20lb club tautog

[chris n]

April tog fishing has always had a special place in my heart for the sole purpose that I always seem to hook some solid fish. I’ve managed to break the 10lb mark a few times the last few years and always seem to do best in the spring. The last weekend of April has always been a good bite for me and yesterday was no different.
 

We had a late start in the morning waiting for the wind to die down which took longer than anticipated but we made our way out. Plenty of bites to start, a lot of short life and fish coming up. Seabass were annoying at times but not unbearable. We put a 3 man limit together fairly quick and played catch a release, one fish up to about 7 or 8lbs at that point. 
 

We made a move late morning around 11 to try a new piece a few miles away. Once on it lots of quick bites, lots of shorts, and more seabass. I had a great day already but in the back of my mind was wondering if we were ever going to get a big fish chew. Well it happened. 
 

I took a crab out of the bucket, which proceeded to nip my thumb causing me to drop it on the deck. I squished it when it landed, picked it up and attempted to get a hook into it at that point. Normally I am very meticulous with hooking my crabs and how I fish them but this was an all legs, claws shell green crab sent straight to the bottom. A few small pecks to start and then a scratchy pull. I set the hook and my rod is doubled. I feel the head shakes but can’t process it it’s a fish or a snag intially. It starts digging and I get a few cranks. We played stale mate for a few seconds and finally I started slowly gaining ground. It was fighting like a big fish normally does but was HEAVY. I get it 3/4 of the way up and it slowly starts to take drag back down. Not a normal rip back down to the bottom. I was able to slow her down, get her back up while my buddy grabbed the net. In the water when we first saw it, we both said that’s a shark. A second later it breaches and we all freak out. My leader snaps once the fish is in the net and goes crazy. 
 

I’ve caught 3 12lb tog before and have yet to find my “teen” tog. The scale was bouncing between 19.8 and 21. That was good enough for me, I plopped her in the water and she was back down to the bottom within seconds. The fish of a lifetime for sure. 

[TroutandBucks]

Wow incredible way to catch a giant 

[Booner]

Hell of a fish. Congrats !!

[hammer4reel]

Congrats 

great fish 

‘and very good pics !!!!!

Edited April 29 by hammer4reel

[SPEARFISH]

That's a fatty. Congrats

[JHbowhunter]

Congrats - and great job on the release

[JD48]

Congrats

[Jafgasa]

Beautiful Tog.  Congrats. 

[electricstart]

Congratulations

[Jcol6268]

Congrats on a fish of a lifetime! Some guys get the tog thing. I like fishing for them, but I don’t have that knack for the bite. I also don’t do it enough lol probably once a year when it opens back up in November. 

[Buckeyes11]

Beast! Congrats!

[Cousin Brown]

Congrats!!!!!!

[Lphunsjr]

Nice

[Swamprat]

Congrats bro

[SoxFan]

A monster