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Hey all -- just wanted to start by saying I'm new as a member but I've been lurking these boards for a while now. Moved to the north east recently and wanted to learn something new so I've challenged myself to learning something new and tautog on shore has been a blast. I've recently been reading that tautog are predominantly opportunistic sight feeders. I feel like I've barely scratched the surface and there's probably not as much written about them as many other species but it seems that this a habit that has been proposed by biologists and anglers alike. What I'm a bit confused by is that often times when we're fishing for them it's hard to say that using portions of crab offers a lesser opportunity than whole, intact live crabs. In the spring time in some states people have reported that cooked peeled shrimp can often times be an excellent choice of bait! This doesn't seem to "match the hatch" and doesn't seem to provide much in the way of sight. It also seems as if artificials designed to mimic crabs are viewed as mostly ineffective -- both gulp peeler crabs and also a small number of reports using merkin crab flies and crab flies in general seem generate only a lukewarm response. Minnow patterns have been reported to work in the spring but seem to rely on inciting aggression towards egg raiders rather than feeding. Am I over simplifying or over thinking this seeming disparity? Does the sight of an offering or disruption in the water pull them in and the scent/familiarity of the bait get them to bite? Will any of this make me a better tog fisherman or should I just focus on other (numerous) issues with my angling and simplify my bait of choice to the trusty asian/green crab? I like to tinker so I'm thinking about testing this sight vs. scent hypothesis with tipping impressionistic crab/shrimp flies with some cooked shrimp... I've tried my best to google and search sol for this topic -- I really appreciate any opinions on this

Was at an inlet today for some shorebound togging. Following an unsually slow beginning of slack period -- heard some very loud splashes close to the rocks. After several instances, suspicions were confirmed: The splashes were Tog coming up close to, and out of the water. Jumping, breaking, swirling, the like. Energetically too. Additionally witnessed several groups of the fish swimming together close to the surface. Anyone ever witnessed anything similar? There were dolphins present earlier in the day in the Atlantic (not within the inlet), and the resident seal never came up for air, nor was witnessed chasing fish near the surface.

No boat so I'm targeting them from the pier. New to the tog game this fall, so any tips/advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

As the the title states, who has one and how do you fish it? I'm curious, as a learning experience, as to how people are setting it up for fluke, tog and striped bass. Especially if you're from the cape or long island, montauk, jersey... What test braid are you using for each specific species. What are you finding it can handle real world in terms of sinker weight, diamond jigs... I appreciate Kil's perspective, but he also may be fishing a different technique and I'd like to know how it's working out for others.

Is a full day tog fishing charter for $90 per person worth it right now in New Jersey. Thinking about taking a charter on Mimi VI. How much fish are usually caught per person on blackfish charters and how many keepers?

To all the tog experts, when you have unlimited rocky structure (such as along the the northern coastlines of the LIS - Rye, Mamaroneck, Stamford, etc.), how do you narrow down good areas to target for quality tog? I mainly fish from a kayak so I have the option to search within a couple mile radius of where I launch from, but there's so much good structure everywhere along the LIS that it's sometimes difficult to find productive pieces. I understand that there is no substitute for just getting out there and trying all the fishy areas, but I want to get a bit smarter about my approach at narrowing down these areas. I'm not asking for specific spots, but do you look for areas with some current? Prefer to fish just submerged rocks or next to a rock outcropping that is breaking the surface? The end of rocky jetties? My question really pertains more to rocky structures rather than fishing along wooden pilings, bridges, etc.

