CBBT (13 togs) 17-18 Apr Fri/Sat

[tufnik]

CBBT 4-17-15, Fri

I was on the water after 8 am. It was mostly cloudy, but winds were 5-10 mph and water was calm.

A few yakers were out searching for togs. I headed for the 1st island searching for the same with frozen green crab.

My first catch was after 1 pm, and caught the rest later in the afternoon.

Tally:
- 4 togs (2 keepers: 16 ½, 17”)
- 2 toads



Friday pics below:

[tufnik]

CBBT 4-18-15, Sat

Met ComeOnFish at the launch, and we were on the water before 7 am. We later saw JohnE and Slap on the water searching for togs too.

The morning water was calm. After that, it was slack tide for a while. My first catch was after 11 pm. Tog action seemed very slow during slack, but the current and tog bite picked up.

After 2 pm, the current began to rip. It was hard to fish, but I managed to pick up a few more togs. I barely got one tog by the lip (see pic).

The other guys (ComeOnFish, JohnE, and Slap) picked up at least one tog. They can tell you their stories. I talked to several other yakers: two guys got skunked, one guy caught a toad, and two guys got shorts.

This was my lucky day; total for the day:
- 9 togs (4 keepers: 16, 16 ½, 16 ½, 18 ½, [I gave one keeper to a fellow yaker])
- 4 toads

It was a very good tog trip. Will have to do it again before the season closes.

[JohnE]

You will have to name your new outback the tog slaying machine. You did an absolutely incredible job getting after the tog yesterday.

I caught my only tog just before the current went slack, probably around 10 or so. Got my first toad of the year shortly after and headed out to the island at slack current. Some boaters were anchored up right on top of the honey hole that I have had good results at before. I watched them pull in 3 or 4 smaller togs. Lots of boats and about half a dozen kayakers were hanging out just inside the island but I did not see any others catching anything. I should have stayed closer in this day, but I ended up wasting good tog catching time near the rocks with no bites.

My one tog for the day was my personal best at 20" and was a very exciting fight--they are such incredibly strong fighting fish...I can't wait to catch another. Fiddler crabs alone actually seemed to be the least effective bait, though I have done well with them out there before (however, as soon I changed my bait into fiddler sandwich I did catch the one big tog and it absolutely slammed that bait as soon as I dropped it on my piling). I tried frozen green crab, shrimp, fiddlers, and even some frozen peeler crabs I had in the freezer from last year. I wish I had some fresh blue crab to try. If I can make it again before the end of the season, I want to try shrimp and fresh blue crab as my primary baits.

I wanted to fish more and was considering heading over to Rudee or Lynnhaven for the evening, but 14 or 15 hours out of 24 spent fishing from Fri evening to Sat afternoon was enough for my first trip to the salt this year, so I decided to just drive home (also since cold front was expected to move in Sun and I was pretty exhausted).

[ComeOnFish]

It was a very nice to see guys after hibernation.
In the morning, I felt I could just wear shorts. But just in case, I brought wind breaker (top and bottom), thin sweat pants and 2mm neoprene socks. Eventually I was cold so I wore them. I was pretty happy that I no longer have to wear a wader.

I caught 5 togs at 17.5", 18.5" and 3 throwbacks. I had a real good one. But this one got off. That one could be the my personal best. Mine were caught on shrimp. I didn't get any bite on fiddler crab. I think Slap caught more than I caught including three keepers. He caught his on blue crab. I also checked with some kayak anglers. They didn't do well. It was a tough day.

Slab and I went Rudee after a long break. But we left quickly because we were very tired. I was tired indeed. I don't think I will fish two different places for a while. On the way home I took long naps at a rest stop and Flying J gas station.

Fishing Log:

Joe

[Slap]

Yea that drive home was painful, I had a close call or two. It was definitely weird that the tog wouldn't touch fiddlers but they were all over the blue crab. I ended up getting my limit, but you had to work for it.

