01/05/2009 - Blackfishing Out on a Limb, 17lb 8oz Tog! (Pics)

01/05/2009 - Blackfishing Out on a Limb, 17lb 8oz Tog! (Pics)


Alright boys and girls, let the storytelling begin!
Another day, another trip, and some more awesome toggin aboard OOAL!
The weather was near perfect, NW winds with seas mere 2-4s...we left the dock with high hopes.
An allstar crew with a pair of guys I haven't fished with since our last tog adventure aboard OOAL last season...Al and Matt...rounded out by OOAL frequent fishers Craig, Mike, Doug, and myself.

For those that don't recall...Al hooked up and landed this awesome 16lb 8oz fish last year with his then made famous "candycane" rod pictured in the background!



Well, Al and the candycane legend live on, as today he hooked and landed another BEAST of a tog...this one topping the scales at 17lb 8oz!
Al was dead set on releasing this fish, but it hit the deck bleeding pretty badly.
We cleaned up the blood for a few quick snaps and Al, adamant about the release, tried to revive the fish for 15-20 minutes but to no avail.
I believe he is going to get the fish mounted with his fish from last year...maybe a Dueling Tog scene over a whitelegger!
Big congrats to the "Candycane Man" on another beauty!



Ohhhh the candycane rod! She sure has some juju to her!



And our boat limit for the day with some more keeps going back over the rail for another day.
Man Al's fish dwarfs the hell out of the rest of those fish!
Some decent ones mixed in there, in the 5-7lb range.



One final shot back at the dock after gathering our gear and packing up!



Some more cool photos from the trip!

Some guys on the MIMI trip saw these coming on down our way!



Up, up, and away!



Splashdown! Very cool!



Two rocks and a rope baby! When you know where these badboys are dropped, fishing in CM is EZ!!!


Until next time...

12/27/2008 - Blackfishing Out on a Limb (Pics)

12/27/2008 - Blackfishing Out on a Limb (Pics)


Another great day on the water aboard OOAL with the boys! Another solid crew came out for the show consisting of Grumpy Scrubby, Anchor Tooth Schues, Help Me I'm Cramping/I'm Dehydrated Bobble Head Mike, Singapore Swinger Eddie, Pinkie Dave, and yours truly!

Nice early start on the water, arriving with some tough fishing conditions...real scratch bite with a few keepers coming over the rail but the boat in a quasi hovering state...not enough wind or tide to sit on the anchors right...and at one point we shifted 180 degrees after reanchoring in a matter of 15-20 minutes time.

But alas, the wind picked up...and we moved to another locale...dropped the hooks and got em sunk in and tightened up nice...right on the piece. Then it was bail city! We promptly filled the box with the remainder of the boat limit and proceeded to release the additional keepers.

All in all, everyone put together solid individual catches and had a great time.

Here's a few pics from the day!

Eddie with a nice 9lb and change tog that was released after reaching the boat limit!



Release shot, midair...nice!



Doug with another big ol' tog...also released!



And the final catch in the livewell...sliced and bled...good eats!!!



Well, that's the quick and dirty report from today! Awesome time, can't wait to get back down with OOAL!


Ohhhhhh almost forgot...Pinkie Dave's Avet...awwwwwwww yeah!

12/14/2008 - Blackfishing on OOAL

12/14/2008 - Blackfishing on OOAL

Good day on the water with Doug, Doug's Dad, Steve (current leader for the Mugger of the Year Award), Kevin, my Dad and myself.
Captain JR was at the helm and led us to one stop toggin, reaching a boat limit by 11:00-11:30 and playing catch and release for the remainder of the day.
Good mix of fish, no giants but a fair number of 5-7s.
All in all, a great day on the water...glad I was able to get my dad out before he heads back to FL!


Interesting fish from the day...looked like a little football...kinda reminded me of the shape of a giant sunfish (freshwater).
Pictured next to a "normal" tog!



Another angle...



Nice pull Joonya!

11/24/2008 - Blackfishing on Out on a Limb

11/24/2008 - Blackfishing on Out on a Limb

Well, we headed on down to Cape May for our first blackfishing trip of the season, which opened just a week ago.
Tom headed over from PA bright and early to meet up at my place, where we carpooled down and met up with Craig, Charlie, Mike, and Sam at the boat.

Weather was pretty nippy out, temps bottoming out around 17 on the drive down, but around 23 when arriving at the boat.
Winds were fair, around 10-15 but calmed down in the afternoon.

