Blackfish reports

[Togfather2530]

I only fished for a few hours this season but judging from the lack of reports and lack of good reports I assume the fishing hasn’t been very good. I’ll be getting out Saturday. Just curious has anyone been out and experienced any kind of good bite or good fishing.

[JettiCrawler85]

Fishing on the jetty’s has been good. Pulled a lot of keepers at IBSP fishing in the rocks and other out front jetty’s. Offshore reports are not that good. Fish might be in migration mode to water temp on some of my apps is reading sub 50 so inshore bite might be coming to an end. I think the Prowler has been having some good days but they haven’t posted in a while. Crawling the rocks one more time tomorrow and then packing it in.

Time to break out the tip ups. Get me on the ice!

[Gerry Zagorski]

Like usual the fishing was lights out until 11/16 when the season opened up to 5. I’d say it’s been a fair season so far, good days and bad, you have to work for what you get, weed through a lot of shorts but there have been a good amount of Double Digits caught.

[bulletbob]

I know I keep repeating this, but the REASON tog season opens mid november is because thats when they slow down historically. They don't want too many caught.. Only us old timers recall that by the 1st of December almost every single "bottom fishing party boat" switched to Whiting and Ling.. There was NO winter blackfishing to speak of, despite a few caught incidentally while Whiting/Ling fishing. I once saw a guy catch 2 nice one in shallow [30 ft] water in frigid mid january on mackerel chunks.. poor thing must have been starving.. Blackfish are most active in 65-55 degree water, and get less active the lower the water temp goes.. Yes there are always be a remnant that will bite in say 42 degree water, and I guess thats why guys today consider snow, wind, and bitter cold "blackfish weather"... In my day "blackfish weather" was a 65 degree late september day with no wind and bright sun, and the fishing was spectacular...

[Gobigblue]

So Bob are you saying the water Temperature in Rhode Island is warmer than in New Jersey because the states Tog Fishery is still really good, and has been for quite sometime.

[Tuna Tales]

I had a very good day yesterday -- limit catch and I released this nice male DD tog using my nephew's jigs.

Like Gerry said - you need to put your time in.

Joe T.

[bulletbob]

Originally Posted by Gobigblue

So Bob are you saying the water Temperature in Rhode Island is warmer than in New Jersey because the states Tog Fishery is still really good, and has been for quite sometime.

There are a lot more tog up there, and a real lot less pressure..As stated, there are always some fish that will bite when the water gets cold, but tog are a lot more active in 60 degree water than in 40 degree water...

There is a reason boats in NJ fish a lot deeper in December than they do in October... The water is warmer...I fished winter tog for years along with everyone else... Trip after trip year after year always same result.. I'd get one or two keepers, once or twice I got 3 or a few ling along with the one or two tog.. the mates as usual, did better then anyone else, but every single trip, a lot of guys caught one or none.. Hated waiting half an hour for a bite, and when the bite came it was a bergall or a pup... Look there are some capts that have the winter thing down, and catch fish consistently for their clients and they have my respect... However, I stand by my assertion, that mid winter "blackfish weather" is probably the worst time to fish for them, too many have gone "moribund" as the water temp drops... If guys are going out in frigid January and February ice storms and mopping up big tog, they have all my respect... Historically, I always caught 10- 20 times as many tog in sept/oct than I did in Dec/Jan... When there were other fish to be caught no one fished tog into january as they do today... I might think differently if I still lived at the shore... These days, its not worth me spending $200 to freeze my rear end off and maybe come home with one or no fish..bob

[Gerry Zagorski]

This just in my buddy Tim AKA Sven of the Hook is out on the Ocean Explorer today 12/23 and hung this nice piggy

[Gerry Zagorski]

My report from the Mimi from 12/29 https://www.njfishing.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=122335