Just got home last night from a visit back home to meet Bernie    http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=105204  

and to visit my family.  While there my buddy Caleb and I got to go stingray hunting on my brother's boat.  The wind never let up and the hunting was hard.  We still managed to do ok the 3 night we were able to go.

Getting ready
 

Making sure my Pearson is ready for another hunt
 

Caleb's 1st time stingray hunting.  I think he had a good time
 

My brother's step son Zack.  His 1st attemp at bowfishing.  Don't believe it will be his last time out.
 

That sounds like a lot of fun!!!!

Here is Caleb's 1st ever stingray


A short video of my first ray of the trip.  Just click on the image.  You can really hear the wind howling.  Just seeing them was very hard to do.



The 2nd night hunting we saw "Moby Ray".  Unfortunately stingray fever took hold of Caleb and I and we both missed. Twice!    The ray ended up wrapping the string around the trolling motor shaft and towed the boat for a minute before the arrow pulled loose.  Poor Caleb has talked about nothing but redemption since that night.

Any TG members around Biloxi?  We have the boat but it sure would be nice to have someone to show us around for some ray hunting closer to home.

Boy theres some good eaten there

Pac, I live just north of Biloxi but don't know a thing about the rays or how to navigate you around, but sure would like a go at some shooting sometime.  Looks like ya"ll had fun

Got a pm asking if I ate the rays and if I did how did I go about cleaning them.

The answer is I did eat them.  The taste is very simular to scallop and I have not fed ray to anyone that did not like the taste yet.

To clean them you basically fillet the top of the wings from the side of the backbone area to the tips of the wings.  Next remove the skin and cut into bite size pieces.  Batter up like any other fish and fry them up.

I have tried filleting the bottom side of the wings but the size rays I get generally don't have much on the bottom to worry about.

I have read you can use cookie cutters to punch out pysdo scallop.  I tried it with a gingerbread man cookie cutter and a hammer.  To say the lest it did not work and I destroyed the cookie cutter to boot.  A biscuit cutter might hold up better but I'd bet a piece of pipe with a sharpened edge would really do the trick.

Try to get a hold of some stainless steel tubing, and try it sharpened, PAC. That's what I heard they used to use in the restaurants before they made it illegal to sell them as "scallops". You might try restaurant supply places for the stainless steel, if you can't find a source - I think they use some in large coffee urns, etc.

Great to read about your success (and fun) on the ray fishing. Ya done good guys! Again, glad to see you on your way.

Congrats on a fine trip.  

I had a great time and am very thankful Pac took me along.  And am also very glad I met Mr. Bernie. He is one of the nicest man you'll ever come by.  

Ill be back for one more shoot at moby ray I hope.

Thank you so much, Caleb, it was a real pleasure meeting you as well. Keep after those Rays and Skates.

If any one would like to go for some solid 10# + skates I would be more than willing to show you where they are at. The bigguns would go 35#+ pretty easily as they are dang near 6 feet across. It does not have to be a nighttime operation. We can launch out of Crystal River area and head south.

L.R.

Pac, do you skin these rays out and process these hides? Some sting rays make very nice tanned hides.

Awesome PAC, glad you & Caleb had a great trip.

QuoteOriginally posted by 2fletch:
Pac, do you skin these rays out and process these hides? Some sting rays make very nice tanned hides.

The rays we were shooting wouldn't make much raw hide.  Maybe enough for a tab or an armguard?  If a fellow could get a big one like Moby Ray I'd bet you would have a hide worth messing with.