Is that the Poole Bay Monster?

[Newboy]

Just read a fishing report from Just Mary of Poole, could that be the monster?

 

after 40 minutes of struggle it came off. The heavy 6/0 had snapped on the curve of the hook ! I didn't need to see it to know what it was, it's happened before on this mark and one day we'll go after them properly. If you want to know then ask my mate Tom Greasty (San Gina II) to show you a picture of one nailed to Swanage Pier back in the non-conservation 60's.

 

Full report http://www.charterboats-uk.co.uk/fishingreports/

 

 

[Wedger]

Common skate

[Matt]

My choice too

[Wedger]

they were here pre '60's until they started nailing them to the pier! One was landed in Christchurch that would have beaten the current record, I understand.

[Mike Fox]

While I'd like it to be common skate, I think you'd need 150-200' deep water or so, like off St. Catherines.

 

I wonder if there are occasional monkfish (angel shark) around here? Don't recall any catch reports at all of this species!

 

Did a trip off Swansea in the early 80s where 5 were boated - all 40-42lb. From what I recall, it wasn't particularly deep, and they were caught with dogs and thornback. They were only boated on 50lb class gear, anything lighter and they won!

 

Something double the size of the biggest blonde ray would make a mess of 20-30lb class gear!

 

Mike

[Maverick Martin]

I have had one of these unidentified things on a couple of times and they don't stop.  Its like they don't know their hooked they just keep on going and stripping line until the inevitable happens.  My money is on large common skate however I am puzzled as to why smaller specimens are not caught

[Steve S]

 

While I'd like it to be common skate, I think you'd need 150-200' deep water or so, like off St. Catherines.

 

I don't think common skate require water that deep. Off Ireland they are caught at lower depths.

 

It would be great for them to make some sort of comeback, I think I read somewhere they are protected, did I get that right?

[fisherman1055]

I had something last summer which pulled the boat backwards at 6 knots

 

it was tied up in a blue buff with 100ft of rope

 

the handle of the buff broke

 

tony

[Jim]

Perhaps as there's a shortage of them, they should be called Uncommon Skate !

Along with Uncommon Bass etc.

 

Or on MY boat - - - - - Very uncommon ! !

 

Jim

[biggcol]

Common Skate were caught in this area in the sixties along with Monkfish too. Back in the days of the poole festival and the bournemouth festival I remember Brian Morris borrowing a rod reel and gear and going out to fish one of these comps (can't remember which) and returning a cracking Monkfish to win the festival. The weigh in was at the back of Less James's shop in the high street, I don't remember the weight but it was a big un.

[Maverick Martin]

Less James there's a blast from the past, do you know if he is still around Colin?

[Coddy]

Common skate can be caught off the beach. I even know of someone on a kayak catching one. Took him a while to get it up but he managed it and take a photo.

Yes they are protected and if anyone catches ones it ought to be measured, length and wingspan and then reported to the trust that monitors them. You can get tags if you catch enough!

My best was 200lb+ but that was in Scotland.

[Steve S]

If the commercial boys are respecting the protection and judging from the big increase in numbers and size of the undulates round here they are for undulates then I am quite hopeful for the 'common' skate round here. Maybe my shark/tarpon gear will be put to a new use.

[Mike Fox]

Found this: http://www.planetseafishing.com/tutorials/read/how-to-rig-up-for-common-skate/

 

I suspect most have probably been lost due to having relatively thin leaders that have chafed through on the edge of the wings.

 

I'd imagine 50lb class gear being needed to cope with double mackerel flappers (or larger) with big leads.

 

Perhaps a "lazy" rod for those who target small stuff like 25lb blonde rays? 

 

Bycatch round here could include tope, conger, blue and porbeagle shark I guess....with an outside chance of something more exotic.

 

I don't have any tackle even approaching this heavy, but is anyone up for the challenge?

 

Mike

[lofty]

There was a 90lb stingray netted in the Solent last year. Possible candidate for pbm

[Guest Robin]

I am relieved to have found this thread, it certainly has put my mind at rest after the 2 hour battle i had today with the fish i was unable to gain much line back from at all, which eventually ended by the 60lb mono breaking..  It is swimming around with my 2 hook pennel rig still in its mouth unfortunatly!

[Mike Fox]

Good to hear it's still around.

 

I picked up a 30-50lb rod in Alderney last year, which is paired with a TLD 15 with 50lb braid, specifically for a lazy line...

 

Does anyone have suggestions for terminal tackle, bait and locations?

 

Mike

[Rob]

I think the lure is your imagination!

 

I think you need yellow barrels, wire line and tie it off to one of those coffee grinder things on Frisky

 

It is intriguing though, has to be a common skate or similar surely! So, big hook, and a bit if wire, 10ft of 500lb rubbing leader, 2 or 3 maccky whipped on, then hope for the best.

 

But you know if you drop that down, it'll take your bream rig!!!!

[Coddy]

Taken from the guru of Common Skate fishing Davy Holt ...........................

 

 

Tackle

When angling for Skate use appropriate tackle IGFA 30lb Class gear should be regarded as the absolute minimum to use. Ideally 50-80lb Class should be used. This is as much to combat the 'inhospitable' conditions in the areas where skate are targeted. i.e. deep water, strong tides. The use of heavier gear allows the skate to be landed more quickly, i.e. not exhausted, allowing it to be released in better condition.

 

You can land Skate on lighter gear but you are not doing yourself or more importantly the fish any favours. Personally when Skate fishing I don't use anything less than 50lb class, with 80lb being the norm. This way when I hook a fish I know the odds are on my side and the fish will be boated with the minimal chance of a hook being left in the fish

 

Terminal tackle needs to be strong and is best kept simple. A single 12/0 bronzed hook (e.g. Mustad 3406), preferably with the barb crushed down is best. Never use stainless or plated hooks, as these will not biodegrade if they have to be left in a skate. Keep hook links short (maximum of 24"/60cm). Short hook links are necessary to minimise the chances of deep hooking your skate.

