LOCATION:Virginia Lower Bay and Maryland Middle Bay
SPECIES:VA, TarponMD, Blues and Striped Bass.
UPDATE:August 9, 2010
FISHING CONDITIONS: Normally hot days but most often the water and breezes keeps us cool.VA is giving us a Tarpon surprise with many fish on the flats, yesterday brought one to the boat that went over 100 pounds.MD is being consistent with nice Striped Bass (up to 28 inches) and Bluefish are showing up and some are real bruisers up to 22 inches.
WATER TEMPERATURE: Mid Bay 85 Degrees, Lower Bay (Barrier Islands) 80 Degrees, Near Coastal 78.
MOST COMMON BAIT:Bunker, Crabs, and other species.
“MUST HAVE” FLIES IN DESCENDING ORDER OF IMPORTANCE: For Tarpon the hookup came with an olive Bunny Fly which I suspect was mistaken for a crab, there were many crabs in the water.Mid bay Striped Bass and blues are eating silver sides imitations easily but bunker and larger bait is around and is being devoured by the blues.Use a large imitation for this.
RECOMMENDED LEADER: 80 pound test, 7 ½ foot or 9 foot non-tapered for the Tarpon and 20 to 30 for the Striped Bass and Blues.
BEST FLY ROD AND REEL OUTFIT:12 weight rods was the primary and the 10 weight was a secondary for prospecting.Both had large arbor reels for Tarpon.Blues and Striped Bass I’m using 9wt with large arbor reels.
IDEAL FLY LINE TYPES: Primary lines were intermediate with either clear sink tip or a full clear intermediate line.I used full sink whenever the water depth got over 8 feet.(I didn’t use it often.)Stripers and blues are best on full sink line.
BEST TECHNIQUES:Finding Tarpon spots can be tough but once located I was able to target locations using my trolling motor to get in close for a cast.I would try ten casts per location and move on to other Tarpons and locations for the next.Watch the depth and switch to sink lines if necessary to cover the water column.Slow strip the crab pattern or moderate retrieve for a bait fish pattern.For the Striped Bass and Blues, fast retrieves once the line gets down to the depth of the fish on the sonar.Strip immediately if the fish are on top or water depth is shallow.
COMMENTS:A large Tarpon like mine was exciting and I hope to put you on one, but it is a tough game.I have been amazed at the number of fish above the 150 pound mark that I saw this trip.
7-DAY OUTLOOK: Tides and weather are good and with my new flats skiff I can get into the shallow areas that were just a high tide location when using my center console.Maryland waters are fishing well at dusk but any time of day seems to be producing once the fish are located.
SPECIES: Striped Bass, Blue fish, Atlantic Croaker, Cow Nosed Ray (Raja Bonasus)
UPDATE: July 20, 2010
FISHING CONDITIONS: Very Good! Start early or end late seems to be the best game in the Eastern Bay area. Mid-
Dad still outfishes the kids!
day between the boat traffic and angler pressure the fishing just isn’t up to par. Other areas are reporting better results and one trip to the lower middle bay revealed fish stacked up at one of my favorite locations. Most of the action has been on small flys imitating Silversides and even flys that have been beaten up terribly are producing smashing results. Blue fish are still in the party in a big way and losing a few flys is normal. I’m still not ready to add wire and possibly spoil the great bite we are getting. For the many people that love poppers as much as I do, they are getting reaction bites that are unbelievable. Stripped fast the biggest fish of the day are on top water! Smaller tributaries are fishing poorly. Some trips are still plagued with slow fishing.
WATER TEMPERATURE: Mid Bay 83 Degrees, Lower Bay (CBBT) 78 Degrees, Near Coastal 77.
MOST COMMON BAIT: Silversides, Spot, Bunker, Crabs, and Perch.
“MUST HAVE” FLIES IN DESCENDING ORDER OF IMPORTANCE: Smaller Clouser style minnows (1 ½ inch) in various dark and white colors are working at times better than half and half’s. Having a little flash tied in seems critical as it matches the body of silversides. When you find breaking fish, poppers or gurglers are working well on top water fish. These work at dusk and dawn in shallow water too.
RECOMMENDED LEADER: 20 to 30 pound test, 7 ½ foot or 9 foot non-tapered.
BEST FLY ROD AND REEL OUTFIT: 9 weight with large arbor reel
IDEAL FLY LINE TYPES: Full sink line in the fastest sink rate for waters around 6 to 12 feet and full float in skinny or if you happen to see fish on the surface or when fishing at dawn and dusk.
