came across this article in the reading eagle newspaper.....it is supposedly a blackie....but i never saw one with a pointed snout or with the same coloring as a bergall....if the guy didnt know what it was, i can tell him it was probably a world record bergall! DAMN!
Originally Published: 11/22/2009
Fishing for tautog has been hot at the New Jersey shore
By J.B. Kasper
Reading Eagle correspondent
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The long-awaited change in the tautog bag limit from one fish to six is here, and bottom fishermen are enjoying some of the best whitechin fishing in recent years.
In fact the New York state record for tog was broken by more than a pound Nov. 11. The 20.65-pound whitechin, which beat the mark of 19-pounds, 11-ounces, was caught by Ya Kov Elkin.
The fish measured 301/4 inches with a girth of 22 inches and weighed in at Michael's Bait & Tackle on Staten Island. While Elkin would not disclose where he caught the fish, it's a good bet it came from one of the inshore artificial reefs.
The upsurge in tog fishing is no surprise to party and charter boat captains who target the buck-tooth bottom feeders. Good numbers of tog have been around since late summer and anglers have been taking plenty of pools on bottom fishing boats with the good size whitechins.
After the early demise of 2009 fluke fishing, due to regulations based on faulty data, a good number of boats that target fluke switched to bottom fishing and found very good numbers of tog building along the inshore waters and in the bays.
Likewise, tog fishing has been on an upswing for at least the last five years, according to most available scientific data.
There is no question that the numerous artificial reefs that have been constructed by recreational fishermen along the Jersey coast have played a huge part in this resurgence.
The addition of subway cars, vessels, concrete, tanks and other material greatly has enhanced the inshore and offshore waters off the coast.
This has given the blackfish excellent habitat and increased spawning success.
The only detriment to the fishery is the numerous tog pots being placed on the reefs by commercial fishermen.
Recent attempts to pass legislation to stop this practice have been held up in the New Jersey legislature for several sessions.
Hopefully with the changes in the state's government after the last election, the bill will be brought out of committee and passed by the legislature.
Fishermen will have until the last day of the year to fish for the tog with a six-fish bag limit, then the bag limit goes down to four.
Even with the bag limit going down to four in January a good many boats will keep carrying green crabs for bait and will sail right into January for blackfish until the cold weather really closes in.
