Got a nice invite from my buddy in Bordentown to join him on his friends boat for a day of Tog fishing on Saturday. Met his friend in Tuckerton, and launched his 23' Pacific at about 8am..Upon clearing the back bay, it was obvious the NOAA forecast of 2-3' seas was but a dream.. We encountered a 3-5' washing machine chop (wind against tide) with an occasional 6'+ swell thrown in..Not pleasant.. We made about a 17 mile run to one of the Capts. favorite pieces on the AC reef.. Our host had spent a while on the phone the day before trying to find bait, and was able to provide us with a few dozen green crabs.. Using a dual anchor/windlass setup, this guy really knows how to put his boat right on the piece.. Unfortunately, the fish refused to play.. We picked a few short Togs and (a very few) a couple doggies , and made several moves and repositions, but never got a bite going.. Talked to a few other capts. on the radio fishing deeper (100') and they reported similar results. Watched a head boat make about 6 moves in a couple hours and figured they where having the same problem.. As the wind didn't seem like it wanted to let up,and the fish obviously weren't having any, we pulled the hooks and headed for the barn at about 1.. Not a stellar day of fishing by any means, but it was still great to get snootful of salt again, have some laughs and spend the day with with good folks.
