Do Stingray Schools affect other fish speces? Topsail Beach

Lots of sharks feed on stingrays and that could affect other fish in the area. A little early still for sharks but they should be getting in thick Soon especially with other food in the area. They love blue fish as well.

I think large schools of anything other than baitfish effects the other fish negatively. No one wants to eat at a crowded restaurant..

I have seen schools of stingrays at Topsail so thick they turn the water black. Occasionally one would take a shrimp and run the line right off your spool before you knew it was a stingray. Seemed like bad times to be fishing. Caught a few puffers in that mess but overall I think they are bad for the fishing forecast.

appreciate it, after a quick google image search, they appear to be cowhead stingray and indeed are shark food. Appears with shark fishing pressures, the ray population swells, so the marine science theory goes.

Cobia feed on Rays also

Usually see large schools of cownose rays around Memorial Day, don't think it bothers the fish just don't like to waste time fighting them critters. And yes, sharks and cobia love all the rays.

When they are up in the mouth of the Pungo in large numbers i try to avoid them. If large numbers of them are in the area the fishing in that area usually stinks.

Cownose rays?

They travel in huge schools.

They also fight hard but most folks consider them trash or shark bait

Saw and fished in some huge schools of rays last year on CALO, didn't catch much other than large rays and sharks while they were inshore. Rough on your gear and exhausting. I'll move spots if I run into them again.

Great info everyone, appreciate the input!