ocean don’t take steps – instead shuffle your feet which will scare the stingray and cause it to move.

Posted by mobilesuit

Stingray on its back. If a stingray is on its back, will it not be able to sting you? Heheh just a thought from an earlier question. Thanks for your time. gl fishin

Posted by Red Fish

A Serious Question, Right? A good one too. Many anglers that catch stingrays (O.K., proper name Bat Ray’s Ken!) for the first time don’t have a clue how to properly un-hook them or of the potential danger of being stung. The first time I caught one, about age 14, I was clueless. Two guys that called themselves helping me, cut the poor ray’s tail off, then I threw him back. They told me, “oh, he will grow another one just like a lizard.” I don’t know that to be a fact, but it is senseless to cut off a ray’s tail and I have never done it on the dozens of ray’s I have released over the years. O.K., yeah, I believe turning a ray over GENTLY on his back is the best way of un-hooking it. This way the ray’s stinger in face down. If you look at a ray’s tail, there is only one small stinger located at the front of tail anyway very similar to a catfish’s spines on its head.
So, after that long explanation, the answer to your question is No. A stingray will not be able to sting you on its back (it would be very difficult to do so.) Anyway, if it’s on its back the hook is in its mouth, right? O.K. you shouldn’t be standing near its butt when you’re taking out the hook! Hold the ray’s tail down with your foot if you’re really worried about being stung.
Oh-lastly, ever so important. When you go to release this puppy, hold it near the head (mouth) with the tail away from you when you go to throw him back!!!! Hope this helps.
I am curious to know if anyone on this board has ever been stung by a ray? Please share your story with us.

Posted by ikiller

I was stung once. My stinging story: I was fishing on either McNears Pier or Paradise Pier, I can’t quite remember. Well I caught a rather small ray with probably a foot and a half wingspan. I wasn’t very familiar with the handling techniques since I had just started saltwater fishing. I was hauling it up by the fishing line, and I guess I was too close to the railing. Somehow it whipped its rear end through the railing and stung me in the side of my left calf. I did not notice that I was stung for a few minutes while I was dealing with the fish. The stinger (or whatever you would call it) went through my jeans and at least a half-inch into my skin. It wasn’t that painful of a wound. It was kind of a mild cold shooting pain that persisted for a few days.
When I catch a ray on the beach here is my technique: Drag him up out of the water onto the beach (not too far from the waters edge). Grab it by the front edge of a wing and flip it over. Remove the hook, stand on the tail if necessary. After the hook has been removed, put a hand under the leading edge of each wing and flip the whole thing over head over tail. If you have done this technique correctly (and you were close enough to the water) you will have turned the ray over and flung him back into the surf.

Posted by tony

I have been stung by a ray once. I was out at Baker’s Beach a few years back fishing for some stripers, and my uncle landed a small ray, maybe 2 feet in diameter. We flipped it on it’s back, and started to take out the hook, I was wearing some Nike sneakers with flat bottom soles. I pressed the tail down into the sand to stop it from whipping back and forth as I held on to the line so my uncle could take out the hook.
Some how, the ray managed to free its tail and stab my ankle with it’s dagger. It went through my shoe, my sock, through my skin, and it did hit the bone in my ankle. There I felt a mild electric current flow through my leg as it throbbed while the blood oozed out. It hurt like a b!tch. I screamed and yelled as I tried to hold back from the pain. Basically, it sucked, the scar hasn’t gone away, and the wound looks the same as if it were the day when it happened. tony

Posted by Black Marlin

Mobile-One thing people are omitting when talking about getting stung by rays is the ray’s tail itself. On a mature ray (40# and up) the tail is like a bullwhip, and the ray can use it as such. I have been thrashed by a ray’s tail a couple of times and it drew blood and left welts both times. Either use a glove and hold the tail or cover it with a towel and hold it down with your foot. I have landed and released well over 500 rays in my years and the best way to remove a hook is with the ray on it’s back holding down the tail with your foot. Happy fishing!!!! Black Marlin

Posted by papa

I use this technique of using a towel on the tail also. When I throw the ray back I usually pick it up with my thumb and index finger in what I think are the gills on top of the head. Is this a good way to handle a ray. Its tail can not reach up to my arm and I always hold it away from my body. Just curious.

Date: September 7, 2001
To: PFIC Message Board
From: neptune 1234
Subject: bat ray stingers?

Hey. do bat rays actually sting with their “stinger?” I know what they look like and I have a few small ones. Kinda like a little knife in a sheathe at the base of the tail. Really sharp and barbed. Could cause some serious lacerations. But does a live stingray posses venom or a painful fluid besides that? Not that I plan on finding out the hard way anytime soon. Anyone know anything about this?

Posted by Leapin Bass

Do not find out! They do sting with their stinger and it SUCKS! I don’t think what stung me was a bat ray. Since it was so shallow I believe it was a round stringray but I’m not sure since I didn’t see it. In either case it was probably the worse pain I’ve ever felt (and I’ve been through some pain!). It was two weeks ago and the area around the puncture is still slightly swollen and sore.

Posted by Surfan

Leapin Bass would know!

Date: May 3, 2002
To: PFIC Message Board
From: pescador5312
Subject: Pier nets?

Man I need a net for bat rays. I looked all over the place. Fact is they don’t make those landing nets anymore. At least that’s what I’ve been told by the tackle shops in SD. I mean, if you just want something to bring up a bass or a barely legal halie with then a crab net should do. But for bat rays I had to go and buy a nylon tailgate net for a truck. I attached some rods to the ends to keep them open and tied about 25ft of line to each end. I haven’t gotten the opportunity to use it yet but I think it will do fine. But just for the big fish. I’ll probably post more about it if I ever get to use it and it works. But hey, if you’re looking for something of the same nature and you find one, let me know!
don’t bother me… I’m fishin. <*)))>=<| pescador5312

Posted by PierHead

Good idea! And portable too – you just roll it up. I got several questions:
1. How big a ray can be pulled up by net? Are their special techniques when hauling up a load like some of Stan’s beasts?
2. How did you tie off the 2 lines to the net – I could see the net revolving (horizontally) and tipping the fish out. Did you string it up like a hammock?
3. Will the rules inhibit the cutting off of the ray’s stinger? How does everyone feel about that?
Tight Lines! PierHead

Posted by pescador5312

1. I don’t know how big a ray can be hauled up since I haven’t gotten the opportunity to use it yet. But it is very portable and saves a lot of space.
2. Yes it is strung up like a hammock. My plan (for when I do hook up) is to have two people ready with each rope (whereas I can be one of them). I just guide the monster into the net kinda like a trout cradle net. Then bring both of the ropes together to haul the fish up. It should be in the position where the wings will just be bent upward when the net is closed so the tail doesn’t get caught in the holes. It just hangs off the side.
3. I’m not going to make it to the derby. Wish I could so I can’t answer that. But I myself don’t like to take the stinger off regardless of whether or not I feel I might be in danger by leaving it on.

Posted by Songslinger

I Leave The Stingers On. I don’t see the point of returning a fish to the water without its natural defense system intact. But others like to carve out stingers for their collection and the stingers will grow back. So I guess it’s personal choice. If the issue is safe handling, then you really don’t need to remove the stingers so much as keep alert. Pretty obvious, in my opinion, where the sharp end is; you just have to avoid it. A good landing net is preferable. A crab ring is best for piers. The less damage you do to these creatures, the better. I tend to cut the hook with a wire cutter if it means the difference between the creature’s comfort and my tackle. Also, and I’m not signaling anyone out here, I don’t care about taking pictures and rarely pull my fish onto the bank.

Posted by boomer334

Leave the stinger

Posted by Sinker

I will hold its tail while you remove the hook. The problem I have is when lifting the dog gone beasts up over the railing is when it gets a little scary. I have been hit twice that way but never while removing hooks. It does hurt like hell. I am allergic to bees and have to carry an Epi Kit with me but the Bat Ray sting has never caused me to go into shock. These new Kits are nice they auto-inject rather than the ole syringe “Get Bent” “Sinker”

Bat Ray at the Elephant Rock Pier in Tiburon, 2003

Posted by Ken Jones

Heck, you were willing to grab hold of those scorpionfish even though they were new to you. As I recall one ALMOST stuck you. Discretion sometimes trumps courage.

Date: October 21, 2002
To: PFIC Message Board
From: RaySniper
Subject: Cutting off a Bay Ray’s Stinger?

The other night I caught a Bat Ray that no longer had its stinger. From the looks of the wound/scar, it looked like somebody had cut the stinger off with a blade then threw the Ray back in the water. I guess the question to ask is why somebody would decide to catch the ray, cut off its stinger, then throw it back? Does the stinger have some sort of use for humans of which I am not aware, or was this just a pointless act of cruelty?

Posted by Songslinger

Some people like to keep stingers as trophies. I’m told the rays grow them back eventually. Even so, and this is my personal taste, I would prefer not to release anything shorn of its natural defenses.

Posted by Mike. C

Agree with Slinger on sending the ray back without its means of defense. That thing evolved to be there for a reason and we shouldn’t screw with it. But as far as a random act of cruelty, I wouldn’t go so far to say. The folks at the aquarium say that it causes no pain to the rays when they cut the stinger and they do grow back.

Posted by neptune1234

I always keep the stingers. Have a pretty good collection going too. Except I don’t cut them off. If you grab it at the base with a pair of needlenose pliers and lean it backwards they pop right off. NO sweat. Only a couple second operation. NO real harm to the ray. They’re mainly for use when they are babies anyway. I count them as trophies and put them on my weird fish stuff shelf. Always a nice addition. I suppose you could make earrings out of them.

Posted by RaySniper

Interesting…thanks for the info. I guess that it’s just something that I personally wouldn’t want to do…I guess that I am just too much of a softy. I suppose that there isn’t much of a problem as long as taking off the stinger isn’t causing the Rays any excessive harm…

Posted by baitfish

It is supposed to be like clipping a fingernail, they are designed to break off, but it does leave the ray defenseless. Adam

Posted by tomaurand

If it bleeds, infection can set and kill the ray! Really no reason to cut the stinger. Has anybody on this board ever been stung by a ray???? Like being stuck by a catfish, it was probably the not the rays (or catfishes) fault.

Posted by baitfish

I have never cut them before, has anyone had them bleed from cutting them? However the size of the are of possible infection would be about the same size as the hole left by the hook. The material of the stinger is made of Keratin, the same material as your fingernail. If you were to clip it, I don’t see how it would bleed, but the popping method that neptune describes is different. You don’t really need to cut them off, if the ray is flipped onto it’s back, it presents little danger. Even then, keep your wits about you and safely return the ray to the water. Adam

Posted by neptune1234

The way I do it only takes a sec. Doesn’t leave any wounds. Just pops right off. Grab it near the base and bend it backwards. It’s almost surgical the way I do it. No harm done. I have yet to recatch an already de-stingered ray but I’M sure I will. The Monterey Bay Aquarium told me they grow back.

Posted by Leapin Bass

Yep… Last year while surf fishing. First – it is NOTHING like being stung by a catfish. I have lived through some pretty painful stuff (like my top lip being ripped in half-motorcycle accident) and I must say that the ray sting is at the top of the PAIN list. That freakin’ hurt more than I thought anything could hurt. I was doing Lamaz breathing on the way to the hospital. I don’t recommend it unless you like intense pain.
As for cutting the stingers off I’ve done it a few times when I was younger. There’s really no need to though. It does leave the ray defenseless until it grows back (if you cut it off correctly). The sad thing is that I’ve seen people cut the entire tail off – that sucks!

