Rays and flatties..

Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2009 10:14 pm

can anyone let me know please when in the tide is best for them?

night? day? low? high?

are they more partial to certain baits and would you suggest a particulal rig to use?
cheers

Sue

Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2009 9:25 am

Minnis bay will started to show the odd few mid febuary last year it got more consistant march/april time ( Sandwich bay started to show about mid march/April) Low water at grenham bay at minnis was the spot to try to the right of the paddling pool. Wade out as far as you can( be very careful) then cast as far as you can use a high retrieve reel or fixed spool so you can keep the lead high on retrieve as its a bit snaggy, use pulley rigs, lead lifts 5-6oz break-away leads strong hooks ( 3/0 viking mustards were alright) keep your hook length at about 3 foot +. Herring, macky, sand eel squid all work but bluey is the top bait. If you hook in to one keep the rod high in the air as they try to stick to the bottom. Look for tides where the tide goes right out, I always fished low water at 0.8 meter or below. Calm settled weather is best to fish and you can catch them in the day but you really want the water to be colored up.

Sheppy starts to show them early as well but I'm afraid I've never fished it before so can't help with that one.

Good luck!!!

Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2009 9:42 am

hiya captain!
thankyou for your help!!
so low tide is best ? coloured water aye.. long snood, em pulley rig? dont know that one grrr sorry i'll have to go have a looky and make some up!!
rod high to retrieve, and em sorry lol whats a bluey? showing my in experience here!! confused

Sue

Guest

Hi Sue, Bluey looks like a long nosed mackeral available at most tackle shops frozen. It's oilier than mack too so gives a better scent trail.

Sqiresoak

Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2009 9:52 am

thank you squire!! i will get some too !! can they? or are the frozen or fresh?

Sue

Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2009 9:58 am

They're bought frozen Sue - not too expensive either. Always worth a try, but don't believe the hype - the fish don't! lol

Guest

Yup as littlestone1 says they are frozen and not gutted so watch out for the gooey bits in the middle when you cut em up!! If you can't get any try mackeral and spray it good old WD40.

Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2009 10:30 am

Pulley rigs are not too bad to make, if you fish clean ground then go for a long running ledger. I forgot to mention use at least 35lb hook line as thornbacks can rub/bite through the line, thinner diameter and you might be reeling in with no hook length.
Had my biggest thornback on sand eel wrapped in herring, but had more on bluey, it is a very mushy bait try to keep it semi-frozen use bait elastic to hold it together.
I wouldn't use bluey for any other fish apart from rays, it is a good bait for them. It's very oily.