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Overview

How to target

Thornback Ray
Species ID: thornback-ray

Thornback Ray

Thornbacks frequently push inshore around much of the UK in spring and early summer, with another lift in autumn in some areas. From the shore, fish clean to mixed sand and mud in...

🌊 Tide: flood 💨 Wind: calm 📅 Peak: Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Sep, Oct

Best tide

flood

Moon

neap

Season

Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Sep, Oct

Wind

calm

Max weight

12 kg

Day vs night

Day 60%
Night 90% (best)
Thornbacks frequently push inshore around much of the UK in spring and early summer, with another lift in autumn in some areas. From the shore, fish clean to mixed sand and mud in estuaries, bays and surf beaches, plus pier ends and harbour mouths. Focus on sand/mud channels, gullies and tide runs, and the cleaner edges of rough ground. The flood into high water and the first of the ebb are reliable, and many venues fish best on neap tides when you can hold bottom more easily. A little colour in the water helps, but heavy surf usually slows them. Present big, scent-rich baits such as squid and mackerel cocktails, bluey, herring or sandeel; peeler or shore crab can be excellent in estuaries. Use a running ledger or pulley pennel with 3/0-5/0 strong hooks, long flowing traces (0.60-0.80 mm mono or 60-80 lb) and a grip lead sized to the tide. Keep baits static and fresh, and let the fish settle before a steady lift into the weight. Night often out-fishes day on pressured marks. Handle with care: keep them low, support the wings, avoid the tail thorn, and unhook with a T-bar; release heavy females promptly.

Temperature

7–17°C

Depth range

2–20 m

Baits

  • Sandeel 9/10
  • Mackerel Strip 8.8/10
  • Bluey (Pacific Saury) 8.6/10
  • Squid 8.5/10
  • Herring Strip 7.6/10
  • Whiting Strip 7.2/10

Rigs

  • Pulley Pennel Dropper 9.3/10

    Clips down for distance, then releases to a long flowing trace on impact. Pennel presents big squid/mackerel baits and the pulley lifts fish clear of snags—ideal for surf beaches and mixed ground rays.

  • Up and Over 9/10

    Long clipped-down snood lays a big bait flat on clean sand and casts far. Excellent over banks and gullies on the flood; keeps presentation tight for wary rays.

  • Long & Low 8.6/10

    Extra-long snood pins a big bait hard to the seabed—perfect for how rays feed. Best on clean surf and estuary mouths in modest tide when bites are shy.

  • Running Ledger 8.2/10

    Simple flowing trace with a grip lead gives minimal resistance so rays commit. Great for estuaries, piers and calm beaches; fish big static baits along channel edges.

  • Rotten Bottom Pulley 7.8/10

    Pulley with weak-link lead saves gear on rough/mixed ground. Lifts fish on the retrieve and drops the lead if snagged—handy around kelp, mussel beds and boulders where rays forage.