Anyone know the reasoning for starting the full NJ tog season so much later than NY, CT, RI, MA?

[gellfex]

While yesterday was a lovely gift of a day for the opening of the 5 bag season, I still wonder why the whole northeast opens in mid Oct and NJ in mid Nov. It's brutal weatherwise on kayakers like me waiting for a warmer, low wind day. It also promotes poaching, as some guys won't wait. I chatted with some nonfisherman on shore yesterday who said they saw guys earlier in the week keeping far more than 1, and were surprised when I said they were poaching. I've witnessed this myself, and the boaters claimed some crap about their marina on the Hudson being considered NY!

[squidder 329]

You kinda answered your own question, pressure on the fish. Don't know your circumstances but I caught throughout October into the first ten days of November. All land based on old structure fish, water temp killed the bite . Fishermen are their own worst enemy bragging about the fish and the food quality, happened with striper and now tog. Personally I'm in favor of conservative limits, recreational fishing is a sport (mho) as food fish are not needed for survival. As for poachers report them and if you can take a pic of their car for the game warden.

[gellfex]

23 mins ago, squidder 329 said:

You kinda answered your own question, pressure on the fish. 

That seems counterintuitive given that New Jersey in general has weaker limits on fish such as fluke and bass than the other states in the fishery. 

[squidder 329]

I'm not biting, after five hours unanswered, never mind.

[Mike]

The NY crowd has been togging NNJ before our opening forever. Enforcement on the water is light. So NNJ pieces get fished heavily before NJ tog even opens. 

 

 

[gellfex]

1 hour ago, Mike said:

The NY crowd has been togging NNJ before our opening forever. Enforcement on the water is light. So NNJ pieces get fished heavily before NJ tog even opens. 

 

 

All the more reason why the disparity is stupid.

[JoeyZac]

15 hours ago, gellfex said:

That seems counterintuitive given that New Jersey in general has weaker limits on fish such as fluke and bass than the other states in the fishery. 

 

Maybe NJ is being smart enough to protect fish that stay local, "our" fish, but on species that migrate through, it's no holds barred? 

 

[fdhog]

Maybe someday the marine fisheries management would get their act together and make the same regs for the whole east coast. All the states run into each other and we end up fishing each other's waters. I can see different regs for the estuaries. 

[squidder 329]

Well over ten years ago went out of Wildwood Crest, NJ for party boat tog. Three guys from NY went as well they had their own bait and tog setups. They schooled the rest of us, pissed me off but credit was due they knew how to catch. It was worth the long drive and expense for them. The current record holder was a pinhooker for live tog (NY I believe?) for the Asian market, commercial markets for fish is not good. Especially for slow growers like tog.

[squidder 329]

13 mins ago, fdhog said:

Maybe someday the marine fisheries management would get their act together and make the same regs for the whole east coast. All the states run into each other and we end up fishing each other's waters. I can see different regs for the estuaries. 

 

Fished Cape May reef for flounder our regs were 2 fish 17" to 17.99" and 1 over 18". The Katie D a charter boat out Lewes DE fished right next to us. Their regulations for fluke 4 fish over 16" that's pisses you off. Are NJ regs reflecting favoritism for the commercial fleet who have lobbyist, I would think so.

[gellfex]

55 mins ago, squidder 329 said:

Well over ten years ago went out of Wildwood Crest, NJ for party boat tog. Three guys from NY went as well they had their own bait and tog setups. They schooled the rest of us, pissed me off but credit was due they knew how to catch. It was worth the long drive and expense for them. The current record holder was a pinhooker for live tog (NY I believe?) for the Asian market, commercial markets for fish is not good. Especially for slow growers like tog.

The legality of pot traps for the live tog always makes my head explode.  I heard an anecdote about a long time tog hotspot basically being destroyed by the potters.

 

How do you calculate the trip was worth it for the New Yorkers? If they're paying for a "recreational experience" rather than just getting fish, it makes sense.  But that experience is a tough thing to put an appropriate price on, obviously folks with big boats are spending an extraordinary amount of money for their experiences.

[gellfex]

1 hour ago, JoeyZac said:

 

Maybe NJ is being smart enough to protect fish that stay local, "our" fish, but on species that migrate through, it's no holds barred? 

 

Pretty sure Tog migrate just as much as fluke, but I'm no expert on this.

[JoeyZac]

Don't Fluke head out to the edge to spawn over the winter?

 

I thought Tog pretty much only go from the bay to out front and back?

[squidder 329]

30 mins ago, gellfex said:

 

 

How do you calculate the trip was worth it for the New Yorkers? If they're paying for a "recreational experience" rather than just getting fish, it makes sense.  But that experience is a tough thing to put an appropriate price on, obviously folks with big boats are spending an extraordinary amount of money for their experiences.

At that time I don't remember if there were limits size or quantity in place, a boat trip was $35 (much cheaper than NY I suspect).

Don't underestimate tog fisherman's love of tog.

The current record holder who now lives in CT chartered a boat in Ocean City MD for his record fish.

[gellfex]

1 hour ago, squidder 329 said:

Don't underestimate tog fisherman's love of tog.

I like it, but it's freaking weird sometimes bailing through dozens and dozens of shorts in some places looking for a keeper. Worse than fluking! At least fluking you're not running through expensive crabs feeding the bait stealers. Maybe my view would be different if I were out on the offshore wrecks and reefs where there are real monsters. Plus my local B&T gave me a ridiculously large proportion of crabs too small to cut in my 3 doz this week.