We had a great day on the water, the tog bite was pretty good, not on fire but really strange conditions having the wind cross-sectioned by shifting currents made it difficult to stay on the pieces.
Nevertheless, we put together a solid catch and finished just 2 shy of the boat limit, with Mike leading the way with a 10lb tog, and a few 5-6lbers by the crew mixed in as well.

Here's a few shots from the day...unfortunately my camera battery died halfway through the trip, so I didn't get a ton of pics this time.


El capitan...leading us to the tog promise land! ;)



Tom, aka the Krieb Factor, ready for some action!



Sam, aka Professor Pantene, looking a little like Satan and getting ready to put on the clinic on his first tog fishing trip ever!



Mike, aka Mike The Mugger...clearly already scheming based on that look!



Scrub, with some kind of surgical camo condom cap...



Charlie, in standard welcoming picture form...lol



Nice sunrise and rays peering through the clouds...



Professor Pantene!!! His hair hates him today after smothering it with that hat. Charlie ensures us Sam surely protected the doo with a pre-hat conditioner treatment...good lookin out Professor!



Scrub...why are you winking at me? Ummm...yeah Hi! lol



The Krieb!!!



JR hiding the GPS coordinates from view...note the hat...it gives him about 8 inches of additional height, but he still can't see over the center console.



Sam with his first keeper tog ever! The Professor was just warming up! Note the Hollywood rod bent over behind him...



Craig with his giant catch!



Then Mike The Mugger coming through with this monster tog! Nice try holding it out with those goon arms to increase the size! Haha
Don't worry, Mike gets the real one later!



JR, The Camo Pope



Later in the day...Sam is still goin strong...



Charlie is still at it and smiling...



Tom...not so much...what's up with the frown! Tom, The Frowning Knome?



Mike...posing and claiming to be doing some anchor work...



Craig, the rockstar, showing a little too much interest...



Alright, Public Notice...Mike was actually working a little on this trip...I know, I know...hard to believe that the full time part time student would take moment out of his laborious days to offer a helping hand...but here we have it...post anchor pull...some really well organized and coiled rope! Haha, good job Mikey!



And he was indeed rewarded with this awesome tog a short while later...in the net!



And Mike The Mugger holding him...nice fish dude! Scaled him out hovering in the 10lb mark! Sweeeeeeeeeeeet!



Wow...even I managed to catch a few this trip! They must be thick!



And then Charlie landed this nice tog! Notice he is so excited he kind of almost has a smile forming...OK...not quite, but we know he's feelin it! ;)




Well then my camera died right when Charlie landed a double header on a single bait! Two hook setup...the fish were hungry!
I missed a bunch of pics including some really solid midday action filled with a mixture of short tog, seabass and the near boat limit of keepers.

Ultimately, a great day on the water with the boys!
The weather cooperated and the tog were chewin pretty good, and despite quite a scratchy bite late in the day, we put a good catch together!

Until next time...

12/11/2006 - Dad's Muzzleloader 11 Pointer and Mount Complete! (Pics)

12/11/2006 - Dad's Muzzleloader 11 Pointer and Mount Complete!

Here's the story I wrote up when Dad shot this buck back on 12/11/2006:

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Unbelievable season for Dad...he does it AGAIN. This time he scores on an unbelievable 11 pointer from the same stand location he shot his doe earlier this year with the muzzleloader and the same one I shot my 8 pointer last year! I am still in awe with this deer, great buck for these woods.

I can't tell you how much it means to me for my Dad to get this deer, this is what it's all about. I said in the beginning of the year, all I wanted to see was my Dad get a shot at a nice rack this year and man did he come through! As lackluster of a season as this has been, seemingly an eternity of frustration trying to figure these bucks out and waiting days, weeks, months for just ONE glimpse, nevermind a shot...and then it all comes together in mere seconds, the moment of truth where the emotional rollercoaster of hunting takes you for that ride you've waited all season for...one where you decide where it takes you...to the top of the mountain or deep into the valley below. Fortunately for both of us, our shots were true as I took my biggest buck to date in Ohio with the bow, and today my Dad takes his biggest buck ever. I can't even describe the feelings, the excitement, the pride, the accomplishment...and as miserable as I've thought this season has been at times, I have to say today has made it my best season ever!

I have to thank my buddy Steve for helping me set up the ladder stand for my Dad and also my buddy Don for helping drag this buck out today since I was caught in work in Philly and couldn't get there quick enough! I'm very fortunate to have some great friends, so thank you!