BEST TECHNIQUES: This time of year looking for birds is the best game in town. Birds help us locate the actively feeding schools of Striped Bass and we can quickly determine the preferred bait, the size and coloring so we can select the best fly or lure to use once the frenzy is over. Sometimes you just find fish without birds. Either way fishing the breaking fish is great fun. Incoming and outgoing tides are working but current speed is important.
COMMENTS: Larger fish (24 inches and up) are present in the schools and still caught regularly. Keep a lookout when other fish area being pulled in and if another angler is on board they should be casting at your fly caught fish to pick up followers. This can be a nice bait and switch method to find better fish.
7-DAY OUTLOOK: It’s warming up to be a great summer. Weekday trips are better for fishing with less boat traffic and starting either early or late in the day and fishing for four hours in twilight conditions can be a very nice alternative to mid day sun.
SPECIES: Striped Bass, Blue fish, Atlantic Croaker, Cow Nosed Ray (Raja Bonasus), Tarpon, Shark
UPDATE: July 13, 2010
One of many caught that trip
FISHING CONDITIONS: Very Good in Mid Bay! Some trips are still plagued with slow fishing. It seems to just turn off, and you can’t get the fish to bite. But for most the action has been outstanding. We are getting more blue fish every trip and many are good sized (18 inches). Some trips have been almost overwhelming with the sheer number and quality of the fish being caught. Last night we went well over 200 fish with many over 18 inches. This is summer fishing at its best! For the many people that love poppers as much as I do, they are getting reaction bites that are unbelievable. Stripped fast the biggest fish of the day are on top water! LOWER BAY, you better bring your own fish. Weekends are super crowded in all the popular areas and no one is catching. My trip for Tarpon and sharks netted a skunk although we saw one decent sized shark and four Tarpon. Just couldn’t make the connection.
WATER TEMPERATURE: Mid Bay 81 Degrees, Lower Bay (CBBT) 78 Degrees, Near Coastal 77.
MOST COMMON BAIT: Silversides, Spot, Bunker, Crabs, and Perch.
“MUST HAVE” FLIES IN DESCENDING ORDER OF IMPORTANCE: Large (four inch) half and half’s, blue and white is still working best although all white and chartreuse and all white are good choices as well. Having a bunker style pattern is essential if you want to have a larger fish look at your offering. Smaller Clouser style minnows (1 ½ inch) in various dark and white colors are working at times better than half and half’s. Having a little flash tied in seems critical as it matches the body of silversides. When you find breaking fish, poppers or gurglers are working well on top water fish. These work at dusk and dawn in shallow water too.
RECOMMENDED LEADER: 20 to 30 pound test, 7 ½ foot or 9 foot non-tapered.
BEST FLY ROD AND REEL OUTFIT: 9 weight with large arbor reel
IDEAL FLY LINE TYPES: Full sink line in the fastest sink rate for waters around 6 to 12 feet and full float in skinny or if you happen to see fish on the surface or when fishing at dawn and dusk.
BEST TECHNIQUES: This time of year looking for birds is the best game in town. Birds help us locate the actively feeding schools of Striped Bass and we can quickly determine the preferred bait, the size and coloring so we can select the best fly or lure to use once the frenzy is over. Fishing after the breaking fish is slow but effective if you drift in the same area or similar area where current is strong. Incoming and outgoing tides are working but current speed is important.
COMMENTS: Larger fish (24 inches and up) are present in the schools and getting to be a regular catch. Keep a lookout when other fish area being pulled in and if another angler is on board they should be casting at your fly caught fish to pick up followers. This can be a nice bait and switch method to find better fish.
7-DAY OUTLOOK: It’s warming up to be a great summer. Weekday trips are better for fishing with less boat traffic and starting either early or late in the day and fishing for four hours in twilight conditions can be a very nice alternative to mid day sun.
