Shrimp VS Blue Crab in Togging

[MDFishin]

Long story short gave em all a shot an nothing!. full report in BY

[surfdog]

best to bring a variety of bait tog can be picky at times. too bad Va outlawed green crabs they work well, look for the big females with orange aprons tog love them, female sand fleas with orange apron are good to. fresh not frozen.

another trick is to double hook your bait, larger crabs and hunks of clam to give them both hooks to bite on

[ComeOnFish]

Experimental Rig/Tackles for togging

Two Topics on this post - "Shrimp VS Blue Crab" and "Circle hook and slip sinker rig" in togging. I used shrimp only on the experimental rig.

Shrimp VS Blue Crab in Togging

I conducted my own second test on Sunday April 1 After witnessing that the koreans only use shrimp and caught 15+ tog the biggest one was 18 inches.
That time I caught 6 on shrimp and 3 on blue crab. But none of mine was keepers.

It was a slow day between 10:15am and 4:50pm I had only 7 bites. I met 14 kayakers at the Concrete Ships. A half of them were skunked. Two caught a keepers at 17 inches each. The rest of them caught one or two togs @12-14 inches
I caught three togs @14, 15 and 16 inches on a hi-lo tandem rig. The locations of shrimp and blue crab on the tandem rig was changed every time I re-baited. The 14 and 16 incher were caught on shrimp and the 15 incher was caught on blue crab

Current stats (my catch only) after two trips:
Shrimp: 8 tog
Blue Crab: 4 tog

Bottom line as of now: I think Shrimp definetely work in the spring (as they said) probably better than blue crab

Circle hook and Slip Sinker Rig

I also tested an experimental rig, “circle hook and slip sinker” rig for tog fishing inside two ships where I tied my kayak to the wall or I drifted slowly. I caught 3 togs @12-13 inches on the rig. These 3 togs weren’t counted in the “Shrimp VS Blue Crab test” because only shrimp was used.

Here is the preview of the experimental rig video. I will have a few more tests, then I will publish the final version


I put the experimental rod on a rod holder and concentrated on the typical rod for tog fishing which I was holding always.

I am not sure how practical this experimental rig will be while kayak-fishing at CBBT. But if the kayak is anchored or drifting slowly (such as inside the Concrete Ships), it will work. The point is that now I can use two rods if the condition is right.

I had the waving/bent rod four times. I failed one because I acted too quickly. I reeled in before a tog would self-hook itself. Also, somehow I did not lose the experimental rig by snagging something on the bottom.

Here is my experimental rig/tackles/bait:
Bait – a half of large shrimp (30-40 ct, good quality)
2 oz slip sinker (egg sinker) – next time I will bring 6oz egg sinkers
1/0 circle hook – The point of the hook was buried into the large shrimp. I will try 2/0 hook next time. I think 3/0 is too big,
40# test Powerpro super-braided for main line
60# test Coast Lock swivel
30# test Mono for leader (7” long)
A 30” bait casting rod (Dock Demon by Zepco, Solid Glass rod) - This is flexible yet has back bone. This is very similar to Michael’s short backup rod. The rod won’t break easily. I think I can reel in a 15-20lb striper. I bought this Rod and Reel Combo at Wall Mart and threw away the reels. The reel seat may not be sturdy. But the combo is $9.99.
Shimano Bait-casting reel from my typical tog-fishing rod – The drag was set to heavy all the time

Thanks,
Joe

[tufnik]

Nice video. Good to see your experiment in action.

- I read that 4/0 circle was recommended. I tried 3/0 j-hook before, but I think it's a bit small. So now I use 4/0 j-hooks. For me, I like j-hooks better than circles because I like to jerk the rod when I feel the tap-tap.
- I was thinking about using a short rod like that, but you beat me to it. It looks like it did well. I was thinking about making a short rod from old rods that don't get used. I was going to cut the rod to about 4'. Is that the length you think is best?
- That rig seems a bit odd because I would think you need the sinker to touch bottom first. You then gauge the rig height from the touch. With your carolina rig (fish finder), the bait is on the bottom when the sinker touches bottom. The hook could get snagged. Of course, you can always raise the rig once the sinker touches bottom and the hook doesn't snag.
- Glad you got good results on the shrimp. At worst, it seems shrimp and blue crab are about the same. Shrimp is more convenient to buy and bring. Sometimes togs are finicky, so maybe bringing at least two baits is best (e.g., shrimp, blue crab, fiddler, clams, and frozen sand fleas)

Good job. Your work helps me be a better togger. Thanks for the report!

