11 Togs But No Keepers (CHSP, Oct 29, 2013)

[ComeOnFish]

Oct 29,
Fished 6 hours inside the Inner Wall. Hooked the first on shrimp in 30 minutes into the fishing. When I reached the net behind the seat, the 18 incher got off ( I was using 2/0 hooks for shrimp). That was the bad start. A fishing boat came and landed two 10-20 inchers along with 3 throwbacks. An hour later the boat left. I was alone again caught short ones within 200' from the point. another boat (Husband, wife and friend) came, and I told them togs were there. They caught two 20 inchers on Green crab and two throwbacks. They didn't set the hook. They left the rods on the rod holders while talking and laughing. And still they were catching.
I had a nice one but I couldn't pry this one out of the crack. Caught 10 throwbacks at 14". Togs ate shrimp not blue crab. Toadfish ate blue crab and shrimp I used tandem hooks and I lost 21 rigs. This was my new record

I forgot. The water Temp was 59-61F - Added on Oct 30

Joe

[Slobber Bob]

21 rigs?! That seems like a lot to me. Whole rigs or weights? I lost 5 weights last weekend and that was my record. I think I've only lost a 2 complete rigs all year trying for tog and sheepshead in the OC inlet. Rig is made of 50# and weight attached with 20#. Nice outing though.

[Meadeo]

Damn 21 rigs???? Last time i went out there i only lost a couple of hooks...

Thanks for the report Joe i might be headed up Saturday.

Meadeo

[jsquare]

Thanks for the report. There's a tog hunter's saying that goes: "If you are losing rigs, you're in the right place." I have got to get out and try togging out of the kayak.

Couple questions: Does fresh frozen blue crab work? Do they sell green crabs in Delaware?

[M_Duong60]

Thanks for the report. There's a tog hunter's saying that goes: "If you are losing rigs, you're in the right place." I have got to get out and try togging out of the kayak.

Couple questions: Does fresh frozen blue crab work? Do they sell green crabs in Delaware?

They do sell green crabs in DE. And I guess if frozen sand fleas work crab should too.

Anyway I think I will fish OC and CHSP for tog this weekend so let me know if anyone was thinking about fishing.

[tufnik]

So that's good advice. Make a lot of rigs. You never know when it's eat-rig day. Thanks for the report, Joe. I plan to go toggin' at CBBT or CHSP this weekend.

Frozen blue crab works fine. I usually buy/kill/freeze blue crab weeks before a trip for convenience. Even after several trips and refreezes, blue crab still works.

[ComeOnFish]

They do sell green crabs in DE. And I guess if frozen sand fleas work crab should too.

Anyway I think I will fish OC and CHSP for tog this weekend so let me know if anyone was thinking about fishing.

One thing I need to mention about Green Crab. The boaters used a whole green crab, not a half. I am not familiar with green crab. The ones I bought Ocean East (Virginia Beach) are big and frozen. But DE boaters are using small green crab with all claws and legs are attached. I noticed that a whole green crab is bigger than a quarter of a blue crab I used.

Perhaps, small live green crab are good. Boaters saw me catching more togs than them. They asked me the baits I am using. They didn't know shrimp and blue crab at all

Joe

[ComeOnFish]

Why 21 rigs?

In the 200' fishing area (Where Minh caught the first tog (20") in the last spring is included), I found two nice deep crevices. I fished from the low tide to the high tide. The current and wind were moving toward the same direction.

I left one of the crevices about 8-9 rigs, and 5-6 on the other one. The togs were in the crevices. I felt the bites, set the hook and this resulted in immediate hung. Because I kept giving up the rigs in the same crevices, I once pull out one of my cut rigs. That time I recognized that It wasn't only the crevices, it was my own rigs I am dealing with. It took hours to figure out......

I did bring spear-fishing gears. If the water was clear, I would dive and remove all my rigs.

There were a lot of tog bites (and Toadfish). Remember I fished only 200' of the inner wall.

Next time (for CHSP rock pile and the Fist Island rock pile), I will bring a bunch of wreck anchors (made of wire, such as coat hanger) because I am fishing 6-12' of water. I will place the anchor line on the stern of the kayak. This way I will pull the tog toward opening of the crevices not toward the narrow crevices - Just a thought

I will be connecting the wire anchor and the anchor line with a very short 40-50#test mono line. This way I will leave metal and a short mono line, not the long anchor line when the wire anchor is stuck.

Joe

[M_Duong60]

Joe I made a wreck anchor for you to use a while back if you want it. I was going to give it to you a while back when we were planning on fishing during the NOR'Easter. If you don't want it ill keep it as a spare.

[ComeOnFish]

Joe I made a wreck anchor for you to use a while back if you want it. I was going to give it to you a while back when we were planning on fishing during the NOR'Easter. If you don't want it ill keep it as a spare.

Thanks. Bring me one when we fish together in case I have no time to make the anchors. I am going to use the spare rod/reel for anchor line. I have 50#test braided on the reel. so 1-2' long 40# test mono will be the leader to the wreck anchor. Putting the rod on the rod holders behind the seat will do it. This way, I don't have to purchase/prepare anything for the anchor line system. I need to test if 40# force is enough to straighten my wire anchors

joe

[M_Duong60]

Thanks. Bring me one when we fish together in case I have no time to make the anchors. I am going to use the spare rod/reel for anchor line. I have 50#test braided on the reel. so 1-2' long 40# test mono will be the leader to the wreck anchor. Putting the rod on the rod holders behind the seat will do it. This way, I don't have to purchase/prepare anything for the anchor line system. I need to test if 40# force is enough to straighten my wire anchors

joe

Ill attach a picture of the anchor later but its supposed to be used with an anchor line. Haven't been able to test it yet however so ill let you know. If you have seen slobber bob's wreck anchor that he made it is very similar to that.

[M_Duong60]

Image11012013145939.jpg

[Southerly]

wondering - what did you use for the weight portion and how much weight did you use?

[Shady]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]9754[/ATTACH]

Hey, nice use of an old lacrosse stick!

[jsquare]

Hey, nice use of an old lacrosse stick!

Nice! So that's what that is.