Posted by Red Fish

Couldn’t be like getting stung by a catfish I got stuck by a catfish when cleaning one as a kid and got part of the (stinger) lodged under the skin in my right index finger. It was similar to getting a splinter. Now I have never gotten stung by a bat ray but from what others have described that have been stung it sounds far worse than any catfish cut.

Posted by sharkshooter

Can you only get “stung” if the ray jabs you with the sharp end of the stinger, or is the whole thing dangerous? I’ve never gotten close enough to the business end to find out personally, nor do I care to. I always just flip them on their backs, pop the hook out, and scoot them back into the water to fight another day. but since some of you have already been stung, I may as well learn from it.

Posted by Ken Jones

In the past…I have recommended cutting off the stingers (not the tail) if anglers were concerned about handling the rays (for fear of getting stuck). I would much rather have the stinger cut off and see anglers handle the ray in a gentle manner than having it knocked around. However, I believe experienced anglers should be able to handle the rays safely without needing to cut the stinger off. As for harm to the fish, I have been told by several people who should know that there is no harm to the rays. The stingers are routinely cut off of the bat rays at the petting ponds at several aquariums. They grow back in about a month and are then cut off again. Sort of like cutting your hair. That way these creatures can be petted by our youngsters with little concern as to danger. The petting ponds are great, especially at MBA

Bat Ray caught at the 2007 Mud Marlin Derby at Berkeley Pier

Posted by Red Fish

Monterey Bay Aquarium. I think that visiting an aquarium should be a requirement for all novice saltwater anglers along with study regs prior to a license issue. I think it would avoid a great deal of the nonsense killing of sharks and rays by the uninformed.

Posted by Songslinger

The petting ponds are great, especially at MBA. So true. And a visit to the kelp forest exhibit is worth the price of admission.

Posted by gyozadude

That’s some awesome engineering. That tidal tank with the kelp forest rises and falls due to a pump that resembles an oil well pump. Very cool stuff at Monterey. Maybe we should do a PFIC outing there.

Posted by fishnchips

They can release the stinger during a fight (don’t even know if they grow back), but I can see some a*@hole doing that to render him defenseless to all of the other predators. Too bad for the bat, he’s probably not gonna live much longer. It’s lucky not to die from being cut up. People will often do that to crabs, but isn’t that more cruel, than just refusing to release the animal back into the water? Eat the mother up if you don’t want to run into it again! Survival of the fittest right?… not him now.. what a pity. Cut dudes hands off at the wrist and watch him get into a brawl…. not doin’ too good I bet….same idea! Sorry just rambling, I hate to hear of people being cruel to animals because of boredom!…. that’s why they call it fishin’ not catchin’…. good ol’ fishnchips!

Posted by gyozadude

Another source of damage… is getting cut up during the fight through entanglement. I used to fish braid for bat rays up through mid summer this year. But I started noticing the bright red lines where the braid had tangled with the ray and damaged the outside skin. In fact, some cuts were quite deep, and that really puts the ray at risk of infection or parasites. So I’ve switched back to 25-lb mono and thicker. It’s less likely to cut than the much thinner braid. While it’s stretches more and is quite thick, I think it’s still beneficial to stick with mono in this case. Of course, mono is also cheaper.

Posted by fishnchips

Good to know, didn’t think of that, especially dealing with bats! Thanks for the tip!
….that’s why they call it fishin’ not catchin’….good ol’ fishnchips!

Date: July 21, 2003
To: PFIC Message Board
From: batman
Subject: All those interested in BAT RAY Stings

Is it true that you can put vinegar or if it really hurts and you can’t wait that you can pee on a bat ray sting or is that jelly fish? I don’t want to pee on my self for the wrong kind of sting. Batman

Posted by pEsCaDoR619

Any kind of sting… you want to pour hot water (hotter the better) on it. This will break up the toxins and ease the pain. This is why they say to pee on it because fresh urine is very warm (no I’ve never been peed on). Breaking down the toxins will also lessen the chances of any delayed effects of it.

Posted by OB Pier Rat

And that works! I know first hand-I got whacked by a stingray just a month or two ago, followed your instructions and the pain was gone in about an hour…

Posted by Anotherbite

On the Gulf Coast, the treatment I have know my entire life for jellyfish stings is rubbing dry meat tenderizer on the affected area. It always worked pretty well when I tried it. Has anyone else heard of this method, and if so, would it work on the sting of a ray?

Posted by baitfish

From what I have read the poison in stingrays is protein based, so the hot water actually cooks the poison, and neutralizes it. As for urine, I was under the impression that it was the ammonia in Urine that made it effective, anybody have anything on this? Adam

Date: June 14, 2004
To: PFIC Message Board
From: RaidersFan1
Subject: Best way to pick up a Bat Ray or…..

A Shovelnose Skate? I’ve seen guys pick them by sticking their fingers into their eyes but this just doesn’t seem humane to me. Do they have teeth or would you recommend sticking your fingers into its mouth to hoist them up to get them over the railing? Any help would be a great education for me… Thanks in advance!! Mike RaidersFan1

Posted by pescare

Here’s a past tutorial from Gdude. — Hoisting rays by the mouth

Posted by gyozadude on March 4, 2003

I’ve never been bitten while hoisting a bat ray by its mouth. And while I’ve had a few rays try to chomp down on my hand, they don’t have teeth and it has never hurt. I only theorize that with all four fingers in their mouth, they really can’t chomp down effectively, and once you’ve got them in the air with all their body weight hanging, they really can’t do jack squat. So I’m just wondering if I’ve just been lucky, or if lifting by the mouth really is the proper hold. I have read that they can crush mussels, clams, and other mollusks so use the hand hold at your own risk.
I’ve seen people lift rays using a net, or by two hands, one in each nostril. But both ways can cause lacerations, especially on the big rays. Plus, it’s messy. I don’t know if you’ve ever gotten bat ray snot on your hands. The stuff is really viscous and it stinks. Not that I really mind while fishing, but if you’ve gotta go home and hug your babies, this ain’t exactly stuff the spouse would approve of getting all over the kids. I’ve wiped my hands off on dry rags and then put them through the wash twice with hot water and extra detergent and still, the slime isn’t completely dissolved. So I really like the mouth hold because it’s a lot cleaner.

Technique is pretty easy. With palm facing up, just reach down under and slip your hand into the mouth and curl your fingers up. You should feel the tips of your fingers curl in and stop against the roof of the mouth. Then hoist quickly, and you’ve got it.

Posted by newgen

Wow what a picture! I think that I will use that hold on them, it seems more natural, and less harmful to their bodies than any other hold.

Posted by prometheus

By the mouth is the only effective way to pick up big rays with one hand since their nostrils are too far apart. Watch out for your hook though!

Bat Ray caught at the Mud Marlin Derby at Berkeley Pier in 2015

Posted by pEsCaDoR619

I wouldn’t try it on a big shovelnose. I did that with a 4-footer once and got the chomping of a lifetime. No teeth, just sandpaper-like cartilage for lips. But that sucker had some power in them jaws. I hurt for a good couple hours.

Posted by gyozadude

Spent four years washing dishes. LOL! One way to toughen up the hands is to wash dishes. I did that for four years during high school and early college and grew some thick skin! LOL! Seriously, if you’re afraid of the chomp, you can get some leather gardening gloves from Home Depot for a buck and that really protects the fingers. The key trick is assertiveness. You don’t want to second guess the ray and wonder if he’s gonna bite you. You just gotta stick your hand in there and grab it firm and hoist. If you dally too long, the ray might get the idea that it’s got “finger food” in its mouth and chomp down or thrash. I don’t think the chomp is all that heavy. The ray has mostly smooth plates inside its mouth and a couple of rows of ridges for teeth. If it chomps down, the ridges really can’t cut you, but if the ray flaps around and you loosen your grip, that’s where the ridges might slip and pinch you in the knuckles. So the key is to assert yourself, be quick, and be firm. Once hoisted, it’s like a bass with a hyper-extended lower jaw – pretty much paralyzed and cooperative

Posted by sharkshooter

Yeah – I’m familiar with the slime. Part of the reason I’m thinking about picking them up by the mouth, besides not wanting to damage them. pescador’s post makes me think twice about it, though…

Posted by prometheus

He’s just warning you not to try it with any shovelnose sharks, or skates for that matter. They both have teeth.

Posted by sharkshooter

Hmmm… I thought he was saying it was the power of the bite, and not the sandpaper lips that hurt. I guess I’ll try it with a glove first, and check for bite marks. Or I’ll just have raysniper do it first. He’ll do anything this board tells him to do.

Posted by lucy

Based on pics I’ve seen of the construction of a bat ray’s mouth, I believe you’re actually picking them up by what would, on a human, be the upper lip. The “plates” they use to crush oyster and other shells are actually farther inside the mouth, and unless you stick your fingers in there, you’re in no danger of being hurt because they can’t “chomp” with their lips.
I could be wrong about this, so don’t anybody rely on this—and if you do, don’t blame me if you lose some fingers.

Bat Ray logo by Lucy Phillips, 2004

Posted by andthelinegoeszziipp

Watch the stinger on the real small rays while gripping them by the mouths. They can actually curl their lower bodies and sting like a scorpions tail.

Date: March 14, 2005
TO: PFIC Message Board
From: Ken Jones
Subject: Seal Beach and stingrays —