SPECIES: Striped Bass, Atlantic Croaker, Cow Nosed Ray (Raja Bonasus),(blues in middle bay around the Patuxent River)
UPDATE: July 5, 2010
Caught this fish feeding on Spot
FISHING CONDITIONS: Little has changed this week on the middle bay. Still lots of schoolie size fish (under 18 inches) and larger fish hanging out without the excitement of top water and birds diving. But what motivates you? Some anglers just can’t stay interested if they don’t catch a fish every other cast or can’t see the fish breaking so we look for the bird bonanza for them. Those are sometimes fleeting but what fun they can be! Others can see the fish on sonar and work and work for the occasional bite by a really large, nice fish. These fish can be found around structure, usually in shadow lines of the structure. They are also in groups feeding on bait in the very bottom of the water column. I always try to locate these fish in shallower water so the fly can be sunken all the way to these fish and retrieved along the bottom where these fish are feeding on spot and sometimes bunker.
WATER TEMPERATURE: Mid Bay 79 Degrees, Lower Bay (CBBT) 78 Degrees, Near Coastal 77.
MOST COMMON BAIT: Bunker, Herring, perch, spot, and now silver sides.
“MUST HAVE” FLIES IN DESCENDING ORDER OF IMPORTANCE: Large (four inch) half and half’s, blue and white is still working best although all white and chartreuse and white
Bunker pattern fly
are good choices as well. Having a bunker style pattern is essential if you want to have a larger fish look at your offering. Smaller Clouser style minnows (1 ½ inch) in various dark and white colors are working at times better than half and half’s. Having a little flash tied in seems critical. When you find breaking fish, poppers or gurglers are working well on top water fish. These work at dusk and dawn in shallow water too.
RECOMMENDED LEADER: 20 to 30 pound test, 7 ½ foot or 9 foot non-tapered.
BEST FLY ROD AND REEL OUTFIT: 9 weight with large arbor reel
IDEAL FLY LINE TYPES: Full sink line in the fastest sink rate for waters around 6 to 12 feet and full float in skinny or if you happen to see fish on the surface or when fishing at dawn and dusk.
BEST TECHNIQUES: This time of year looking for birds is the best game in town. Birds help us locate the actively feeding schools of Striped Bass and we can quickly determine the preferred bait, the size and coloring so we can select the best fly or lure to use once the frenzy is over. Fishing after the breaking fish is slow but effective if you drift in the same area or similar area where current is strong. Incoming and outgoing tides are working but current speed is important.
COMMENTS: Larger fish (24 inches and up) are present but difficult to catch. Keep a lookout when other fish area being pulled in and if another angler is on board they should be casting at your fly caught fish to pick up followers. This can be a nice bait and switch method to find better fish.
7-DAY OUTLOOK: It’s warming up to be a great summer. Weekday trips are better for fishing with less boat traffic and starting either early or late in the day and fishing for four hours in twilight conditions can be a very nice alternative to mid day sun.
FISHING LOCATIONS: Found in water less than 20 feet deep and frequently in the shallowest of water, this fish is easy to sight fish for. Back bays and less desirable waters are perfect habitat for this species. High temperatures seem to make them happy and they feed and breed all over the Chesapeake.
MOST COMMON BAIT: Oysters, clams, mussels and small bait fish.
“MUST HAVE” FLIES IN DESCENDING ORDER OF IMPORTANCE: Large (four inch) half and half’s, blue and white is still working best although all white is a good choice as well. Some reaction to other popular colors as well such as white on chartreuse. Never use poppers or other top water offerings for this species.
RECOMMENDED LEADER: 20 to 30 pound test, 7 ½ foot or 9 foot non-tapered.
BEST FLY ROD AND REEL OUTFIT: No special tackle required, 9 weight rod with large arbor reels are fine, but use care when fighting and landing because these fish can break rods easily.
IDEAL FLY LINE TYPES: Almost any line will do provided the fly can get down to the level the Cow Nosed Ray can see and be able to eat.
BEST TECHNIQUES: Get into an area that the Rays are plentiful and not all spawning (easily detected by the numbers of pairs of Rays swimming one over the other). Feeding occurs all hours of the day but can be especially good in the hours when the light is low. Rays don’t fear boats and will move around and under your boat even in the shallowest of water. Good quality imitations of bait fish like a half and half will work but don’t expect every time you get the fly in the face of one these fish it will eat. Casting beyond and bringing the fly out from under the fish is best and not too fast. Rays will expend just so much energy to chase a fly. When fishing with someone it is helpful if they are using a pole to aid in positioning the boat to maximize your casting. Once the Rays eat the fly, let the line nearly clear the deck before you set the hook in order to prevent tangles from getting caught in the guides. Once the hook is set with a firm strip strike the Ray will leave your immediate area surprising quickly. Expect lots of turns and if in the area of structure, like stumps or rocks try to control how far the Ray gets into them. Typical runs will get into your backing and once you gain it back will do it over and over. This is a great fighter on a fly rod. Once exhausted carefully remove the hook with a long handled hook removal tool. The Ray will still put up a fight but can be released safely with careful handling. NOTE: the Ray has a barb located at the base of tail near the body that can inflict terrible pain on you if you get too close, and don’t bring him on board your boat, its way too dangerous.
