Bat Ray & Skates-
The West Coast has some pretty incredible rays/skates patrolling its shores and the Bat Ray is one of our favorites to target. You can find thornback rays, bat ray, round stingrays and the shovelnose guitarfish up and down the West Coast.
These rays patrol the coastline looking for mollusks, clams and crustaceans, make sure you hold on tight if you hook into one of these “mud marlins”!
Recommended line for Bat Rays & Skates-
Heavy! These fish aren’t called “Mud Marlins” for nothing. You’re in for long and heavy runs when battling these beasts. We make sure our reel used for rays and sharks are backed with heavy braided line with a heavy monofilament leader. 40lb to 50lb monofilament is our main line of choice when fishing rays.
Recommended Rig for Bat Ray & Skates-
There are a couple rigs we use when fishing for Bat Ray and Skates in the surf. One of them being the 3 Way Swivel Rig and then an Improvised Carolina Rig aka Fish Finder Rig. If you’re unsure on how to tie these rigs, click here!
Recommended Bait for Bat Rays & Skates and how to fish them-
Rays and Skates are typically bottom feeder fish that cruise around the sea floor for anything they can devour. Many surf anglers prefer squid when targeting these fish because of its durability when casting and staying on the hook. Fresh caught mackerel or surfperch is also a go to when targeting these fish. We don’t recommend using a lure when it comes to these fish.
We like the bait and wait method. Cast out your bait as far as you can, set your rod in a rod holder/sand spike and loosen your drag. Have your drag loose so the ray can eat and run with your bait when its picked up. Once you see your rod bouncing back and forth like crazy, run over to your rod, tighten your drag a bit, set the hook and hold on! These fish pull like a freight train and are an absolute blast to fish from the shore.
Recommended Rod & Reel for Bat Rays and Skates-
You’re definitely going to need a bigger and stronger rod and reel combo when targeting these beasts from shore. A 9ft to 15ft surf casting rod with a medium heavy or heavy rating is our standard when fishing for rays and skates. You want a rod that has the length to keep you above the breakers and seaweed as well as something with a strong enough backbone that can handle casting heavy bait/gear and the durability to with stand a fish in the 100 pounds or more weight class. Here are a few we recommend.
When it comes to the reel you want something with a high line capacity. These fish can pull a couple hundred feet of line with no issues.
There are also great spinning reels that have a high line capacity that rock these fish as well. Just keep in mind you want a reel with a strong drag setting and a large enough spool to withstand those long drag screaming runs. The last thing you want to see are the last layers of line peeling away before one of these fish spool your entire reel. Here are some reels we have tried and tested.