Looks like the fog got pretty thick, the Ate Up ran aground a few miles south of rudee yesterday.

http://hamptonroads.com/2015/04/char...735.1419213390

[tufnik]

When John and I were loading up the vehicles just before 5 pm, we looked out toward the bridge. We could not see farther out than about 100 yards from shore. Good thing we came in.

Strange the togs didn't jump on the fiddlers; I thought fiddlers were "candy." The seemed to inhale the frozen green crab I used.

[Slap]

Yea when we got to rudee you couldn't see the other side of the creek. I've been out in open water fog like that with no electronics. Not fun.

[JohnE]

I almost forgot about the fog (I was so exhausted when I got back I passed out right away with my clothes on and woke up a little while later and could not figure out where I was for a minute) I don't think I have ever seen anything exactly like that before down there. I could still see 1st island when we beached, but after we loaded up and chatted for a little while I could not even see the water from the street.

It was really good seeing you guys out there after a very long winter. The fiddlers were my primary bait yesterday and the togs just did not seem very interested. Plus I wasted a lot of prime time after slack current out by the rocks with hardly any bites. I have actually not been fishing more than a couple hours since November before this weekend. Felt incredible to be back out on the salt...and what a beautiful day to fish the cbbt. I tore my rotator cuff over the winter and my shoulder is hurting incredibly bad right now just from loading the yak and whatever else I did to it over the weekend...I am so happy to have the mirage drive now since my other shoulder has arthritis and was reconstructed many years ago...I can only imagine what it would feel like if I had to paddle all the way out to 1st island and back with my tore up shoulders.

[ComeOnFish]

John,
I send you a link (diversdirect.com)for the stringer I have (large one @16.5-17").

You may also search "spearfishing stringer" on Amazon. You will see a bunch of stringers similar to mine. I am trying to order a smaller one (14") from Amazon.

BTW,
I buy fiddler crab for only for sheepies. But I bought 3 dozens at Ocean East only because I stopped by Ocean East to buy Cobia Lures. I am a shrimp guy for tog.

Anyway, I have enough bucktails for cobia, and I will carry them from the mid May.

Joe

[JohnE]

Thanks. I searched amazon but could not decide which one from the descriptions on there.

I have at least 25 bucktails stocked up now from 3/8 all the way up to 4 oz. Mostly 1 to 3 oz though. I lose a lot of them flounder fishing. I am going to carry that tiger lite/spinfisher combo ready to cast for cobia this summer when fishing for flounder, spades, and sheepies.

[kuljc]

this is where i should have went... instead of CHSP... and I only saw 3 boats fishing all day.

[ComeOnFish]

Did you notice this?
I never knew that a tall person is advantageous in kayak fishing. I am prejudiced...
If you see on the video, Slap is using his long leg to maintain his position/protecting the kayak against the bridge columns. .....So His kayak is good shape. On the other hand, I bang my kayak to the bridge columns all the time.
So far he is the only one using the spider leg technique when structure fishing.

Being a good sport, I don't complain. I steal his fishing spot.
And, I got the second keeper because Efrin pointed his new spot. I guess this is what kayak-fishing is about.

Joe

[Slap]

Haha it has it's advantages. My Kayak is pretty scratched up, but I'd hate to see what it'd look like if I didn't actively try to keep a bit of distance from the piling.

[JohnE]

I noticed the leg technique of Slap also. I thought it looked like a pretty good idea and never really seen anybody doing that before. I use my hands and sometimes my rod, but I do sometimes get nasty little cuts from the barnacles. My outback has some pretty good piling rash. I don't plan on selling this one for a long time and not too worried about it...I figure it will take a heck of a lot of rash to wear a hole in the hull.

[tufnik]

I use the leg, hand, and paddle technique; the waves still manage to bang my yak against the pilings

Wanted to get that stringer too, but couldn't decide on the size. So, you prefer the small one, Joe?