COMMENTS: Cow Nosed Rays are growing in numbers and can be found all over the Chesapeake as well as other areas of the mid Atlantic. They are not prized as edible and do not look good mounted over your mantle but can provide the most big fish excitement during the summer doldrums that you can imagine.
SPECIES:Striped Bass, Atlantic Croaker, Black Drum (no blues in upper bay yet)
UPDATE:June 1, 2010
FISHING CONDITIONS: The official start to summer began this weekend and the fish dutifully performed with some top water activity.Always glad to see the birds diving to eat the bait being driven to the surface by feeding Striped Bass.Better quality fish are still available along channel edges and at points with good drop-offs.Some quality fish can be picked up in shallow water in the darker hours at dawn or dusk.
WATER TEMPERATURE: Mid Bay 75+ Degrees, Lower Bay (CBBT) 70 Degrees, Near Coastal 68.
MOST COMMON BAIT:Bunker, Herring, perch, spot, and more.
“MUST HAVE” FLIES IN DESCENDING ORDER OF IMPORTANCE: Large (four inch) half and half’s, blue and white is still working best although all white is a good choice as well.Some reaction to other popular colors as well such as white on chartreuse. Gurglers or poppers have become a go to fly for top water fish.The gurgler is working real well with these first top water fish.
RECOMMENDED LEADER: 20 to 30 pound test, 7 ½ foot or 9 foot non-tapered.
BEST FLY ROD AND REEL OUTFIT:9 weight with large arbor reel
IDEAL FLY LINE TYPES: Full sink line in the fastest sink rate for waters around 6 to 12 feet and full float in skinny or if you happen to see fish on the surface.
BEST TECHNIQUES:Get in front of the breaking fish and drift quietly.The fish will stay with you if you don’t run engines and make loud noise.After the obvious fish pass look at your boat electronics and discover that more fish are just below you.These fish will continue to hit splashy baits or flys on sinking line.Also for better quality fish, go to points with deep drop offs during the day and fish deep.Real quality fish are still schooled up at these locations.
COMMENTS:Black drum are in the local water near St. Michaels and with enough patience you can hook up.Our local Atlantic Croaker (white drum) are here now and can be caught in the same areas and with the same technique.
7-DAY OUTLOOK: It’s warming up to be a great summer.Pick your interest (schoolies or larger residents) and plan a trip accordingly. Weekend traffic on the water is high and weekdays are better for fishing if you can get out.Late day trips for four hours ending near dark can be a very nice alternative on both weekends and weekdays.
FISHING CONDITIONS: Despite the numbers of great Striped Bass still out there, in May we also have worms.New moon phase in May and a hatch might just happen like this weekend when you are out to catch some Striped Bass.This seems to have been the trouble on Sunday.We drifted over the nicest school of Striped Bass ever and what happened?We caught only a few fish.Tried every fly imaginable and only one had any consistent results, a smallish Clouser on a 1/0 hook.There are still many Trophy size Striped Bass running around as you can see in the picture.Several trips this week in the Rivers near St. Michaels have netted some real nice fish although nothing larger than 36 inches.Water clarity is still excellent.
WATER TEMPERATURE: Mid Bay 60+ Degrees, Lower Bay (CBBT) 60 Degrees, Near Coastal 56.Not much change.
MOST COMMON BAIT:Bunker, Herring, perch, shad, and a host of other bait including MAY WORMS
“MUST HAVE” FLIES IN DESCENDING ORDER OF IMPORTANCE: Large (four inch) half and half’s, blue and white is still working.Some reaction to other popular colors as well such as white on white and white on chartreuse.
RECOMMENDED LEADER: 20 to 30 pound test, 7 ½ foot or 9 foot non-tapered.
BEST FLY ROD AND REEL OUTFIT:9 weight with large arbor reel
IDEAL FLY LINE TYPES: Full sink line in the fastest sink rate for waters around 6 to 12 feet and full float in skinny or if you happen to see fish on the surface.
