BLACK FISH

[ckonkol]

Frances Fleet 10/30-10/31

Myself Eben and his friend Timmy went up to the Frances Fleet for two days of black fishing. On Tuesday to my surprise we only had 12 people. I was expecting somewhere around 30. We started fishing and it was Timmy's 2nd time black fishing, his 1st time out he never got any and swore he would never go again but we convinced him to go. With in the 1st 5min of fishing he got a double header of one that was 5lbs and one that was 15inches. He got another fish soon later. Roger was doing pretty well catching them on both clams and crabs. By the time we moved Roger had 5 keepers in the boat. We tried some other areas picking a few here and there. Totaling around 60 for the day. Eben ended up with 4 keepers one that was about 7.5lbs. Timmy got 6 including the pool fish which was in the 8pound range. Also he went all day using the same rig only losing the sinker. All I had to show for my days effort was one blackfish that was 15 and 7/8 inches, that hurt and a 12.5 inch seabass that I released.

Wednesday we sailed with 24 people on board. One word describes the trip... BAIL JOB. We started out fishing in a different area and I found myself having my rig falling into a hole and getting hung up so I bait back up and sure enough some one was home inside that hole and I was hooked up to my 1st fish of the day. The fish came nicely off the bottom then about 10 feet the fish woke up and I had it almost to color when it made a run peeling about 15 feet of line heading back to the bottom. Then I finally get the fish to the surface only to watch him head back toward the bottom again. This was his last ditch effort to trying to break free but it failed. Got the fish into the boat and it measured 25.5 inches long and had a pretty good girth. Fish was estimated to be 12 pounds. Not a bad was to start off the day only 15 min into the trip. Eben and Timmy were catching some seabass in the stern. Then Eben got 2 blackfish and Timmy got a double header on blacks again this time both keepers. I was fishing and fell back into the hole and got stuck but luckily popped out to find a fish on my line and to my surprise it was a keeper codfish. Not what I was expecting. Cory got his 1st keeper of the day a blackfish in the 8 pound range. Later Capt. Mike made a move and took a little longer to anchor up but the wait was well worth it. As fast as you could get a rig to the bottom people were hooking up to fish. I got 8 more blackfish here that got into the boat and lost one at the surface that looked to be around 5 pounds.Eben also got 6 fish here and lost about 3 more due to line breakage on the way up due to him not changing the frayed topshot. Timmy got 4 fish here. Cory got 10 fish here and his mom Christine got 5 keepers. Capt Mike made one last move and Eben got one more keeper and Cory got a nice seabass about 3 pounds. Then it was time to call it a day. When we got back to the dock I had my fish weighed which weighed in at 11pounds 7 ounces and Capt Mike said that fish was 12 pounds when it was 1st caught, a new personal record shattering my old one of 8 pounds. Another goal of mine completed which was getting a black fish 10 pounds or better. My total for the day was 9 fish including the pool fish. Eben got 9 keepers also to 8 pounds and Timmy got 6 fish putting our total to 24 blackfish 1 cod 6 seabass and a porgy. Cory and Christine got 17 blackfish to almost 9 pounds and a couple seabass. The boat total was 210 blackfish for the day. A great day to be out. Hopefully the weather holds out so I can get back out there Sunday Monday and Tuesday


My big one
The Catch
My with the catch (also in the pic of Cory and Christine's Catch)
Eben and I with the Catch
Our 2 biggest fish

[Anngler]

Awesome report! Sounds like you had a lot of fun! Great pics, too!

[SeaBiscuit]

Now that's some fantastic tog fishing! Excellent report and pictures. Keep 'em coming!
SeaBiscuit

[ckonkol]

Frances Fleet 11/5

My dad Eben and I went up for another trip to the Frances Fleet for some blackfishing. I was fishing port midship near the rear cabin door. I got one keeper on the 1st drop. Cory got one as well. Eben quickly moved up by us and he was like a vacuum cleaner stealing the fish away from Cory and I. He pulled out 5 from this spot. My dad on the other hand didn't do to well here. We made another move and as Capt. Mike was about to move I got another fish. Then we moved to some other pieces with some very very slow picks. My dad did manage to get a nice fish right as Capt Mike wanted to reposition over the piece a little better. My dad thought someone was messing with his drag because the fish was pulling a good amount of drag on him. Turns out it was a fish that was close to 10pounds, His largest blackfish to date. The water was pretty dirty in the deeper water. The last spot was the best spot of the day where I got 5 more keepers along with a dozen shorts. Eben got 4 more keeper and my dad got 3 more keepers. Cory got 4 keepers here and dropped a keeper swinging it into the boat. Our total was 7 fish for me 9 for Eben and 6 for my dad one of his fish was the pool fish. Capt Mike and Don and Chris did their best despite the fish not cooperating but what are you going to do they can't make the fish bite. We planned on fishing today also but the boat didn't sail we were the only 3 people there to fish. Oh well hope the weather holds out for us on Sunday and Monday

