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November Meet & Greet
Cancelled see post #12
When: Saturday, November 11th; Launch 7:00 am
Where: Ocean City Inlet
Launch: Commercial Harbor, Sunset Ave. in West Ocean City (free)
Target Species: Tautog (16” minimum; 4 fish creel limit)
Tides: Low 724 am; High 2:27 pm (add ~2 hrs. for slack current)
Coefficient: 51 – 54 (average)
Lunch: 1 pm ish; Harborside Bar & Grill
Bait/Tackle Shops: All Tackle – RT. 50 West Ocean City; Sunset Marina/Provisions – Sunset Ave; Atlantic Tackle – Sunset Ave. All 3 usually carry live green crabs by the pint during tog season. Call ahead to check availability and store opening times.
The November Meet & Greet will take place on Saturday, November 11th. We will launch from the Commercial Harbor on Sunset Ave at around 7 am. The launch and parking are free and there is enough ramp to accommodate 6 vehicles launching at once. Or if you have wheels you can load up in the parking lot and walk to the ramp with no issues. There is a bathroom at the ramp too that should still be open, but I'm not totally positive on that. You are more than welcome to launch earlier then 7 to start fishing if you want. I’ll likely have my stuff in the water before 7 and then wait until about 7:15 in case anybody needs help or advise before I head out to fish.
Lunch will be around 1 pm. I’m open to suggestions for earlier of later in the day though. Most likely it’ll be Harborside Bar and Grill. It’s right across the canal from the launch. They have docks for patrons to use and I’ll look into whether we are allowed tie up our kayaks to the docks for anybody that might want to head back out fishing after lunch and doesn’t feel like loading up and then re-launching again after the meal. Otherwise, you just drive around the corner and you are there in less than a minute from the launch.
The targeted species will be tautog (tog). Other species you can find in the inlet in November include striped bass and bluefish, maybe a trout or puppy drum if you’re lucky. But if you're targeting tog you likely won’t catch many other species (aside from toads), whereas if your targeting stripers and blues, you likely won’t catch any tog. So I typically just fish for tog if that is my plan. Although I have another rod rigged and ready just in case
The basics to tog fishing are simple – drop crab baits into the rocks or alongside pilings! There are plenty of articles online and posts on Snaggedline to read if you are brand spanking new to tog fishing that will help you cut down the learning curve before you get out on the water.
Tog feed exclusively on mollusks and crustaceans so the best baits for tog include: green crabs, Asian crabs, blue crabs (legal size of course), Jonah crabs, sand fleas, shrimp, and/or clams. I find crab or shrimp best in the fall. Sandlfleas fall down the list for me in November. Basic rigs are either a single hook on a standard dropper loop above a weight, a tog jig, or a snafu rig. I tie my rigs with 50 lb mono and use 3/0 – 4/0 hooks.
Depending on where in the inlet you're fishing location and what the tidal coefficient is, appropriate sized weights to use are from 2 oz – 6 oz. I find my sweet spot to be 3 oz. The only place I really ever have to bump up to the 6 oz or + is if I’m fishing the Rt. 50 bridge during a running current. Otherwise, 3 – 4oz is enough. And bring plenty of lead! To be good at tog fishing you have to get your rig into the rocks and snags and sometimes you lose a lot of weights in the process! I usually carry about 5 @ 3oz, 5 @ 4oz, 3 @ 6oz, 1 or 2 @ 8oz, and maybe a few <1 oz for tossing up into the shallows of the rocks sometimes. Useful tip: if you use a standard dropper loop, use 15 lb. mono to connect your weight to the rig and more often than not you’ll only lose your weight to the snag and not your whole rig/fish
.
A wreck anchor or an anchor you consider “disposable” is a good idea as well. Places like Martha’s Landing or the South Jetty an anchor really makes things easy and helps you stay right on top of your “tog honey hole” if you are lucky enough to find one. My “disposable” anchor is a small brick shaped rock I tie a harness around that I tie my anchor line too. It’s disposable because if it gets stuck in the rocks, I just simply cut my anchor line and I’m out nothing. Another handy item, but not necessary is a spring “A” clamp. These come in handy for fishing dock and bridge pilings. I tie a section of rope around the spring part of the clamp from the back, tie the other end to the kayak with a quick release knot, and then clamp onto either bolts, planks, or metal edges of the pilings to keep me in place.