BEST TECHNIQUES:Drifts over the hot areas that are holding fish. Cast up current if necessary to get your fly down.Once you feel the fish hit the fly do a solid strip strike.Continue to use debarbed hooks to make release easier during this period.Because we are using debarbed hooks a second strip strike is advisable, being careful not to mistakenly grab the backing when it is moving.
COMMENTS:Big fish are still around; don’t give up on a goal to slam one this Spring.Lots of patience and good casting can bring home the big one.
7-DAY OUTLOOK: With the fish and the bait I’m seeing in the area, once this worm hatch is over, expect to see bird action and breaking fish at least occasionally.
FISHING CONDITIONS: Where have the warm spring days gone?No matter, my concerns were that the warming trend would continue unchecked and the good Spring fishing that we have been enjoying would crash.There are still many Trophy size Striped Bass running around and can still be caught on Fly’s if you are the lucky one to put it in front of one.Several trips this week in the tributary waters near St. Michaels have netted some real nice fish although nothing huge.One 48 inch fish swam right under the boat and past a fly line (without stopping) and we all got real excited.Water clarity was amazing until Saturday and then the winds began to blow.My next trip (Tuesday) should be calm and hopefully the water clarity we enjoyed will be back to some extent.This clarity is only a fleeting thing, the next warm water blast and I expect the algae blooms to begin and visibility will suffer.
WATER TEMPERATURE: Mid Bay 60+ Degrees, Lower Bay (CBBT) 60 Degrees, Near Coastal 56
MOST COMMON BAIT:Bunker, Herring, perch, shad, and a host of other bait
“MUST HAVE” FLIES IN DESCENDING ORDER OF IMPORTANCE: Large (four inch) half and half’s, blue and white is still working.Some reaction to other popular colors as well such as white on white and white on chartreuse.
RECOMMENDED LEADER: 20 to 30 pound test, 7 ½ foot or 9 foot non-tapered.
BEST FLY ROD AND REEL OUTFIT:9 weight with large arbor reel
IDEAL FLY LINE TYPES: Full sink line in the fastest sink rate for waters around 6 to 12 feet and full float in skinny or if you happen to see fish on the surface.
BEST TECHNIQUES:Drifts over the hot areas that are holding fish. Cast up current if necessary to get your fly down.Once you feel the fish hit the fly do a solid strip strike.Continue to use debarbed hooks to make release easier during this period.Because we are using debarbed hooks a second strip strike is advisable, being careful not to mistakenly grab the backing when it is moving.
COMMENTS:Big fish are still around; don’t give up on a goal to slam one this Spring.Last year’s pattern of big fish in tribs hasn’t played out yet and my expectations are very high that we will still see some hot action over the next few weeks.
7-DAY OUTLOOK: With the fish and the bait I’m seeing in the area, expect to see bird action and breaking fish on most trips.This is spectacular when the big fish area up on top and not to be missed.
FISHING CONDITIONS: I have finished fishing the Susquehanna Flats for this season.Finished up with some fish up to 24 inches on the 30th of April none on the 1st of May and moved fishing down to the middle bay, close to St. Michaels.Big trophy size fish (those over 25 inches) are scattered all over the region.My guiding in this area places us at points and strong areas of current, hoping that the fish in the area are schooled up and working over some bait fish and we can place a fly in front of one of the big ones.We are catching every day, but with barometer and wind changes the fishing I can report on is slow.When we consider the opportunity to slam a really big fish, it’s still worth the trip.
WATER TEMPERATURE: Mid Bay 60+ Degrees, Lower Bay (CBBT) 60 Degrees, Near Coastal 56
MOST COMMON BAIT:Bunker, Herring, perch, shad, and a host of other bait
“MUST HAVE” FLIES IN DESCENDING ORDER OF IMPORTANCE: Large (four inch) half and half’s, blue and white is still working.The top producer this week is a bunker fly in Chartreuse and white, they have to be looking for the white perch that are common up here on the flats.I am fishing poppers when on the flats looking for the cows, too much grass to use anything else.
RECOMMENDED LEADER: 20 to 30 pound test, 7 ½ foot or 9 foot.
BEST FLY ROD AND REEL OUTFIT:9 weight with large arbor reel
IDEAL FLY LINE TYPES: Full sink line in the fastest sink rate for waters around 6 to 12 feet and full float in skinny.
