South Jersey near record Tog

[hartattack]

Caught on Cape May non-sponsor - 23.3 pounds (FYI - NJ record Tog is 25 pounds)

Comments from Captain Adam - - It was a heck of an experience and just to see a fish that large is a once in a lifetime event. I've been blessed to see two of them on my boat that were that big. For those asking for the age of the fish...Dave's fish is heading to the taxidermist. The other 23.3lber that we caught on January 5, 2008 was given to the state's division of marine fisheries where the tog biologist, Peter Clark, dried it out, removed the otoliths(ear bones), and aged the fish. It was aged at 18 years old. This came as a surprise to him. If memory serves me correctly, he had aged an 11 or 12 pound fish from North Jersey that was aged to 23 years old! Five years older than our 23.3lber but HALF the size. His theory is that in the overall warmer waters of southern New Jersey, Delaware, and points south the fish grow that much more rapidly. Also, BOTH of these fish were males. He surmised that a male of that size is a super alpha male and dominates all the other fish on whatever structure he is on, monopolizing the food supply and eligible mates which makes him get even bigger.