The story starts just yesterday when I had rebaited this stand location and checked the trailcam to see what kind of activity was in the area during shotgun week. The entire season, this spot has had some regular doe activity, but absolutely NO racks...some small bucks but nothing to get excited about. Then, as it turns out, this same buck was on the trailcam on Monday evening (6-day firearm opener) but never reappeared. So Sunday, we rebaited heavier than normal and I had hoped it would bring a number of does in, even at night...such that they would create enough commotion to bring a curious buck in to check them out, and possible bed down with the does that night in the area and follow them in that next afternoon as they came to feed. Well I can't say for certain that is what happened that night, but I can say that this bad boy followed a doe right in around 2:20PM that afternoon offering Dad a beautiful 30 yard broadside shot. He put the crosshairs on and squeezed off the shot, the buck dropped in his tracks and the rest is history! Man what a feeling!

Here's a couple BEFORE pics of the buck from the trailcam. Sorry about the quality, this was a hacked IR conversion with an existing cam casing, so there is some flash bleed on the top right...obviously the pics aren't the best, but you can see it is the same buck. Note the split G2 on his right beam.






And here's an AFTER shot with Dad and the buck!



Man, what an awesome day...my first day back at work...and I race home to soak in the great day my Dad had afield!

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And on Friday, my dad picked up the mount from Carl at All-Game Taxidermy.
Carl did an excellent job, as always!
I snapped a few pics today before heading home from PA.

Here's a few of the shots...


Dad with his buck...



Right profile from below...



Left profile from below...



Head-on from below...



Head-on from above...



And a few close-ups of Carl's work! ;)

Right profile...



Right eye...



Left eye...



Right ear and eye...



Left ear and eye...



Head on, downward angle...



Nose and lip detail...

06/27/2008 - Striper Fishing on Sykk Physh (Pics)

06/27/2008 - Striper Fishing on Sykk Physh

Sorry for the delay in the report, was out fishing all weekend so just getting back home and to the reports.
My weekend started with a short day on Friday to head out aboard the Sykk Physh again with Captain Joe, Doug, Tom E, and Tom's good friend Larry.
With the insane bite we just missed on Tuesday when the West winds blew, Joe and I discussed getting back out there for them at the next West wind opportunity.
Well that opportunity was Friday, and we were spot on with the time to go!

We all met up in Shark River to drop the boat in and head on out the inlet.
There were a few reports indicating bunker both South and North, but as we made our way out of the inlet, we had reports from guys just coming in with bass that it was on fire just North of the inlet.
So off we went, but with one catch...we didn't have any bait yet! Unlike Atlantic Highlands where bunker are pretty plentiful, they never seem to come into Shark River to allow for netting bait ahead of time. But given the proximity of the fish being South, we opted to head our of SR anyway and roll the dice on either netting or snagging bunker once we got out to the ocean.

As soon as we broke the inlet, we saw the fleet North...and as we approached, we saw the bunker and bass exploding on them. It was pure insanity...just an unreal amount of boat and boat traffic with bunker rushing to the surface and getting destroyed by bass for mere seconds before umpteen boats went full throttle right into the bunker and bass melee! A few boats were tossing plugs and hooking up right away with others trying to snag and drop bunker...and there were some BIG fish in the school!

We started off plugging, and I think Tom E was pitching when he had a V formation of giant bass coming right for his plug. Joey instructed him to slow down the retrieve when the lead bass smashed the lure and took off...Tom set the hook as the fish was just off the boat and turned the fish to see the trebles on the outside of the fishes jaw...a few moments and a few surges later, the bass spit the plug. Then the chaos continued, as we tried to locate the bunker along with 100 other boats...running and gunning, trying to get a net on some isolated pod to fill the livewell. Time and time again, we'd spot bunks, rush to them to try to snag and get one good net on them...but not before 20 other boats came running over as well and sent them right down. We just couldn't get the bait.

At this point, Joe was on the horn with Andrea's Toy informing them of the sick bite up North. As Andrea's Toy arrived, they rewarded us with some of their excess bunker they were able to net on an isolated pod down South! That was a lifesaver and what teamwork's all about...I know Joe works with a lot of captains on sharing intel and resources...and that networking paid off for both the Sykk Physh and Andrea's Toy as they were beating on big bass for the remainder of the afternoon and evening.

Craziest moment of the evening was when we spotted a pod of bunker absolutely getting DESTROYED...most insane thing I've ever seen out there striper fishing. It was literally like a 100 yard circle of explosions, with dozens of bass blowing out of the water at the same time over and over with a there was a thresher sighting in the mix! Ironically, Doug let me fish with his infamous Fenwick...I dropped down in seriously in like 10 seconds had a runoff...friggin rod. Anyway, I set the hook on a giant and seconds later came up with cut braid! There weren't any blues in the mix...so perhaps that was the thresher?

