Skate are probably not the first creature you think of when you make plans to go fishing. In fact, they’re probably the last thing you’re hoping to hook! Commonly caught as bycatch, these “sea blankets” seem like little more than a nuisance. But before you toss them overboard, there’s something to be said for Skate fishing.
With serious wing propulsion and the ability (of some, at least) to reach hundreds of pounds, Skate can offer a serious workout. In some parts of the world, catching Skate is a sport in its own right. When you’re allowed to keep your catch, the reward is sweet—and tender, with a mild flavor similar to Scallops. If you don’t believe us, just ask the French, who have long been serving Skate in their bistros!
But why should you believe all that? What does it take to catch one? We’ll answer these questions and much more in the following sections…
How to Identify Skate
There are more than 570 species of Skate (Rajidae) around the world, with some estimates exceeding 600 species. Not all of them are legal to harvest, and very few are targeted for sport. Of these, only a handful are worth mentioning (see below).
Skates look a lot like Stingrays, and it will come as no surprise to hear that they’re related. These species are also closely related to Sharks and share key characteristics such as their cartilage skeletons, rough sandpaper skin, and five pairs of gills. While you aren’t likely to confuse either of these with a Shark, you may have trouble distinguishing Skates from Rays. Here are a few clues:
- Skates are often triangular, or even rounded, whereas Rays are usually a diamond shape.
- Rays have those notorious—and sometimes venomous—stingers at the end of their whiplike tails. By contrast, Skates have thick tails with no stingers (but they do have spikes).
- Skates have teeth, while Rays have serrated plates designed for mashing their food.
With so many Skate species swimming in our seas, this quick guide can barely scratch the surface. We’ll say this, however: recreational Skate fishing isn’t very common, so that narrows it down considerably! If this article captures your interest, you’re likely to go after one of the following species located in the US or around the British Isles:
Little Skate
Along most of the United States’s East Coast, anglers often catch Little Skate (Leucoraja erinacea) while fishing inshore. The range of this species extends from southern Newfoundland down to North Carolina, and they’re especially numerous in the Mid-Atlantic Bight and George’s Bank.
Aptly named, Little Skate run smaller than other local species, usually reaching just 16–20 inches. The color on their backs varies from gray to brown, and they’re covered in small, dark spots, with rounded wings.
Big Skate
On the opposite side of the country, this species lives as far north as the Bering Sea and south to Baja California. Anglers often hook Big Skate (Beringraja binoculata) as bycatch in bays, estuaries, or over the continental shelf, where you can typically find them in waters up to about 400 feet deep.
True to their name, they grow quite large. For reference, the Washington state record is 130 pounds! Big Skate are gray, black, or some shade of brown, and they’re often covered in pale rosettes. Their fins—like wings—are pointed and each one features a dark, ringed spot. There’s a single row of spines down their backs.
Common Skate
Across the pond, anglers in the UK hook into Common Skate. This term actually refers to two separate species that were previously classified as one: Flapper Skate (Dipturus intermedius) and Blue Skate (Dipturus batis).
Flapper Skate can reach massive proportions, with historical catches reaching 400 pounds. These days, they more commonly max out at 250 pounds while reaching up to 10 feet long.
Flappers are brown or olive in color, depending on whether they live over sandy or grassy areas. Their wings are concave at the front and the tips are moderately rounded. Each wing has pale spots, which sometimes form lines running in various directions. Their underbelly is gray with visible black pores. Perhaps the best way to recognize them, however, is their olive-green eyes.
Meanwhile, Blue Skate have yellow eyes. They’re usually darker in color and each wing has a large blotch with a pale ring around it. Blue Skate run smaller than Flappers and their range lies further south, mainly in the Celtic Sea (south of Ireland and west of Wales and Cornwall) and to the west of Ireland. Meanwhile, Flapper Skate swim off the coast of Northern Ireland, Scotland, and beyond.
Best Skate Fishing Spots
Skate are so numerous in our planet’s waters that you can probably catch them anywhere you go. When it comes to the species mentioned above, however, there are a few choice locations:
Puget Sound, WA
Anglers fishing the Puget Sound can hook Big Skate as well as Longnose Skate. While these are common bycatch all up and down the Washington Coast, Puget Sound is a great place to target them due to its calmer waters and sheer accessibility. Catching Skate often happens while fishing for Sharks and Halibut, which you can do either by bottom fishing from a boat or casting from shore.
Skate are classified as bottom fish in Washington State. This means you should follow any regulations related to bottom fish when catching Skate. Note that there are various “Marine Areas” with their own rules, including open seasons and bag limits. Puget Sound encompasses Marine Areas 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10. You can read more about Washington’s Marine Areas and fish regulations here.
Cape Cod, MA
Skate fishing plays a big part in the Northeast seafood industry. In fact, commercial fishing for Skate and Dogfish has helped relieve pressure from the area’s overfished Cod population.
As many as seven Skate species are harvested off of Cape Cod and the surrounding areas, for food or as bait for other table fare like lobster. Among these is Little Skate, one of the species recreational anglers often catch by mistake. Now that you know how good they taste, you might want to actually try catching some on purpose!
Little Skate are open to harvest in the Mid-Atlantic year-round, with no recreational size or possession limit.
Clew Bay, Ireland
One of Europe’s best-known fishing spots for Common Skate is Clew Bay just out of Co Mayo, Ireland. Plenty of fishing festivals take place in these waters and the Skate are known to reach up to 200 pounds!
Blue Skate are the more prevalent Common Skate species here and anglers commonly catch them while boating. But you don’t necessarily have to hit the deep to find them… Some claim to have landed their share of Blue Skate in just 60 feet of water. You can target them aboard some of Ireland’s best deep sea fishing charters located in Mulranny, Newport, and Westport.
