If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.
Get good hooks! Gami's or owners for sure. 3/0 or 4/0 short octopus or j's. Not circles.
Take a rod with backbone and a fast action tip so you can feel the bite, set the hook quickly (stiffness), and get them out of their holes quickly. I used 40 lb braid and 30lb mono for my setup. I think most go 50-80 on the braid and 40-60 on the rigs. The line rubs on a lot of rocks and barnacles where they live and you need all the help you can getting them out.
For the rig just take about 3-4 ft of mono tie a perfection loop at one end for your sinker to loop on. Depending on depth you may need a large sinker, I used 4 oz for about 20ft just to make sure my rig held still and I could feel the bottom type. Slide the hook facing down on the perfection loop, tie a dropper loop about 10-16 inches up with the hook in it. It will face up. Then tie a double or tripple surgeon on top. Add a swivel to your main line and you can loop the whole thing on or use one with a snap. The idea is if your sinker hangs that knot will give first. The dropper loop allows you to feel the bite better. If you aren't getting bit switch to a rig with out the hook tied into the loop and instead use one on a leader. When we went at the ships the closer your hook was to the bottom the more bites you got. Also, you needed to keep your bait perfectly still and wait for the second tap. I missed a lot of good bites and probably larger tog. In the video below I had about 5 good hits before he came over to the side of the ship where he caught the 18" fish. I could not hold position and keep my rig still and set the hook very well. It was hard. That was in the first 45 mins, we didn't catch another fish till 5 hrs later!
Bring extra rigs pre tied! It can be strangely addictive. I went with ComeOnFish and it was a blast. Here's the video he made.
If fishing the rocks, use two rubber bands to connect the sinker to the bottom loop of your rig. If they hang, pressure and a quick release will usually pop the rig loose. If not, the bands break leaving the rest of your rig attached. Kahle hooks work as well.
Hard crab cut in quarters is the best bait for togs- I drop my rig until it hits bottom then reel it up until I can feel it just start to come off bottom- togs are bait stealers and have a very light bite- if you think you might feel something, strike.
"Lady Luck" 2016 Red Hibiscus Hobie Outback, Lowrance Hook2-7TS
2018 Seagrass Green Hobie Compass, Humminbird 798 ci HD SI
"Wet Dream" 2011 yellow Ocean Prowler 13
Charter member of Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club
I'm not sure about the "best" places...I think most of those are offshore over wrecks where the Tog grow into GIANTS! I will be going around the rocks and walls in Cape Henlopen State Park in Lewes, DE...my mother lives there and the kids can hit the beach with my wife while I fish.
I will be going out tomorrow morning...buying bait at Bill's off Route 1 in Lewes at 5:30 and hit the water to unload just after that.
I plan on dropping another line for croaker as I did well there last weekend.
Jason
PM me if you want to "tog along" in the morning...HA!
You should think about making an anchor for the rocks there. Get some mason line and a stick and toss it up in the rocks. Should break if you need it to. Last time we were there people were catching them at the bend on the northern end of the outer wall. Lots of toadfish too. Good luck!!!
all good info, a lot of rigs and sinkers, rock anchor and 3/0-4/0 khale hooks. i read and article from a tog sharpie that orange bucktails will trigger the tog to bite seems logical since the best green crabs are the female ones with orange eggs
all good info, a lot of rigs and sinkers, rock anchor and 3/0-4/0 khale hooks. i read and article from a tog sharpie that orange bucktails will trigger the tog to bite seems logical since the best green crabs are the female ones with orange eggs
That's a great idea. A tad bit of orange buck tail or marabou tied on a collar slipped on the dropper loop before looping the hook on. Maybe even a couple orange beads slid on there.
trust me with the rubber bands on rocks, used to lose a rig every 2d to 3rd drop in IRI, now to 1/10, and most of the time its just the sinker thats gone.
Comment