Want to catch one of the largest UK ray species from the shore? Of course, you do
Content of Blonde Ray Fishing
In this discussion you will find
Geological location
specific available areas
Seasonal variation
Nature
Tackle for Catching
Best Rig for catching
Best BAIT selection
TOP TACTICS
Let’s begin with fishing fisher
Blonde rays fishing like to congregate in small groups, so catching one increases the likelihood of catching many. Fishermen will have the best chance of success if they use two rods, one next to the other at slightly different distances. It also allows you to test two different types of bait to see which one the fish prefer.
It is common for a bite to be detected by a few taps on the rod tip, followed by the fish swimming away and pushing the rod tip all the way down. Raise your rod tip into the ray and let the line to fully tighten before setting the hook. When hooked, larger fish, in particular, may often settle on the bottom and will need consistent but not excessive pressure to be moved. When they sense that the depth is diminishing, they will likewise make brief runs.
Blonde Ray Fishing Location
For fishermen, blonde ray fishing have become a lot more realistic shore target in recent years, thanks to a rise in their population over the previous two decades. Any fish in the mid-teens that is caught from the beach and grows to be more than 30 pounds is a notable catch. When they are tiny, the blonde ray fishing is often mistaken with the spotted ray.
The easy identification test is that the spots on the blonde ray fishing extend all the way to the edge of the wings, but the spots on the spotted ray stop short, leaving a clear gap to the edge of the wings.
Specific areas of Blonde Ray Fishing
They can be found all over the English Channel, although their numbers diminish as you go closer to the Kent coast. They are most frequent around the beaches of Dorset, Devon, and Cornwall, as well as across the Bristol Channel and the Irish Sea, with Anglesey serving as a localised hotspot.
On the west coast of Scotland, blondes are also harvested from rocky outcrops for use in cosmetics. They are prevalent across Ireland, from Wicklow and Wexford to the coasts of Cork and Kerry, and all the way up to Donegal and the surrounding areas of Northern Ireland.
Season of Blonde ray Fishing
Blonde ray fishing may be taken from rock platforms throughout the year, but the ideal time to catch them is from July to November, with September to November being the best months for larger fish. They like a good tidal run, so keep this in mind while picking locations.
The finest fishing possibilities are generally found during the larger spring tides. They seem to be most active during the middle of a flood tide, with slack water being the least active.
Blonde Ray Fishing Nature
Blondes tend to go out to deeper water as the ebb tide begins to take hold, but a long throw may still produce a few fish on the ebb tide. It is not necessary to have a lot of depth since even the larger fish will come into very shallow water (less than 15 feet deep).
Having said that, they are not often taken from shallow-water beaches. They like sandy soils, as well as pristine sand patches in the midst of tougher terrain. On deeper beaches, the corners where cliffs or rock ledges meet clear sand are sometimes the best places to find a nice location.
It is possible to catch fish in daylight on deeper rock structures. However, when they are moving very near inshore, they like extremely low light levels, such as very gloomy days, or even better, complete darkness when it is completely dark. After a storm, they are able to withstand very polluted water and come closer to the coast.
Blonde Ray Fishing Tackle
Generally speaking, you’ll need to cast a long distance in order to reach the rays and punch out a substantial-sized bait, so 12-13ft beach casters rated for throwing 5-6oz should enough.
The Penn 525 series, which is designed for large rays, has the throwing ability, gearing, and line capacity to handle the largest of these animals. Fill the reel with 20lb line and tie on a 60lb shock leader to secure the catch.
Best rig for Blonde Ray Fishing
The ideal rig is a pulley rig constructed of 80lb monofilament. Although not required, the use of a suitable Pulley Rig Bead is advised in order to distribute the weight throughout a longer segment of rig body line during the cast rather than a single swivel eye, the latter of which sometimes causes a weakness due to strain at the same spot after numerous casts.
The lead weight is raised above the fish using a pulley arrangement in order to keep the fish clear of any snags. Make the hook trace as long as possible, around 30 inches, to provide a large ray enough area to comfortably accept the bait without coming into touch with the rig body line.
It is necessary to use a robust design on the hooks, which should be between size 4/0 and 6/0, such as a Viking, but for larger fish, O’Shaughnessy patterns provide additional strength and security. It is important that the hooks be razor sharp since the blonde has a rough mouth.
In addition, a secure bait stop on the hook length is required. In order to get the best results, begin with sliding on the rig crimp, followed by the 3mm bead and finally the 8mm bead. The crimp should be around two inches above the hook to allow for a reasonable amount of bait. Using an 8mm bead, you can prevent the bait from blowing back up the hook trace while you are casting.
Best baits for Blonde Ray Fishing
It has been found that the sandeel with the head and tail removed is the best consistent bait for blonde ray fishing. The sandeel body should be mounted by forcing the hook point down through the tail cut as far as it will go, then moving the sandeel body up the shank.
If necessary, you may add a second sandeel to the side of the first and bind it with bait elastic to make the bait larger. Additionally, try wrapping a sheet of squid over the sandeel, particularly if little crabs and shrimps are fast eating away at the bait’s effectiveness. In addition to providing protection, the squid also aids in the retention of aroma for a longer period of time.
A mackerel portion cut into pieces approximately three inches long and two inches broad will work nicely, but it must be as fresh as possible to be effective in this recipe. Make a hole in the skin side of the bait and drag the hook completely through and out at the bottom end of the bait. Wrap the bait around the hook and tie with bait elastic to produce a sausage shape.
Blonde ray fishing respond strongly to whole or half-body squid, however squid seems to be a more localised bait than sandeel and mackerel, which are more widely used over the world. They will also accept pout and whiting fillets, as well as chunks of bluefish if they have to.
Top Tactic for Blonde Ray Fishing
The most apparent trick to routinely get success in blonde ray fishing is to fish well-known regions where they are known to be caught. Try to locate marks that are not fished too often in close proximity to the productive places. Blonde ray fishing become relatively territorial for a few tides or days once they have established themselves in a particular region, which is generally on either side of the highest tide.
They are readily apprehended on well-traveled trails and released after a short period of time. Finding a target with little pressure might be the key to landing spectacular receptions. A perfect example would be blondes being caught off clear sand, yet just a short distance away there is mixed tough terrain where other anglers would not fish because they are concerned about losing too much equipment. Such terrain may act as a hotspot inside a hotspot if conditions are right.
Whenever possible, large lead weights should be used to firmly anchor and maintain the bait’s position. Rays will follow a smell trail to the bait in order to catch it. This also demonstrates the importance of maintaining the freshness of the bait. Even a large bait should not be left out for more than 25 minutes; 20 minutes is preferable. If you keep the bait out for any longer than this, the aroma from the bait will begin to fade quickly, and the fish will lose interest.