Overall Poor blackfishing

[teddysclaw]

Does anyone else feel like blackfishing has sucked this year? I mean, yeah, if you bring white leggers, asians, and jigs, you tend to catch at least one keeper. But i'm talking about overall. THe past few years, I'd see on average 20 keeper blackfish per party boat. This season? Not one trip I've been on has caught over 15 keepers on the boat.

And the keepers that are being caught aren't that impressive. I've yet to see a 6+ pound poolfish. Yeah,yeah. I know you guys on the small boats/charters/etc get the 10+ slob and release them, but your chances of getting a slob are a lot higher on a smaller boat with less fishermen.

Are we waiting for colder weather? Pretty disappointed so far this year. Hopefully it turns on soon.

[togzilla]

I agree. I've been blackfishing northern and central jersey since 1992 and this is by far the worst year. I don't buy some captains saying the water temps are still too high. I remember having some of my best blackfishing days in early October on the SH reef back in the 90's before there were regulations. Blackfish don't disappear and then show up one year like weakfish. They are fairly territorial and migrate from shallow water to deeper water with water temps. Unfortunately, I believe the answer is pretty obvious but nobody seems to want to admit it. Blackfish are very slow growing and for the last few decades there has been so much pressure both recreational and commercial that there just are not as many larger fish around. I was on a blackfish charter a few weeks ago and the captain was telling me how he used to commercially fish for them with pots on the reef and made a killing. But he did admit there are just not as many keepers around this year. Yes, there are still slobs caught and there will be days that even the party boats have many limits but in general blackfishing is not what it used to be.
I'm sure some will disagree but I've been fishing for tog a long time now I know what fishing used to be like and what it is like today.

[hartattack]

+1 ^^

I keep catching canal-sized fish wherever I Tog. NJ 2018 Togging has been disappointing, but PUOSU is in 2019 so there's still hope for me

[Gerry Zagorski]

I've heard 2nd hand that people with underwater video cameras say they are there but just not feeding.... For what reason who knows...

I don't think it's the water temps either.... We always fished in Sept and Octobers in the past when the limit was 1. The water was warm then and we always did well inshore. If it were the temps, at some point as it cooled down this year, they would have turned on in those same spots but they never did.

One thing I've heard from others and have seen myself this year, often times you'll get a bite as soon as you set up and then nothing until you move again... In years past, it seemed like you pick and pluck when you first arrived, build some life and the spot would only get better unless you had a shift in the current or wind...

Not sure what's going on but definitely an off year and it's not just in certain areas, it seems to be off up and down the NJ coast.

[frugalfisherman]

Angler about 5- 6 weeks ago when you could keep one tog for the last hour of our porgy trip Captain George stopped for tog at Scotland. One bite after another. Best I have ever seen though I don't tog much. Several 5-7 pounders caught. As usual I was the receiver of a charity fish. The water was still in the 60's and the porgies and tog were warm as newborn puppies. Maybe the blackfish are becoming like ling. Better fishing in warm water.

[tautog]

It definitely was better earlier. South sounds like it had been decent but I won't get down that way until Jan and Feb.

[bulletbob]

Just too much pressure past few years. As we know, these fish don't migrate away from their year round homes by very much, they stay put relatively near shore, and simply shut down as the water gets too cold...
Past decade or so," Blackfish Weather" has become a common term for the cold, harsh, nasty conditions that tog fishermen endure..

It seems like there has been a mind set that Blackfish like cold water..

Just because they will eat, and be somewhat available to catch this time of year does not mean they are a "cold water fish" in the classic sense... Before the era of bag and season limits, tog "season" was winding down at about the time most fishermen these days think its starting up... May, June, Sept, Oct, and Nov were the best blackfishing months.. To me personally "Blackfish Weather" is a nice 60 degree early october day, with mixed sun/and clouds, and a mild breeze, just enough to keep the anchor tight..
historically we had great blackfishing in Sept and Oct, and November was the transition time to Whiting and Ling/Mackerel, and maybe a a few Cod...

When the winter flounder and Whiting/Ling fishery went out the window, it doubled the pressure on tog... Add to to that the fish went from being unknown as a food fish to most people , to one that was in intense demand, at around the same time as recreational pressure was doubled, and you have a recipe for disaster..

I love blackfish, but if i had a choice of really picky togging where I might bring home one or maybe two if I'm lucky, or going out and filling a big bucket with big whiting and ling, I would take the Whiting every time.. I think a majority would... Its an uneducated guess, based on long past experience, but the lack of any viable winter fisheries has impacted the numbers of blackfish big time...
When there are a set number of fish on a structure in cold water, and many are lethargic as the water drops into the low 40's, only a certain number will be actively feeding.. Drop that set number by 50% due to pressure, and you get what guys are experiencing now..

I think what blackfish need is for flounder, whiting, ling and mackerel to come back, and take some of the pressure off.. They aren't the type of fish to be able to withstand the relentless pounding they are taking... bob

[Gerry Zagorski]

Just watched a recent video shot by one of our sponsors, Fish Stix... He dropped the camera down and sure enough, several fish swimming around but not really eating...

[jmurr711]

def been slower than the last few years increased pressure since September cannot help but theres fish their just being weird. in 3trips I have 2k, 15k, &7k giving me only an 8k a trip average def not what it has been in years passed but the size of the fish is way up as my last 2 trips didn't have many keepers under 17inches

[Foul Hook]

I had eight legit keepers Sunday . Just sayin.