that's a big boy. What did you do with it?

Tried to turn it over but it was too angry and kept whipping its tail around so cut the hook off and sent it back

Yeah, those tail whips are scary as :) Apparently, you can cut off the barb and it will grow back. But I haven't tried that. I usually cut the hook off if there's not much space. I thought you kept it for food because of the gaff.

We were on a rock about 1m above the water and I wanted my trace back. It was gaffed in the meat of it's back which won't kill it.

OMG! These big boys are often around off the rocks! Good to see them around but we don't want to accidentally hook them^^ I could see them passing by my line, then I hold my breath until he passes haha!

Rays are good for... 1. Beer batter and boiling in oil (it's what artificial scallops are made from) 2. Bait for my crab snares/traps. I fill up my brine-bait bucket with them. 3. Māori style decorations for my Yawara (hide wraps with barbs lashed to both ends). A few tips... 1. Flip them over before doing anything else. I've found that gaffing them on the tip of the wing and pulling across works the best for me. I use a push-broom handle with avery large barbless hook lashed to the end. 2. Don't cut off the barb. If you leave only a 1/4" (6mm) stub it can still give you a nasty gash if it whips you. Instead cut off the tail (if you're not going to release it) or rip it out (it will grow back). To do this: a. Flip it eye and barb side down. b. Step on the tail on or just above the barb. c. with pliers, get a secure grip on the tail just below/aft of the barb and lift up towards its head. This will lift the barbs away from the tail. d. grab the barbs (one at a time) with a 2nd pair of pliers then rip away from and up the tail. (Repeat for all barbs--some of the big ones that I have caught had 3). e. put them in safe container. I use a tall prescription bottle. Unless you thoroughly sterilize them, even a dried one carries venom that rehydrates from your blood. 3. If you get stuck, have someone else drive you to the ER. If you only get gashed and decide to forego the ER, make sure to get antibiotics from your Dr. (unless you like having an amputation) and don't close the wound (if you need stitches or super glue, go to the Dr.) 4. The standard First Aid treatment is to soak in hot water. Given where I fish, there isn't any hot water so I keep a small bottle of vinegar and a turkey injection syringe in my kit to irrigate the wound and a hot pack (hand warmer pack from the sporting goods store) for after its flushed. It may sound crude but I used it on my brother and he was in so much pain from the envenomation that he didn't know what did (and the ER Dr gave me two thumbs up). I also have a very pointy pair of hemostats in my kit to pull out the barb (sometimes they break off--usually just below the skin) before flushing. Tweezers don't have enough grip and needle nose pliers won't fit. If you can't get it out once you get a good grip, don't force or twist--it might be stuck in a bone and if it breaks it will be nasty for the ER Drs.) Have fun, be safe, and GET SOME!

My apologies for the previous post. I didn't realize that it would lose the formatting. Next time I will post to the Forum and refer. I'm reposting this to the Forum and suggest moving related discussion there. One correction: While I don't have hot water, I usually have almost scalding hot coffee and would use that to flush the wound. (The heat neutralizes the painful neurotoxins) For cutting the tail, I have found (after a lot of trail and error) that a pair of small cable cutters work the best. I also forgot: Nice catch!

Thanks for sharing your knowledge, mate!!👍👍

And precious experience as well!

One last comment... Shuffle your feet if you fish in the surf. If the ray density is thick, consider probing the bottom ahead with a gaff-handle/broomstick on your way out then clear the area where you be standing. If you accidentally hook one in the surf and don't have a line cutter on your gaff, stop reeling it in when its at least 9' (3m) away and deal with it on the beach.