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/rubberlip-seaperch/ http://kenjonesfishing.com/2014/11/rubberlip-seaperch/#comments Fri, 28 Nov 2014 20:00:05 +0000 kenjones http://kenjonesfishing.com/?p=5880  

 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

Species: Damalichthys vacca (Girard, 1855); from the Greek root words racos (ragged) and cheilos (lips) and the Latin word vacca  (like a cow). Family Embiotocidae, subfamily Embiotocinae.

Alternate Names: Splittail perch, forktail perch, dusky perch, white perch, silver perch, piler perch, and porgy. In Mexico called mojarra muellera or perca.

Identification: Pile perch are distinguished by the black spot on the cheek, the very deeply forked tail, and the very tall, first soft rays on the dorsal fin that are about twice the height of the last spines. Color is dark brassy-brown, fading to silver on sides and belly; often has yellow pelvic fins. Pile perch have one dusky, vertical bar across the side at about the high point of the soft dorsal. The posterior position of the bar and the deeply forked caudal fin (tail) distinguish it from sargo.

Pileperch (and Hashem) from the Cabrillo Pier in San Pedro

Size: To 17 1/4 inches; most caught from piers are 10-14 inches. The California record fish weighed 1 lb 15 oz and was taken at Long Beach in 2007.

Range: Isla Guadalupe (and possibly Bahia Playa Maria), central Baja California to southern British Columbia. Unverified report to Port Wrangell, Alaska.

Pileperch from the Elephant Rock Pier

Habitat: Shallow-water, rocky-areas, and around piers and docks, both oceanfront and in bays. Typically they are a bottom dwelling species, called “benthic grazing carnivores” by some. Others classify them as “commuter” fish that move between different habitats in search of prey. All agree they are primarily day feeders seeking out large, hard-shelled invertebrates that they are able to crush with their well developed, fused pharyngeal tooth plates. Since other perch do not share this ability, some scientists feel pile perch should be placed in a separate genus —Danalichthys. Foods include crabs, brittle stars, sand dollars, barnacles, bean clams, (whole) mussels, limpets, dove shells, California cones, Norris top shells, and chitons.

Pileperch (and Redfish aka Robert Gardner) from the Cabrillo Mole in Avalon

Piers: Pile perch are taken at virtually every pier in California but the largest numbers are taken at Bay Area piers. Best bets: Santa Monica Pier, Stearns Wharf, Goleta Pier, North T-Pier and South T-Pier in Morro Bay, San Francisco Municipal Pier, Berkeley Pier, Point Pinole Pier and McNear Beach Pier.

Shoreline: A favored species for shore anglers fishing in bays throughout the state.

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

Pileperch from the Goleta Pier

Bait and Tackle: Pile perch can be exasperatingly difficult to catch. The large perch will often be seen placidly swimming in clear view around the mussel-covered pilings while refusing to partake of the offerings of the gods up above—anglers whose mojo is evidently on empty. Damalichthys vacca do seem a little easier to catch when in their dense schools are a’spawning. Perhaps their pea-sized brains are distracted and normal caution takes a back seat to other thoughts? The most common setup is to use a high/low leader with number 6 or 4 hooks, light line, and a light sinker. Best bait in southern California seems to be fresh mussels, rock crabs or bloodworms. In the Bay Area, grass shrimp, rock crabs, pile worms or fresh mussels are best. In Humboldt Bay, frozen tube worms or crab backs are most commonly used. Usually pile perch are nestled up next to the pilings; fish accordingly. Check out the shoreline by the pier at low tide and grab some local live bait—small crabs, mussels, worms, snails or clams; these will usually make the best bait.

Food Value: Although large sized and yielding some usable meat, the flesh is only fair in taste.

Pileperch from the North T-Pier in Morro Bay

Comments: Many years ago, at Newport Pier, I watched an old-timer show one way to catch the perch. Pile perch were doing their typical trick d’tease: big fish showing a leg but refusing to bite. The old-timer tried out a trick of his own. He took out a mass of recently pried loose mussels, at least a dozen in the clump, and in and around this mussel-mass he wound a leader that had several number 8 hooks attached. Then he attached the leader to a handline and carefully dropped it down next to the pilings. This new mini-piling soon attracted the fish and he was able to catch several of the large pile perch. Sporting? I’m not sure, but it sure was effective. Since then, I’ve seen variations of this technique at both the Santa Monica Pier and at Stearns Wharf in Santa Barbara and heard stories of its use at the Goleta Pier.

Pileperch (and CayucosJack) from the North T-Pier in Morro Bay

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