The 5th annual Kayak Fishing Jamboree was a special one for me as Friday October 24th was my birthday! I departed late morning for the 2 hour drive down to North Wildwood. Upon my arrival in picking up bait was on the top priority list. After purchasing 2 packs of clam 2 packs of frozen mullet and 2 doz green crabs running into friends of mine whom had just met up to go back out fishing. The decision to join them was an easy one. I slid the Big Rig off of my truck loaded it up with a heavy rod for Tog fishing and took along a half a dozen green crabs.
Tautog feed along structure. Their diet consists of crabs mussels barnacles and other critters with hard shells. To rig up a green crab you will need a Tautog or Blackfish rig. You can tie your own. I typically buy them since they are pretty cheap. The rig can be a single or hi low rig with a loop or a snap swivel at the bottom for the sinker. Each green crab can be cut in half to make 2 baits or even the larger ones can be quartered. To get them on the hook you will typically cut the legs and claws off and feed the hook through one of the leg sockets then turn the hook around and bury the tip within the bait. This seems to be most effective and the bait stays on the hook better. Fishing around structure such as rock piles jetty’s and bridge pilings poses a challenge. These fish are experts of stealing bait snagging you up in the structure and de-hooking themselves! The best way to keep them from diving between rocks and crevices is set the hook and reel in slack as fast as you possibly can! These fish fight hard so a heavy rod with a reel with a fast retrieve is best!
After about an hour and a half catching a half dozen fish at the bridge the tide begun to slack up. I rode the tide out the the inlet break wall. The break wall is a great location for catching Tog. At slack tide we are able to boat keeper fish for every boat. This time of year the New Jersey fishing regulations only permit one fish per man at 15″ min.
Fishing the Cape May area is always a challenge. In the fall typically the lunar tides are more current and higher rise and low fall. This year the event fell right on a New Moon. Just before the tide went slack riding the outgoing to the southern rock wall of the Hereford Inlet. Ended up fishing the area with 5 fish under 15″ for about an hour. Once the tide swung and the incoming started it was around 4PM by now. It was time to load up to attend the captains meeting at the campground for 6PM.
After signing in purchasing calcuttas and receiving a captains bag Charlie ‘Lunchbox’ LaBar explained the rules and answered questions. That wrapped up around 7:30 and I joined friends Val and Shawn for dinner at a local diner. The decision arose to fish or not to fish at night. After all it was my birthday so the decision was made to hang out with friends and go fishing early in the morning.
Saturday
Arriving at 5:00 AM for the drop in at cape may inlet with Lunchbox. The tide was incoming. Launching and the 2 of us having minor motor problems we headed out into the inlet trolling Tube n Worms. The tide was ripping in and i had the throttle at 75% just to hit 1 kt. Lunchbox had his maxed out. It took us an hour to get to the beginning of the rocks. At this point lunchbox was having problems with his electric motor and told me to continue out to the ocean if i wanted to. So an hour later i made it out the inlet where i found wind and 2-3 foot waves. Not marking any fish and drifting way too fast after an hour it was un-fishable without anchoring. Also I was worried about the tide switching to the outgoing while being outside and not being able to make it back in. With that in mind heading back in the inlet and back to the bridge at the drop in within 20 minutes. Drifted some clam on the way back in and as the tide slacked up and it was time to fish for Tog at the bridge.
The Tog bite begin slow for me. The slack tide lasted about 20 minutes and it was time to hold on again. one leg up on the bridge piling. After landing 3 tog all 13-14 inches and loosing a few i hooked up with a keeper! 15.25″ dinner! By this time the tide was ripping hard and the it was time to call it a day.
Loaded up and headed up to where a majority of the attendees were fishing. Reports of some striped bass a good amount of Tog were said to be caught. Heard a story of a few yakkers being sucked out the inlet and one getting run over by a boat. Most of the better fishing ended up to be in the back in small creeks and on the flats.
Back at camp Captain Jim was frying up some Tog that we caught! It is one of the most excellent table fare that comes out of the north east salt. After cleaning up Val and I went to hang out with Capt Jim and a wait the dinner. At 6:00 we went up to the “rack”s which is a large storage building and makeshift hall type of shelter for a seafood pasta and roast beef dinner. Both are excellent and many look forward to the meal. It has been the same food since 5 years ago when the Jamboree was started by Jersey Cape Kayak Fishing and its crew. This year there were a total of 106 registered anglers!
After the dinner the raffle began. All proceeds from the raffle including the real tree Ellie kayak benefited the NJ Heroes On The Water Chapter. This event completely funds the chapters gear. Including kayaks.
Needless to say I never win the raffles. I ended up winning 2 times on this one! Won two nice bomber lures and a nice bomber hat also a T shirt that I gave to Shawn. After the raffle we went back to the cabin and walked over to where a few of our friends were staying in the cabin I stayed in last year. Hung out with them for a bit. A bunch of people came over a shot of cake vodka and a few beers to celebrate what would be the end of most kayak anglers season.
Sunday was too windy to fish so we slept in till around 8:30 then packed up checked out and went to breakfast. After breakfast it was the drive home. Till next year!
After what seemed to be a never ending winter spring is finally here in mid April. Typically New Jersey has experienced a few warmer weeks by now. This was the first weekend to actually get out and shake it off by doing what we love the most.
