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Huge Ray caught in the states


Mousse

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It's a passive aggressive reply. Fishing is fishing and we never know what will take our bait. As long as the fish is taken to the table or released unharmed that is why we do this.

......... SaltWaterDog

No aggression intended at all champ. Most anglers I know hope to target good sport fish or table fish, and hopefully to combine the two. As rays offer neither quality, I question why anyone would target them. Of course they're often taken as bycatch, which is what I referred to in my original reply... Anyways, if you're into your ray fishing good on you.

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In the late seventies I took part in a fishing club comp on Broughton Island North off Port Stephens. We spent a couple of days camped on the island leaving our boat (a Savage Escort) moored in Esmeralda Cove.

To ensure that the reef anchor was securely set I dived down to place it in a crevice. My young son was snorkelling in the water with me whilst I dove down. Suddenly it was as though someone had turned off the light (sun), I looked up and there was this huge black Ray slowly swimming over the top of me no more than 5 - 600 mm above me. I was petrified and came up as soon as the Ray passed. It had a very thick tail and vicious looking barb.

My son told me that as it swam over me the Ray was substantially wider than I was long which made it more than 1800 wide. We then saw a couple more of similar size. Apparently the cove is well known for these big Rays. I have seen the ones at Bendalong and they are babies compared to the ones we saw.

Makes you wonder if I was lucky not to suffer the same fate as Steve Irwin?

Cheers

Paikea

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In the late seventies I took part in a fishing club comp on Broughton Island North off Port Stephens. We spent a couple of days camped on the island leaving our boat (a Savage Escort) moored in Esmeralda Cove.

To ensure that the reef anchor was securely set I dived down to place it in a crevice. My young son was snorkelling in the water with me whilst I dove down. Suddenly it was as though someone had turned off the light (sun), I looked up and there was this huge black Ray slowly swimming over the top of me no more than 5 - 600 mm above me. I was petrified and came up as soon as the Ray passed. It had a very thick tail and vicious looking barb.

My son told me that as it swam over me the Ray was substantially wider than I was long which made it more than 1800 wide. We then saw a couple more of similar size. Apparently the cove is well known for these big Rays. I have seen the ones at Bendalong and they are babies compared to the ones we saw.

Makes you wonder if I was lucky not to suffer the same fate as Steve Irwin?

Cheers

Paikea

All good mate! There's heaps of them up here. And my son often swims with them whilst body boarding of birubi. it doesn't bother him as it as normal occurrence

There's some big rays our there, just let them be!

Cheers scratchie!!!

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Have landed a couple of eagle rays off the sand while targeting Jew, and granted they do pull a fair bit off string, but how disappointing is it when you realise it's just a ray? Just seems like a waste of time and energy fighting them.. Others might feel different though. Reckon they are best left alone to do their thing.

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