“A quarter of all stingray-related injuries reported in the United States occur at little tiny Seal Beach,” says Lowe. “For locals who have lived here for a long time, it’s commonly called Ray Bay.”
Forget Sharks, Watch Out for Stingrays, Jellies
July 23, 2002
Release from:
LONG BEACH, California, July 23, 2002 (ENS)
The greatest threats to California beachgoers in these warm months are jellyfish and stingrays. Sharks are a distant third, says Dr. Christopher Lowe, assistant professor of biological sciences at California State University, Long Beach.
A marine biologist, Lowe specializes in elasmobranchs – sharks, skates and rays – as well as game fishes. He says these sea creatures often move closer to shore during warmer months.
Jellyfish pose particular problems because they can be hard to see. “They get stirred up in the waves and the person gets stung and never sees the jellyfish,” says Lowe. “Generally, its sting is characterized by a light, tingly sensation that gradually builds into a burning sensation that tends to be localized where the tentacles make contact with the person’s skin.”
Jellies “can have tentacles that can be very, very long – 30 to 40 feet when they’re extended – so a person can be swimming along, get stung by a tentacle and never actually see the jellyfish,” explained Lowe.
As for treatment, “Often when people get stung, they have a tendency to rub their skin, and quite often when they do that, they just smear the tentacle over more of their skin surface. If you see the jellyfish, the best thing to do is to try to gently grab the tentacle – ideally with something other than fingers – lift it off and flick it away. People recommend trying to use a credit card or piece of cardboard to scrape it off without smearing it over the skin,” Lowe said.
Because the toxin is topical, vinegar is a good treatment, Lowe recommends. “You can use ammonia as well as Adolph’s Meat Tenderizer. These will neutralize the toxin and take away the burn,” he says.
Getting stung by a ray is a more serious matter, especially if encountering a congregation of them. During the summer, stingrays move inshore and are most commonly found in estuaries, bays and along calm sand beaches, Lowe explains. “So the most likely places people encounter them would be if they were swimming at a bay beach or along a calm, sandy, muddy shoreline. They can aggregate in very, very large densities.”
When stepped on, a stingray whips up its long, barb-tipped tail.
“A quarter of all stingray-related injuries reported in the United States occur at little tiny Seal Beach,” says Lowe. “For locals who have lived here for a long time, it’s commonly called Ray Bay.”
Lowe researches the reasons for the high stingray population at Seal Beach. It may result from the breakwater off the Long Beach coast, which reduces shoreline wave action from around Seal Beach to San Pedro.
The San Gabriel River has several power plants that dump warm water effluent into that river, and that warms the water at Seal Beach, making it attractive for these rays, Lowe says.
Development of many of our bays and estuaries into marinas has reduced the natural habitat for the four types of stingrays found along California’s nearshore – diamond ray, round ray, butterfly ray and bat ray.
“So what we’ve done at Seal Beach,” Lowe says, “is, that through urban development, we’ve created a super habitat for some of these stingrays, and unfortunately, it just happens to be the same super habitat that humans like to go surf and swim and play in.”
‘In summer, we believe the rays are coming in to mate, and later in the summer, females are probably giving birth to their pups; rays give birth to live young,” said Lowe.
“The females might be staying in the warm water to speed up their gestation rate so their pups will develop faster. So the places where people are most likely to encounter them are when they’re walking around a shallow bay area through water that might only be a meter deep.”
The best way to avoid getting stung is to do what Lowe calls the “stingray shuffle” sliding one’s feet through the sand and under a ray. This will generally cause it to swim away without lashing its tail.
Stingrays are found right in the surf, and they also congregate just beyond the breakers. “A lot depends on the surf,” said Lowe. At places with milder waves, “we found stingrays right into the surf zone. By having that flat body, they kind of stick to the bottom and don’t get tumbled around. But that’s right in the place where people can’t see very well and as they’re walking through, that’s probably when they’ll accidentally step on one. But once you’re just beyond that zone is where we tend to find the greatest densities.”
Unlike the gradual sting of a jellyfish, “As soon as somebody gets stung, they’re going to know it, because it’s a barb that actually penetrates the skin and creates a wound,” said Lowe.
“Something has actually poked into your skin and there is mucus that covers the barb. Embedded in that mucus covering are toxin cells, so as the barb punctures the skin, it causes those cells to rupture and the toxin leaches into the individual’s skin,” is how he explained the pain.
“The first thing the individual should do when they’re stung is to do their shuffle back out of the water and try not to get stung again,” Lowe advises, “because quite often people hobble and when they do that, they take the chance of being stung again. You’ve got to think of it like going through a minefield. These animals are very social and tend to congregate. People ought to try to go back out the way they came in.”
“The general treatment is, first of all, make sure the wound is clean,” he said. “They should make sure the barb is no longer in there. The little barbs allow it to get wedged in, but when it pulls out, it pulls out a little bit of flesh and that helps rupture those toxin cells.”
In rare case, if the puncture is deep, the spine will actually pull out of the ray and get embedded in the individual’s skin. Then a medical doctor should remove it.
“In most cases it’s just maybe a quarter of an inch or smaller that penetrates the skin – just a quick poke is all it takes. It’s extremely painful. It’s not uncommon to see the toughest surfer dude weeping,” Lowe observed.
“As long as it’s clean and there are no bits of spine left in there, the best treatment is hot water – as hot as they can stand it. That helps denature the toxin. The general treatment should last an hour or more.”
For any type of beach injury, it’s best to seek medical attention from lifeguards who have the necessary training and equipment. The greatest concern is for individuals with severe allergies to stings. “Those people can go into anaphylactic shock and that’s why for some people, getting treatment right away is important,” said Lowe.
He advises such people to carry their anti-sting epinephrine medication. “It’s something people don’t think of taking to the beach.”
Lowe and his team of student researchers have been involved in discovering ways to help reduce stingray injuries. “In Seal Beach, the city has been looking at ways of reducing injuries to the public, and they’ve tried everything from eradication to translocation – trying to move as many as they could.”
Since none of these efforts were successful, or were considered to be ecologically reasonable, Lowe proposed a stingray barb-clipping program. “The barb is similar to a fingernail; it’s basically a modified scale,” Lowe said. “It doesn’t have any nerves leading to it, so you can clip off the pointy end.”
But after two years of clipping the barbs of about 2,000 stingrays, Lowe and his student team found that these rays replace their spines every late summer to early fall. A new spine grows in, the original spine falls off, so at no point are these rays really without a spine.
Lowe has concluded that the barb-clipping technique will not work at the scale that they were doing it. He now believes that “the answer is better education.”
For more information on Lowe’s research, visit: http://www.csulb.edu/web/labs/sharklab

Round Stingray caught at the Crystal Pier in San Diego by Mike Granat 

Posted by FakeFisherman

That’s where I got my sting…Seal Beach, except I caught the stingray off the pier and got stung trying to handle it. I’m sure the stings would be much worse if you were in the water and actually stepped on one.
There’s a funny story here, too. As I was taking pictures of the wound, a couple was walking on the pier and came over to see what kind of weirdo was taking pictures of his own bloody hand. I told them that I just got stung by a stingray, and apparently they had a friend who’d also been stung recently. The husband said, “You can put some steak sauce on it and it should feel better.” I wasn’t sure if he was serious or not, so I kind of smiled and said, “ahhh.” Then the wife looked at him quizzically and quipped, “Not steak sauce…MEAT TENDERIZER!” We all had a good laugh after that.
FYI the wound was only about 1/4″ wide, but it was a little bit deeper than 1/4″ and was on the meaty side of my hand (pinky side). The stingray itself was no more than about 10” across.
The initial sting was obvious. Within 10 minutes it was annoying. After 30 mins it was hot, and the pain had spread through to my pinky. After an hour, half my hand – including the pinky and ring finger was extremely numb and the pain was pretty sharp. In two hours it was difficult to close those fingers. I’m probably stupid for doing this, but I never really took care of it and wanted to see what would happen with this sting.
During the next four weeks or so, the side of my hand was extremely hard and swollen, and sometime bluish. I would occasionally squeeze some fluid from the wound, but when I did this the swelling would increase over the next couple days. I was probably spreading around whatever toxin was still in my hand. It remained hard and distended and sometimes sensitive through about the 6th week, and then everything kind of went away. I still have a tiny scar to show for it.
Lesson: If you get stung, use meat tenderizer…NOT steak sauce!-Matty

Posted by jph

That’s where I got my sting…that must have been a baby bat ray that stung you, and still it sounds like it did quite a bit of damage. I wonder what one of those big guys can do?
anyway, I think my first reaction would be to suck the wound and spit out whatever comes out if it’s in a location that allows this.

Date: October 7, 2005
To: PFIC Message Board
From: Mr. Pole Pack
Subject: Question about stingers…

Anyone who’s been to the Monterey Bay Aquarium knows they have a bat ray petting tank. Last time I was there, I checked to see if their stingers were removed. They weren’t. Does this kiddy petting pool prove the stingers aren’t too dangerous? I’ve never seen some one get hurt by a ray’s stinger while it was on its back on land.

Posted by wang

I was told they cut them off (or down). I volunteered at the Aquarium of the Pacific for about a year. I was told the stingers are cut every 2-3 months. The stingers on ray are like fingernails, they grow back. The only downfall is, if they loose their stinger, that they are defenseless until it grows back. The tails doesn’t grow back if they are cut off.

Posted by eelmaster

The stingers WERE removed last time I was there.

Posted by geese

I would imagine it to be like a scorpion sting, or perhaps I may be wrong, it might be much more painful! Don’t want to find out.

Posted by Clayman

Have you looked at the size of those stingers on bat rays? They’re huge, and covered with slime. I’ve never been stung by a scorpion, but I’m sure a sting by a bat ray would REALLY hurt, and it would probably get all infected real fast. For sharp stingers, it’s hard to beat the two spines on spiny dogfish. Now those things are big AND sharp!

Posted by stripesidechaser

BTW, that isn’t slime on the stinger! That is actually a skin covered poison filled pod. The affects the nerve endings and causes intense pain (as if a 4″ long, 1/4″ wide barbed spear isn’t painful enough). When they stab an object, some of that “pod” breaks off inside (unlike RH’s buddy, most of the time the sting comes back out). I saw an extremely drunk guy get stung in the calve… That dude went sober!

Posted by q3fishboy

The Monterey Bay Aquarium does clip the stingers off of all the bat rays and stingrays that may be touched on display. As previously stated, the stingers are similar to our fingernails, and are actually made from the same protein. I have heard that the Monterey Bay Aquarium will catch bat rays, cut off the stinger, and put them in the touch tank. After the stingers begin to grow back, they will put them in a different tank where they cannot be touched. Finally, after the stinger is completely regrown, they will return the bat rays to the wild. I do not know if this cycle is true, because before the upgrade to the tank, I could actually recognize all of the rays in there individually. Though they have all changed since the upgrade, I don’t know if that actually cycle them regularly. However, they do clip the stingers off.
If you go to the Sharks Mystery and Myth touch tank and look at the round sting rays, it is much more noticeable and you can see exactly where the stinger used to be, as there is a small depression in the tail. However, the spines on the horn shark are a different structure, and do not grow back, so the Monterey Bay Aquarium does not trim them. However, they do have horn sharks in the touch tank in Sharks Mystery and Myth. So, they attempted to take a nail file and file the spines so they were not as sharp, which kind of worked.
Sorry about the long post, but I have spent way too much time at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and though I have no official affiliation with the place, I really love it.

Bat Ray caught at Tides Wharf in Bodega Bay, 2004

Posted by outtosea2

I know a lot of people post BAT RAY pix here on the message board and hopefully most of them are returned to the water, much like one of my past 170# plus MAMMA BAT RAY that was returned unharmed to give birth.
What really irritates me is when ignorant people keep cutting off and mutilating the STINGERS and TAILS of these great fighters, just to throw them back into the sea to DIE later. I once hassled a jerk on NP PIER as to his cutting these STINGERS off only to put another one in his little glass “BRAGGING” collection jar.
TROPHY JAR, I think NOT!!
STUPIDITY JAR, YES!!
After we all got on his case and made him look like an idiot in front of all the people crowds he attracted I think he finally got the message he wasn’t wanted there, and never has come back to my knowledge!!
Many BAT RAYS are left TOO LONG on the HOT CONCRETE PIER DECK to cook inside and or suffer organ damage from their excessive body weight on them, as they are a fish out of water once brought ashore, or taken out of their water element. In the water they are virtually weightless! I’ve seen many a dead BAT RAY under the piers while scuba diving to know!!
Eating them is one thing as a food source if they are big enough, as there is no size limit, bag limit, or species restrictions of any kind on them, and maybe there should be. A BABY KILLER is a bay killer by any means, all restrictions set aside. Hope my input sheds some different light on these often misunderstood yet magnificent fighters of the deep blue sea! Happy fishing, Frank

Posted by Ken Jones

Stingrays do not “attack” aggressively, or even actively defend themselves, when threatened their primary reaction is to swim away. However, when they are attacked by predators or stepped on, the barbed stinger in their tail is mechanically whipped up, usually into the offending foot; it is also possible, although less likely, to be stung “accidentally” by brushing against the stinger.
Contact with the stinger causes local trauma (from the cut itself), pain and swelling from the venom, and possible infection from parts of the stinger left in the wound, as well as from seawater entering the wound. It is possible for ray stings to be fatal if they sever major arteries, are in the chest or pelvic region, or are improperly treated. Their stingers are normally ineffective against their main predator, sharks.
Treatment for stings includes hot water (as hot as the victim can stand), which helps ease pain and break down the venom, and antibiotics. Vinegar or urine may or may not be successful in easing pain; neither cleans the wound properly. Other possible pain remedies include meat tenderizer. Pain normally lasts up to 48 hours but is most severe in the first 30-60 minutes and may be accompanied by nausea, fatigue, headaches, chills, etc.