We picked at fish in the 20-35lb range for the next couple hours with Doug...once again...topping it off with a personal best 42lber! Drifting live or dead bunks...didn't matter...we had great action...well at least until the storm blew in! It's crazy how we've run into storms both times Doug and I were out with Joey together...both times some unpredicted front blew in hard and took us out of the game. Fortunately this time we were able to beat on the bass a little longer and land some really nice fish!

Alright enough of the story...let's get to some pics!


Here's Doug as we're slipping in...



And crazy Tom!



His buddy Larry!



And our fearless captain with burger in mouth...hey he didn't eat all day! Haha



A pod of bunks...with birds workin em!



A little while later...I hook up and land this guy...



Same one? Can't remember...



The next one...self pic cuz the action was fast and furious! Getting bigger!



Then Tom hooked up with this nice striper!



Part of the crowd...



Little while later Larry is on and going for a ride!



Get em Larry!



Nice shot coming into the net!



And in the net...



Larry with his fish...pretty sure it weighed out in the mid 30s somewhere!
Released her for another day...



And here's the next one I landed and we released...



Then Doug hooks up and says..."This is a big fish!"
Here we go again! :)



GET PUMPED!!!



Big girl in the net!



Doug with his 42lber! Skies are getting a little darker up above!



Then the storm really rolled in, but not before I caught and landed my biggest to date...finally breaking the 30lb mark with this 32lber!
King Kong has finally got off my back!



Well the rain and lightning rolled in, as we headed for the inlet. It poured pretty good, so no more pics after the above...didn't want to get the camera wet.
We finished up with 15 or so up to 42 lbs and kept two in the 20-25lb range and one in the 25-30lb range.
Was a great time out there with Joe once again, and always nice when the bass cooperate even if the weather doesn't!
Hope to get out again soon and try to break that 40lb mark!

06/24/2008 - Striper Fishing on Sykk Physh (Pics)

06/24/2008 - Striper Fishing on Sykk Physh

Well, this certainly was an on-the-fly trip as Joey spotted some fish working hard oceanside and filtered the intel to his network of other captains.
As word came in, the bite was on with a vengence!
30 pounders were being caught and released in hopes of the 40+ pounders crashing bunker like you'd weed through short fluke to get to the keepers!
We're hearing over and over about the chaos ensuing, and while Joey makes a run for his boat...I drive up from South Jersey to the Highlands ASAP!

Joey, his nephew Justin, and I get the boat slipped in and Joey heads to the bunker pods to net a quick 70 pieces before burying the throttle and heading out to meet up with Captain Dan of Reel Music Charters. It's already late with the sun sinking beneath the horizon and Joey is considered about the bite dying.

Rounding the hook, we immediately encounter a school getting blown apart...and promptly drop some live bunker on the pod. Immediate bite offs and bluefish raiding the baits...so we nix the pod and head to where the bass are proven to be. We cross paths with Dan making his way back to the marina as we're hauling south. The conditions are beautiful, nice and flat and we're making good time but the sun has already disappeared.

By the time we reach the area, it's dark...and we're not locating any bunker on the surface...they've already submerged and spread out. We marked bass on the fish finder constantly, and Joey eventually hooked up a striper and handed it off to his nephew Justin who landed the 20-25# class fish on his own! I had one runoff, which as is standard for me with stripers, pulled 10 seconds after the hookset.

After that, we struggled to even get a sniff...running over bass left and right, bunker scattered, bass scattered...but constant readings and no takers. We drifted around the area for a couple hours before heading back to port and pitching a few bunks in closer by the marina to finish up in hopes of some smaller bass being under the bunker schools stacked at the wall. No dice.

Another tough outing...and nothing worse than just missing an all out slaughter. An hour earlier and I think we would have had an hour of crushing them. As it worked out, we missed it all and just couldn't locate the staggered fish once the sun disappeared.

Ahhh stripers, continue their beating on me...if Robin had a monkey on her back with stripers until her trip with Dan...well King Kong is on my back! Haha
That's the way it goes sometimes...I'm determined to beat those mofos!

Big thanks to Joey for inviting me along given the short notice of the bite. We'll get em next time dude!


Here's a few pics from the evening...


Joey slippin the boat in...



Justin's ready!



Nice sunset brewing...



Leaving the marina...



And later..she's gone...and took the bass with her :(



Little Justin, tearin it up!



Get em dude!



Bringin em to the net!



Tough angle on the pic...but here's Justin's striper...almost as big as he is! Gotta love it! :)



Well that's all for now...just a quick recap of yesterday.
Hopefully these stripers will hang for awhile and the winds/weather will cooperate and that sick bite will return once more!
I'm ready! ;)