September to November is considered peak season for Common Skate in this area. While sportfishing for them in Ireland is fairly popular, the species is endangered and therefore limited to catch and release.
Oban, Scotland
In Scotland, Flapper Skate are the more numerous Common Skate species. And there’s little debate—the best place to hop aboard and fish for them is Oban. The “Gateway to the Highlands” is renowned for its seafood and sportfishing. With the Sound of Mull and the Firth of Lorn nearby, Oban is perched right on the cusp of Flapper Skate territory.
Skate fishing in Oban is possible year-round, but the species is most active in spring and summer. Fishing for Skate in the UK is allowed but, as a critically endangered species, Common Skate are limited to catch and release.
How to Fish for Skate
One look at a Skate (any Skate) and you can tell they’re bottom feeders. This leaves little room for doubt that you should target them by bottom fishing. Depending on the area, you can do so from shore or a boat. Insider tips and what gear to use will vary depending on the situation. There’s nothing complicated when it comes to the technique, but you will need to handle your catch with care.
Shore Fishing
Skate settle on top of flat mud, clean sand, or fine pebbles. They also cozy up along sandbanks and depressions in the seafloor, where they can look up at prey passing overhead. Sometimes, they sit behind reefs or similar structures that shelter them from the tide.
Identify areas like this and cast into them with a gentle lob so you don’t scare any Skate that are nestled there. A 7–9′ medium-heavy action rod will lend you the sensitivity to detect the soft bite of a Skate, as well as the strength to pull it in. Pair that with a conventional reel with a strong drag system, and a 30–50 lb braided line will do just fine.
Allow your bait to settle softly on the seafloor and wait until you feel a gentle tug on the end of your line. It may take time for nearby Skate to take a curious nibble, so be prepared to play the waiting game.
When you feel that subtle bite, reel the Skate in gently rather than trying to set your hook with a quick motion. Skate don’t make hard or fast runs, but the beating of their wings will create resistance as you reel them in. Slow and steady does it, just try to maintain constant pressure. If the Skate runs off, let them go a way before you try to reel them back in.
With that in mind, circle hooks should be your go-to (sizes 2/0 and 4/0). Your catch won’t slip free easily and, when the time comes to remove your hook, it will be gentler for the fish. Skate have tough mouths, so make sure those hooks are sharp!
Have a net or wet sling handy to land your catch, or at least a pair of gloves so you can grip them well. Remember that Skate have spikes running down their backs and tails, which can thrash around and jab you as you’re landing them.
Boat Fishing
Bottom fishing for Skate in deeper water requires a few separate tricks. You should still expect them in areas where the seafloor is smooth, but don’t forget to try near reefs or even wrecks. Skate like the clean ocean floor that backs right up to structure like this. They wait downtide, behind wrecks or reefs, then come out to explore as the tide eases.
It’s not uncommon for Skate to cruise the seafloor in pairs or small groups. Once you hook one, there are likely to be a few more nearby so your group should keep dropping those lines. A little jigging can help get their attention, as well as noise. Try adding booby beads to your line, about 10 inches above the hook, to draw the Skate in with their rattle.
Skate Fishing Gear
When deep sea fishing for Skate, you’re likely to hook some really large specimens —especially if we’re talking about Common Skate around the UK and Ireland. Not only do you have their size to contend with, but also the propulsion of their massive wings. These fish know how to use tidal pressure to their advantage, as well as how to suction down on the seafloor. You, therefore, want to have a stout rod in hand.
Many anglers prefer 7′ rods for the leverage, but you can add more than half a foot onto that if you want to push the limit. Just keep in mind that the longer your rod, the more leverage you’re handing over to the fish. You don’t need an overly robust reel, just one with a strong drag system.
While braided line is the obvious choice for deep sea fishing, don’t rule out mono. The stretch of a monofilament line can help you battle large Skate without losing them from your hook. In this case, opt for a 250 lb commercial-grade line. Add a weight of some sort to your line to keep the bait grounded, and you’re golden. Lastly, consider a fighting belt or harness for back support.
Skate Fishing Bait
Catching these fish really isn’t complicated. You don’t need fancy rigs and, most of the time, anglers don’t bother experimenting with artificial lures. Fresh bait is always ideal due to the scent, but you can technically use frozen as well.
The best bait for Skate fishing is anything they normally eat. This includes clams, crabs, and squid, as well as whole fish like mackerel or herring. Mackerel, in particular, is the most commonly used bait for Skate fishing in the UK.
When to Fish for Skate
The best season for catching Skate depends on the species and what part of the world you’re fishing in. Generally speaking, these fish go where their preferred food is most abundant, which causes them to shift their hunting grounds with the seasons.
Spring and autumn often mark peak times for Skate fishing, and the summer between them can also be really productive. This makes the months from April through October prime Skate fishing time. You should also note that they tend to feed most actively at dawn and dusk.
That being said, Skate are technically around all year—you just have to know where to find them! In sheltered waters, such as the sounds and bays surrounding Oban, winter fishing for Skate can be excellent.
Skate Fishing: Something Different
They’re not exactly fish, nor are they Sharks. Technically, they’re not even Rays. This leaves Skate at the bottom of many people’s list—but you shouldn’t overlook them. If nothing else, landing a Skate is your chance to say you did something different!
Don’t forget, these “fish” make great table fare. Substituting them for Cod and other overfished species can help replenish local fisheries. Meanwhile, anglers traveling through Ireland or the UK can try monster Skate fishing for the sheer sport of it. Who knows, you might just discover a new obsession…
Have you ever landed a Skate? Maybe you’re a big Skate meat fan? Let us know all your Skate stories in the comments below!