Posted by CatchinKelp, October 13, 2010

Bat rays are the friendliest fish on earth, it is true. That is why I have a hard time imagining taking and eating one. It’s like… eating my dog or something… :p

Posted by clayman

The big rays have always reminded me of big cows, the way they make all kinds of slurping/snorting noises when on land. Even though I find them somewhat annoying when I’m targeting other species, I wouldn’t have the heart to kill one.

The correct way to hold a Bat Ray — caught at the Green Pleasure Pier in Avalon by Rita Magdamo in 2011

Link: http://www.tropicalleather.com/Biology-of-stingray

Bat Ray logo developed by esteemed “Pier Rat” Lucy Phillips in 2004.

I’ve been a fan of bat rays for many years and for over a decade Pier Fishing In California (PFIC) and the United Pier and Shore Anglers of California (UPSAC) held an annual “Mud Marlin Derby” at the Berkeley Pier.

Given my affection for the big old beasts, it stood to reason that I was offended by the following story in my hometown (at the time) newspaper, the Lodi News-Sentinel. I felt the story was so filled with errors that I had to respond.

Bat ray taken from the Morro Bay North T-Pier in 2006.

LODI’S ‘STINGRAY HUNTER’ — Local says his passion is capturing ‘ghetto fish’, By Scott Kaul, Lodi News-Sentinel Staff Writer

At the age of 13, Lodi resident Kevin Burns made his way from his father’s house to the nearby San Francisco Bay and set up for what he thought would be a normal day of fishing for striped bass. After resting his fishing rod against a trash can, he sat back and enjoyed the cool Bay air. Minutes later, the rod leapt off the can and down the shore with Burns darting after it.

After about half an hour of wrestling with the mystery fish in the water, Burns reeled in his strangest catch ever. It was a stingray. “And boy was it ugly,” he said. But that ugly fish set him on his lifelong passion.

Now 43 and residing in Lodi, Burns is a self-described “stingray hunter.” He makes his living marketing timeshares, but he said catching stingrays is his life’s work.

Burns said he was shocked to hear the news that Steve Irwin, the famed “crocodile hunter” was recently killed by a stingray. Though he said the creatures are generally not hostile and will only attack when bothered, they are relatively easy to control when they do attack. “It must have just been a freak accident,” he said.

Using his own combination of squid and anchovies as bait, Burns said he regularly makes the trek back to the Bay to hunt what he and his friends call the “ghetto fish.”

The name comes from the fact that most fishermen avoid hooking the rays, which they see as troublesome and mostly useless — stingrays are practically inedible and rather poisonous. Burns and his buddies, however, actively seek them out, if mostly just for the thrill of the catch.

“Stingrays are probably the hardest-fighting fish out there,” he said. “Reeling one in is like a full workout at the gym.” After he’s caught the stingray and taken a picture with it, he usually throws it back, he said.

Neither Burns nor any of his friends have ever been seriously injured by a stingray, but he says they have been stung several times. He keeps pictures of the wounds and paper towels spotted with blood as mementos from the one time a stingray’s barbed tail caught him across his right knee. Burns regularly fishes at his secret spot on the bay to catch the poisonous rays. “I was lucky, though,” he said, rubbing the scar the attack left behind. “The barb didn’t stick in, so it only bled.”

Since the incident, Burns said he has learned to properly handle his prey without getting stung. The trick, he said, is to hold the ray by small “port holes” located on either side of its head near the eyes. “That way, they can’t get to you,” he said.

The stingrays Burns and his hunting pals usually snare at his “secret fishing spot” in the Bay range from tiny to enormous, with the largest he’s ever caught weighing close to 240 pounds. Though generally, he said, they are closer to 100 pounds.

Burns said hunting stingrays requires no special equipment. “Just a pole and 30-pound test line,” he said. “And about 45 minutes to reel it in.”

Aside from the stingrays, Burns also seeks out sand sharks and leopard sharks, which he said are “good eatin’.” His largest catch, he said, was a 6-foot leopard shark, which he nicknamed Jaws after the film, which had been released around the time he caught it. “I got it just barely in the water, and I had nothing to keep pulling it out of the water with,” he said. “So I just grabbed its gills and pulled it, saying ‘you are not going to be a fish-that-got-away story!’”

Hunting stingrays and sharks is his life, but Burns said his ultimate dream is to go after big game fish in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, or compete in ESPN’s “Monster Shark Tournament” where contestants pull in sharks weighing up to 1,200 pounds. “I want to get out there and have proof, instead of just talking about it.” He said. “I refuse to tell fish stories.”

A bat ray at the Elephant Rock Pier in Tiburon

Stingrays at a glance: Stingrays generally do not attack, but if they do they use their poisonous barbed tails to sting predators.

• A sting will usually cause intense pain and swelling to the victim, but in very rare cases it may kill. Only two other reported instances of a sting directly to the heart, as occurred in the death of Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin, have been reported.

• Only 17 deaths related to stingray stings total have been reported.

• Rays can grow up to 6 feet in diameter. Their diet consists mostly of squid, small fish, and crabs. Their natural predator is the shark.

• Most of the stingray is considered inedible or flavorless, but some people do eat it the wing-like fins and the meaty area around the eyes called the cheek.

Source: http://www.discovery.com.

Lodi News-Sentinel, September 6, 2006

The newspaper article almost demanded a response.

To The Editor, Regarding Lodi’s ‘Stingray Hunter’

As a Lodi resident, and a subscriber to the Lodi News-Sentinel, I was flabbergasted and rather disgusted this morning when I opened the paper to see your story on Lodi’s ‘Stingray Hunter.’ The story is filled with inaccuracies and unfortunately does harm and disservice to a species that is not a ‘ghetto fish’ as you suggest but instead is a quite charming species. In fact, if you have ever taken your children to the Monterey Aquarium (or several other coastal aquariums) a highlight was probably the “petting pool” where “sting rays”—generally bat rays, allow the children to pet them and actually will come up to the children in a non-fish-like manner.

About now you may be questioning my credentials to criticize your story. I am the author of Pier Fishing In California, 1^st and 2^nd Editions. I am president of United Pier and Shore Anglers of California, the largest organization dedicated solely to pier and shore anglers. I am vice president of the Outdoor Writers Association of California (OWAC). I am also an angler who has several thousand fishing trips under my belt (yep, I’m old) and one who has caught several hundred bat rays—your so-called ‘ghetto fish.’

A bat ray caught at the Fortman Marina Pier in 2012

I also own and run a website—Pier Fishing In California, pierfishing.com—that was started nine years ago to educate fellow pier anglers and to serve as a home base for those same anglers.

One of our main goals has been education regarding the marine environment and the development of ethical and conservationist attitudes toward fishing. Early on there developed a special focus on bat rays because (1) they are a common catch from piers and shoreline areas, (2) they were abused more than almost any other fish, and (3) they’re neat little (and big) creatures.

Many, many posts and threads on the website have focused on bat rays and I believe I can say that today they are a respected species. In fact, we have had a “Mud Marlin” Derby at Berkeley Pier for the past five years with upwards of one hundred people in attendance at most of the events. At the derby, any bat rays that are caught (called mud marlins for their hard fighting character) are netted, measured, and then returned via net back to the water.

What are the factual errors that need correction? In chronological order —

1. “Though he said the creatures are generally not hostile and will only attack when bothered, they are relatively easy to control when they do attack.” I have NEVER seen a bat ray attack a person nor does my extensive library of books on fish document actual “attacks” on people. If stepped upon, sting rays (and bat rays) will, in reflex, swing up their tail that contains the barb and people can be hurt. And, careless anglers are sometimes stuck with the barb when inappropriately handling the rays. But I do not think I would call these attacks.  In addition, I would suggest that bat rays are not only not hostile, but indeed fairly gentle in manner most of the time.

2. “Burns said he regularly makes the trek back to the Bay to hunt what he and his friends call the ‘ghetto fish.’ The name comes from the fact that most fishermen avoid hooking the rays, which they see as troublesome and mostly useless — stingrays are practically inedible and rather poisonous. Actually there are a vast number of anglers (i.e., Burns) who fish specifically for sharks and rays mainly because of their fighting ability. In fact, the term mud marlin has become a favorite name for these hard fighting fish.

Inedible and rather poisonous? No, no, no. Many people find bat ray meat delicious and in days gone by you may have found yourself eating their meat disguised under another name. Indeed, in Pier Fishing In California, 2^nd Ed., I show how to clean bat rays and give recipes on how to eat them.

3. “Since the incident, Burns said he has learned to properly handle his prey without getting stung. The trick, he said, is to hold the ray by small ‘port holes’ located on either side of its head near the eyes.” Although not technically a factual error, most experienced bat ray fisherman, those who are conservationists, do not hold the rays in such a manner. Instead they actually hold up the rays by their mouth (and we can show you how to do it).

 The correct way to hold a bat rat. A bat ray taken at the “Mud Marlin Derby” at the Berkeley Pier in 2015.

4. “The stingrays Burns and his hunting pals usually snare at his “secret fishing spot” in the Bay range from tiny to enormous, with the largest he’s ever caught weighing close to 240 pounds. Though generally, he said, they are closer to 100 pounds.” The official California record fish weighed 181 lb 0 oz and was taken at Huntington Beach in 1978. Bat rays to 240 pounds have been reported while most that are caught from piers and shoreline areas are under 50 pounds in weight.

From Pier Fishing In California, 2^nd Ed. —

Bat Ray

Species: Myliobatis californica; from the Greek words myl (a tooth or molar), io (an arrow or poison), batis (a skate or ray) and the Latin word Californica  (referring to location).

Alternate Names: Stingray, stingaree, sea ray, eagle ray, batfish, big black, sea bird, flapper, rat tailed sting ray, mud marlin (my favorite), and monkey face ray.

Identification:  Bat rays have a very heavy raised head and a dorsal fin at the base of a long whip-like tail with a stinger just behind it. Their coloring is blackish or blackish brown above and white below. Beware of the stinger.

A bat ray stinger

Size: To six feet across and over 200 pounds; a 240-pound bat ray was reported from Newport Bay in 1957. Most bat rays caught off piers are under 50 pounds, but many in excess of a hundred pounds are caught every year. I’ve seen pictures of a 176-pound bat ray from the Newport Pier and a 175-pound bat ray from the Aliso Beach Pier. (I also received a report on the Pier Fishing in California Message Board of a 246-pound fish with an 8.5-foot wingspan that was reputedly taken from the Newport Pier in the ’80s). The official California record fish weighed 181 lb 0 oz and was taken at Huntington Beach in 1978.

Range:  From the Gulf of California to Oregon.

Habitat: Prefers a flat, rocky bottom or sand among rocks. Most commonly caught in bays and the deeper water areas around piers.

Piers:  Bat rays are caught at almost all piers in California, both oceanfront and those in bays. Best bets: Shelter Island Pier, San Clemente Pier, Balboa Pier, Newport Pier, Huntington Beach Pier, Redondo Beach Pier, Hermosa Beach Pier, Stearns Wharf (Santa Barbara), Gaviota Pier, Cayucos Pier, Berkeley Pier, Elephant Rock Pier (Tiburon), Angel Island Pier, and Del Norte Street Pier (Eureka).