Disclaimer: Participants are reminded that they must always exercise the utmost caution during Meet & Greet outings and that they participate in these events at their own risk.
I know the inlet can be intimidating at times, but the tidal coefficient rating (basically how hard the current will be running) for the 11th is Average at 51 – 54. So it won’t be all that bad and it’ll be a good day for somebody who has never fished the inlet to head out. See the attached maps for good kayak tog fishing locations. The blue arrows are the typical current flow for incoming and/or outgoing current. The green circles and lines are the primary places where the current breaks and you will have an easier time fishing without having to fight the current. There are other spots as well if you are up for exploring.
I will caution against trying to fish in the pilings of the Rt. 50 bridge during the peak of the current if you haven’t done it before as it can get dicey. The last/first hour of the current and during slack current are the easiest times to fish the Rt. 50 bridge. Although, there are some current breaks by the drawbridge you can fish all tide long. And watch out from above on the RT. 50 bridge. There is a strong, dedicated tog fishing community that fishes hard from up above and will have no problem dropping on you if they feel you are in their spot – ask me how I know, haha! Paybacks are when you go piling to piling at slack tide from underneath the bridge collecting their snagged weights and lures though for your collection
.
And yes, you can expect boat traffic and/or fishing in close proximity to powerboats anchored up tog fishing too, but it’s never really ever been an issue for me. Most everybody is courteous.
Respond here if you plan to attend and also give me a Yes or No if you want to attend lunch so I can get a headcount for the restaurant.
Feel free to drop me a PM with questions or just ask here too for the benefit of all. I’ll be out of town for work with limited internet from Oct 23 – Nov 2, but will respond as soon as I can during that time frame.
Brian “Slobber Bob”
OC Inlet - Outgoing.jpg OC Inlet - Incoming.jpg
Attendees, Lunch ():
Slobber Bob (Y)
Hemingway (Y)
Yakinzak (Y)
Cancelled see post #12
When: Saturday, November 11th; Launch 7:00 am
Where: Ocean City Inlet
Launch: Commercial Harbor, Sunset Ave. in West Ocean City (free)
Target Species: Tautog (16” minimum; 4 fish creel limit)
Tides: Low 724 am; High 2:27 pm (add ~2 hrs. for slack current)
Coefficient: 51 – 54 (average)
Lunch: 1 pm ish; Harborside Bar & Grill
Bait/Tackle Shops: All Tackle – RT. 50 West Ocean City; Sunset Marina/Provisions – Sunset Ave; Atlantic Tackle – Sunset Ave. All 3 usually carry live green crabs by the pint during tog season. Call ahead to check availability and store opening times.
The November Meet & Greet will take place on Saturday, November 11th. We will launch from the Commercial Harbor on Sunset Ave at around 7 am. The launch and parking are free and there is enough ramp to accommodate 6 vehicles launching at once. Or if you have wheels you can load up in the parking lot and walk to the ramp with no issues. There is a bathroom at the ramp too that should still be open, but I'm not totally positive on that. You are more than welcome to launch earlier then 7 to start fishing if you want. I’ll likely have my stuff in the water before 7 and then wait until about 7:15 in case anybody needs help or advise before I head out to fish.
Lunch will be around 1 pm. I’m open to suggestions for earlier of later in the day though. Most likely it’ll be Harborside Bar and Grill. It’s right across the canal from the launch. They have docks for patrons to use and I’ll look into whether we are allowed tie up our kayaks to the docks for anybody that might want to head back out fishing after lunch and doesn’t feel like loading up and then re-launching again after the meal. Otherwise, you just drive around the corner and you are there in less than a minute from the launch.
The targeted species will be tautog (tog). Other species you can find in the inlet in November include striped bass and bluefish, maybe a trout or puppy drum if you’re lucky. But if you're targeting tog you likely won’t catch many other species (aside from toads), whereas if your targeting stripers and blues, you likely won’t catch any tog. So I typically just fish for tog if that is my plan. Although I have another rod rigged and ready just in case
The basics to tog fishing are simple – drop crab baits into the rocks or alongside pilings! There are plenty of articles online and posts on Snaggedline to read if you are brand spanking new to tog fishing that will help you cut down the learning curve before you get out on the water.
