Duckbills & Eagle Rays?

[WalkersKiller]

Hi guys, have never caught or targeted these fish before. Would you target them in the same way as Blue Rays?

What water should I look for when throwing?

Bait? Chooka blob?

Trace, hook size etc.?

Any info would be awesome  :fnx:

Would you find them in the same sort of water as Lesser Sandsharks?

[SAfish]

I only got a baby Eagle Ray once by accident when fishing for Sandies. I used a 2/o hook and Pilchard belly as bait. 

[WalkersKiller]

So they must be in the same water as Sandys 

[WalkersKiller]

Beautiful flatfish though Hermann!

[SAfish]

  but it was a baby and measured only 380mm (SASAA = 1.0kg)!
http://www.ultimateangling.co.za/index.php?topic=4636.msg57076#top

[J-Rock]

I know that they are abundant around the PE area and prefer temperate coastal waters.

[adam]

Don't have much experience with duckbills, but from what I have seen, you definitely want discoloured water.  Deep water points with a sandy bottom and scattered reefs will do.  Drop out a large occy bait and you will probably get one with a bit of luck.


Now with eagle rays I can help a bit.  I usually get them when water is a bit colder than usual and blue rays are off the bite.  Flat seas with clear water have given the best results with eagle rays.  Sandy beaches with some nice sandbanks at the back and lazy rolling swells are good. 





Any bait works - prawn, crab, fish, etc.  But chokka and small occy baits are best.


Two colour variations of eagle ray.  Darker one caught in rocky area.

[WalkersKiller]

Wow awesome post Adam thank you 

[J-Rock]

Here is some more info on the Eagle rays.

Spotted eagle rays feed mainly on bivalves but also eats shrimps, crabs, octopus and worms, whelks, and small fishes.

Spotted eagle rays are commonly found in shallow inshore waters such as bays and coral reefs but may cross oceanic basins. They sometimes enters estuaries. They swim close to the surface, occasionally leaping out of the water, or close to the bottom. They frequently form large schools during the non-breeding season. The spotted eagle ray is distributed worldwide in tropical, coastal waters.

[WalkersKiller]

 

[Lenny]

Occy is your Best bait for them Duckies , close second comes a Big Tjokka .
I dont target them , but sometime becomes a hassle when fishing for Kob with occy legs ... They do put up a nice fight though...

[WalkersKiller]

Thanks Lenny!

[Vladimir]

Hi there


I landed two duckbills in one day last year.


The first one was 34kg and took just over an hour to land and the second was 65kg and took over two hours.


Bait was chokka heads and guts beaten with a biting trace. I never intended to target them but was in the fortunate position to land and released them both.


Water was not great but I managed to make the best of the conditions and were rewarded. The fight well should you wish to target them the enjoy a couple of red bulls and take some water with you as well as it was back breaking especially in the gutter.(they just know how to lay back and laugh at you)


Would I do it again.... any day


Vladimir

[Trevour]

Caught 2 Duckbills off boiling pot Mazeppa in December (69kg and 74kg) Both fights were around 45 minutes, and both were on whole Occie. Lost a 3rd one after 2.5 hours also on occie. Spent the better part of an hour trying to pull it over the lip in the surf (they can be stubborn). At one stage the saltiga 50 was into the last 100m of braid. Gillie had the leader when it turned belly towards us and somehow broke the leader as if cut with scissors.