Bait and Tackle: Oysters, clams, crabs, shrimp, abalone, snails and worms are their main food, but bat rays will take almost any bait. However, live bait such as anchovies, ghost shrimp, mud shrimp and grass shrimp work best. Frozen squid also works well and is probably the least expensive and easiest bait to use. Central California anglers like to fish at night with a whole cut fish (small croaker or mackerel). It’s reported by the way that these strong rays use their pectoral fins to lift their body rapidly up and down to create a suction that sweeps away the sand and gives easy access to their food on the bottom. Because of the potential large size, anglers wishing to fish specifically for bat rays should use heavy tackle and have a net available to bring the fish up onto the pier. 

Food Value:  Excellent.

Comments: Many anglers concentrate on bat rays because of their large size. The bat rays also put up a strong fight and are delicious to eat once the fight is over. Of interest are the bat ray pools found at several aquariums (including the Monterey Aquarium and the Chula Vista Nature Center). The bat rays can be petted and in fact are rather pet-like; some even seem to like to have their backs stroked. Yes, their stingers have been removed! The stingers are cut off about once a month before they reach a length long enough to hurt anyone. The bat rays evidently suffer no harm from this minor surgery. However, bat rays in the wild still have their spines and can do a lot of damage if handled in a careless manner, so be very careful if you catch one (and some bat rays have two or even three stingers). For some reason Stearns Wharf in Santa Barbara sees a lot of small, immature bat rays and they’re usually called monkey face rays.

Scientists report that bat rays move into inshore waters to breed during the summer then tend to move offshore in the winter (so guess when they are more likely to be caught from a pier). While inshore, they are sometimes found in large concentrations. At times these bat ray gatherings contain several thousand individuals. The sea bottom holding these creatures must look a little weird and would certainly have a somewhat alien feeling; not sure if it would be more like a black-cloaked Darth Vader convention, a Raider Nation convention, or something even more outlandish (and scary), a political convention.

One additional thought concerns your use of the term ghetto, and I must admit that I hate to bring it up. It’s a legitimate word but the context in which it was used here is suspect. Although I myself cringe at how easily people can get upset over the use of a word, as a former teacher I also realize that words do have an impact. Too often the word ghetto is used imputatively in relation to a race or to a certain culture. I’ve rarely heard it used in reference to a fish, or a type of fishing, unless used in a pejorative manner. Hopefully here it was just carelessness but again I think it opens you to criticism.

In conclusion, please be careful when you write a story such as this. There’s enough sensationalism, exaggeration and poor reporting in the newspapers today without including yourself in the mix. And, as for the poor bat rays, I’m sure there will be some determined anglers that set out to avenge the Croc Hunter by killing a few of the creatures. Stories such as yours may encourage such fools.

Rita Magdamo and a bat ray taken at the Green Pleasure Pier in Avalon

In response to my letter I was asked to write a short article.

The Mighty Mud Marlin, By Ken Jones, Lodi Sentinel-News, September 8, 2006

Fish are just fish, right? That might have been the accepted opinion at one time but today with whole industries devoted to black bass, trout, and billfish, it seems a slightly outdated concept. Some fish are big bucks, some are not, and in our consumer-dominated society that simple fact often translates into publicity and sharp distinctions as to what fish are good and what fish are bad.

One fish that has recently begun to gain attention in California, and to buck this trend, is the Darth Vader imitatin’ bat ray, Myliobatis californica, a ray found from the Gulf of California to Oregon. Long maligned, and still abused by some ill-informed anglers, it has begun to attract a new legion of admirers even though it wouldn’t seem to be able to compete with the better-known species.

Perhaps in part this is due to the various aquariums around the state. Bat rays, minus their stingers (they’re generally trimmed down once a month), are allowed to be in petting pools that kids can reach. The rays almost always display a nose nuzzlin’, non-fish-like behavior loved by most kids. Happy kids = happy parents.

 It may be due to the publicity surrounding the fighting ability of the bat rays, a trait that has led to the popularization of a second name—mud marlin. They are often the largest and strongest fish in the areas in which they are found and even though a Huntington Beach fish weighing 181 pounds 0 ounces holds the state record, several fish approaching or exceeding 200 pounds in weight have been reported.

Another reason for their popularity may be the Mud Marlin Get Togethers that have been held at the Berkeley Pier for the past five years. Most years see upward of a hundred anglers and also a medley of concoctions (including anchovy-stuffed squid) cast out by anglers eager to lure the hard fighting fish to their hooks. When hooked, the crowd follows the fight, although only about one in three fish actually is netted and makes it up to the pier. Once measured, the fish are gently returned via the net to fight another day.

Lastly, a major reason for their popularity may be the discussions and posted threads on the Pier Fishing In California Message Board (pierfishing.com). Often the neophyte anglers simply admire the fighting ability of the fish or their size. Several of the more experienced anglers though have noted their special traits and some have even decided to no longer pursue the fish. One long time expert, Boyd Grant of Goleta, stopped completely after catching a large ray—and giving it away—to a fellow angler in Morro Bay. He said the fish had watched him with its Bette Davis eyes and he couldn’t get the thought out of his mind. Strange talk from an experienced angler with nearly fifty years fishing California’s south coast.

The bat ray, often given such nicknames as stingray, sea ray, eagle ray, batfish, big black, sea bird, flapper, and monkey face ray (not to count the derisive term ghetto fish used in a Lodi Sentinel story), just seems to glide along winning converts and respect.

Attention though must be given to their stinger. The stinger, located on their whip-like tail, can cause a painful wound. And, as seen in the recent case of Steve Irwin, the noted crocodile expert who was stung by an Australian species of stingray, even death is a possibility.  However, most anglers who seek out the fish are careful and most have never been stung.

Aside from the stinger, the fish is a harmless fish never known to attack a person. They tend to prefer a flat, rocky bottom or sand among rocks and most commonly are caught in bays or in waters around coastal piers. The distinctive rays have a very heavy raised head and a dorsal fin at the base of their tail. Their coloring is blackish or blackish brown above and white below.

Oysters, clams, crabs, shrimp, abalone, snails and worms are the rays’ main food but bat rays will take almost any bait. Frozen squid seems the favorite bait of most anglers but live bait such as anchovies, ghost shrimp, and grass shrimp often work best.

Catch and release has become the model for an increasing number of ray hunters but some people still keep and eat the rays. Their flesh is good eating but has a strange texture, much like scallops, and they do take time to clean. Recipes on the Pier Fishing In California web site have ranged from teriyaki smoked bat ray to bat ray chowder so the meat is versatile. Still though you have those Bette Davis eyes and many prefer just to release the fish gently back into the water.

]]> http://kenjonesfishing.com/2017/03/bat-rays-a-brouhaha-in-lodi/feed/ 0 http://kenjonesfishing.com/2016/11/jacksmelt/ http://kenjonesfishing.com/2016/11/jacksmelt/#comments Wed, 16 Nov 2016 18:47:13 +0000 kenjones http://kenjonesfishing.com/?p=13843 Silversides—Family Atherinidae

Jacksmelt

Species: Atherinopsis californiensis (Girard, 1854); from the Greek words ather (a spike or arrow) and ops (like), and californiensis (in reference to the geographic area).

Alternate Names: Smelt, California smelt, horse smelt, blue smelt, silverside, pescado del rey, Peixe rey and Pesce rey. Called pejerrey mocho in Mexico.

Identification: Smelt-like shape and very similar to the topsmelt. They have two dorsal fins; the anal fin begins below the first dorsal fin. Their coloring is grayish-green above with a bluish tinge, silver below. A metallic band tinged with blue and edged with bright blue extends the length of the body. The cheek has a yellowish blotch.

Jacksmelt caught by Mike Granat at the Port View Park PIer in Oakland

Size: To 17 1/2 inches. In southern California, anglers catch both jacksmelt and topsmelt and most of the fish are small. Occasionally a few larger fish do appear, with almost all fish over 12 inches being jacksmelt. In northern California, the majority of smelt appear to be over 12 inches in length. The “official” California record was a fish weighing 1 lb 8 oz; it was caught near San Nicholas Island in 1998.  

Range: From Bahia Magdalena, southern Baja California, and the Gulf of California, to Yaquina Bay, Oregon. Uncommon north of California.

Habitat: Bays and shallow oceanfront water, especially near rocky areas like jetties where there is a good current to sweep food near the fish.

Jacksmelt caught by “Supersmelt” in Newport Bay

Piers: Jacksmelt are caught at virtually every pier in California. Larger jacksmelt are especially abundant at piers in bays, and even more so at bay piers adjacent to rocky points. Best bets: Oceanside Pier, Newport Pier, Huntington Beach Pier, Redondo Beach Pier, Hermosa Beach Pier, Gaviota Pier, Pismo Beach Pier, Port San Luis Pier, Santa Cruz Wharf, Pillar Point Harbor Pier, San Francisco Municipal Pier, Berkeley Pier, Elephant Rock Pier, Fort Baker Pier, Lawson Landing Pier (Tomales Bay), Tides Wharf (Bodega Bay), Commercial Street Dock (Eureka) and the “B” Street Pier (Crescent City).

Shoreline: Sometimes taken by inshore anglers fishing near rocks or jetties.

Boats: Sometimes taken by boaters, especially those fishing Morro Bay and San Francisco Bay.

Thomas Orosco and a mess of jacksmelt from the Berkeley Pier

Bait and Tackle: Two main outfits are used. First is a simple snag line made with several small hooks, either left bare or to which colored yarn or cloth has been attached (like a Lucky Joe rigging). This is commonly used in southern California and the angler simply jigs the leader up and down trying to attract and snag the fish. In northern California, a leader is usually made up with six to eight small hooks spaced every six inches apart. A float or large bobber is attached above the hooks. Each hook is baited with a very small piece of pile worm, bloodworm or shrimp and the outfit is allowed to drift with the current. The result is often 3-6 fish caught at one time. Caution — In San Francisco Bay these  smelt rigs are limited to three hooks.

Food Value: A tasty fish when pan-fried although there are a lot of bones and usually quite a few worms in the flesh.

Comments: For their size jacksmelt put up a terrific fight. Many anglers have been startled to have a jacksmelt hit a bait at full throttle and come to realize that a fairly small fish has put up such a terrific battle.

A jacksmelt from the Port San Luis Pier

A jacksmelt from the Elephant Rock Pier

If you catch one jacksmelt you are almost assured of catching more — Jacksmelt at the Candlestick Pier in San Francisco in 2008

]]> http://kenjonesfishing.com/2016/11/jacksmelt/feed/ 0 http://kenjonesfishing.com/2016/10/spiny-dogfish/ http://kenjonesfishing.com/2016/10/spiny-dogfish/#comments Fri, 14 Oct 2016 21:05:44 +0000 kenjones http://kenjonesfishing.com/?p=12242 Order Squaliformes 

Dogfish Sharks—Family Squalidae

Large spiny dogfish taken at the Cayucos Pier in 2007

Species: Squalus acanthias (Linnaeus, 1758); from the Latin word squalus  (shark) and the Greek word akanthias (spines), or Squalus suckleyi; from the Latin word squalus (shark) and suckleyi honoring George Suckley (1830-1869), a naturalist and Civil War surgeon. Pick A or B—but why the choice? It’s an ichthyologist thing! Squalus acanthias is the scientific name given to the common North Atlantic (or worldwide) dogfish. Squalus suckleyi is a name given to the dogfish found in the north Pacific. These fish are considered a distinct species by some ichthyologists. California Fish & Game Bulletin No. 28, edited by Lionel Walford (early ‘30s), lists the scientific name of spiny dogfish as Squalus suckleyi. California Fish & Game Bulletin No. 91, edited by Phil M. Rodel (1953) lists the name as Squalus acanthias and makes the following statement, “The north Pacific and north Atlantic dogfishes were long regarded as separate species (S. suckleyi and S. acanthias respectively), but Bigelow and Schroeder (1948) found no difference between them. Because the Atlantic dogfish was described first, its scientific name takes precedence.” Since that time the California Fish & Game has used Squalus acanthias as the official scientific name. In Sharks, Rays, and Chimaeras of California by David A. Ebert (2003), perhaps the pre-eminant book on these species, he uses Squalus acanthias and states, “no significant morphological characteristics have been found to separate these species.” Still, if you open ten books you may find five listing one scientific name, five the other.

