Butterfly Skate

Type: Ocean
Region: Eastern
Location: Ocean City

Email 1: While the White Marlin Tournament was underway, I did some light tackle surf fishing at 100th St. a couple mornings and one evening with fresh squid on small spot/kingfish bottom rigs. I managed to catch 8 types of fish including two large stingrays, a rare smooth butterfly skate, devilfish, sand sharks, kingfish, croaker, flounder, and a sea trout. Included are pics of one of the stingrays and the smooth butterfly skate. Took nearly a hour and about 10 blocks of walking the beach to land the skate estimated to have a 4 feet wingspan. The two stingrays got a lot of attention from local swimmers.

Email 2: I just sent you a report and a couple pixs. I may have incorrectly identified the devislfish in my list of 8 types of fish I caught. What I caught is the small "skate like" crature with spines along the tail, multiple fins at the base of the tail, etc. I thought they were called devilfish but just googled and looks like that's incorrect. Do you know what they're called?

Email 3: If it's not too late before you post my email, I found one more correction. The second picture is of a Smooth Butterfly Ray and not a skate according to what I found on the Internet. Looked like a Stealth Bomber with a 6 inch tail. Are they rare in Maryland waters??

P.S. - Any good reports on Spanish Mackerel? My son and I are planning to go soon, we usually lauch out of Chesapeake Beach and go east.

DNR RESPONSE by Keith Lockwood, Fisheries Biologist: Butterfly Rays are not uncommon in Maryland waters. Spanish mackerel fishing has been good in the middle and lower bay regions; #2 Drone spoons behind #1 and #2 planers.

Photos attached courtesy Keith Lockwood depicting hognose ray vs. butterfly ray, and a clear nose skate. Photos in story courtesy Herb Floyd