Who’s ready for some shallow water blackfish jigging? Brand new Daiwa Certate LT 3000-XH spooled with 15lb jbraid and brand new Daiwa Rcs Eva power mob added (slightly scuffed getting the cap off). Original knob and box included. $400 shipped

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@fishfinder401 Didn't want to derail that thread to answer your question about tog. You have to start off by realizing that tog don't travel very far, so they are regulated by the says and the ASMFC, there are no regulations for tog in Federal waters. Some of the states. like our RI and MA have done a pretty good job with tog. The RIMFC has been managing tog conservatively since I lived up there in 2000. I hear they have a pretty good fishery in MD, but I don't know what's going on in VA or ME. NH is too small a coast to worry about. The states that have really screwed things us are NY, CT and NJ. In all of those states the stock is overfished and overfishing is occurring. Worse, there is no rebuilding plan in place and it looks like the overfishing will be allowed to continue. Unless and until someone takes the bull by the horns fishing is just going to continue to slide downhill. Tims will probably chime in, as he has had a lot to say about tog in the past and he has some strong views on the current mess. @TimS

This has been discussed before. Looking for an up to date opinion. Jigging for blackfish. 20lb braid, 30-40lb leader. South shore Long Island. Montauk. Jersey. I’ve seen a number of smaller Daiwa BG’s (2500-300). Saltists. I’ve seen a Tatula used (I wouldn’t). Stradic FK? Ballistic Lt 2500? Other thoughts? Not the biggest Penn fan. I know Tackleadvisors goes through them all. Would love your opinion for this application, as well as all of yours.

Hello all. I am interested in getting a rod that's rated 4 - 10 oz load for fishing on headboats. I currently own Lami TFX7030CT and thought that I could use a heavier rated rod under certain water conditions. I've used the TFX7030CT up to 8 oz. It handled it okay, considering that the rod is fairly stiff. I would like to go on wreck fishing with the wife and let her use the TFX7030CT while I use the heavier rated rod. I didn't even know about Kevin Bogan Fish Poison rods until I was on the BTS forum. I read up on what I could and it seems like general consensus is that Fish Poison is a very good rod for wreck fishing (Togs). Kevin Bogan Fish Poison FC70MH (4 - 10 oz) with cork handle = $230 shipped Lamiglas TFX7040CT (4 - 10 oz) = $247 shipped from Tackledirect I do not own any Fiberglass "E-GLASS" rods, so I don't know if I will like the softer action. I tend to prefer faster action... Any inputs would be appreciated. I have done enough googling and still can't decide. Lamiglas TFX7040CT vs. Kevin Bogan Fish Poison FC70MH Graphite vs Fiberglass (No preference) More vs Less sensitivity (I prefer more sensitivity) Faster vs Slower comeback rate (I prefer faster) Off the shelf vs Custom (No preference) Lighter vs Heavier rod weight (I prefer lighter, but if it's only a few oz's, no big deal) +$17 for Lamiglas, but not much different so doesn't matter Yea, based on the comparisons, I am leaning more towards the TFX7040CT, but maybe there's a big factor that I didn't account for.

For sales is a custom United Composites CE700L made by Bobby at causeway. Fished once and rinsed down. Very nice black and blue threading. 8 fuji guides. Fuji trigger seat with eva cushion for the palm and shrink wrap fore and rear grips. Used this rod once togging and the action is beautiful. Will load better photos when I have a chance. $275 local pickup in New York, Queens/Nassau Feel free to make a fair offer. Will also trade for a Phenix M1 inshore 7’3mh plus a few bucks.

