Stingray As Bait – How to Use Stingrays to Fish for Sharks

Every coastal angler has once or twice captured a stingray and the capture is typically greeted with the dreaded sigh.

However, did you know that stingrays can be used as bait?

Fishermen who want to catch huge, aggressive species like sharks, goliath grouper, and barracuda frequently use stingrays as bait.

I’ll discuss what you should be aware of in this article if you intend to use stingrays as bait on your upcoming fishing trip.

Can Stingray Be Used As Bait?

Due to their abundance and overall ease of capture, stingrays are a particularly popular choice for bait.

There aren’t many other baits that can compare to stingrays when fishing for large predators like sharks or goliath grouper.

Cutting a stingray into pieces is one of the most widely used bait techniques to catch lesser fish species. You can use stingrays as bait whole or even alive on the end of a hook.

Smaller stingrays can be used live if the hook is inserted through the body’s center and toward the tail. The stingrays will be kept alive longer and less likely to fall off the hook, which will draw in nearby predators

Stringray

To fit your hook or fishing setup, you can cut or trim larger stingrays. Many fishermen enjoy splitting stingrays in half so that they can use one stingray to bait multiple hooks.

When employing this technique, they frequently remain on the hook for extended periods.

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Stingray Bait Rigs That Works Best

When using stingrays as bait, either chopped or whole, a few straightforward rigs appear to work well.

The surf fishing setup is just one of them. The surf fishing setup is incredibly simple to put together and works wonders with stingrays as bait.

How to use stingray as bait

Fishing wire, a red plastic bead, a monofilament fishing line, two swivels, an 8-ounce pyramid sinker, and a pointy circle hook with a minimum size of 7/0 or larger are all required to construct a surf fishing rig.

You must first take the fishing wire and fasten it to the hook before you can create this setup.

This part must be between two and three feet long. One of the swivels should be the recipient of the fishing wire’s other end.

You’ll need a little section of the monofilament line once this leader section is complete. Make a loop by passing this line through the same eye as the other swivel and tying it to it.

This loop can be used to secure the pyramid sinker by pinching and looping it through the sinker.

Slide the plastic bead on after the sinker is fastened. The leader must be connected to the main fishing line of your rod as the last step before your surf fishing setup is complete and ready to use.

For many different large fish species, including shark, grouper, and barracuda, this rig is a fantastic option.

How to Hook a Stingray for Bait

You must first catch a stingray before using it as bait.

Fortunately, if you have the correct tools and are fishing in a stingray habitat, this is a rather simple task to complete.

Various types of bait, such as crabs, squid, worms, prawns, or tiny fish, can be used to catch stingrays.

Serious stingray fishermen typically prefer to cut squid, although anything will work if your only goal is to catch a stingray to use as bait.

The size of the stingray you want to catch will have a big impact on the ideal fishing rod and reel configuration.

Use a medium-heavy action rod with a 6 to 7-foot length and a 15 to 20-pound braided or monofilament line to catch smaller stingrays, which are typically the best size for bait.

Remember that stingrays have tiny jaws when choosing hooks. Hooks with a size of 2/0 or 3/0 can be used to catch medium-sized stingrays.

Even 1/0 hooks can be used if necessary if you are aware that the area you are in only has medium-sized to small stingrays.

You are now prepared to rig the stingray onto your hook as bait after using this fishing rig to catch one.

You may wish to chop the stingray into smaller pieces depending on the size of the fish you are after, or you may want to leave it whole for larger predators like sharks or grouper.

(Always kill the stingray humanely before using it as cut bait by stabbing it in the head with a shark knife and putting it on ice for 10 to 15 minutes.)

Place the hook close to the back of the stingray by the tail if you intend to keep the ray whole.

To get more bait out of their stingray, most anglers prefer to cut it. They either divide the ray in half or separate the wings into three pieces.

How to Use Stingrays to Fish for Sharks

Sharks frequently use stingrays as bait because of their vast distribution and preference for shallow-water habitats.

For this kind of fishing, you’ll need sturdy fishing gear!  Typically, hammerhead, tiger, lemon, and bull sharks are the target species.

How to Use Stingrays to Fish for Sharks

Shark

When utilizing stingrays as bait, round hooks usually work the best for the hooks.

Large and powerful size 20/0 circle hooks can withstand the force of groupers and sharks while holding even larger stingrays on the hook.

To guarantee a durable and dependable hook, stick with trusted brands like Mustad.

I favor using a sizable 50-wide reel when stingray fishing for sharks using live or cut stingrays.

The 300 to 600-pound test monofilament line that you will also need to catch these incredibly large and tenacious fish can fit in this size and style.

No matter what kind of rig you employ, it is imperative that you use fishing wire as a leader to prevent sharks from rubbing the fishing line against rocks or destroying it with their teeth.

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Using Stingrays to fish a Goliath grouper

Using stingrays to catch goliath grouper is a new craze that has swept the saltwater fishing world in recent years.

Using Stingrays to fish a Goliath grouper

Goliath Grouper

These enormous creatures, which have been known to reach 500 pounds in weight, are usually discovered in shallow waters underneath bridges and jetties.

You’re going to need a short, strong, heavy-action rod, a strong, wide reel, and a mainline that is at least 100 pounds strong.

Put a stingray on your preferred circle hook, add a few ounces of lead, and lower it!

Conclusion

Due to their abundance and overall ease of capture, stingrays are a particularly popular choice for bait.

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Jasper

Jasper

Fisherman

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