# Judith M Tog Trip



## Fresh/Saltmaniac (Apr 17, 2010)

Went out on the Judith M on 1/1/11 and it was pretty bad for me. On the way there I hit a deer at 45 mph but the damage was minor. Then got seasick about 3 hours into the trip. Like the capt. said, "it just got too cold too fast" which made the bite real finicky. We moved about 5 times, some spots produced and some didn't, the ones that produced were deep and not everyone caught, but there were some real nice fish landed. One guy landed a 10 pounder but I doubt anyone got a limit, and I got skunked. The left side of the boat seemed to produce more no matter what spot we were in(weird) and I was stuck on the right side and had to fish laying down not to vimit. For me it was a horrible experience but for some it was good. I would just wait till spring to go out because from now on its just going to get colder.


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## surfnsam (Apr 28, 2008)

that sucks, try canada dry ginger ale it help for mal de maer. booked a trip with them in DEC. but it got canceled due to wind and no-shows so we went out on the ocean princess out of oc, still windy and only 7 fisherman on the boat but we went out anyway. it was real hard to feel the bite but we caught some tog i got 1 keeper at 17" and some throw backs. some of the tog diehards did much better. real nice having a 80' almost empty boat to ourselves


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## Fresh/Saltmaniac (Apr 17, 2010)

One of the mates suggested ginger ale but I was afraid it wouldn't work and would make me more sick. We had a lot of diehards on that trip just by looking at their tackle, one guy had a $400 rod.


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## psunmd (Mar 28, 2006)

Hey Fresh/Salt-

I was there with you on the trip, I was in the left corner rear of the boat, my brother were I were skunked also. We did manage one or two hook ups, but could never get the fish up. This tog fishing is for the birds. Capt did a good job of trying and at least it wasn't too terribly cold.


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## surfnsam (Apr 28, 2008)

Fresh/Saltmaniac said:


> One of the mates suggested ginger ale but I was afraid it wouldn't work and would make me more sick. We had a lot of diehards on that trip just by looking at their tackle, one guy had a $400 rod.


yeah some of those guys are pretty diehard. iguess you have to be to go out when it freezing and windy/rough:--|


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## Fresh/Saltmaniac (Apr 17, 2010)

I think if the water was a bit warmer everyone would have limited out, I'll go again but in late spring, I've fished for them during ideal temps and the action was hot.


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## BlueHwy (Sep 1, 2009)

I'm thinking about trying tog this year. Two questions from a Tog novice -

* What are "ideal temps"?

* What tackle (rod, real, hooks, etc) would you take togging - for those of us who can't afford $400 rods.


Thanks


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## Talapia (Apr 27, 2003)

Fresh/Saltmaniac said:


> I think if the water was a bit warmer everyone would have limited out, I'll go again but in late spring, I've fished for them during ideal temps and the action was hot.



Winter togging can be tough...mentally and physically. I think the 
mental aspect is the hardest. Some of the largest tog of the year
are caught during Jan though. For seasickness I use the scalpamine Patch.
You have to get a prescription from your doc but the stuff flat out works.


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## Fresh/Saltmaniac (Apr 17, 2010)

Before that trip I always thought that the dead of winter was the best time for offshore tog from the articles I read but its not, but you're right there were some really big fish caught.


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## Fresh/Saltmaniac (Apr 17, 2010)

BlueHwy, I'm not a tog expert but the ideal water temps seem to be high 40's to low 50's for big tog offshore. In ocean city they're caught from September to late November and I'm guessing April to June. The tackle should consist of a stiff rod around 7 ft. Conventional rods and reels are more popular because they're stiffer. The tackle needs to be stiff because these are very strong fish for their size and dive straight into the rocks when hooked so you need to pull them away as soon as you hook them. I use a medium heavy shimano terramar with a penn 9m. I'm not good with hook size names but I'm sure someone else could help you with that, but they need to be pretty small to match the fish's small mouth. The rig used is a double dropper.