After a few years of largely unspectacular results, I decided to make a real effort to tame these snaggle toothed teasers. The first session of the season resulted in a Tog skunk ... which wasn't that surprising considering I was using last year's method which has proven to be iffy at best. A binge session on YT watching all the greats - and a few wannabes - followed, and I was about to become a Tog hunter of the highest order. The second session followed a few days later, was alone on station an hour before the rest of the gang arrived and proceeded to hook ..... nothing ..... not even a leg missing from my perfectly presented, freshly caught Asians. Unperturbed, because these neckless neanderthals have fairly definitive feeding sessions (so I've been justifying as my lackluster success rates over the years), I bobbed around until The Tog Whisperer (buddha) arrived on station (a few, very few, yards from me) and he proceeded to immediately (I **** you not, less than 10s) put a hurting on the tribe. Fish after fish .... seldomly waiting longer than 30s. Granted, there were a few swings and misses and they were all shorts, but for ****s sake, same place, same bait, same jig heads ... what the ****!!!! After an hour of mugging and sulking, I finally started paying attention to the WAY he was presenting (and remembering what he's said in his YT videos about his presentation methodology) ... mimicked it ... and 5s later had my first tog of the season trying to break my rod. Finished up the session with double digits and 2 18"ers in the cooler ... catching tog is child's play. Third session yesterday. Due to tides, moon position and sunrise, I launched a hair after 6am, gathered crabs by torch light and was in position as first light showed in magical orange and pink hues ... the game was on .... right time .... right bait ... the latest tog maestro was about to show them who was boss. Outgoing tide was coming from the west, as was a fairly stiffish breeze as the sun surfaced, which actually made it easier, a lazy peddle with the bow into the wind kept a perfect position. But no bites. Not a one. Not a nibble. OH FOR ****S SAKE , what now! After a while, I noticed (DUH) that I was pitching into the sunlight, but by the time the crab got close to the bottom it was in the shadow of the yak. Tried at about a 10:30 orientation and fish on. Had a solid bite (every few seconds) for about an hour (all shorts, but a high percentage of 13/14"ers) , and then it slowed to an occasional pick. During the high bite phase, I tried using a sinker and hook trace but definately lost a lot of the feel, did hook up but the ratio dropped drastically. Tried cooked shrimp on both jig heads and sinker and hook trace and only caught porgies. Albies arrived around midday, and I chased them for a few hours like a mindless Weinstein. Went back to the spot, but had to circle around Julian ( ) who had anchored up in the prime position and was dealing with a steady pick on halved green. He left after getting his keeper (22") and I rapidly hooked over a dozen more just shorts until an 18"er made it into the cooler. Now for the tactics that I have recently learnt - many of the 'whys?' are answered in the story above. I am not by any means an experienced or skilled togger, so please help us all by adding to, deleting from or adjusting to where you feel strongly enough. 1. Asians are more effective than greens - Julian was getting a steady bite using greens, when I took over the spot using Asians, the bite was frenetic. 2. Jig heads are more effective than a sinker and hook setup - maybe it's because I use a lower end rod and it doesn't have the same sensitivity of the more expensive setups, but I have a far better feel and hookup ratio when using a jig head (30-50lb braid ... FG knot ... 6' 50lb mono ... swivel ... 3' 50lb fluro ... jig head). 3. Lighter the better jig heads - dependent on the conditions at the time. Feel. 4. Heavy line - they certainly don't seem to be line shy (and I'm fishing in only 15-25') plus they're in rocky terrain and go like bull terriers straight for their lairs when they feel the hook. Definately have a mono or fluro leader, braid will be severed almost instantly by the rocks when under that level of tension. 5. If you're not getting bites within a minute or two, move a few yards. - I noticed whilst circling Julian, that unless I was almost under his rod, I wasn't getting hits. 6. Pitch your offering a few yards away- I think these bullies are actually shy, shy of overhead objects and of shadows cast by same. 7. Keep contact with your offering all the time, even (especially) on the drop - They'll often strip your hook of the crab like a kebab without you knowing on the way down, if you don't keep slight tension ... how many times have you checked bait after a while and been robbed without feeling a thing? You were pick pocketed on the drop! 8. Pitch into the current where possible - keep the drop and drift as natural as possible ... would you look favorably at a driver going the wrong way down a one way road ... or select an apple from the tray of oranges? 9. Size of the crab is inconsequential - they'll take 4 skewered dime sized crabs as eagerly as 1 medallion sized one. 10. Sometimes they just won't bite - always take a wide selection of lures and things just in case ... you never know when Albies will start busting up around you and you'll wish you were carrying an epoxy or even any small tin 11. Don't jerk at every knock - feel the bite ... wait half a heartbeat ... lift the rod tip 3" ... you'll either immediately feel the bugger (and he'll feel you) in which case lift as high as you can in a smooth, fast action and hold on for dear life, or let it drop and wait another 30s before rebaiting. 12. It takes 20+ years for a tog to grow to 25" please feel free to comment and add (TimS, buddha )

