leopard sting ray

Went to blue lagoon in durban this morning but cut it short due to heavy rain. Anyway, I never caught anything but my friend managed to catch a leopard stingray, he wasn't very big but really awesome looking little thing. We managed to get him safely back into the water and he swam off.

Anyway, when we got him out the water we didn't know what he was, we knew he was some type of ray, but weren't to sure whether he was dangerous and so we had no clue how to handle him as neither of us have ever caught a ray.

So my question is, can anyone please explain to me how to handle a stingray when taking the hook out and returning it safely to the water without causing harm to myself as well as the ray.

Here's some pics of the little guy

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I'm no expert but the few times that I've caught them, I've always just made sure to stay away from the tail, and then lift up the front to get the hook out. Most important is not to put your fingers in the holes in their head(forget what you call them), because that's bad for them.

If I'm not mistaken that's a Honeycomb, I've never heard them being called Leopard rays before. Nice catch anyway, when you get a really big one you won't be able to turn him over lol.

Thanks for the help

Ja I have a book on the fish of SA, it said they're called honeycomb, or marble or leopard stingrays. I just picked one of them lol.

Good going don`t think it`s a good idea to put them on their back aswell

Oh ok thanks, will remember that for next time

Double post...

I also believe that is a honeycomb by most anglers.

As J-Bay mentioned, never put your fingers in their spiracles. Spiracles are a pair of openings just behind the animal's eyes that allow it to breath. Another thing is to never turn the animal on its back, their organs do get damaged that way.

Lift their head up and remove the hook with pliers if you don't want to use your hands. You could wrap the tail with a cloth or towel to prevent it from stinging you.

Do I understand correctly that they should just lift up the front ( face) and then get the hook out ,are there tails able to klap you then , above his head

Thanks for all the info, really feeling bad now for turning him upside down, hope he will be fine. Ja I figured that's where they breathed from because I saw them moving inside so didn't go near them.

And what is the best way to get them off land and back into water? I can't piture a way to pick the up.

It is difficult to explain but just in front of the fishes mouth there is a place where you can grab it with your hand (I assume its the jaw bone) and you can drag them back that way.

Thanks for all the info

The barb is only at the base of the tail,u can touch and hold the tail its fine,the barb is right down on the base except for the marble or blue ray which has its barb further up,jus becarefull if it is a big ray it can cause some harm when it lashes its tail

Thanks.appreciate it::tight:

Hi Clair

yip definitely a honeycombe and they grow huge as well. The heaviest I have witnessed is one of 114kg.

The trick with scates, rays , sandsharks and sharks is to keep them as near the waters edge as possible this will make it a little easier to get back to the water. Always be careful of the spines on the tails, it will be hospital stories. Be carful of ray that has similar markings as the Honeycombe but completely diff features, its called an Electric Marble ray ......this thing will shock you a nasty one. I PROMISE ITS QUITE NASTY. Tuning scates and rays upside down disorientates them and you battle to get them to swim in the direction you want them to go.

Another good bit of info to remember is that on the KzN coast we catch these little Dusky Sharks quite often round the 5 to 10kg. Don't grab them by the tail as they will shake your arm off. Grab hold of the pectoral fin situated just behind the gills. It has a paralysing effect on them, similar to when you grab a Bass on the lower Jaw / lips. In this way you will manage the shark and the shark wont manage you.

Thanks for all the info, will definitely keep it in mind