Posted on January 14th, 2021
Chalk us up for another quality winter weather day today with warm temps and light winds in and around Ocean City. Temps reached to around 50 degrees today on land and with little to no wind it was a very nice day to be outside. The ocean was pretty flat calm today as well so it was enjoyable to be out there trying to get bowed up deeply.
Captain Monty Hawkins of the Morning Star will be tog fishing most days the weather allows from now through sea bass reopen in mid May and I’m sure he’d pay a commission if the weather could be as nice the rest of the winter as it was today.
Sunrise offered no inspiration today. Went from black to dark grey to light grey; caught our first glimpse of sun just after eight..
Dropped 20 heavy blocks donated by York Building Products and pressed ahead.
Anchoring proved straightforward for the first drop. There we tagged a wee-tog and released a spiny dog. Soon moved.
Though I did everything I normally do to gain accuracy, I botched the next anchor set so badly it all had to be hauled and redone.
At least it paid off. Couple guys snagged, some bare hooks coming up; thought I’d best stay on a while. Just as it was becoming painful, Mike Sadowski of Queens NY bowed up deeply and landed a 24in F tog. He had my crew tag it.. Courtney’s Uncle, JoJo, bent big time too—more so—thumper; fish does not want to leave home – it’s a real one. Maybe 15 feet off bottom the hook pulls.
Oyyyy…
No angler error; it happens..
We catch a few more throughout the day; 16 to 22inchers. Tag’em all save one.
Last stop we have a pair of 24.25 inch tog. Peter Barresi (also of Queens) and JoJo split the money. Both tagged, the female prolapses at the vent and cannot sensibly be released—dinner & half the pool will work.
Sloooooow going. Caught a few quality fish, nearly all of which lived to fight another day.
Back at it tomorrow.
Cheers
Monty
Big Bird Cropper used today’s beautiful weather to move closer to his goal of fishing every day of his life and though it wasn’t red hot fishing, he did catch a couple. Roy Rigs did the trick again on some throwback rockfish in the OC Inlet.
