Kipto – Togs! Sat 11-26-11

[tufnik]

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahooooooooooooooooooooooo ooo!

Finally, I caught my first tog.

Nice day. Mostly sunny. Wind was about 10 mph. Water was choppy on the west side of the wrecks at Kipto. Lots of boats were out.

I was on the water at 0930 hrs. Three boats and two yakers were already working the wrecks. I asked them, and they didn’t catch anything. So, it looked like it was going to be a long day. I tried the sides and a number of holes in the wrecks. Nothing. It was just before noon, and I stuck the rod into a hole port side of wreck #10 (counting from the north end). I got a hook up, and as I worked the line around the rusted rebar, I saw it was a toad. (See pic of the hole)

I rebaited the hook with quartered blue crab and tried the same hole again. Within a minute, I felt tugs and set the hook. I thought it was another toad. As I reeled and maneuvered the line left, right and around the rebar fingers while fighting the fish, it surfaced. Yes! It was a tog! My first tog! (See pic of tog in yak) It was a beautiful sight. After all those fishing trips and bait issues, I finally got a tog. I was thrilled!

As I hooked up, a passing yaker saw me pull up the tog. As I measured the fish (15”) and prepared for the next try, he asked me to if he could try the hole. I said, “Sure.” He didn’t get anything, and I later didn’t get anything else after that.

It was 3:30 pm, and I was ready to quit (I was happy with the one tog). I went around the stern of the wreck to look at the west side. Surprisingly, the chops had died down. I wanted to leave to go to Rudee Inlet, but I thought I’d try another hole first. Just for kicks.

I pedaled up and stuck the rod in and within a minute, BAM! I got another hook up. This one also measured 15”.

I rebaited and tried again. Within a minute, tap tap. I set the hook and the fish pulled. All of a sudden there was no yield. It apparently went behind structure. I pulled and the pole bent a lot, but the fish didn’t budge. It was like it was stuck. I pulled again. Again, it didn’t budge.

Was the fish still there? Or was the leader now stuck with no fish? I gave it some slack. After a few seconds, the rod tip dipped slightly, and I then knew it was still on. So I pulled again. Again, it didn’t budge. (Good thing I had a 3-foot 50# mono leader). This went on for about five minutes. Pull, no budge, slack, dip-dip, pull, etc.

Finally, I gave it a bit more slack and waited about 10 seconds. The tip dipped and I pulled up the rod instantly. Yes! The fish was finally out. I reeled it up and excitedly maneuvered it through the rebar and hole. It measured 15 ½ inches.

By now I was absolutely thrilled. I didn’t care if I got more. Three was beyond happiness. Since four is the creel limit, I tried again though. I did get many more taps, but couldn’t hook up.

It was before 6 pm and dark. I didn’t have my night lights. I was on the water eight hours. I was a happy camper, so I decided to call it a day. I didn’t go to Rudee as planned. I drove home still reeling from the catches.

[tufnik]

Oh, I just had tog for dinner tonight. Just as advertised, it was excellent!

BTW, here's the leftover blue crab bait I also had for dinner.

[CB kayak 02]

Congrats on the success. Do you know how long the tog season lasts/fishing for them lasts?

[HokieDJ]

That's great! I hope the crabs were not refrozen dead ones from weeks before

[ComeOnFish]

I have been waiting for your report. I knew You will get them. Congratulations!!!!!!!
I think there is a good chance of catching tog when Toadfish are around. I think toadfish are also after the same prey.

I am planning to fish next Saturday Kipto and Rudee.
What was the water temp?
What was the distance between sinker and the dropper loop knot?
I think blue crab is better than fiddler as long as blue crab is alive.

Joe

[tufnik]

Togs will be around until the water temp drops below 50 deg F, Matt. Then they migrate to deeper water until Spring when they migrate back inshore to warmer water to spawn. So, I think they'll be around a few more weeks until the water temp drops.

Dave, I didn't want to chance another skunk, so I used live blue crab purchased from Fairfax Lotte the day before. I used 5 of a dozen purchased crabs. They were killed just moments before their bodies went on the hook.

Water temp was above 50 deg for sure, Joe. Dropper loop was 6 inches above sinker. Hook with bait was dangling about 2-3" above sinker.

Note:
I think using a stouter and shorter rod is best for fishing the holes. My 7' rod did not give me the leverage and control I wanted when fighting the fish.

[ComeOnFish]

tufnik,

Thanks for the good info. I could visualize your fishing while reading your report one line at a time. I will try next Saturday. I hope the water temp stays around 50-52F next Saturday. I could get skunked at the both places, Kipto and Rudee.

