Saltwater Fish of the Week - Printable Version +- Fishing Forum (https://bigfishtackle.com/forum) +-- Forum: Saltwater Fishing Forum (https://bigfishtackle.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?fid=401) +--- Forum: Saltwater Fishing General (https://bigfishtackle.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?fid=3) +--- Thread: Saltwater Fish of the Week (/showthread.php?tid=116273)

Saltwater Fish of the Week - tubeN2 - 03-22-2004 CALIFORNIA BAT RAY [url "http://www.dfg.ca.gov/mrd/mspc018.jpg"][/url][url "http://www.dfg.ca.gov/Mrd/mspc018.jpg"][#0000ff]click me[/#0000ff][/url]) [center][/center] [center] [/center] [center] [right]Family: [/right] Myliobatidae (Eagle rays) [right]Genus and Species: [/right] Myliobatis californica [right]Description: [/right] The bat ray has a distinct head that is elevated above the disk. The tail is whip-like and as long or longer than the width of the disk with the sting located just behind the body. The color is dark brown to dark olive or almost black above and white below. This species can be distinguished from manta rays or mobulas (that rarely occur off California) by the absence of the arm-like projections manta rays and mobulas have on their heads. [right]Range: [/right] Bat rays are found from the Gulf of California to Oregon, from surface waters to depths of 150 feet. [right]Natural History: [/right] Bat rays feed chiefly upon mollusks and crustaceans. In bays and sloughs they feed heavily upon clams, oysters, shrimp and crabs. On the open coast they eat abalones and various other snails. When feeding, they swim along the bottom until they encounter currents of water expelled from the siphons of clams. They dig clams by suction created by flapping their wings. The shell of the ingested clam is crushed by their millstone like jaw teeth. Mating takes place during the summer months and the young are born alive, apparently the following summer, when they are 12 to 14 inches in width and weigh about 2 pounds. The young are always born tail-first with their wings rolled up over the body. They come equipped with a stinger and can cause severe painful wounds. Females apparently weigh at least 50 pounds and males 10 pounds before they are mature. Females of 50 to 60 pounds usually have two to four young; whereas, females of 130 to 140 pounds may have 10 or 12 young. [right]Fishing Information: [/right] Most sportfishing for bat rays takes place in protected bays and estuaries. Although bat rays may be taken in the open ocean, anglers prefer to catch them in sheltered waters. Heavy tackle is recommended since anglers often encounter large rays. Favorite baits include shrimp, clams, crabs or even cut mackerel. [right]Other Common Names: [/right] sting ray, eagle ray, batfish, stingaree, bat sting ray. [right]Largest Recorded:[/right] Width 4 feet, 9 inches; 181 pounds. [right]Habitat:[/right] Shallow Sandy Environment[/center] [signature] Re: [tubeN2] Saltwater Fish of the Week - JapanRon - 03-24-2004 Hey TubeN2, Fish! Ok Ok.. There are lots of rays in the ocean. If you want to hone your bottom scanning skills, go to some areas during low tide, and look for a faint outline or tell-tail tail on the bottom. Why.. It will make you more skillful in locating where HALIBUT lie as halibut and bat rays like the same spots to hang out in the shallows. I can show most anglers 5 pictures (12 square inches) and bet 5 bucks each that they can't locate a halibut in 3 minutes time. By using bat rays, you'll learn more than you can verbalize! Mud Marlin! Every caught one? At Catalina there is a hole where home-guard yellows hang out as well as huge bay rays! They fight the same way only the bay ray always wins! ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha Yes.. I have been a victim many times! JapanRon [signature] Re: [JapanRon] Saltwater Fish of the Week - tubeN2 - 03-24-2004 Is that on the back side of the Island??? I have flown around the back many times and seen some nice lagoons back there. They didn't seem very deep either. Thanks for the tips on the bats and butts. I would love to hook into a biggie on light tackle. I may just tempt me to get my tube out and go for a long ride.[cool] [signature] Re: [tubeN2] Saltwater Fish of the Week - DanielJRioux - 03-24-2004 They taste good too. Skin them and cut circles out of the wings and they are sold as a scallops. [signature] Re: [DanielJRioux] Saltwater Fish of the Week - tubeN2 - 03-24-2004 I love the bat scallops. I have some sharp cookie cutters and also use a sharpend electrical conduit. 1 1/4" emt conduit works the best for nice big scallops. Yummmmmmmmmmmy. With a little Bernaise sauce and dill you cant go wrong. [signature] Re: [tubeN2] Saltwater Fish of the Week - DanielJRioux - 03-24-2004 Wish I was back in San Diego and I could catch a few for dinner. Lobster(bugs), scallops, and Guiness! What a great meal![cool] [signature]