Blackfish 10/2: Sun finally returned. Two tog this morning. Bait was green crabs. No keepers but fun.

greenfrog Loc: Central NJ

Sun finally returned.
Two tog this morning. Bait was green crabs. No keepers but fun.

13 1/2"

Little guy
Little guy...

Fredfish Loc: Prospect CT.

greenfrog wrote:

Sun finally returned.
Two tog this morning. Bait was green crabs. No keepers but fun.

Nice catching Frog. Enjoy this Indian Summer, it will be gone next week. Thanks for the pictures.

Wv mike Loc: Parkersburg area. Wv

Nice, I would like to give them and porgies a try sometime.

Fredfish Loc: Prospect CT.

Wv mike wrote:

Nice, I would like to give them and porgies a try sometime.

You would love them both Mike. Blacks are like a saltwater Smallmouth. They fight hard, not wanting to leave their rocky lair. Porgies are like a saltwater panfish, great fun on lighter tackle.

JTsao Loc: San Rafaeĺ CA

Nothing better at dinner time than fresh caught porgies and black fish.

Flytier Loc: Wilmington Delaware

Those tog are sorta like sheepshead on the piers down south. If you feel the bite, it's probably too late.

NJ219bands Loc: New Jersey

Nice 👍

JTsao Loc: San Rafaeĺ CA

we used to grab a big male fiddler, take off the big claw and drift over wrecks. worked like a charm.

Fredfish Loc: Prospect CT.

Flytier wrote:

Those tog are sorta like sheepshead on the piers down south. If you feel the bite, it's probably too late.

Yep! Still remember what I was taught as a kid, set the hook right before you feel the bite.

greenfrog Loc: Central NJ

I set the the hook when I see line movement. No use pulling on light taps might be some little bait stealing fish.
It seems they can go around the crab and just nibble around the hook. Scratch
Sometimes I shake the line without moving the sinker as to make the bait seem alive and tease the tog.

It does feel great when you hook up though. They just pull so hard to get back to the bottom.

USAF Major Loc: Sea Bright, NJ

Fredfish wrote:

Yep! Still remember what I was taught as a kid, set the hook right before you feel the bite.

Fred they actually jig for them now and the number of anglers who concentrate on them is constantly growing. They also are very good tasting as always, more people are calling them 'togs' as opposed to blackfish when I was a teen. Skinner has some videos featuring them being jigged as does a kayak guy in LI Sound using the name 'fishing accomplished'. My son uses the racks as a basis for a very good fish stock for his risotto dishes.

Flytier Loc: Wilmington Delaware

USAF Major wrote:

Fred they actually jig for them now and the number of anglers who concentrate on them is constantly growing. They also are very good tasting as always, more people are calling them 'togs' as opposed to blackfish when I was a teen. Skinner has some videos featuring them being jigged as does a kayak guy in LI Sound using the name 'fishing accomplished'. My son uses the racks as a basis for a very good fish stock for his risotto dishes.

Yep, there's more people fishing fir them now than ever before. Mostly because there's no cod left, no whiting (silver hake) left, no flounder left..... etc oh yeah and then there's the horrendous mismanagement of seabass. I could go on all day.

JTsao Loc: San Rafaeĺ CA

Flytier wrote:

Yep, there's more people fishing fir them now than ever before. Mostly because there's no cod left, no whiting (silver hake) left, no flounder left..... etc oh yeah and then there's the horrendous mismanagement of seabass. I could go on all day.

Oh Man! So sorry to hear about the impact of over-fishing back east. I remember fondly heading out to Captree, Jones Beach and other destinations on Long Island Sound for late summer early autumn bluefish. We used to call the juveniles "snappers" and where there was one there was a hundred, all feeding voraciously on anything that moved. Most anglers fished with spoons or floated live bait about 18-24" down, usually spearing aka silversides. Then one day an old timer taught me free lining which is without a doubt the most effective technique when snappers are running. Sigh. 'Those were the days".

Fredfish Loc: Prospect CT.

USAF Major wrote:

Fred they actually jig for them now and the number of anglers who concentrate on them is constantly growing. They also are very good tasting as always, more people are calling them 'togs' as opposed to blackfish when I was a teen. Skinner has some videos featuring them being jigged as does a kayak guy in LI Sound using the name 'fishing accomplished'. My son uses the racks as a basis for a very good fish stock for his risotto dishes.

I've see articles and videos about using those funny looking jigs Martin. Looks like it works pretty good. When I was a kid, we used Virginia hooks on tarred twine snells. They are excellent, baked in spaghetti sauce, in a casserole dish. MMMMMMM.

Flytier Loc: Wilmington Delaware

Fredfish wrote:

I've see articles and videos about using those funny looking jigs Martin. Looks like it works pretty good. When I was a kid, we used Virginia hooks on tarred twine snells. They are excellent, baked in spaghetti sauce, in a casserole dish. MMMMMMM.

Sort of a nutty, almost sqeet flavor to the tog when they're fried or baked.