These should be made up of 150lb (minimum) breaking strain monofilament, (there is absolutely no need for wire) crimped to a quality 200lb rated swivel. This hook link should then be attached to an 8' (2.4m) rubbing leader or 'wind on leader' made of 150lb b.s. monofilament. This is to protect the mainline from the sharp thorns on the skate's tail. This leader also helps when bringing the skate to the side of the boat. 

The weight boom runs on the heavy mono of the rubbing leader / wind on leader, the main reason for this is to avoid it damaging the mainline and also to assist in keeping the mainline well away from the Skate's sharp tail thorns.

 

Bait

Common Skate are not fussy eaters and have a very varied menu; this covers most shellfish and fish species. As an apex predator, Common Skate are deceivably agile when it comes to hunting and can easily catch fast swimming species like Herring & Mackerel. More common fodder fish species are Spurdog, Rays, Dogfish and Whiting with Edible Crabs, Prawns, Squat Lobsters and Scallops making up the bulk of the shellfish fodder species.

The most commonly used baits are Mackerel and Coalfish around the 1lb to 1.5lb mark

 

Striking a take

Always 'hit' a take as quickly as possible - never wait for a run to develop as this will almost always result in a deep-hooked fish. Don't worry about missing a bite; Skate can and do, swallow very big baits in seconds and if you do miss one, they almost always come back for a second, third or even fourth attempt at a bait.

A lot has been said about the “lack of” fight from Common Skate, this usually comes from people that have either never caught one or have been using mono rather than braid as a the main line. With mono the stretch takes most of the fight out of the encounter, giving the angler very little “feel” as to what is happening at the other end of his line. However with braid you are in full contact with the fish at all times, making the fight rather more interesting.

 

Handling

When a Skate is brought to the side of the boat, it can be held quite easily by holding the trace and then getting a firm handhold at the cheek area of the skate. Large specimens may require to be gaffed to aid holding the fish. This needs to be done with great care. The gaff should be used only in the area outside the halfway point of the leading edge of the wing and no more than 3" from the leading edge. This gives a secure hold and poses no danger to internal organs.

 

If and when you bring a Skate into the boat, due to their size and shape they can be very difficult to move about : mother nature forgot to fit a set of handles to them. The easiest solution I have found is lump of old trawler netting, simply manoeuvre the fish over the net then you can use it to easily lift the fish back over the side.

 

keep the amount of time you have the fish out the water to a bare minimum, Skate show stress by taking on a pink tinge around the wing edges and tail. Providing the fish is returned before it gets any worse then it should recover OK. However the worse the pink tinge gets the less chance of survival the fish has so it is worth making sure you have everything ready before you take the fish out the water. When taking photographs keep the fish as low as you can, holding the fish almost vertical with all it's weight on the tail does it no good at all and probably does internal damage to the root of the tail. Probably the best pose for the skates benefit and to show off the size of the fish is to hold the nose whilst its flat on the floor.

While on the subject of handling the Skate, be very wary of the tail. The large thorns on the tail are razor sharp and the Skate have a habit of putting the tail where you don't want it to be. Another danger area is only found on male Skate, it's a rough patch or razor sharp thorns on the leading outer edge of the wings. Lastly is the mouth, a Common can easily crush a wayward hand to a pulp, so it pays to be very careful when unhooking the fish.

If the fish is deep hooked, DO NOT attempt to remove the bronzed hook. Simply cut the hook link as near to the hook as possible and release the fish. You can do more damage by trying to retrieve the hook and a living Skate returned is worth more than the cost of a hook! Deep hooking can and does cause fatal injuries to skate. TRY TO AVOID IT AT ALL COSTS!

If you can, try to avoid bringing the skate into the boat, they can be measured and the tag (if any) checked at the side of the boat. If the skate has to be brought on board, for whatever reason, have everything to hand before doing so in order to release the fish back into the water as quickly as possible.

 

Measure the wingspan and the length, check the sex and then obtain the weight from charts available from Glasgow Museum.

If the fish is tagged, note the tag number before releasing the Skate DO NOT REMOVE THE TAG.

 

First catch your bait!!!!!!!!   :o  

[Rob]

Well Dave, aren't you the resident Skate Expert? Are you going to try!?!?

 

Mike: if it is a skate, maybe whole or half LSD is the bait of choice. Not sure much else would touch it!

[Coddy]

I am up for it Rob but it is finding the best location and someone willing to try it as well may be difficult.

 

I know Davy Holt used to catch and land them in his Shetland 535 before he had his current craft.

 

Could be a very slow day/week/month/year hunting one down

 

Would make a great club record even through it is not listed as a species on the club's listing!

[Rob]

As a record I think it is fine as long as not a mini species, as discussed before, a fish of a few ounces is too hard / impossible to weigh aboard (we would be down to drams!)

 

I'm sure we could use a recognised measurement conversion (for skate) to get a weight, as per the tables Club approved for shark weights.

[Mike Fox]

I look forward to this being agreed and published. Makes great sense from a conservation perspective.

 

I'll make sure I have a tape measure with my PBM kit....

 

Thanks,

Mike

[Martin.C]

I to had a battle with the beast while fishing off the needles with Nigel ...

It was running uptide and I had tightened up the drag as much as I dared but was running out of 40lb braid rapidly !!

Nigel was just about to pull the hook up and steam after it when my hook pulled out :-((

[lofty]

https://www.facebook.com/totallyawesomefishing/videos/740343379405599/