# unhooking a stingray



## mehill10

I have just got back from gulf shores fished the whole week we only caught a few sea trout and 1 flounder and i caught a 1 mangrove snapper about 2 pounds in the little lagoon but we did catch a lot of rays and small sand sharks off the beach i was cutting the lines at the beach on the rays because i really did not know how to get them unhooked can someone tell me a better way to get them unhooked thanks for the help


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## flats stalker

i just step on the tail and use pliers,you could use the pliers to pull the rays barb and not worry about it.


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## croakerchoker

do it exactly the opposite way the crocodile hunter does it.


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## reelfinatical

Flip it on its back & then use pliers to de-hook.


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## mehill10

I thought about stepping on the barb but most of the time i was barefoot and drinking i did not think it was a good ideal


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## konz

I normally step on the tail and cut the barb before messing with them. If you don't want to do that then cutting the line is the best idea.


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## fishingfromagunship

Just clip the line above the hook. Like most fish/sharks, they'll get that thing out in no time.


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## FlyLipps

Or you could use the old school mullet netters method, if you got the guts, which I readily admit I do not. My father-in-law, the late Fred Haushalter, a third generation native Pensacolian, would remove entangled stingrays from his cast net by grabbing the tip of the tail in one hand and the head in the other. And then, WITH HIS TEETH, he would bite down on the rays' barb and tear it from the tail. After spitting the barb out, he would then safely set the ray free. By using this method he did not have to wade all the way to shore just to untangle a ray. "Old School Guys" are amazing!


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## tigershark

flip it over, hold down its tail and remove the hook. I keep a lot of them for shark bait


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## timman

Two words..............................................Very Carefully.

Seriously, I have caught quite a few of 'em surf fishing, and I usually bring the ray farenoughup from the surfline that it isn't splashing around in the water,flipit over, stabilize it with my rod holder (sand spike), and then remove the hook with pliers. Don't, I repeat, <U>DON'T</U>attempt to immobilize the stingray with your foot! Once you get the ray immobilized, you'll be alright. I usually have to trash the hook, though.


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## kooler

all you do is pull the line tight and pick "the great speckled bird".
seriously.
thats just a little ******* humor from up here in the mountains of east tennessee. 
im going with reelf...belly up, tail secured but not damaged, good pliers, drag to water and bye bye.


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## bamachem

i usually flip them on their back, hold the tip of the tail w/ some pliars, and then i'll slide a knife down the tail and cut the barb off. once you do that, he's pretty much harmless. just don't stick your finger in one's mouth, they have VERY strong jaws for crushing stuff and can easily bend a hook. get a finger in there, and they can do some damage.


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## Fishforlife2

that sounds to me like youve had experience with gettin bit by stingrays.


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