Tautog @ The Concrete Ships 10/24?

[keahyun]

Hey guys, I'm trying to plan a trip with some of my buddies that have never kayak fished before to the Concrete ships for Tautog later in October, probably the weekend of the 24th or the 31st.

I'm going to be bringing two of my yaks and looking to rent a tandem from either the Park if their rental kiosks are open into the Fall or through southeast expeditions a couple miles down the road for my other two friends. As far as bait, we will be probably be bringing shrimp and blue crabs from the local asian mart, but do you guys have any other recommendations as far as other species that could be caught around this time and what other bait to bring?

My friends are relatively new to salt fishing and mostly fish for largemouth bass at our local lakes and reservoirs so fishing for tog will definitely be a new/(maybe frustrating?) experience for them so I'd like to have a backup plan if necessary.

Thanks for looking and any information that you guys can share would be great!

[Hemingway]

Just an FYI, in case you are planning on camping, the State is closing Kipto's campground on Oct. 19. It will be closed until the spring. They need to replace all the electric wiring in the entire campground.

[rwh]

I would also bring a variety of bucktails/jig heads and gulps/soft plastics for striper, trout and possibly some puppy drum, especially in the lights of the fishing pier at night.

[WOOD YAK]

Hemingway- thanks for info on campground closure I was considering a trip down but will now adjust!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Hemingway]

You could try Cherrystone just up the road, and still fish the ships. Also, hotels $50-70 range are 10 minutes away. For what the campgrounds are asking, the hotels are really a pretty good option.

[keahyun]

You could try Cherrystone just up the road, and still fish the ships. Also, hotels $50-70 range are 10 minutes away. For what the campgrounds are asking, the hotels are really a pretty good option.

Thanks for all the good info everyone!

Hemingway, does that mean they will also be closing the launch ramp? Or is that specific towards camping?
We will be on paddle yaks so that does seem like a pretty long hike from cherrystone so if they are closing the launch as well we probably will have to plan an alternative trip

Thanks again

[Hemingway]

Almost certain it is just the campground not the ramp, but call to be sure.

[ComeOnFish]

I wasn’t able to fish for past few weekends. And, I don’t see any fishing reports.
Was wind strong for weeks?
Well, here is some info (based on my fishing logs) in Togging in Fall/Winter:

Kipto: At Kipto, once the water temp drops to 50F and below, Togs don’t bite while at CBBT, we have caught togs in 43 F water. in Nov – Dec – It is hard to predict when tog become aggressive at Kipto.

• 11/20/2012 – Skunked (Water: 49-50F)
• 12/03/2011 – 4-5 of us were limited out in 4 – 5 hours (Water: 52-53F)
• 11/19/2011 – I was limited out in 45 minutes (water: 55F)

Additional Info for CBBT:

• 01/02/2015 – 1 keeper tog (water: 43F)
• 12/20/2014 – 3 of us caught more than limits. (water: 42-43 F)
• 11/22/2014 – 2 of us caught more than limits. (water: 48-49 F)
• 11/08/2014 – Efrin and I caught 1 keeper tog each (Water: 55-56 F))
• 10/18/2014 - Efrin caught 2 keeper flounder, and I caught a keeper flounder and a keeper tog (water: 65F)
• 12/28/2013 – 1 keeper tog and some small stripers (water: 44-45 F)
• 12/26/2013 – 1 small tog and 10 stripers at 17-20” (water: na)
• 12/23/2012 – no Tog, 18 striper at 18-23” (water: 48F)
• 12/16/2012 – skunked
• 12/08/2012 – Two of us caught 2 small tog, many striper at 18-25” (water: 48-51F)
• 12/01/2012 – Two of us caught 1 small tog, many striper at 20-28” (water: 48-49F)
• 10/19/2013 – 1 keeper tog (water: na)
• 10/08/2011 – some small tog and 2 keeper tog, large croaker caught by boaters (Water: 68 F)

Joe

[SaltyWon]

Joe, that's good stuff, money can't buy.

If I may add this your list.
•10/3/11 - limit out in 20 min and some. Good day!

Won

[Redfish12]

That was a fun trip!

[DonV]

I wasn’t able to fish for past few weekends. And, I don’t see any fishing reports.
Was wind strong for weeks?
Well, here is some info (based on my fishing logs) in Togging in Fall/Winter:

Kipto: At Kipto, once the water temp drops to 50F and below, Togs don’t bite while at CBBT, we have caught togs in 43 F water. in Nov – Dec – It is hard to predict when tog become aggressive at Kipto.

• 11/20/2012 – Skunked (Water: 49-50F)
• 12/03/2011 – 4-5 of us were limited out in 4 – 5 hours (Water: 52-53F)
• 11/19/2011 – I was limited out in 45 minutes (water: 55F)

Additional Info for CBBT:

• 01/02/2015 – 1 keeper tog (water: 43F)
• 12/20/2014 – 3 of us caught more than limits. (water: 42-43 F)
• 11/22/2014 – 2 of us caught more than limits. (water: 48-49 F)
• 11/08/2014 – Efrin and I caught 1 keeper tog each (Water: 55-56 F))
• 10/18/2014 - Efrin caught 2 keeper flounder, and I caught a keeper flounder and a keeper tog (water: 65F)
• 12/28/2013 – 1 keeper tog and some small stripers (water: 44-45 F)
• 12/26/2013 – 1 small tog and 10 stripers at 17-20” (water: na)
• 12/23/2012 – no Tog, 18 striper at 18-23” (water: 48F)
• 12/16/2012 – skunked
• 12/08/2012 – Two of us caught 2 small tog, many striper at 18-25” (water: 48-51F)
• 12/01/2012 – Two of us caught 1 small tog, many striper at 20-28” (water: 48-49F)
• 10/19/2013 – 1 keeper tog (water: na)
• 10/08/2011 – some small tog and 2 keeper tog, large croaker caught by boaters (Water: 68 F)

Joe

Wind was strong the whole week of the 20th - 27th, 20-30 the whole time I was there. That was followed by the week of the hurricane and I can't imagine any fishing was going on then. Seems to be settling down now of course when I'm not there.

[keahyun]

Thanks for all the valuable input guys! Joe that list is quite impressive, I love watching your videos and being envious of all the fish you catch haha. I heard that the tog bite usually starts around water temps of ~65 at kipto is that accurate? I'd really love to make time and head down there some time soon as I'm itching to get on them.. I'm just worried about my friends since they don't really have coldwater gear If any of you guys are planning to make a trip please feel free to inbox me! i heard that the learning curve is a lot easier if with an experienced tog fisherman

[Shady]

Fish the broken parts of the ships where there is rubble on the bottom. That's where they like to hide

[mytmouse]

+1 on what Shady said also take a look at ComeOnFish's YT vids of Tog fishing there. His video put me onto my 1st keeper Tog!! LOL

Tog fishing the first time can be very frustrating at first. I kept getting my bait stolen missing hooksets... then wondering if I'm even losing my bait to Tog or to it rubbing up against the ships or rocks.(Dumbest thought ever, they were blue crabs wasn't nothing rubbing that bait off! LOL) But I was frustrated and cold! LOL So I decided to travel around to find another spot and came across a hole that I remember ComeOnFish pull a Tog out of on one of his vids. I drop down and had my bait stolen again! So now I knew I was in the right spot and it was just my slow reaction. I got down to my last 4 quarters and pulled up my 1st keeper! And a short! then of course I ran out of bait! LOL Once you get the feel of it, you'll be hooked!

[Shady]

Did you go?