The sunrise cast a cold, gray light over Cape May, but Captain Rob Taylor was undeterred. He sat heron-still, eyes focused, waiting to draw his prey into the open. The wind howled outside, but the tog were feeding, and the crew was ready.
The trip was a gamble, but Captain Tom Daffin had promised a shot at the big ones. The seas were calm, but the snow was heavy, limiting visibility. The crew donned their gear and headed out to the Cape May Reef, 9 miles off Cape May Inlet.
The reef is a behemoth, spanning 5½ square miles, with hundreds of reef balls, shipwrecks, and subway cars. It’s a haven for tog, and the crew was hoping to catch some big ones.
Mike Kim had a plan, fishing with relatively light tackle to present jigs to the tog. His reel, a Shimano Stella 3000, was spooled with 15-pound-test braided line and fitted with a 30-pound-test leader. The crew fished with white-legger crabs, their larger size and brighter color making them the preferred bait of trophy tog hunters.
The snow continued to fall, and the crew had to periodically shovel the deck. But the fishing was good, and they caught a steady pick of keeper tog. Anthony DeiCicchi, who had been quiet for most of the trip, suddenly came alive, hooking a 14½-pound tog that was the biggest of the day.
The crew was ecstatic, and they posed for photos with their catch before heading back to shore. The wind was picking up, and it was time to call it a day. As they headed back to Utsch’s Marina, the crew knew they had experienced something special – a day of tog fishing in a blizzard that they would never forget.
The Only Two Blackfish Rods You Need
For tog fishing, you’ll need two rods: a spinning rod for fishing jigs and a conventional rod for fishing rigs.
- Spinning: Jigging World Night Ranger 701 S-MH / Penn Spinfisher 3500
- Conventional: Jigging World Retro 761 BRC-M / Shimano Tekota 501 HGA
Ready to Brave the Elements?
Book your own tog fishing adventure with Captain Tom Daffin or other experienced captains and experience the thrill of catching blackfish in the snow. Don’t let the weather stop you – grab your gear and hit the water!
Image/Source: OTW
