Question on Rigging a Mann's Sting Ray Grub

[BlaineFred]

The Sting Ray is an excellent cold water bait.

How would you rig it?

What type of jig head? Line? Rod?

Thanks,

Fred

[Johnny A]

The original Sting Ray grub head was good, but expensive to lose in the rocks. I'm sure there are several other companies with the same head at a lower price.
8lb-12lb, depending upon cover and bottom composition. Spinning rod, 6'-6'9".

[smalljaw]

I make a mushroom head with a double barb that I used with the sting ray grub. I fish it on 8lb mono with anywhere from a 3/32oz to 1/4oz on a 6'6" medium power, fast action spinning rod.

[lifeofRiley]

How do you fish a mann's sting ray grub? Is it the same thing as an erie darter?

[smalljaw]

How do you fish a mann's sting ray grub? Is it the same thing as an erie darter?

It is basically a "do nothing" type bait that does well in cold water or when fish are lethargic in general, the profile and subtle nature are enough to get fish to bite. The best way I found to fish them is to let them on bottom and use a slow crawl and stop or sometimes a short hop and stop but the important thing it to move it short distances.

[Bronzeye]

Tail vertical or parallel to the bottom?

[BlaineFred]

Tail vertical or parallel to the bottom?

Looks like the answer is going to more complex than I thought.

Can you provide suggestions for both techniques?

[smalljaw]

Tail vertical or parallel to the bottom?

Looks like the answer is going to more complex than I thought.

Can you provide suggestions for both techniques?

I believe he is asking if the tail is going to be vertical or parallel to the bottom and for the answer is parallel simply because the stingray grub doesn't float. I also don't think it would be as effective in cold water if it stood up. The fishing part is simple, make the cast and work the bait slow, move it 3" to 6" and stop it for a bit, it works well.

[BlaineFred]

Tail vertical or parallel to the bottom?

Looks like the answer is going to more complex than I thought.

Can you provide suggestions for both techniques?

I believe he is asking if the tail is going to be vertical or parallel to the bottom and for the answer is parallel simply because the stingray grub doesn't float. I also don't think it would be as effective in cold water if it stood up. The fishing part is simple, make the cast and work the bait slow, move it 3" to 6" and stop it for a bit, it works well.

I may have misunderstood. I thought that with a certain hind of head, that the tail would stick up in the air.

[Bronzeye]

My question was intended to ask any who have had significant success with the Sting-Ray type of grub whether they put the grub on the jig head so that the plane of the flattened tail of the grub is parallel to the lake bottom when retrieved (this would be 90 degrees off the plane of the hook bend) or vertical (parallel to the hook bend). In the first orientation, the flattened tail would resemble claws of a crawfish held close together, as happens when the crawfish scoots backward. In the second orientation, it would resemble the tail of a minnow.

[Reel Old Geezer]

I don' t fish the Stingray, but I do fish grubs a quite often year round. I fish them on a drop shot rig with the weight about 8 inches below the grub. It doesn't hang up as much as on a jig head. I cast it as I drift down the river and usually hop it or shake it back toward the boat. A 19.5" smallmouth inhaled one a couple of days ago using this method.

[BlaineFred]

My question was intended to ask any who have had significant success with the Sting-Ray type of grub whether they put the grub on the jig head so that the plane of the flattened tail of the grub is parallel to the lake bottom when retrieved (this would be 90 degrees off the plane of the hook bend) or vertical (parallel to the hook bend). In the first orientation, the flattened tail would resemble claws of a crawfish held close together, as happens when the crawfish scoots backward. In the second orientation, it would resemble the tail of a minnow.

The connection to crawfish....I'm thinking that the water temp should then be around 54 or so for the craws to come out of their holes. I'm also thinking that the Sting Ray may not be effective below 54...

That doesn't seem right to me.

[smalljaw]

I don't fish the sting ray grub when the water temp hit the mid 50s, for me it is great in the low 50s to upper 30s, at 53-54 degrees a grub with a curly tail starts working and I rig it so the tail is flat horizontally but now I'm going to try it with the tail rigged in a vertical position, learn something different everyday!!

[RIK]

Stingrays and the like are great in cold water, post cold front in clear water any time of year, on heavily-pressured clear water... Just a versatile bait that's pretty easily overlooked. I have a fishing partner that still talks about making fun of them when I pulled them out after a brutal cold front, then getting absolutely throttled by me fishing second water behind him. That was 20+ years ago...

As for jigs, anything works honestly. The main thing is having a light wire hook with enough hook gap to handle the chunky body. I've fished them on mushroom heads, ball heads, whatever is the right weight. Right now I use a mushroom head made by Shur-Set with a Matzuo sickle hook, or a small football head. I really like the Lunker City football heads with a light wire weedguard. Football heads are great around harder cover, rocks, sand, gravel, etc. Mushroom heads a little better along weedlines.

For the rest of the setup I use either 6 or 8 lb fluoro and a 7' Med power X-fast spinning rod.

If there's a mistake guys seem to make fishing these things it's using too heavy a jig head. I use 3/32 oz mushroom heads a lot, and only go up unless it's windy or I'm in water deeper than say 15'. You're really just fishing the weight of the jig. If you can feel it very well at all it's too heavy. Really have to be a line watcher.

If you really want to learn how to use baits like these, go find anything you can by Rich Zaleski.

[BlaineFred]

Thanks for the great info, Rik...

I am considering buying some of those jig heads.

One additional question....I have heard that the grub presentation can be improved by wrapping three or four turns of 50-lb test mono around the line tie, and then tying and cutting off; and then tying the main line above the wrapped line. This prevents the main line from slipping to the bottom of the line tie, and theg rub would tend to stand.

Have you or any others done this, and is it worthwhile?