My Dads pool fish
Eben Myself and My dad with our catch

[WAHOONBOX]

WHAT A COOL IN-DEPTH REPORT!....LITERALLY! THE PICS SAY IT ALL!!!

[Cool Hand]

Great Pics! The Blackfish (AKA triple tai)l we have on the gulf coast resemble an oversize Crappie/White Perch (depending what part of the state your from)
and are taken mostly in bays underneath bouys or floating debri. Oldschoolers use a 10 to 14ft cain poles with 50lb mono a cork and live shrimp. Personally a 7ft spinnig outfit. Great eating either way!

[megabite]

Nice Fish we call em Tautog in Virginia.

[ckonkol]

Depending on who you ask up here some people call the blackfish others call them tautog.

[carom]

great report and pics....

[ckonkol]

Frances Fleet 11/11-11/13

My dad Eben, his daughter Jena and I fished the Frances Fleet Sunday through Tuesday. One word describes our fishing adventure... EXCELLENT. Sunday there was 72 people and I thought it would be a great day if I could get 2 keepers. We set out with a decent wind and seas close to 6 feet. As soon as we anchored up My dad within seconds is hooked up, then Cory is on. As soon as my dad got his keeper in the boat I was hooked up to a keeper. I got another keeper soon after. My dad as soon as he got to the bottom would hook up. He was on fire. He ended up limiting out at this spot while I only managed four there. Eben got five and was tangled up and reeled in what was the pool fish. This fish was 14 pounds. The only problem, it wasn't his fish he just reeled it in for the guy next to him. Man that sucks. Jena got one keeper here. Cory got 3 keeper and Nick got one keeper. We made another move which wasn't in our favor the bite was on the other side of the boat. I took a look on the other side and thought I might be able to squeeze in but that was out of the question. So I went back to where I was and nailed a keeper. So Capt Mike made another move and I got 2 more fish. I ended up with 7 keepers. My dad got 13 keepers Eben got 9 again Jena got 4 Nick got 6 and Cory got 7. We ended up just shy of 50 fish. It was much better than I ever would have expected.

Monday we had 60 people on the boat. We started off in a different area and got action right away a mix of keepers and shorts. I got 3 fish at this spot. My dad got 2 keepers, Eben got 2 keeper and Nick got 2 keepers. We moved to another area where I did something I never did togging before, I got a double header. Only one was a keeper though but I never did that before. I managed 2 more keepers from this spot. Eben got 2 more also.Jena got one keeper and Nick got one keeper. We moved to one last spot where I dropped 4 fish 1/2 way up that were keepers and only got the shorts up. Capt Mike just called for lines up to end the day when Nick hooked up then I hooked up. Both fish were keepers. I ended up with 7 keepers,Eben got 6 My dad got 5 and Jena got 1 total for day 2 was 23 keepers. My dad got his biggest of his life his 1st double digit tog that went exactly 10lbs. The pool was 10.5lbs.

Tuesday we awoke to windy rainy conditions. We set forth with 35 people. We tried a spot that held little life. I did manage a huge skate here, sometimes I forget I'm not fluking. Eben moved up to try the bow and got one keeper. So Mike moved to another spot where I got a couple shorts. So Mike moved again and It was the spot. I got 4 keepers here, My dad got 3 Eben got 16 keepers including his 2nd double digit of his life that was 10 and change. Jena got 4 keepers also. I think what contributed to Eben doing so well was due to my dad and I weeding out all the shorts so the larger ones could find his bait. At least someone we knew was catching. We totaled 27 fish. the pool was weighed at the dock at 13.35lbs. The crew said it was 14 when it was 1st caught. It was a great 3 days and we look forward to possibly going again Sunday

Group Catch
My dads Big tog
Matt and his friend with some tog
Me with what wouldn't fit in the cooler
Eben's Big tog
Our Catch