Spiny dogfish taken at the Ventura Pier in 2002 by Tim Durham

Alternate Names: Dogfish, dog shark, gray shark, grayfish, paloma, spinarola (in Humboldt Bay), pinback shark, mud shark, sand shark, Henle’s shark, and my favorite, green-eyed grinner. The fact that dogfish have an almost worldwide distribution means they also have a plethora of interesting names. On the west coast of America dogfish are called k’aaxada can, q’ad can or kaad (Haida and Tlingit—British Columbia,) and tiburó de Espina or galludo (Mexico). Given their worldwide distribution, dogfish may be the winner of the “Most Alternate Names Award.” Apparently, the common name “dogfish” originated not from looking like a dog, or barking like a dog (although that would be interesting), but from fishermen who described these fish as chasing smaller fish in large dog-like “packs.”

Usually if you catch one dogfish there will be more around

Identification: They have a spine at front of each dorsal fin (the only other shark that has this is the horn shark) but no anal fin. They also have a long, flattened, pointed nose. Their coloring is generally gray or light brown above and white below. Spiny dogfish are sometimes confused with smoothhound sharks but smoothies do not have dorsal spines.

Large catches are not uncommon — all taken at the Ventura Pier in 2003

Size: To slightly more than five feet; those caught at piers are generally less than  four feet in length.

Spiny dogfish at the Cayucos Pier in 2007

Range: Found throughout temperate seas; in the eastern Pacific it ranges from Isla San Martin, southern Baja California, to the Gulf of California, and on to the Bering Sea, coast of Alaska, and the Aleutian Islands. A population is also found in Chile. In the western Pacific, the dogfish occurs from the Bering Sea to New Zealand. Dogfish are found in the western Atlantic Ocean from Greenland to Argentina and in the eastern Atlantic from Iceland and Murmanski Coast (Russia) to South Africa including the Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea. An example of their range (and wandering nature) was seen in a dogfish that was caught on the half-day boat Daily Double off San Diego on September 23, 2013. It had been tagged on July 20, 2010 in Yakutsk Bay in the Gulf of Alaska, 1,847 nautical miles away.

Spiny dogfish from the Cayucos Pier in 2006

Habitat: Generally found in deeper water in southern California and shallower water north of Point Conception. Inshore areas see the best fishing from the spring to the fall; may move offshore during the winter. Typically found in large schools with young, immature dogs found in mixed groups of males and females; older, mature dogs hang with those of a similar sex, males in one school, females in another. How boring.

Spiny dogfish from the Ventura Pier in 2003

Piers: Although many dogfish are caught from piers in Washington and British Columbia, they are of much less importance to piers in California. Nevertheless, a number are caught every year from piers in central and northern California. Best bets: Pismo Beach Pier, Cayucos Pier, Capitola Wharf, Santa Cruz Wharf, Pacifica Pier, San Francisco Municipal Pier, Fort Baker Pier, Fort Mason Piers and the Berkeley Pier. Almost any of the piers in Humboldt Bay can also be labeled excellent. Quite a few have also been reported from the Huntington Beach Pier, Hermosa Beach Pier, and Ventura Pier, all in southern California.

A number of dogfish and one small swell shark from the Cayucos Pier in 2007

Shoreline: Quite a few are caught from shoreline areas in Humboldt Bay.

Boats: A common catch for boaters in Humboldt Bay and occasionally taken by rockcod anglers from central California north,

Bait and Tackle: Most dogfish caught from piers are of moderate size, 18 to 36 inches long. Because of the sharp teeth, a light wire leader or heavy monofilament line should be used. Generally medium tackle is used with hook size 2 to 4/0. Best bait seems to be squid but in San Francisco Bay ghost shrimp and small live fish also work well. Dogfish have a disturbing habit of twisting around the line and are a pain in the proverbial butt to remove.

A spiny dogfish from the Elephant Rock Pier in 2007

Food Value: Considered a fair quality fish that is moderate in fat content. The flesh is firm, moderate in taste, and is generally considered best suited for frying.   The English must agree since have used dogfish for their fish and chips for centuries. However, it is also very popular in Europe as a hot-smoked product, especially in Germany and the Netherlands. It does need to be cleaned properly and kept cool before cooking.

Spiny dogfish from the Newport Pier in 2003

Comments: Like the horn shark, anglers should be very careful when handling dogfish. Watch out for the dorsal spines and the unexpectedly sharp teeth.

The spine of a spiny dogfish taken at the Ventura Pier in 2011 by Yomero

Since dogfish generally swim in large schools, if you catch one there is a good chance that others may not be too far behind. On a trip to Washington back in the ’70s, I learned about their prodigious numbers and schooling nature. In Tacoma there was (and maybe still is) a sportfishing company called Dogfish Charters. Although the boats primarily fished for walleye pollock, rockfish, and Pacific cod, the dogfish were bound to show up. In fact the boat offered a free trip to anyone who failed to catch a dogfish. How did I do? Mixed in with 20+ pollock and copper rockfish were four dogfish. I didn’t earn a free trip—darn!

Another example of their numbers was seen during a doctor’s office visit in 2013. One day I was calmly gritting my teeth and nodding approvingly as my doctor stun-gunned my face and asked if I was OK. The ”this might sting a little” routine had out lived its usefulness but I would show my manliness and toughness by refusing to show the pain (and there was pain). Following the masochist session we talked of fish. She asked if I had ever heard of dog sharks? “Yes, but they are actually called dogfish sharks, so called because they travel in packs like dogs.” She said she had been at the Pismo Beach Pier in August when she had seen 50-60 dog sharks, most around three feet in length, laying on the deck at the end of the pier. Anglers were bringing more sharks up every few minutes. It was dark and as she had looked down into the waters she said she could actually see the sharks massed below. I asked if the anglers had said what they intended to do with the sharks and she said they were going to eat them. “Good thing,” I said, “since I hate to see fish wasted.” No wonder a lot of guys like to fish the Pismo Beach Pier for sharks!

The number of dogfish does seem a little surprising to me. Although the fish can live to be 70-80 years old, females are not mature until about age 35. Though the ladies can produce 70-80 young in a lifetime, how many actually reach maturity? Questions, questions!

A final note! For years dogfish were one of the most common cadavers used by junior CSI’ers cuttin’ up bodies in high school biology (along with da frogs).  Today, some scientists have discovered they can use the cartilage from dogfish spines in a cancer medicine. AEterna Laboratories, a small Quebec company, uses purified spines to produce Neovastat, a medicine that seems to inhibit blood vessel growth in lung and kidney cancer tumors. The result is longer lives and a better quality of life. Although still experimental, results to date are very promising.

The medical uses for dogfish are not new. As described in Some Common Marine Fishes of British Columbia by G. Clifford Carl (1973), “Both the oil from the livers and the flesh were eaten by Indians on the west coast of Vancouver Island and Cape Flattery.” Interestingly, he gives a quote from (Swan, 1870) which gives reference to George Suckley, the doctor used in the scientific name Squalus suckleyi. “Dr. Suckley states that while he was on service as surgeon at the U.S. military station at Fort Steilacoom, he used dogfish oil with great success in pulmonary affections, and considered it, when fresh, equal to cod-liver oil.” So there you have it, the rest of the story.

A dogfish caught at the Capitola Wharf in 2008 by Rusty: picture by anchovinator

A bat ray from Fortman Marina in Alameda

Species: Myliobatis californica (Gill, 1865); from the Greek words myl (a tooth or molar), io (an arrow or poison), batis (a skate or ray) and the Latin word Californica  (referring to location). Apparently called aetobatus californica at one time in California: CA Fish Bulletin #28.

Alternate Names: Stingray, stingaree, bat sting ray, sea ray, eagle ray, batfish, big black, sea bird, flapper, rat tailed stingray, NASCAR, mud marlin (my favorite), and monkey face ray. Called raya murciélago or tecolote in Mexico.

A bat ray caught at the 2007 “Mud Marlin Derby” at the Berkeley Pier

Identification:  Bat rays have a very heavy raised head and a dorsal fin at the base of a long whiplike tail with a stinger just behind it. Their coloring is blackish or blackish brown above and white below. Beware of the stinger.  

Bat rays can give a very nasty sting

Size: Reported to reach nearly six feet across and over 200 pounds. Most bat rays caught from piers are less than fifty pounds but many in excess of a hundred pounds are caught every year.

A 240-pound bat ray was reported from Newport Bay in 1957. I received a note on the Pier Fishing in California Message Board of a 246-pound fish with an 8.5-foot-wing span that was reputedly taken from the Newport Pier in the ’80s. However, the width sounds too wide leaving the weight also in doubt. I’ve seen pictures of a 176-pound bat ray taken from the Newport Pier and a 175-pound bat ray that was caught at the Aliso Beach Pier in (I believe) 1990.

A very large bat ray landed at the Hermosa Beach Pier in the ’70s by “Mola Joe”

Another fish, this one weighing 203 pounds and measuring 54 ½ inches wide was measured and weighed on a certified scale. It was caught at the Stearns Wharf in Santa Barbara on April 24, 2004. The fish struck a live smelt bait and was landed after a fight lasting one hour and twenty minutes. The fish was hooked and fought by James Elledge, and gaffed by Ron Maxell. With the help of bait shop owner Ray Angel (how appropriate) the fish was carried over to the Santa Barbara Shellfish Company to their certified scales. PFIC representative Boyd Grant was soon on the scene to witness and photograph the huge fish…one of the largest bat rays ever caught on a California pier (and possibly the largest to be weighed on a certified scale).

The Stearns Wharf bat ray; a possible record?

Although we’ve had several reports over the years of bat rays weighing 200 pounds or more, the official state (and world) record remains a fish that weighed 181 pounds 0 ounces. It was caught at the Huntington Beach Pier on July 24, 1978 by Bradley A. Dew, a senior at Huntington Beach High School. Records indicate it was 23 pounds over the prior record and, according to the Dept. of Fish and Game, the fish had a 5 1/2-foot-wingspan, a 3-inch-long stinger, and the width across the bat ray’s eyes was an even ten inches.

A large bat ray taken at the North T-Pier in Morro Bay in 2006

According to the California DF&G “female bat rays reach a greater size than males, attaining a maximum disc width of 70.9 inches and weight of 210 pounds. The largest reported male is 40 inches wide and a weight of 37 pounds. Bat rays grow slowly, reach sexual maturity relatively late, have few young, and seem to be fairly long-lived. A 60-inch disc width female was estimated to be 24 years old.” So, all of the big bat rays are moms, grandmas or maybe even great grandmothers.

A chart showing the relationship of width and pounds

A small bat ray taken at the 2015 Mud Marlin Derby in Berkeley

Range: Gulf of California to Yaquina Bay, Oregon.

