Little_Flatty Posted January 1 Share Posted January 1 Happy new year Raiders! This morning I was on the Clontarf flats at first light. Seeing the whitebait from last time, I had tied up some white clousers to imitate their profile. Cast around for a bit and no interest this time, so I changed over to my favourite fuzzle shrimp and started moving toward shore. That's when it happened. I felt something moving under my feet and there was an unsettling feeling of terror rising through my body. First thought was a stingray. Thankfully it wasn't! But it was something else, only slightly less unpleasant. Then I felt the jolts of electricity pulsing through my left foot. Over two or so seconds, I felt four pulses. For those of you who have used a TENS machine at the physio, it felt pretty much like you'd attached it to your lower leg, turned it up to 13 and switched it on. It was a heck of a shock, just let me say that various expletives were yelled across the flats, the nature of which cannot be repeated here 🤣 Regained my composure and resumed casting along. Halfway through a cast, I realised that the bugger was flapping about in the sand, only a few steps away from me. When stationary, he was completely buried, so no chance of spotting him. See you can pick him out: To add insult to injury, it was time to go home. And the session was a donut From the other accounts of numb ray encounters here and elsewhere, I think I got off lightly. I was wearing wading shoes with THICK soles (pretty much like running shoes) and still the shock was pretty intense. Just what I needed to wake me out of my early morning stupor! Stingray shuffle from now on😎 6 8 1 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Power Posted January 1 Share Posted January 1 That’s one way to wake up @Little_Flatty!!😬 I have also been unlucky enough to feel the ‘volts’ from a Numb Ray. Many years ago as a young tacker, I was spearfishing with an aluminium hand spear out the front of the jetty at Shoal Bay. I spotted something buried in the sand and given my inexperience, believed it to be a nice flathead. I shot it and ended up with this strange blob looking thing on the end of the spear. Having never seen anything like it, I swam in to the jetty and climbed out on the lower platform to have a good look at it. Well, that’s when the current hit me and wow did it hit! I had been shocked by electric fences in the past and this was at least as bad and possibly worse! Needless to say I never speared anything again that I didn’t have a 100% id on and a valuable lesson was learnt that day 🤣 1 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Hornet Posted January 1 Share Posted January 1 Trust me Mike, you were let off lightly. I’ve copped the full jolt twice, slow learner I know, and reckon I’d rather be kicked in the nuts. 1 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsswordfisherman Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 6 minutes ago, Green Hornet said: Trust me Mike, you were let off lightly. I’ve copped the full jolt twice, slow learner I know, and reckon I’d rather be kicked in the nuts. Oh boy it MUST be bad!!! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Hornet Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 (edited) 57 minutes ago, mrsswordfisherman said: Oh boy it MUST be bad!!! Both times hit me that bad my muscles contracted that much I fell into a ball on the ground. I’ve copped a full hit of 240 volts and even an electric fence while straddling it (enough said haha). Neither came close to a numb fish and the second one left me aching all over for a couple of days. Edited January 2 by Green Hornet 1 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yowie Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 4 hours ago, Little_Flatty said: See you can pick him out: Once you have seen the outline, you will not forget it. Until prawning at night 🤣 when you cannot see much at all. You only focus on the prawn eyes glowing in the light, then, you nearly fall over, drop the net and prawns, drop the light, yell and swear, jump about. 1 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Restyle Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 As a kid my dad caught one at Kurnell and offerd me to hold it for a photo so I did just that and got shocked to the crap house 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noelm Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 There’s quite a few around, but not commonly caught, see lots when diving, especially in Jervis Bay, an old timer told me to pick them up, you need to poke your finger in the…..rear end! No idea if he was joking, but I never found out. They give you a real shock, that’s for sure. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Hornet Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 11 minutes ago, Restyle said: As a kid my dad caught one at Kurnell and offerd me to hold it for a photo so I did just that and got shocked to the crap house Offered and not told. Your dad chose his words carefully LOL. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Hornet Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 9 minutes ago, noelm said: There’s quite a few around, but not commonly caught, see lots when diving, especially in Jervis Bay, an old timer told me to pick them up, you need to poke your finger in the…..rear end! No idea if he was joking, but I never found out. They give you a real shock, that’s for sure. I used to see gazillions of them when snorkeling around Honeymoon Bay. Always left them well alone. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little_Flatty Posted January 2 Author Share Posted January 2 3 hours ago, Green Hornet said: Both times hit me that bad my muscles contracted that much I fell into a ball on the ground. I’ve copped a full hit of 240 volts and even an electric fence while straddling it (enough said haha). Neither came close to a numb fish and the second one left me aching all over for a couple of days. Yikes I do think I got off quite lightly! I’m definitely treading lightly around ray divots from now on! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noelm Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 51 minutes ago, Green Hornet said: I used to see gazillions of them when snorkeling around Honeymoon Bay. Always left them well alone. Yep, the Honeymoon Bay/Long Beach area has heaps of them. