Spring is here and the fish are on the move. While waiting for upgrades and maintenance on the Mikey D Fishing to complete, time on the water is limited to time along the water. Not to worry, there is ample fishing along the inlets, back bays, and the surf. So yesterday, I stopped by Old Inlet Bait and Tackle just north of the Indian River Inlet to grab a bait buffet that included bunker, sand fleas, and shrimp.
The target was one that has eluded me for years -- Tautog. Tautog, a.k.a "Tog" or "Blackfish", is a sought after medium sized fish that is known for great table fare. They can be found around rocks and structure, so the jetties on either side of the Indian River Inlet make a great spot to target them. Minimum size is 16" in Delaware with a creel limit of 4. They prefer cooler water, so I pursued during the back end of the spring season.
I picked a spot on the north side of the inlet in the early evening. The incoming tide was ripping through the 300 yard gap that feeds Indian River Bay and Rehoboth Bay. I was equipped with my 12' surf rod with an up and down rig, 5 oz. of weight, with shrimp and sand flea. I figured the long stick would help me retrieve my rig and limit snags on the rip rap. I also had a lighter jigging rod tipped with a 1/2 oz. slip weight and a sand flea.
After the surf rig was doing its job, I grabbed the St. Croix jigging rod and cast straight out. The current quickly drew the rig in a wide arc. As it neared the rocks, the rod bent in half. The headshake that followed alleviated any concern that I might just be snagged. The Tog gives a fun fight for its size and keeping it out of the rocks can be a challenge. The key is to retrieve as quickly as possible once you have him near the rocks and keep his head up.
As you can see, they have human like teeth to crush crustaceans. They may not be the prettiest in the sea, but they sure eat good! And for me, it was the first tog I have landed and a keeper no less!
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