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## surfnsam (Apr 28, 2008)

use at least a 30# rated rig to pull them off the wrecks. we used 2/0 and 3/0 khale hooks. tie a large loop for big sinkers then tie a droper loop 6" from the sinker and put the hook directly to the line/loop for a better feel of the bite. i use 40# power pro main line with 25# floro leaders on a quantum cabo pt. those wrecks can cut you off in a second so better to up grade than be sorry.

also when rigging green crabs run the hook into a leg joint from the out side into the crab half so they suck the hook in with the meat.


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## Tracker16 (Feb 16, 2009)

*dropper loop*

Here is a Great vid on tying a dropper loop (incase you don't know how)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7P7DSPU4t-w


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## Talapia (Apr 27, 2003)

Fresh/Saltmaniac said:


> BlueHwy, I'm not a tog expert but the ideal water temps seem to be high 40's to low 50's for big tog offshore. In ocean city they're caught from September to late November and I'm guessing April to June. The tackle should consist of a stiff rod around 7 ft. Conventional rods and reels are more popular because they're stiffer. The tackle needs to be stiff because these are very strong fish for their size and dive straight into the rocks when hooked so you need to pull them away as soon as you hook them. I use a medium heavy shimano terramar with a penn 9m. I'm not good with hook size names but I'm sure someone else could help you with that, but they need to be pretty small to match the fish's small mouth. The rig used is a double dropper.



Jan-Mar were the best months for big tog in OC last year. 
I do not like stiff rods for togging. Granted you want something
with some backbone but a soft tip is key to feeling the bait/fish.
Rigs/hooks, etc change daily to suit what is best for the tog bite
at that momment.


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## Talapia (Apr 27, 2003)

Tracker16 said:


> Here is a Great vid on tying a dropper loop (incase you don't know how)
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7P7DSPU4t-w



Dropper loops will work most of the time but they are definitely 
a handicap if you get a monster tog on. I have gone away from
dropper loops after having them break on me a few times last year.
The part where you bent the line to get it through the hook is the 
point of failure when fighting a big tog.


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## Talapia (Apr 27, 2003)

surfnsam said:


> use at least a 30# rated rig to pull them off the wrecks. we used 2/0 and 3/0 khale hooks. tie a large loop for big sinkers then tie a droper loop 6" from the sinker and put the hook directly to the line/loop for a better feel of the bite. i use 40# power pro main line with 25# floro leaders on a quantum cabo pt. those wrecks can cut you off in a second so better to up grade than be sorry.
> 
> also when rigging green crabs run the hook into a leg joint from the out side into the crab half so they suck the hook in with the meat.


surfnsam, 

For the big winter tog, I would highly recommend not using Khale hooks.
They just bend too easy and I have seen too many large tog lost that way.
Most of the regulars use 50#PP and 40-50 mono line.


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## Talapia (Apr 27, 2003)

Fresh/Saltmaniac said:


> Before that trip I always thought that the dead of winter was the best time for offshore tog from the articles I read but its not, but you're right there were some really big fish caught.


Nov - Mar is the best time for offshore tog fishing. Apr - Sep is best
for inshore tog fishing.


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## surfnsam (Apr 28, 2008)

Talapia said:


> surfnsam,
> 
> For the big winter tog, I would highly recommend not using Khale hooks.
> They just bend too easy and I have seen too many large tog lost that way.
> Most of the regulars use 50#PP and 40-50 mono line.


the khales are what the head boats are using now this was the first time i have used them for tog but they seemed to work fine, the 17"er i hooked was hooked so well i bent the hook into a pretzel thing to get it out. mostly use black fish hooks or #1 bait holders with a long shank


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## surfnsam (Apr 28, 2008)

just read an article about using orange skirts or jig heads painted orange and then loaded with your choice of bait ie: crabs, surf clams or shrimp. the author seems to think the orange really attracts the tog to the bait


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## Fresh/Saltmaniac (Apr 17, 2010)

Talapia, I'm not trying to sound smart but how is it the best time if the captains are having trouble finding biting fish because the water is too cold. For big fish this may be the best time but as far as numbers go it seems not.