Habitat: Prefers a flat, rocky bottom or sand among rocks although also seems to enjoy hanging around kelp beds. Most commonly caught in sandy or muddy bottom bays and the deeper water areas around piers. Bat rays basically “fly” through the water using their powerful pectoral fins and occasionally they will leap out of the water when hooked.

A large bat ray taken at Crystal Pier in San Diego

Piers: Bat rays are caught at almost all piers in California, both oceanfront and those in bays. Best bets: Shelter Island Pier, San Clemente Pier, Balboa Pier, Newport Pier, Huntington Beach Pier, Redondo Beach Pier, Hermosa Beach Pier, Stearns Wharf, Cayucos Pier, Berkeley Pier, San Mateo Pier, Elephant Rock Pier, Angel Island Pier, Eureka Municipal Wharf and Del Norte Street Pier (Eureka).

Shoreline: A frequent catch of shore anglers from San Diego Bay to Humboldt Bay.

A bat ray taken at the Elephant Rock Pier in Tiburon in 2003

Boats: A frequent catch by boaters and kayakers fishing in almost every California bay.

Bait and Tackle:  Bat rays eat a wide variety of foods with oysters, clams, crabs, shrimp, abalone, snails and worms being scarffed down on a regular basis. To be expected, they’ll also take almost any bait. However, frozen or live squid, and live bait such as anchovies, ghost shrimp, mud shrimp and grass shrimp, produce most of the fish. Frozen squid is the least expensive and easiest bait to use and is undoubtedly the number one bait for bat rays.

A small bat ray from the Santa Monica Pier in 2009

It’s reported by the way that these strong rays use their pectoral fins to lift their body rapidly up and down to create a suction that sweeps away the sand and gives easy access to their food on the bottom. Because of the potential large size, anglers wishing to fish specifically for bat rays should use heavy tackle and have a gaff or net available to bring the fish up onto the pier. Never use a pier gaff to lift  them up to a pier unless you’re intending to keep them for food.

Food Value: Very good.

A really neat graphic designed by Lucy Philips

Comments: Although Ray Cannon’s book How To Fish the Pacific Coast holds a cherished spot on my library shelf, and in many ways was a model for Pier Fishing In California, I believe he was wrong in his comments on bat rays. His most egregious was that “These giant Bat Rays should be exterminated whenever possible because of their menace to crabs, lobsters, and all kinds of edible shellfish.” Although it’s true that those species may be included in a bat ray’s diet, I’m not sure why they were singled out over predators. I think it reflects the thinking of the day, in particular the opinion that bat rays were a danger to commercial oyster operations, i.e., those in Tomales Bay. We know today that they are not a danger to those operations; in fact, they may help by keeping crabs under control. I’m not sure why he made a second statement, an assertion that bat rays are “Seldom taken by anglers.” Even back in those days bat rays (usually called sting rays) were a common catch, and several shark and ray derbies were conducted along the coast, the most famous probably being that at Moss Landing. Today, many anglers concentrate on bat rays. The rays reach a very large size, they put up a strong fight, and are delicious to eat once the fight is over (although more and more people practice catch-and-release with them).

Anna and a bat ray at the 2014 Mud Marlin Derby at Berkeley Pier

Of interest are the bat ray pools found at several aquariums (including the Monterey Aquarium, The Aquarium Of the Pacific, and the Chula Vista Nature Center). The bat rays can be petted and in fact are rather pet-like; some even seem to like to have their backs stroked. Yes, their stingers have been removed! The venomous spines are cut off about once a month (before they reach a length long enough to hurt anyone). Apparently the bat rays receive no harm from these “manicures,” in fact the spines are made of keratin, the same substance found in human fingernails, and the spines grow back. However, bat rays in the wild still have their spines and can inflict a painful wound, so be very careful if you catch one (and some bat rays have two or even three stingers). For some reason Stearns Wharf in Santa Barbara sees a lot of small, immature bat rays and they’re usually called monkey face rays.

Pete Wolf of “Big Hammer” fame and a 52-inch bat ray from the Goleta Pier

Scientists report that bat rays move into inshore waters to breed during the summer then tend to move offshore in the winter (so guess when they are more likely to be caught from a pier). While inshore, they are sometimes found in large concentrations. At times these bat ray gatherings contain several thousand individuals. The sea bottom holding these creatures must look a little weird and would certainly have a somewhat alien feeling; not sure if it would be more like a black-cloaked Darth Vader convention, a Raider Nation convention, or something even more outlandish (and scary), a political convention.

A very young “Minnow Magnet” (Justin Morris) and an even younger bat ray at the Paradise Park Pier in 2004

“Bat Ray Dave” and a bat ray from Newport Bay

Oscar Amaro and a bat ray from the Manhattan Beach Pier in 2015

A bat ray taken at Tides Wharf in Bodega Bay in 2004

A bat ray taken at the Goleta Pier in 2006

A bat ray taken at the 2004 Mud Marlin Derby in Berkeley

A bat ray taken at the Tides Wharf in Bodega Bay in 2004

A bat ray taken at the 2015 Mud Marlin Derby in Berkeley showing the correct way to hold them (via their mouth)

A bat ray taken at the Ferry Point Pier in Richmond in 2008

A bat ray at the Malibu Pier in 2007

A small bat ray from the Paradise Park Pier in 2015 showing the correct way to hold them (via their mouth)

A large bat ray from the Gaviota Pier in

Some unofficial records

≈ 220 Lbs. — Ventura Pier, early ‘80s

Source: PFIC

203 Lbs. — Stearns Wharf (Santa Barbara), James Elledge, April 24, 2004

Source: Personal comm. Boyd Grant; PFIC

≈ 200 Lbs. — Huntington Beach Pier, May 2014

Source: Let’s Go Fishing, Huntington Beach Pier

≈ 200 Lbs. — Huntington Beach Pier, December 2009

Source: Let’s Go Fishing, Huntington Beach Pier

≈ 200 Lbs. — Oceanside Pier, April 2006

Source: Oceanside Pier Bait Shop

≈ 200 Lbs. — Seal Beach Pier, March 2001

Source: Big Fish Bait & Tackle, Seal Beach

≈ 200 Lbs. — Ocean Beach Pier, August 1998

Source: PFIC

≈ 200 Lbs. — Hermosa Beach Pier, “Mola Joe”, 1980s

Source: PFIC

≈ 200 Lbs. — Carpinteria Pier, Bill Hinckley, September 18, 1955

Source: Los Angeles Times, September 19, 1955

≈ 200 Lbs. — Redondo Wharf No. 1, June 25, 1888

Source: Los Angeles Herald, June 27, 1888

181 Lbs.* — Huntington Beach Pier, Bradley. A. Dew, 1978

Source: Los Angeles Times, July 28, 1978 & California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife * = Official state record fish and world record (IGFA)

175 Lbs. — Aliso Beach Pier, August 1984

Source: Aliso Beach Pier Snack Shack

≈ 170 Lbs. — Seal Beach Pier, May 2001

Source: Big Fish Bait & Tackle, Seal Beach

169 Lbs. — Hermosa Beach (pier?), July 30, 1912

Source: Oakland Tribune, July 30, 1912

160 Lbs. — Ocean Beach Pier, May 2009

Source: PFIC

≈ 160 Lbs. — Seal Beach Pier, March 2001

Source: Big Fish Bait & Tackle, Seal Beach

≈ 150 Lbs. — Oceanside Harbor Pier, August 2009

Source: PFIC

150+ Lbs. — Santa Monica Pier, May 2008

Source: Santa Monica Pier Bait Shop

150 Lbs. — Santa Monica Pier, May 2002

Source: Santa Monica Pier Bait Shop

≈ 150 Lbs. — Oceanside Pier, April 2001

Source: Oceanside Pier Bait Shop

≈ 140 Lbs. — Seal Beach Pier, March 2001

Source: Big Fish Bait & Tackle, Seal Beach

135 Lbs. — San Clemente Pier, June, November 1999

Source: PFIC

125 Lbs. — Huntington Beach Pier, Greg Taite, April 1999

Source: Let’s Go Fishing, Huntington Beach Pier

123 Lbs. — Huntington Beach Pier, Robert Gerber, March 1999

Source: Let’s Go Fishing, Huntington Beach Pier

120 Lbs. — Ocean Park Pier, Stuts Baida, July 1927

Source: Los Angeles Times, July 31, 1927

110 Lbs. — Pine Avenue Pier (Long Beach), William Crowder, June 2, 1907

Source: Los Angeles Herald, June 2, 1907

106 ½ Lbs. — Belmont Pier (Long Beach), Bill Kerny, October 13, 1960

Source: Long Beach Independent,October 14, 1960

104 Lbs. — Rainbow Pier (Long Beach), Dave Feske, October 13, 1960

Source: Long Beach Independent, October 14, 1960

100+ Lbs. — Stearns Wharf (Santa Barbara), June 1997

Source: Mike’s Bait & Tackle, Stearns Wharf, June 1997

≈ 100 Lbs. — Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf, Walter Cartwright, April 11, 1934

Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel, April 12, 1934

100 Lbs. — Seal Beach Pier, April 1958

Source: Long Beach Independent-Press Telegram, April 13, 1958

]]> http://kenjonesfishing.com/2015/08/bat-ray/feed/ 1 http://kenjonesfishing.com/2014/11/silver-surfperch/ http://kenjonesfishing.com/2014/11/silver-surfperch/#comments Sun, 30 Nov 2014 04:57:02 +0000 kenjones http://kenjonesfishing.com/?p=6010 Species: Hyperprosopon ellipticum (Gibbons, 1854); from the Greek root words hyper (above) and prosopon (face, from the upward direction of the face), and the Latin word ellipticum (elliptical, referring to the outline of the body). Family Embiotocidae, subfamily Amphistichinae.

Alternate Names: Silver perch or surfperch. In Mexico called mojarra ovalada or perca.

Identification: Their coloring is silver with duskiness on the back and the tail is usually pink. They have no spots on the fins with the exception (generally) of a small orange spot on the anal fin. Often confused with walleye surfperch but the tips of the pelvic fins ARE NOT black and they do not have the large eyes like walleye surfperch.

Size: To 10.5 inches; those caught off piers are usually 6-8 inches.

Range: Rio San Vicente, northern Baja California to Schooner Cove, near Ucluelet, Vancouver Island, British Columbia.

Habitat: Shallow-water areas near both sand and rock. Common in both oceanfront areas and in bays.

Piers: Most common on central and northern California piers. Best bets: Pismo Beach Pier, Seacliff State Park Pier, Santa Cruz Wharf, Pacifica Pier, Fort Point Pier, San Francisco Municipal Pier, Elephant Rock Pier, Fort Baker Pier, Point Arena Pier, Commercial Street Dock (Eureka), and the Trinidad Pier.

Shoreline: One of the main fish for sandy shore anglers in central and northern California anglers.

Boats: An inshore species rarely taken by boaters.

Bait and Tackle: Silver surfperch can be caught similarly to walleye surfperch with the following modifications: silver surfperch are usually mid-depth to the top of the water so fish off the bottom; and silver surfperch are more likely to take a worm-baited hook than walleye surfperch.

Food Value:  Fair, although most of the fish are too small to have much meat available.

Comments: Silver surfperch are very attractive perch that, in northern areas, seem to average much larger size than silver surfperch in the south. They are one of the main fish caught by pier anglers in central and northern California.

