Bowfishing Stingrays at Chincoteague

[IndianaBowman]

Big Ed, Bill Langer, myself and our kids are planning a trip to bowfish for stingrays at Chincoteague. What are your suggestions for best time to go? Also, please provide any other tips, tricks, and if you are feeling really generous PM me with some suggested locations!  

Thanks in advance for any help!

[jcar315]

Can't speak to the bowfishing but did go there on family vacation.

1. Take plenty of bug spray. LOTS of mosquitos.

2. If you go to the beach for family fun BEWARE of the ponies! They will walk over your blanket, nose in your cooler, and eat everything!

[Tony Sanders]

Hello IndiananBowman. I think the best all around person you can talk to about bowfishing stingrays and other rough fish on the Eastern Shore Of Maryland is Rob Davis. He have been doing it for over 50 years and he use to be a Maryland Bowfishing Guide. I have gone with him a number of times Bowfishing for Stingrays, and let me tell you the man knows his stuff. He is a much older man now in his 80's, but still loves to talk and teach about Bowfishing. And he do love teaching young kids and young people about Bowfishing. He lives in Salisbury Maryland and he can be reached at: 1-410-749-9520. He have also written a book called FAFFY(Flinging Arrows For Fifty Years). I hope this helps.

 Tony Sanders/aka"SNUFFER"

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Looking forward to your stories Terry.  If your post is anything like the gator post this should be good.  

[Matt Quick]

July and August are the best months.  You can get into both Southern and cownose rays.  You'll see the southerns resting or cruising slowly along the bottom in shallow water.  The cownose will be out in open deeper water but you will see them on the surface.  Lots of times you will see the tips of their wings sticking out of the water from a distance.
   On the big ones, 70# and up, get more than one arrow in them cause sometimes they will pull off the arrow.  Make sure you have a long handle gaff in the boat and a way to dispatch these things before you bring them in the boat.  The southerns are very accurate when they want to hit something with their tail.  The cownose have the spine at the base of their tail so they are less dangerous.

[FubarFred]

rig an empty soda bottle with the cap glued on tight. get a crutch bottom that the bottle cap will fit into tight, but not real tight. put a bolt through the crutch bottom and screw it into the front bolt hole on your bow or get a strap on from 3 rivers or one from great northern quiver co. thats the one I have and use. wrap 10 yrds of large poundage fishing line around the bottle inbetween the middle and the bottom with the bitter end going to the arrow, oh, yeah, secure the other end to the base of where the cap screws to the bottle. so you wrap from the cap out to the arrow so the line flakes off as the arrow flies. If you talk to Rob he will tell you all this as I learned it from him. The man is a good talker. Have fun!!
Fred...

[IndianaBowman]

Thanks everyone! My son and daughter are excited to give it a try! I'll call Rob. I have read many of his stories over the years. He does seem to love doing it. It would be amazing if he would go out with us and show us the ropes. Looking forward to talking to him.

Are there any guides operating out of Chincoteague? That is a great way to learn.

[huss]

Rob Davis is a good guy.  A couple years ago, I went out with him a few times.  Definitely be careful of the barb.  When I went out with Rob, he had a knife on long stick that he would use to cut on either side of the rays tail to disable the tail before bringing it into the boat.  

FAFFY is an entertaining and very informative...  I think that you can only purchase it from Rob himself.

[bowzonly]

Should be a story coming out in TBM soon about stingrays around chinc. island. I went down with a bunch of guys from N.J. and we met up with Cory Mattson and friends from N.C..  My buddy Phil Muller wrote the story and I was cameraman.  Its about a bunch of maps and instructions on stingray fishing that were passed down over the years and finally ended up with Phil.

[Jeff D. Holchin]

I can't wait to read that TBM story and hear/see the results of Terry's adventure.  Take lots of photos and share please, Terry.  Sounds like fun to me.

I've also been trying to remember how to get that book FAFFY; I'll just call Rob to order, thanks Tony for posting his contact info.

[Chris Shelton]

I was just there last summer!  I had my bow back at the cabin, and dad and I went out right by wallops island, I didnt think we would be able to see any!  BUT I DID!!!!  I was mad, dad caught several big cownose rays, the one was probably upward close to 50 pounds, it had like a 4 foot wingspan.  Took 20 minuets for it to even come up, we thought it was a sea turtle, because we saw one surface 20 feet from the boat.  I eneded up with a 20.5 inch flounder!  Take the fishing pole tooo!!!!  AND DEFINATLY OVERLOAD WITH THE DEET!  We were there in July.  He caught 5 rays that day, 1 cow, and the other two were some weird one???  Defiantly post some pictures, I am defiantly going to be down there WITH my bow this time around, lol

[IndianaBowman]

Holchin, you should join us!

[ishiwannabe]

Sounds like a blast. Good luck Terry...as if you need it. LOL.

[Big Ed]

Can't wait, gathering some more info about the Chinc.

[T Sunstone]

End of May and the first of June the ray rut is on and messing up my shallow water fishing. lol  At this time I see tons of rays, sometimes 30 to 40 in a bunch.  I have shot them before but I would rather fish, but I would say this is the best time because their in 3 or 4 feet of water and all over the place.

[IndianaBowman]

T Sunstone, I'll be down there Memorial Day weekend. If you are willing to share send me a PM about what type of areas you are seeing them. I've been going down over Memorial Day weekend for years and honestly, while fishing I've never seen them. I have caught a few on bait, but never seen them in the shallow. I guarantee I'll have my bow with me this year.

[IndianaBowman]

Just got off the phone with Rob Davis! What a great gentleman. He may join us for some top notch instruction. We may even get him on his 1st alligator. Thanks for the help everyone!  We'll take lots of photos and give a full report after the trip.