My fishing partner caught a very large electric ray when flounder fishing off of the CT and RI shore. I believe it was 56 or 58 inches and weighed 89 1/2 pounds. Are state records kept for electric rays? This one has to be close! Thanks. Bob Blanchard, whitetailbluefin@yahoo.com

There is only one species of Torpedo (Electric Ray) native to your CT waters. The common Torpedo (Torpedo nobiliana), also known as the crampfish, numbfish and electric ray. It is not considered a gamefish, so it is unlikely that records for CT would be kept, but the World Record is 96.1 pounds, caught at Dodman Point, UK in 1975, by N. Crowley. France keeps records of this species as well, with their largest being 12.2 pounds, caught at Arachon, France, in 2002, by P. Sebile. A 52.11 pounder was caught at Porthallow, UK. in 1980 by M. Wills. These records are kept by the European Federation of Sea Anglers. Since we are not a part of the European Union, your fish would probably not be recognized by them. The CT Department of Environmental Protections Saltwater Record Fish list does not include ANY species of rays whatsoever. Perhaps you could lobby them to include a catagory for rays, or have them recognized as a gamefish. Unfortunately, the IGFA also has no species of ray included in its records. There are various sharks, roughfish and even eels listed, but no rays. That is a shame, because, while most rays (the manta ray-Manta birostris being the exception) do not do arobatics, they do put up a dogged resitance to being landed. And stingrays, at least, are very edible, with a flavor very close to scallops. It woud seem that for the time being, however, that rays must remain as the Red-Headed Step-Child of the fishing world. Happy Fishing!