Posted on January 13th, 2021
Was another chilly start, but another nice day in and around Ocean City with light winds and warm temps when the sun got high in the sky. There was frost on pretty much everything this morning, but by this afternoon I was working outside in just a long sleeve shirt. Captain Monty Hawkins of the Morning Star didn’t have any 20 pound slobs today, but he did put some nice fish in the boat. And has he says….Tis the nature of toggin’.
Sun came up over calm seas; a muted orange ball momentarily suspended upon the horizon before beginning its Sisyphean journey across blue skies. Great day for some fishin I reckon.
Came upon a large pod of saddleback dolphin. Seems like there’s always a few that want to surf the bow wake.
Scott dropped blocks at a spot I hope will one day hold nice tog. We pressed on a while.
Took a while to sort my first anchor set. Once made there were no issues; she laid tight—unwavering. I’m exactly where I want to be.
First hook-up is a spiny dogfish. Whaaaattt.. Nasty green eyes has no business eating a tog bait. Then James Lee boats a 17incher. Oyyyy… We were not off to a rocket start despite a great wealth of toggin experience aboard.
Six spots later James Lee has our largest tag & release of the day too, a 22.5 inch you male, while Casper Pierdominico has three in his box. Roger Farr is high hook by far and limited. No one else is. Many are skunked.
Yesterday’s twenty pounder and those 30-some tags we stuck mostly in keepers—even double digit tog; that fishing had no bearing on this day.
Tis the nature of toggin.
Cheers
Monty