[Redfish12]

The theory worked!! Nice work Joe!

[Shady]

Nice video! I really miss Tog fishing and I've only fished for them twice on back to back days at Kipto. Hopefully I can find some in OC in a couple weeks...

[mmanolis2001]

Very cool idea Joe. Do you think you will need a short rod with more back bone? I have two 7' solid fiberglass blanks sitting in the shop with no home. I could cut the top section down and make a similar rod with allot more backbone than the one in the video.

I would be glad to throw something together for you to test if you like. The blanks are just collecting dust here.

What is the total rod length you will need?
What length rear grip?
What length fore grip?
Whats your favorite color combination?

[ronaultmtd]

They eat crustaceans- shrimp, sand fleas, fiddler crabs, blue crabs, etc. same as sheepshead and other reef dwelling fish- they will eat anything with a shell on it- being nibblers it is sometimes hard to feel the bite and they steal your bait- you are fishing "on credit" with an empty hook thinking you haven't had a bite- I would think in those circumstances that a quartered hard crab hooked through the knuckle would give you a stronger, more secure bait to feel the bite than a shrimp- considering both will get eaten-

[robchoi]

The thing about tog fishing is that every day will be different. You can be tearing them up on one bait on Saturday, but the same bait might not be as effective on Sunday. Sometimes even a few hours will change what they want to eat. Shrimp, lobster, clam, mussels, fiddlers, any type of crab, mole crabs (sandfleas), any kind of crustacean, all work. Some days they want everything and anything. Other days they can be very selective. It's best to bring a few different types if you can.

[kevinfry]

Well Joe, your 49 rod certainly proves you don't need a stiff $200 rod to catch tog. Seems a good reel is more important.

I also wanted to know how many "bites" you missed with that rig, or whether the circles worked every time.

[ComeOnFish]

Kevin,

My main rod is a under $40 from BassPro. And I will be using it all the time with traditional tog rig.

Anyway, here is my theory behind the experimental rig/tackle:

First I am not holding the rod or setting the hook. Let the rod and rig do the all the work.

I used a flexible rod because (1) the drag was set to very tight for tog, (2) using super braided line won’t stretch at all. The flexible rod and a small circle hook are the critical components of my tackle/rig. Unlike striper or other fish, a tog has Angelina Jolie’s lips. The lips are tender like gel, yet are very sturdy. The circle hook is supposedly to be set on the corner of the Angelina Jolie’s lips. These unique lips of a tog are the major key reason for a small circle hook. Bigger circle hook may not work well. You will see this on the video. All circle hooks are on the corner of the Angelina Jolie’s lips.

I thought that when a tog bites the soft shrimp and a small circle hook, the tog wouldn’t spit it out and simply tries to move to his hole because the tog won’t feel resistant of line and unnatural sharp and pointy object. When a tog moves a few feet, the circle will do the work. The flexible rod won’t yank out the circle hook like a broom-stick rod.

If I am holding a stiff rod with the same rig, I won’t keep the tension on the line. When there is a tug, I won’t set the hook. I will lower the rod tip and wait until a tog set the hook by itself.

I had 4 hits and caught 3.

Joe

[camelbird]

Joe,

Nice work on the recon/video/info as usual. I can't wait to get some tog this year.

I totally copied you by going to my local wally world and purchasing a "demon zebco". I've been wanting a short rod to catch bait for the yak and the price nailed it - 9 bucks. Matched with a $12.00 50 size baitcaster

thanks joe

justin

[ComeOnFish]

Joe,

Nice work on the recon/video/info as usual. I can't wait to get some tog this year.

I totally copied you by going to my local wally world and purchasing a "demon zebco". I've been wanting a short rod to catch bait for the yak and the price nailed it - 9 bucks. Matched with a $12.00 50 size baitcaster

thanks joe

justin

That Zebco is not for crappie - too stiff. But will be good with 1/2oz - 8oz sinker. I will be using it for severn River WP close to the low docks/piers, Flounder (flexible enough for Keeper size), Croaker, Spot, Catfish, and striper.

I can easily keep it under my 8" center hatch. I think it is a good backup rod for jigging and bottom fishing

[camelbird]

I'm thinking a competition.. biggest fish on the dock demon?...maybe too ridiculous?

[mmanolis2001]

Just wait for the rays to show up in force. That will be a fun battle. I would not want to pull one into the boat to weigh it though.