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## juniorbasser (Jul 25, 2010)

It sounded like you had a bad trip, nothing worse then beeing sea sick...
The best time to catch ocean OC tog is dec-mar. You are not fishing for numbers this time of year, you are fishing for bulldogs.You got to remember ocean togging is alot different from inlet or shallow water togging, and requires a lot different set up's. 
I fish an eight foot conven loomis rated 3-10 oz it has a softer tip though, with an avet sx. You want a longer rod so you can lift and drop your rod to keep your sinker from moving in large sea's.
The hooks you need are 3/0-6/0 octopus, i really like gammy 4 x strong depending on the size of crab your using. The rigs you will see most toggers using are either snaffu, or slider rig, both running 2 hooks in a whole crab. I use 60 fluro when i tie these rigs. You will see most serious trophy toggers bring there own crabs, and if they dont: go through the crabs provided and cherry pick specials.
Do not get discouraged off one trip, if you want big tog, the time is now.


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## juniorbasser (Jul 25, 2010)

surfnsam said:


> that sucks, try canada dry ginger ale it help for mal de maer. booked a trip with them in DEC. but it got canceled due to wind and no-shows so we went out on the ocean princess out of oc, still windy and only 7 fisherman on the boat but we went out anyway. it was real hard to feel the bite but we caught some tog i got 1 keeper at 17" and some throw backs. some of the tog diehards did much better. real nice having a 80' almost empty boat to ourselves


Sam how did you all go out in dec? The season for Maryland was closed?


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## Talapia (Apr 27, 2003)

Fresh/Saltmaniac said:


> Talapia, I'm not trying to sound smart but how is it the best time if the captains are having trouble finding biting fish because the water is too cold. For big fish this may be the best time but as far as numbers go it seems not.


 No problem, basically you 
are taking the fishing results from the past few weeks and using that 
to base your impression on the overall best times to go tog fishing.
Tog fishing changes from day-to-day and even hour-to-hour depending
on current/tide. When talking about the "best times of the year" 
we are speaking in general terms.


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## Talapia (Apr 27, 2003)

juniorbasser said:


> Sam how did you all go out in dec? The season for Maryland was closed?



It was open almost everywhere else to include DE.


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## Talapia (Apr 27, 2003)

surfnsam said:


> the khales are what the head boats are using now this was the first time i have used them for tog but they seemed to work fine, the 17"er i hooked was hooked so well i bent the hook into a pretzel thing to get it out. mostly use black fish hooks or #1 bait holders with a long shank


I know Monty on the Morning Star uses Khale hooks for his patrons
but he also lost the biggest tog I have ever seen him hook because
it straightened out his khale hook. Khale hooks are fine for most
tog but monster tog will mess them things up. 17" togs are usually
not even kept by most of the serious toggers on Monty's boat because 
they are too small.


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## surfnsam (Apr 28, 2008)

those "serious toggers" had no problem keeping 14" tog the day moc and i went out. when you can only get out a couple times a year for tog and after fighting the wind, waves and cold for them if its a keeper its going in the box.


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## Talapia (Apr 27, 2003)

surfnsam said:


> those "serious toggers" had no problem keeping 14" tog the day moc and i went out. when you can only get out a couple times a year for tog and after fighting the wind, waves and cold for them if its a keeper its going in the box.


Did not mean any offense and looking at my post I can definitely see how
you would read it that way. What I was trying to say was that
catching 17" tog with kahle hooks is fine but that for the bigger tog
and the folks who fish for them a much stronger hook is a better 
choice.


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## BlueHwy (Sep 1, 2009)

Thanks to everyone for the good info.

Now just hope I can get some time off from work to head out to OC.


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## juniorbasser (Jul 25, 2010)

Talapia said:


> It was open almost everywhere else to include DE.


Yea, I understand i fished out of del and jersey during this time but he said said oc princess, MD???


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## surfnsam (Apr 28, 2008)

juniorbasser said:


> Sam how did you all go out in dec? The season for Maryland was closed?


my bad it was 11-27-10, hard to believe it was that long ago:redface:


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