Tog feed exclusively on mollusks and crustaceans so the best baits for tog include: green crabs, Asian crabs, blue crabs (legal size of course), Jonah crabs, sand fleas, shrimp, and/or clams. I find crab or shrimp best in the fall. Sandlfleas fall down the list for me in November. Basic rigs are either a single hook on a standard dropper loop above a weight, a tog jig, or a snafu rig. I tie my rigs with 50 lb mono and use 3/0 – 4/0 hooks.
Depending on where in the inlet you're fishing location and what the tidal coefficient is, appropriate sized weights to use are from 2 oz – 6 oz. I find my sweet spot to be 3 oz. The only place I really ever have to bump up to the 6 oz or + is if I’m fishing the Rt. 50 bridge during a running current. Otherwise, 3 – 4oz is enough. And bring plenty of lead! To be good at tog fishing you have to get your rig into the rocks and snags and sometimes you lose a lot of weights in the process! I usually carry about 5 @ 3oz, 5 @ 4oz, 3 @ 6oz, 1 or 2 @ 8oz, and maybe a few <1 oz for tossing up into the shallows of the rocks sometimes. Useful tip: if you use a standard dropper loop, use 15 lb. mono to connect your weight to the rig and more often than not you’ll only lose your weight to the snag and not your whole rig/fish
.A wreck anchor or an anchor you consider “disposable” is a good idea as well. Places like Martha’s Landing or the South Jetty an anchor really makes things easy and helps you stay right on top of your “tog honey hole” if you are lucky enough to find one. My “disposable” anchor is a small brick shaped rock I tie a harness around that I tie my anchor line too. It’s disposable because if it gets stuck in the rocks, I just simply cut my anchor line and I’m out nothing. Another handy item, but not necessary is a spring “A” clamp. These come in handy for fishing dock and bridge pilings. I tie a section of rope around the spring part of the clamp from the back, tie the other end to the kayak with a quick release knot, and then clamp onto either bolts, planks, or metal edges of the pilings to keep me in place.
Disclaimer: Participants are reminded that they must always exercise the utmost caution during Meet & Greet outings and that they participate in these events at their own risk.
I know the inlet can be intimidating at times, but the tidal coefficient rating (basically how hard the current will be running) for the 11th is Average at 51 – 54. So it won’t be all that bad and it’ll be a good day for somebody who has never fished the inlet to head out. See the attached maps for good kayak tog fishing locations. The blue arrows are the typical current flow for incoming and/or outgoing current. The green circles and lines are the primary places where the current breaks and you will have an easier time fishing without having to fight the current. There are other spots as well if you are up for exploring.
I will caution against trying to fish in the pilings of the Rt. 50 bridge during the peak of the current if you haven’t done it before as it can get dicey. The last/first hour of the current and during slack current are the easiest times to fish the Rt. 50 bridge. Although, there are some current breaks by the drawbridge you can fish all tide long. And watch out from above on the RT. 50 bridge. There is a strong, dedicated tog fishing community that fishes hard from up above and will have no problem dropping on you if they feel you are in their spot – ask me how I know, haha! Paybacks are when you go piling to piling at slack tide from underneath the bridge collecting their snagged weights and lures though for your collection
.And yes, you can expect boat traffic and/or fishing in close proximity to powerboats anchored up tog fishing too, but it’s never really ever been an issue for me. Most everybody is courteous.
Respond here if you plan to attend and also give me a Yes or No if you want to attend lunch so I can get a headcount for the restaurant.
Feel free to drop me a PM with questions or just ask here too for the benefit of all. I’ll be out of town for work with limited internet from Oct 23 – Nov 2, but will respond as soon as I can during that time frame.
Brian “Slobber Bob”
OC Inlet - Outgoing.jpg OC Inlet - Incoming.jpg
Attendees, Lunch ():
Slobber Bob (Y)
Hemingway (Y)
Yakinzak (Y)
. Antares is scheduled to launch to the international space station between 7:37 - 7:42 that morning.
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