 

 Blackperch from the Ferry Point Pier in Richmond

Species: Embiotoca jacksoni (Agassiz, 1853); from the Greek word embiotoca (bringing forth living young), and jacksoni  (in honor of A. C. Jackson of San Francisco, who first noted that these perch give birth to living young and brought it to the attention of Alexander Agassiz who described the species). Family Embiotocidae, subfamily Embiotocinae.

Alternate Names: Buttermouth perch, black surfperch, black seaperch or bay perch. Often called pogie by anglers in the Bay Area. In Mexico called mojarra negra or perca negra.

Blackperch from the Elephant Rock Pier in Tiburon

Identification: Typical perch shape. Although variable, their coloring is usually black or brown to reddish, and yellowish on the belly; scales often have blue flecking. Lips are orange or yellow and they have a “mustache” on the upper lip. Typically they have dark vertical bars on the side; a bluish-white line is often seen at the base of the anal fin. Easily identified by a large patch of enlarged scales between the pectoral and pelvic fins.

Size: To 15.4 inches; most caught from piers are under a foot. The California record fish weighed 2 Lbs 9 oz and was taken by Zachery Mitchell at Pacific Grove in 2011.

Blackperch caught by Minnowmagnet at the Berkeley Pier

Range: Punta Abreojos, central Baja California, and offshore Isla Gudalupe to Fort Bragg, Mendocino County.

Habitat: Most common in eelgrass beds of bays and rocky-shore areas; both in bays and along the coast. ]

Blackperch taken by madsteelhead from the Monterey Wharf #2

Piers: Common at most piers north to Bodega Bay. Generally caught at bay piers or inshore piling areas of oceanfront piers. Best bets: Imperial Beach Pier, Shelter Island Pier, Oceanside Harbor Pier, Dana Harbor Pier, Long Beach Finger Piers, Redondo Harbor Sportfishing Pier, Hermosa Beach Pier, Venice Pier, Santa Monica Pier, Cabrillo Pier (jetty side), Malibu Pier, Paradise Cove Pier, Goleta Pier, Gaviota Pier, Morro Bay T-Pier, Monterey Coast Guard Pier, Capitola Wharf, Fort Point Pier, San Francisco Municipal Pier, Candlestick Pier, Berkeley Pier, Ferry Point Pier, Paradise Beach Pier, Elephant Rock Pier, Angel Island Pier, and Fort Baker Pier.

Shoreline: One of the main fish for rocky shore anglers in southern and central California.

Blackperch from the Capitola Wharf

Boats: An inshore species rarely taken by boaters unless fishing in bays.

Bait and Tackle: Prefers fresh mussels, bloodworms, pile worms, small pieces of shrimp or small rock crabs. Size 8 or 6 hooks fished on the bottom with a high/low leader seem to work best.

Blackperch taken by  Thomas Orosco at the Berkeley Pier

Food Value: In the past this was considered a fairly good, mild-flavored fish. Today, because of our polluted waters, they are considered unfit to eat in some locales.

Comments: Once a favorite spring fish for Bay Area pier fishermen; today there’s a perch closure during the spawning months.

Blackperch taken by KJ from the Seal Beach Pier

Grandson Adam and a blackperch from the North T-Pier in Morro Bay — 2018

Strange white-colored Blackperch from the Ventura Pier

A brightly colored blackperch from the Cabrillo Pier in San Pedro

Blackperch from the Green Pleasure Pier in Avalon, Catalina Island

Blackperch from the North T-Pier in Morro Bay

Blackperch from the Stillwater Cove Pier at Pebble Beach

Gravid female blackperch from the Long Beach Finger Piers

Blackperch from the Cayucos Pier, 1997

Many thanks to Robert O’H for the help with the pictures.

 

 Rubberlip Seaperch from the Monterey Coast Guard Pier

Species: Rhacochilus toxotes (Agassiz, 1854); from the Greek words rhacochilus (rag lip) and toxotes (pertaining to the East Indian archer fish, because of a presumed resemblance). Family Embiotocidae, subfamily Embiotocinae.

Alternate Names: Buttermouth perch, porgee, sprat, or liverlip. In the 19th century these were called sprat at Santa Cruz, and alfione at Soquel. Called mojarra labios de hule or perca labios de hule in Mexico.

Identification: Typical perch-shape with a deep and heavy body. Their coloring is brown or brassy with thick, usually white or pink lips.

Rubberlip seaperch from the Port San Luis Pier

Size: Rubberlip seaperch are the largest species of the surfperch/seaperch family; they reach 18.5 inches in length. Most caught from piers are less than 13 inches long. The California record fish weighed 5 lb 0 oz and was taken at Monterey Bay, Monterey Co. in June 2009. The previous record, a 4 lb 4 oz fish, was taken in 1995 at the Monterey Dunes.   

Range: Cabo Thurloe, southern Baja California to Russian Gulch Beach, Mendocino County. Most commonly found in the Monterey Bay area.

Habitat: Shallow-water rocky areas, kelp beds and bays. Scientists report that rubberlips primarily feed at night on thin-shelled invertebrates. Are the perch able to spot the tasty morsels with their super-keen eyesight? No, rubberlips appear to use their sensitive lips (remember, some fish have taste buds on their lips) to detect their nightly dinner.

Rubberlip seaperch from the Morro Bay North T-Pier

Piers: A primarily southern and central California perch, common at bay and oceanfront piers, at least those located near rocky areas, reefs or kelp beds. Best bets: Ocean Beach Pier, Paradise Cove Pier, Stearns Wharf, Goleta Pier, Gaviota Pier, Monterey Coast Guard Pier, Monterey Wharf No. 2, Capitola Wharf, Santa Cruz Wharf, San Francisco Municipal Pier and Fort Baker Pier.

Shoreline: A favorite catch by rocky shore anglers in southern and central California.

Boats: An inshore species sometimes taken by boaters fishing in bays, especially San Francisco Bay.

Rubberlip seaperch from the Elephant Rock Pier in Tiburon

Bait and Tackle: Rubberlip seaperch are usually taken on a high/low leader and size 6 or 4 hooks baited with fresh mussels, live sea worms, or small pieces of shrimp. Those with the proper know how use plastic grubs (usually root beer or oil colored) and they are the ones who often bag the largest fish. Small 1/12 or 1/8 oz. chrome, chrome with blue, or chrome with green Krocodiles have also proven to be very effective.

Picture below — rubberlip seaperch from the Capitola Wharf (1997)

Food Value: Since they are one of the largest perch, specimens often contain quite a bit of meat. Although their flesh has a mild taste, most gourmets rate it only fair in taste. They are at their best during the non-spawning season and generally are pan-fried in butter.

Picture below — Minnow Magnet and a rubberlip seaperch caught at Monterey

Comments: One of my favorite quotes comes from Probably More Than You Want To Know About The Fishes Of The Pacific Coast by Milton Love (director of the UCSB Love Lab). In regard to rubberlip perch he says: “What is really cool about these fish is their ability to separate small invertebrates from all the mung they suck in, without having a tongue to help. (Surprise! Fish don’t have tongues. The structure that looks like a one is actually a support for their gill arches.) Ths trick is equivalent to your putting a bunch of miniature marshmallows, broken glass, fingernail clippings and cubic zirconiums in your mouth, then separating and swallowing only the marshmallows, all without using your tongue or fingernails. Good trick, yes?” This helps explain why the big perch are so difficult to hook. Oh, and if you haven’t yet bought Mr. Love’s book, do it now.

Rubberlip seaperch (and Ken Jones) from the Gaviota Pier

A nice perch from the Belmont Pier, 1998

 Rubberlip Seaperch, San Francisco Municipal Pier, 1999

 

 Dwarfperch from the Ferry Point Pier in Point Richmond

Species: Micrometrus minimus (Gibbons, 1854); from the Greek words mikros (small) and metr (having a womb), and the Latin word minim  (smallest). Family Embiotocidae, subfamily Embiotocinae.

Alternate Names: None that I have heard, although I have seen them mistakenly called shinerperch. In Mexico called mojarra enana or perca.

Identification: Typical perch shape. Dwarf perch have a compressed body; their longest dorsal fin spines are slightly longer than or same length as soft rays. They have a black triangle (crescent-shaped) at the base of the pectoral fin. Their coloring is silver with greenish blue reflections, and yellow on sides with dark stripes. The dorsal, anal, and pelvic fins usually have a black blotch.

Size: To 6 1/4-inches. Those caught from piers are normally 4-6 inches.

Dwarfperch from the Elephant Rock Pier

Range: Isla Cedros, central Baja California, to Bodega Bay.

Habitat: Rocky shallow-water areas, among seaweed, and beds of eelgrass and surfgrass. Primarily feed on small crustaceans.

Piers: Although dwarf perch can be caught at most southern and central California piers, they are most common at piers in the San Francisco Bay Area. Best bets: Fort Point Pier, Fort Mason Piers, San Francisco Municipal Pier, Berkeley Pier, Port View Park Pier, Paradise Beach Pier and Fort Baker Pier.

Shoreline: Occasionally taken by shore anglers in central California.

Boats: A small, inshore species rarely taken from boats.

Bait and Tackle: These fish are sometimes taken on light tackle by anglers fishing for larger perch. Hook size number 8 and a small piece of bait, especially pile worm.

Food Value:  Too small so throw ‘em back.

Comments: They are fairly good striper bait.

Many thanks to Robert O’H for the help with the pictures.

White Seaperch from the Trinidad Pier

Species: Phanerodon furcatus (Girard, 1854); from the Greek root words phaneros (evident) and odons (tooth) and the Latin word furcatus  (forked tail). Family Embiotocidae, subfamily Embiotocinae.

Alternate Names: Splittail perch, forktail perch and white perch. In Mexico called mojarra lomo rayado.

Identification: White seaperch are often confused with pile perch. The tail is deeply forked and the first and second sections of the dorsal fin are about equal height; there is a black line along the base of the soft dorsal. The coloring is light silver or olive on the back, white or dark silver on the belly; often dusky with a rosy-orange cast; yellow at base of pelvic and anal fins. The fins are yellow or dusky. Sometimes with dark spots near the mouth but lacks the dark bar below the dorsal fin seen in pile perch.

White Seaperch from the Fort Point Pier

Size: To 12 1/2 inches; most pier-caught fish are 8 to 10 inches.

Range: Bahia San Carlos (and possibly Punta Cabras), central Baja California, to Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Tends to form small schools.

Habitat: Shallow-water areas both oceanfront and in bays, especially around combinations of rocks and fine sand.

White Seaperch from the Elephant Rock Pier

Piers: White seaperch can be caught on almost every pier in the state but in southern California they’re most commonly caught on piers inside of bays or harbors. Best bets: Shelter Island Pier, Oceanside Harbor Pier, Dana Point Harbor Pier, Redondo Sportfishing Pier, Santa Cruz Wharf, Pacifica Pier, San Francisco Municipal Pier, Santa Cruz Wharf, Berkeley Pier, Fort Baker Pier and the Commercial Street Dock (Eureka).

Shoreline: A common catch for shore anglers throughout the state, especially in bays.

Boats: An inshore species sometimes taken by boaters fishing in bays, especially San Francisco Bay.

White seaperch from the Seacliff State Beach Pier

Bait and Tackle: Normal gear is a high/low leader equipped with size 6 or 4 hooks fished on or near the bottom. White seaperch are not as finicky as pileperch or other seaperch and will take a wider variety of baits. However, live seaworms, fresh mussels, and live shrimp are the best bait.

Food Value:  Mild flavored but sometimes a little soft and mushy.

Comments: White seaperch are often found together with pileperch and blackperch.

Many thanks to Robert O’H for the help with the pictures.