Regarding the distance between the sinker and the Hook - because the distance makes a big difference on a tough day:

I think that the shorter distance is the better for tog fishing, especially, at the Concrete Ships. Under the CBBT bridge, I think 6" is good but I couldn't confirm it yet.

Also a small dropper loop (1 ") is better for feeling the bites and setting the hook. But I need more data (experience) to confirm.

P.S. It looked the Lotte in Fairfax Circle gets new crab on Friday. Crab were better shape than the ones in Chantilly. I am getting 3-4 dozens if Michael can make it. I have a small cuhm cage and I will be chumming with chopped crab to see if tog come because of chum. i will probably chum inside of a Ship.


Joe

[Shield]

Congrats Tufnik.

[tufnik]

I'd like to go again, but I can't join you Saturday because of a Christmas event. Maybe I'll try Sunday, depending on wx.

Joe,
During low tide, I'm not sure chumming will help. The floor is compartmentalized inside the wrecks. You can see the top part of the walls at low tide. If you chum a section, the other sections may be isolated from the chummed section and the fish in those other sections will not see the chum. This assumes the walls do not have holes for fish to swim from section to section. At high tide, the chum may well drift to adjacent sections. Also, if you fish a section within a particular space, you should also try adjacent sections because the sections may be isolated or blocked (by the submerged walls) from the fished section.

I think CBBT is easier to fish for togs because you don't have the concrete and rebar obstacles to cope with.

I bought the crabs at Fairfax Lotte on Friday for $1.99/lb. If was a reduced price from $2.99/lb because they were not too lively. That was Ok because they lived all day Saturday. Of the seven that made it to Sunday, three were dead.

[ictalurus]

Congrats, tuf! Nice job pulling the tog out of the hole, too. I probably would've given up and tried to break it off.

[ComeOnFish]

I'd like to go again, but I can't join you Saturday because of a Christmas event. Maybe I'll try Sunday, depending on wx.

Joe,
During low tide, I'm not sure chumming will help. The floor is compartmentalized inside the wrecks. You can see the top part of the walls at low tide. If you chum a section, the other sections may be isolated from the chummed section and the fish in those other sections will not see the chum. This assumes the walls do not have holes for fish to swim from section to section. At high tide, the chum may well drift to adjacent sections. Also, if you fish a section within a particular space, you should also try adjacent sections because the sections may be isolated or blocked (by the submerged walls) from the fished section.

I think CBBT is easier to fish for togs because you don't have the concrete and rebar obstacles to cope with.

I bought the crabs at Fairfax Lotte on Friday for $1.99/lb. If was a reduced price from $2.99/lb because they were not too lively. That was Ok because they lived all day Saturday. Of the seven that made it to Sunday, three were dead.

Good Point. I will try to chum two different places, inside and outside once I locate the tog to keep them in the same place.

joe

[tufnik]

More notes:

- When I was fighting the tog in structure, I didn't know at the time that my 17# Big Game mono main line was rubbing structure. I later saw considerable fraying about a foot above the swivel. I could have lost that fish. I don't think braid (even 30#) would have survived. I'm going to change the line to 20-25 # mono.

- On one try, I had a piece of crab body and a piece of pincher arm on the same hook. The arm is in three parts: the body arm part (attached to the body), the middle part and the pincher part. The body arm part was on the hook. Anyway, the tog ate the crab body piece and left the body arm part on the hook. I dropped the leader back down (with only the body arm part) and got nothing. No nibbles/taps. So I went back to using crab body only.

- While trying to hold yak position next to the holes, I got lots of banging of the yak against the barnacled wreck side. Would like to get some kind of bumper guard to protect the yak from all the abrasion. Also, it didn't seem like I was overstressing my left arm holding the rusted rebar to maintain yak position while fishing with my right arm. Well, my arm/shoulder was sore the next day. Getting old.

[Pinch]

I use 40/50lb braid to 3' of 50/60 flouro. I hear you on the barnicle abrasion my kayak looked like a cheese grater/weed whacker attacked it.

[Shady]

After fishing the CBBT a couple times this year, I thought about some sort of bumper or guard to put around the kayak too. I'm wondering if anyone has come up with a solution for this? Once I get my new yak, Im going to figure out something for this...

[tufnik]

If you figure out a guard solution, let me know, please.

I was thinking about using velcro on the yak and on some type of float or foam. Attach the guard for those abrasion prone moments. Not sure even industrial grade velcro (from Home Depot) would stick well on plastic, especially during cold days.