We’re already more than two weeks into the month of April and what that means is we’re also two weeks into the spring tog season. While not as glammed up as the fall season that runs from October through December, the month-long spring season is something I look at as an opportunity to get out there and fish. I don’t go into it expecting the same results as the fall but if you look at as something to do, wet a line and still have a chance to catch some fish, it’s totally worth your efforts.
It’s no secret that we have been seeing some unusually warm winters and springs the past couple of years. Naturally this means that the water during the month of April will be warmer. Tog themselves need a certain temperature to really get going at times so if the warmer temperature is there, better opportunities might exist. It all comes down to the area you focus on. For example, I’ve talked about this idea before in my other writings. The water coming in from the ocean is always colder in the spring compared to in the back of a bay or harbor. I’ve also spoken about finding tog in places where we generally haven’t expected them to be, like deep inside bays. Try focusing on these spots where the water is certainly warmer and you might find a few fish willing to cooperate.
The other factor that I believe will start to make difference in the spring tog fishery is the undeniable fact that there has been an explosion in the population and especially the juvenile population in the Long Island Sound. Every fall the reports have been getting stronger and stronger and it seems like the number of fish caught on trips has gone up too. Those numbers surly carry over into the spring fishery and of course with more fish around, there will be a better chance at catching them.
If you ask me also, there’s nothing like using a fresh green crab for tog bait. The only problem is not every shop will carry them during the spring season, making it tougher to acquire the right bait. It may or may not be known by some that sandworms are an excellent spring choice for tog also and I can personally attest to them working by using them on multiple back bay creek outings during the month of April and catching tog on them.
There was talk of squashing the spring tog season in total but that’s not going to happen. When it was analyzed by fisheries managers, the month of tog we are given in the spring was only equivalent to 3 or 4 days that could have been added in the fall. Lose a whole month of opportunity just to add four days when ample opportunity already existed within other species? It wasn’t a good idea for the industry.
The spring tog season is here to stay and these next couple of weeks will be the best time to target them. Grab some jigs and rigs, check who might be sailing and give it a shot.