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pickles Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 Mike - you lucky duck, I can assure you a full belt from a numb ray is a lot worse than a tens machine (still not fun - hope it didn’t hurt too much) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big Neil Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 I have never encountered one but, by all accounts, you were very lucky. Hope that you have recovered fully. Happy New Year to you and your family Mike. Look forward to seeing your reports. bn 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little_Flatty Posted January 2 Author Share Posted January 2 9 hours ago, Max Power said: That’s one way to wake up @Little_Flatty!!😬 I have also been unlucky enough to feel the ‘volts’ from a Numb Ray. Many years ago as a young tacker, I was spearfishing with an aluminium hand spear out the front of the jetty at Shoal Bay. I spotted something buried in the sand and given my inexperience, believed it to be a nice flathead. I shot it and ended up with this strange blob looking thing on the end of the spear. Having never seen anything like it, I swam in to the jetty and climbed out on the lower platform to have a good look at it. Well, that’s when the current hit me and wow did it hit! I had been shocked by electric fences in the past and this was at least as bad and possibly worse! Needless to say I never speared anything again that I didn’t have a 100% id on and a valuable lesson was learnt that day 🤣 Seems like every fisho worth their salt has a numb ray story. I think I've been amazingly lucky having waded flats for years and never encountered one. Might be time to fish the Hawkesbury again, because I've never caught a catfish! 🤣 7 hours ago, Green Hornet said: Trust me Mike, you were let off lightly. I’ve copped the full jolt twice, slow learner I know, and reckon I’d rather be kicked in the nuts. The more I think about it, the more I get the shivers! 4 hours ago, Yowie said: Once you have seen the outline, you will not forget it. Until prawning at night 🤣 when you cannot see much at all. You only focus on the prawn eyes glowing in the light, then, you nearly fall over, drop the net and prawns, drop the light, yell and swear, jump about. Amazingly, I've never been prawning! I might bring electrician's gloves if I do 🤣 3 hours ago, Restyle said: As a kid my dad caught one at Kurnell and offerd me to hold it for a photo so I did just that and got shocked to the crap house That's the school of hard knocks method of parenting...or should I say school of hard 'shocks' 3 hours ago, noelm said: There’s quite a few around, but not commonly caught, see lots when diving, especially in Jervis Bay, an old timer told me to pick them up, you need to poke your finger in the…..rear end! No idea if he was joking, but I never found out. They give you a real shock, that’s for sure. Is that how you switch off the electricity? 3 hours ago, Green Hornet said: I used to see gazillions of them when snorkeling around Honeymoon Bay. Always left them well alone. Another place to avoid 2 hours ago, Pickles said: Mike - you lucky duck, I can assure you a full belt from a numb ray is a lot worse than a tens machine (still not fun - hope it didn’t hurt too much) I don't think it gave me the chance to stand on it hard enough, thankfully. It was the one morning I'd forgotten my waterproof phone protector too. Just as well! 52 minutes ago, big Neil said: I have never encountered one but, by all accounts, you were very lucky. Hope that you have recovered fully. Happy New Year to you and your family Mike. Look forward to seeing your reports. bn Thanks Neil, Happy New Year to you too. Hope you had a great trip for Christmas. As for the recovery, no rest for the wicked...busy day out with the kids as my wife is working. I'm totally fine though. Glad I can laugh about it. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbo from Sydney Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 Boy am I feeling worried as I was down there a bit later in the morning, wading around chasing whiting. Will definitely be wearing "wet shoes" from now on!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little_Flatty Posted January 2 Author Share Posted January 2 23 minutes ago, Robbo from Sydney said: Boy am I feeling worried as I was down there a bit later in the morning, wading around chasing whiting. Will definitely be wearing "wet shoes" from now on!!! I was wearing wet shoes as well. That may have helped, but what I have read is that a lot of the shock is transmitted through the water anyway. It’s the first time in many sessions there so hopefully nothing to worry about. Just watch for those ray divots in the sand in the future…might be something underneath… 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbo from Sydney Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 14 minutes ago, Little_Flatty said: I was wearing wet shoes as well. That may have helped, but what I have read is that a lot of the shock is transmitted through the water anyway. It’s the first time in many sessions there so hopefully nothing to worry about. Just watch for those ray divots in the sand in the future…might be something underneath… After the horror stories everyone has been posting I am going to watch where I pout my feet like never before! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
campr Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 I was helping my mates pro fisherman dad haul his net at night near Towra Pt which was legal back then. We got a good haul of mostly mulet wwhen his dad flicked a big num ray towards the water. My mate decided to pee on it as young teens will do. You can guess the rest as everyone around the Bay heard his screem. His dad and I nearly colapsed laughing and it was always worth a laugh to retell the storey to him. Ron c 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yowie Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 31 minutes ago, Little_Flatty said: I was wearing wet shoes as well. That may have helped, but what I have read is that a lot of the shock is transmitted through the water anyway. It won't make any difference. You may as well pick it up and give it a hug. 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wazatherfisherman Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 You got off lightly Mike! Try getting a rare (these days!) $70 lure out of one- I'll say no more about it other than that! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fried Rice Posted January 3 Share Posted January 3 15 hours ago, wazatherfisherman said: You got off lightly Mike! Try getting a rare (these days!) $70 lure out of one- I'll say no more about it other than that! Haha, the things we do for that favorite lure. As far as "an electric fence while straddling it (enough said haha)." OUCH. Bad enough touching one with ya hand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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