BEST TECHNIQUES:Drifts over the hot areas that are holding fish. Cast up current if necessary to get your fly down.Once you feel the fish hit the fly do a solid strip strike.Continue to use debarbed hooks to make release easier during this period.Because we are using debarbed hooks a second strip strike is advisable, being careful not to mistakenly grab the backing when it is moving.
COMMENTS:Weather is playing its role in this spring fishing.At least the temperatures are usually warm.
7-DAY OUTLOOK: With the fish and the bait I’m seeing in the area, expect to see bird action and breaking fish on most trips.This is spectacular when the big fish area up on top and not to be missed.
FISHING CONDITIONS: I am really enjoying this spring.Warmer than average temperatures makes the days wonderful and almost every trip is being rewarded with big, spring fish.Although not schooled up in big groups the Striped Bass are moving in all areas and can be found on familiar structure near deep water.Both the Susquehanna Flats and the middle bay near St. Michaels have given up nice fish on a fly rod.
WATER TEMPERATURE: Mid Bay 59 Degrees, Lower Bay (CBBT) 61 Degrees, Near Coastal 58
MOST COMMON BAIT:Bunker, Herring, perch, shad, and a host of other bait
“MUST HAVE” FLIES IN DESCENDING ORDER OF IMPORTANCE: Large (four inch) half and half’s, blue and white work best
RECOMMENDED LEADER: 16 to 20 pound test, 7 ½ foot or 9 foot.
BEST FLY ROD AND REEL OUTFIT:9 weight with large arbor reel
IDEAL FLY LINE TYPES: Full sink line in the fastest sink rate.
SPINNING REEL OUTFIT:Six foot, medium, fast action rod with reels loaded with braided line in 20 or 30 pound test.Six foot leader in matching test fluorocarbon.
BEST TECHNIQUES:Drifts over familiar areas especially when the current is moving swiftly are good.Keep a watchful eye for working birds.Get well in front of the birds and put the fly out, giving it time to get into the portion of the water column where the moving fish are likely to be.This should be between the surface and 20 feet deep when in deeper water, when in shallower water, go for the top third of the water column.When not seeing birds, get to the bottom of the area you are fishing.Cast up current if necessary to get your fly down.You should occasionally feel the bottom to know you are deep enough.Once you feel the fish hit the fly do a solid strip strike.Use debarbed hooks to make release easier during this period.Because we are using debarbed hooks a second strip strike is advisable, being careful not to mistakenly grab the backing when it is moving.
COMMENTS:With air temperatures and water temperatures climbing rapidly the opportunity to catch real quality fish is increasing for fly fishermen on the mid bay region.The migrating fish are scattered in small pods or individual fish moving toward spawning grounds and looking for a meal.Look for improving conditions with fish schooled up and easier to target as the month wears on.Finding Striped Bass feeding on a mass of bait is hard right now, but when you do it will be worth the trip.The fishing on the Susquehanna Flats on the upper Bay is where you will catch really big Striped Bass on poppers in shallow water.
7-DAY OUTLOOK: Rain and the runoff in PA are making the water clarity on the Susquehanna Flats not ideal but don’t discount the area.The fish are up there!
detected by the numbers of pairs of Rays swimming one over the other). Feeding occurs all hours of the day but can be especially good in the hours when the light is low. Rays don’t fear boats and will move around and under your boat even in the shallowest of water. Good quality imitations of bait fish like a half and half will work but don’t expect every time you get the fly in the face of one these fish it will eat. Casting beyond and bringing the fly out from under the fish is best and not too fast. Rays will expend just so much energy to chase a fly. When fishing with someone it is helpful if they are using a pole to aid in positioning the boat to maximize your casting. Once the Rays eat the fly, let the line nearly clear the deck before you set the hook in order to prevent tangles from getting caught in the guides. Once the hook is set with a firm strip strike the Ray will leave your immediate area surprising quickly. Expect lots of turns and if in the area of structure, like stumps or rocks try to control how far the Ray gets into them. Typical runs will get into your backing and once you gain it back will do it over and over. This is a great fighter on a fly rod. Once exhausted carefully remove the hook with a long handled hook removal tool. The Ray will still put up a fight but can be released safely with careful handling. NOTE: the Ray has a barb located at the base of tail near the body that can inflict terrible pain on you if you get too close, and don’t bring him on board your boat, its way too dangerous.
skinny or if you happen to see fish on the surface.
