Cownose Ray all over SH - NJFishing.com Your Best Online Source for Fishing Information in New Jersey

Super · #1 08-16-2016, 03:37 PM

Got my first CNR Saturday evening on Sandy Hook. They were all over the place. Always heard stories of these spooling folks. They do pull hard but not as hard as I had expected. Saw others landed too.

tombanjo · #2 08-16-2016, 04:49 PM

So thick you could walk on them today. Fun to hook up, they take a couple of short quick runs before you muscle them in. And when you're catching 1lb blues it's nice to have something heavy on the line pulling back. I don't care what it is as long as it fights back. Don't care if I can't eat it, hell, I wouldn't eat a 20lb bluefish either but I live to hook up with them.

Why are these rays protected? Sure seem to be doing ok. Does it have anything to do with their situation in Delaware? I vaguely recall something about them being problematic for the blackfishing down there.

tjd24 · #3 08-16-2016, 05:28 PM

I don't think cow nosed rays are protected. I watched a TV show that said that they are trying to develop a market for them in the Chesapeake. People are reluctant to eat them because they look like beef when filleted.
The guy on the TV show seemed to like them, but he eats anything.

kcritch · #4 08-16-2016, 05:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tjd24

The guy on the TV show seemed to like them, but he eats anything.

I feel a jmurr reply coming!

Delawareriver · #5 08-16-2016, 09:10 PM

Not protected one bit. You can keep them and they are pretty good to eat if you ice them right away.

We are currently working to open bowfishing for them here In new jersey which is popular from delaware right on down to texas. Would appreciate the support when it comes up for public comment in the next year or so

Fish on · #6 08-17-2016, 12:03 PM

Nice catch, especially from the surf. I/m not being a jerk however,the one you caught was relatively small, you might change your mind on how hard they pull if it was a larger one. FISH ON my friend.

Finprof · #7 08-17-2016, 01:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tjd24

I don't think cow nosed rays are protected. I watched a TV show that said that they are trying to develop a market for them in the Chesapeake. People are reluctant to eat them because they look like beef when filleted.
The guy on the TV show seemed to like them, but he eats anything.

We have a big problem with cownose rays in the Chesapeake. Three years ago I got one per year. Now this year they are all over the Bay and so thick you could walk on them. Every day there is at least one caught in my boat. Monday a guy on my boat got spooled and lost a whole reel full of braid and his rig. I used to bring them near the boat and cut the line, losing the lure in the process. A captain visiting from South Carolina showed me how to hold and de-hook them beside the boat, so that doesn't happen any more. They bleat like a lamb when you grab them and bleed like a pig if you take them into the boat to de-hook them.

There are bowfishing tournaments for cownose rays in Maryland. Of course last year an anti-fishing anti-hunting group posted videos of the tournament with bleeding rays for visual impact. And they really bleed heavily when hit with an arrow.

Delawareriver · #8 08-17-2016, 08:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Finprof

,.

There are bowfishing tournaments for cownose rays in Maryland. Of course last year an anti-fishing anti-hunting group posted videos of the tournament with bleeding rays for visual impact. And they really bleed heavily when hit with an arrow.

My bowfishing team got its name after shooting rays all day.here's a picture from this year

Pennsy Guy · #9 08-17-2016, 10:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Delawareriver

Not protected one bit. You can keep them and they are pretty good to eat if you ice them right away.

We are currently working to open bowfishing for them here In new jersey which is popular from delaware right on down to texas. Would appreciate the support when it comes up for public comment in the next year or so

Like Skate, I assume(hate that term)one eats only the wings...yes/no???

Delawareriver · #10 08-17-2016, 11:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pennsy Guy

Like Skate, I assume(hate that term)one eats only the wings...yes/no???

Never ate a skate but yes the wings hold all the meat. We cut the wings off right away and into a cooler full of ice. Once back at the dock we fillet the top and bottom off each wing then skin. There Is a layer of cartilage in the middle of the wing giving you 4 fillets off each ray