Blonde Ray species guide • Sea fish • Easy (5/10)

Blonde Ray junior fishing guide

Raja brachyura

A clear, plain-English guide to blonde ray for parents, coaches and juniors. See where they live, the best starter tackle, simple bait choices and a three-step plan to help young anglers catch their first one safely.

🎣 View starter tackle setups 📋 Log a Blonde Ray catch
Junior-first & welfare-aware • 3-step beginner plan • UK venues & seasons
Skill & size • Seasons • Beginner baits

Skill level

Easy (5/10)

Great for coached juniors and confident beginners.

Best time

Spring–Autumn

Pick mild, settled days for junior sessions.

Typical size

10–30 lb common; larger fish possible.

Always match hooks, nets & lines to expected fish size.

Blonde Ray

Beginner baits

Bluey (blue whiting), Herring / sprat, Mackerel strip …

Keep it simple — small hook baits, little-and-often feeding.

Typical venues: Sandbanks and mixed ground in deeper inshore waters.
Scroll down for detailed tackle setups, methods and parent-friendly guidance.
Catch your first blonde ray with confidence

Catch your first Blonde Ray in 3 steps

A simple, repeatable plan juniors can follow with help from a parent, coach or older angler.

  1. Step 1

    Introduce rays with safety in mind

    Rays can be large, heavy and in the case of stingrays, dangerous. Junior involvement should focus on watching and helping experienced adults.

  2. Step 2

    Use strong tackle and large landing gear

    Heavy rods, big nets or careful beaching techniques are essential. Avoid dragging rays far up the beach and keep sessions organised and calm.

  3. Step 3

    Explain tail safety and conservation

    Teach juniors to stay clear of tails, especially on stingrays, and to support rays under the wings if moved briefly. Stress catch-and-release and photo-only policies for big species.

Tackle setups that work

Designed with juniors and fish welfare in mind. Start with an IDEAL or GOOD setup for easier casting and safe unhooking.

👉 Swipe sideways to view different setups.

Boat Rod

Beginner tip: Listen to the skipper, keep lines straight down and wind steadily when you feel a bite instead of striking hard.

IDEAL

Rod: 6–8 ft 12–20 lb class boat rod.

Reel: 20 size multiplier or 4000–6000 fixed spool reel.

Line: 20–30 lb braid with rubbing leader or mono trace.

Terminal tackle

  • ["Paternoster or running ledger"
  • "two or three hooks"
  • "appropriate lead weight"]

Extras

  • ["Boat safety gear"
  • "life jacket"
  • "tackle box"
  • "towel"]

Boat rod setup for bottom and midwater fishing with leads and multi hook rigs from boats.

Downtide Rod

Beginner tip: These fish are **coach only** targets – emphasise safety, harness use where relevant and careful release.

IDEAL

Rod: 6–8 ft 12–30 lb class boat rod (uptide/downtide depending on venue).

Reel: Boat multiplier filled with 30–50 lb braid.

Line: 30–50 lb braid mainline with appropriate mono leader or rubbing trace.

Terminal tackle

  • ["Strong mono or wire traces"
  • "Large hooks"
  • "Heavy leads matched to tide"]

Extras

  • ["Fighting harness where needed"
  • "Heavy-duty landing gear"
  • "Long-handled t-bar or disgorger"]

Heavy boat setup for deep-water species, rays and sharks – always with skipper / coach supervision.

Uptide Rod

Beginner tip: These fish are **coach only** targets – emphasise safety, harness use where relevant and careful release.

IDEAL

Rod: 6–8 ft 12–30 lb class boat rod (uptide/downtide depending on venue).

Reel: Boat multiplier filled with 30–50 lb braid.

Line: 30–50 lb braid mainline with appropriate mono leader or rubbing trace.

Terminal tackle

  • ["Strong mono or wire traces"
  • "Large hooks"
  • "Heavy leads matched to tide"]

Extras

  • ["Fighting harness where needed"
  • "Heavy-duty landing gear"
  • "Long-handled t-bar or disgorger"]

Heavy boat setup for deep-water species, rays and sharks – always with skipper / coach supervision.

About the Blonde Ray

Blonde Rays are large, pale rays with many spots and a powerful build. They are mainly targeted by experienced shore and boat anglers.

Junior tip

Only target big rays with suitable heavy tackle and help from experienced anglers. Large landing nets and soft mats are essential.

Logged a Blonde Ray recently?

Add a catch report so juniors can see where they’re being caught, which baits work and how your tackle was set up.

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Want to discover more species? Browse the full species guide.

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Fish Health & EA Advice

Linked conditions and guidance for Blonde Ray.

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