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Overview

How to target

Painted Ray
Species ID: painted-ray

Painted Ray

Often called the small‑eyed ray (Raja microocellata), the painted ray is a classic West Country and Bristol Channel surf‑beach target. Look for clean to lightly broken sand with sh...

🌊 Tide: flood 💨 Wind: onshore 📅 Peak: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct

Best tide

flood

Moon

spring

Season

Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct

Wind

onshore

Max weight

9 kg

Day vs night

Day 50%
Night 90% (best)
Often called the small‑eyed ray (Raja microocellata), the painted ray is a classic West Country and Bristol Channel surf‑beach target. Look for clean to lightly broken sand with shells or shingle, the outer lips of bars and gullies, and estuary mouths; these features funnel food and are best covered on a flooding tide, especially around spring tides with a gentle onshore push. Whole sandeel or launce, mackerel or bluey strip, and squid or squid/sandeel cocktails are reliable baits. Use a pulley pennel or up‑and‑over rig with 3/0–4/0 hooks, 60–80 lb mono trace and a grip lead to hold in tide. Bites may show as a slack line or a steady load; let the fish settle before lifting and maintain smooth pressure. Dusk into dark is consistently productive from late spring through autumn when sea temps are higher. Expect takes in surprisingly shallow gutters (1–6 m) as well as deeper beach troughs and sand/rough transitions. Support the fish by the wings for unhooking, avoid the tail, and check local bylaws on ray retention.

Temperature

10–18°C

Depth range

1–25 m

Baits

  • Sandeel 9.2/10
  • Squid 8.4/10
  • Mackerel Strip 7.8/10
  • Bluey (Pacific Saury) 7.6/10
  • Launce 7.4/10

Rigs

  • Pulley Pennel Dropper 9.2/10

    Clipped for distance; pennel holds squid/sandeel wraps. On the strike and retrieve it lifts clear of snags—great over mixed/rough ground. Long snood fishes the bait flat where painted rays patrol.

  • Up and Over 8.8/10

    Clips down for long casts then releases a long flowing snood. Presents a big fish/squid bait tight to clean sand on surf beaches and banks—prime painted ray ground.

  • Long & Low 8.1/10

    Extra-long snood pins bait to the seabed and lets it waft in tide over clean sand/gravel. Ideal for rays cruising gutters. Fish a 3/0–5/0 pennel with sandeel or squid.

  • Running Ledger 7.2/10

    Simple, low-resistance rig for close-range work from piers or estuary mouths when rays are in. Lets a big bait lie flat and natural; best on clean ground in moderate tide.