I have felt the pain you are talking about. I was about 12, and a pretty good fisherman.... so I thought. I was down at my uncles and aunts in Newport Beach, and thought I caught a thornback. I brought it up to the house to show the folks, holding it flat on my palm. Well it flipped and I dropped it on the concrete. Apparently, it did not approve of my fish-handling skills, and when I went to pick it up, it whacked me right in the middle of the palm. At this point, I was looking for who ever was holding flaming torches to my wrist and armpit. The pain was intense. At the hospital, I learned about the round sting ray, a small, roundish ray that has a nasty stinger. THey are caught much less frequently than batrays. I do see them fairly regularly at Campus point while diving. OH BTW, spooked a 10 and a 15 lb WSB there last weekend..... bummer.

This is probably the culprit.

http://www.calfishing.com/dcforum/User_files/3b8bbca75e59e05a.jpg


Marco Farrell
http://www.whiteseabass.com

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Some info about them.

Family:
Dasyatididae (Stingrays)
Genus and Species:
Urolophus halleri
Description:
The disk of the round stingray is nearly circular. The back of this
species is brown, often mottled or spotted, and the underside is white
to orange. The round stingray is one of six rays found in California
waters which have a stinger on the tail. It can be distinguished from
the others since it is the only one with a true tail fin. The others have
either a whip-like tail or very short tail with no fin membrane.
Range:
This species occurs from Panama to Humboldt Bay, California,
including the Gulf of California. Round stingrays are most abundant off
southern California and northern Baja California at depths up to 70
feet.
Natural History:
Round stingrays obtain much of their food by burrowing in the
substrate. Their diet includes worms, crabs, snails, clams and small
fishes. It takes 3 months for the round stingray young to develop and
they are approximately 3 inches wide at birth. Sexual maturity is
reached in 2.6 to 3 years, and mating occurs from May to June and in
December. There are one to six pups, depending upon the size of the
female.
Fishing Information:
Most round stingrays are taken incidentally by anglers fishing for other
species. However, should one wish to go after them specifically,
marine worms or pieces of clam are good bait. Sandy or muddy
bottoms along a beach or in a bay should provide good fishing.
Round stingrays are potentially dangerous because of the wounds
they can inflict. If an angler is stung, the wound should be cleaned
thoroughly and bathed in water. One should see a doctor if pain
persists or infection occurs.
Other Common Names:
ray, stingray, stinger, stingaree.
Largest Recorded:
22 inches; no weight recorded; however, a male 20 inches long
weighed 1.5 pounds.
Habitat:
Shallow Sandy Environment