For sale is a light tackle blackfish combo. Jigging World Black Widow rod (15-30lbs) with some wear on it. Please see photos. Daiwa BG 3000 only fished once. Still have the box. $225 Local pickup in New York only. Queens/Nassau

Hi All, I am looking to purchase a conventional reel for blackfishing in deeper water. I would be using anywhere from 6-12oz of lead and fishing in depths of 60-80 feet. I was wondering if anyone had any information or recommendations on reels. I was looking at an Avet SXJ but worried that 14# of drag won't be enough but if I am completely wrong on that assessment, please let me know. -HoboFisher

What is everyone using to fish Blackfish? Never fished them before until Saturday Morning off a local Jetty. Much more powerful than i expected and the excitement of getting them up and out of the structure was fun.. Feel free to add photos and suggestions/ explanations of why you use that combo.

Newbie here. Started fishing about 4 years ago, aimlessly. Started understand species and species specific gear this year. I'm pretty happy with my fluke set ups, I'm looking to put together a tog set up with a saltiga 15. Will be fishing long island sound as well as montauk. Will at time need to use sinkers up to 16oz to hold bottom. I haven't done any striper fishing and if I do it might be once or twice this fall (probably using live eels), so my aim is a tog set up that may allow some striper fishing as well. I have a st croix premier musky 7'H 40-80lb. It's nice and light with plenty of strength. I would just rather put together a custom rod, shrink wrap handles, fuji guides, rod color, lightweight, etc... I'm looking at the st croix 2M70MHF as well as the blank from the rod I have. I also saw a custom Calstar GF700-M yesterday that was beautiful (would probably consider the 700-MH). I've also been told about the lamiglas CGBT861MH from the tri flex 7240 I believe. And I've seen some posts on the Seeker Hercules. I know the best way to go about this is to really hold and pull on each rod but there aren't too many places that have each blank in stock. It's a lot of info to take in. Need some advice on which is the best choice based on those parameters. Thanks

So pretty much I always see people recommending types of reels and rods but never actually see numbers example (fishing for fluke 7ft rod 20-30lb rated; single speed reel 5.2.1-6.0.1 that can handle 300 yards 30lb braid with 15 pound drag max....so I am curious what are you recommendations for type of fish. I don’t want to know brands of rods or reels but more of the technical items u need to fight these fish I think this type of info definitely helps out. Add any other species you like to the list. 1. Fluke/sea bass 2. Blackfish 3. Stripers/blues 4. Weakfish 5. Cod 6. YFT

So pretty much I always see people recommending types of reels and rods but never actually see numbers example (fishing for fluke 7ft rod 20-30lb rated; single speed reel 5.2.1-6.0.1 that can handle 300 yards 30lb braid with 15 pound drag max....so I am curious what are you recommendations for type of fish. I don’t want to know brands of rods or reels but more of the technical items u need to fight these fish I think this type of info definitely helps out. Add any other species you like to the list. 1. Fluke/sea bass 2. Blackfish 3. Stripers/blues 4. Weakfish 5. Cod 6. YFT

Does anyone think blackfish are line shy? Is the bite affected by using heavy leader or do you need lighter line or fluorocarbon? What pound test do you use for your main line and your leader? for Fishing wrecks or rocky structure I use 40 or 50lb braid and 40 or 50lb leader. Does anyone use anything heavier or lighter and why?

What hook works best for blackfish using crabs? J or baitholder J or Circle or Octopus? Size?

What fish do you target? Here in buzzards bay I fish for Black Sea bass on my 10 footer, with the paddling I find it hard to go after stripers. But anyways the kayak is a major advantage for sea bass.