Can You Use Stingray As Bait? Tips & What To Know! • SaltwaterMecca

Every coastal angler has caught a stingray at one time or another…and most of the time the catch is met with a dreaded sigh.

But, did you know you can actually use stingrays as bait?

In fact, stingray is a very popular bait choice for anglers targeting big aggressive fish like sharks, goliath grouper and barracuda.

In this article ill talk about what you should know if you plan on using stingrays for bait on your next fishing trip.

Can You Use Stingray As Bait?
The Best Stingray Bait Rigs
How to Catch and Hook a Stingray for Bait
How To Fish for Sharks With Stingrays
Catching Goliath Grouper With Stingrays
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Can You Use Stingray As Bait?

Stingray is a very popular option for bait as they are plentiful and generally very easy to catch. If you are going out fishing for large predators like shark or goliath grouper, there are few other baits that are as good as stingray.

One of the most popular bait methods to catch smaller fish species is to cut a stingray into pieces. Stingray bait can also be used whole, or even live on the end of a hook.

For smaller stingrays, you can use them live by placing the hook through the center of the body towards the backend. This will prevent the stingray from coming off the hook too easily and keep them alive longer in order to attract nearby predators.

Can You Use Stingray As Bait? Tips & What To Know!

For larger stingrays, you can cut or trim them to fit your hook or fishing rig. Many anglers love to cut stingrays in half and allow them to get more than one hook baited with a single stingray. They also tend to stay on the hook for long periods of time when using this method.

The Best Stingray Bait Rigs

Whether you are using cut or whole stingray as bait, a few simple rigs seem to function best. One of these is the surf fishing rig. The surf fishing rig is very easy to assemble and works extremely well with stingrays as bait.

To make a surf fishing rig, you will need some fishing wire, a red plastic bead, 80 to 100-pound test monofilament fishing line, two swivels, an 8-ounce pyramid sinker, and a sharp circle hook that is at least 7/0 in size or larger.

To assemble this rig, you will first need to take the fishing wire and attach it to the hook. This section needs to be around 2 to 3 feet in length. Attach the other end of the fishing wire to one of the swivels.

After this leader portion is finished, you will now need a small portion of the monofilament line. Tie this line to the other swivel, and then go through the same eye to tie together a loop. Attach the pyramid sinker onto this loop by pinching and looping it through the sinker.

Once the sinker is attached, slide on the plastic bead. Your final step is to attach the leader to the main fishing line of your rod, and you have a surf fishing rig that is ready to go!

This rig is a great choice for many different large fish species like shark, grouper, and barracuda.

How to Catch and Hook a Stingray for Bait

In order to use a stingray as bait, you must first catch one. Luckily, this is fairly easy to do if you have the right equipment and are fishing in prime stingray habitat.

Stingrays can be caught using various bait, including things like crabs, squid, worms, prawns, or small fish.

Cut squid tends to be the favorite bait for serious stingray anglers, but if you are simply looking to catch a stingray to use as bait then anything will do.

The best fishing rod and reel setup will largely depend on the size of the stingray that you intend to catch.

To catch smaller stingrays, which are typically the best size for bait, use a medium to medium-heavy action rod that is 6 to 7 feet in length, paired with a 15 to 20-pound braided or monofilament line.

For hooks, remember that stingrays have tiny mouths. Medium-sized stingrays can be caught using 2/0 or 3/0 sized hooks.

If you know that you are in an area that only has medium to small-sized stingrays, you can even get away with using 1/0 hooks if you need to.

Once you have used this fishing rig to catch a stingray, you are now ready to rig the ray onto your hook for bait.

Depending on the size of fish that you are after, you may want to cut the stingray into smaller pieces or keep it whole for larger predators like sharks or grouper.

(If you decide to use the stingray as cut bait, always humanely kill it first with a shark knife to the brain and place on ice for 10-15 minutes))

If you decide to leave the stingray whole, you can place the hook near the rear of the ray by the tail.

Most anglers prefer to cut their stingray to get more bait out of it and will either cut the ray in half or cut both of the wings from the body to get three separate pieces.

How To Fish for Sharks With Stingrays

Stingrays are a popular bait option for sharks due to their widespread distribution and shallow water habitat that sharks love to hunt in.

You will need heavy-duty fishing gear for this type of fishing! Target species are usually hammerheads, tigers, lemon and bull sharks.

For hooks, circle hooks tend to work the best when using stingrays as bait. Size 20/0 circle hooks are big and strong enough to hold even bigger stingrays on the hook and will be able to withstand the power of groupers and sharks. Stick with reputable brands like Mustad to ensure a strong and reliable hook.

When fishing with live or cut stingrays for sharks, I prefer a large 50-wide reel. This size and style can accommodate the 300 to 600-pound test monofilament line that you will also need to catch these extremely large and hard-fighting fish.

Regardless of the type of rig that you use, it is critical that you use fishing wire as a leader to keep a shark from rubbing and breaking the fishing line with their teeth or on the rocks.