Togzilla On A Magictail Tog Jig

Yesterday Wednesday January 2, 2018 Magictail’s Dante Soriente stopped in with TOGZILLA. Here’s his report from the day…

Big Blackfish Love Magictail Tog Jigs

What a day! I’ve been on the hunt for a 15 pound tog on one of my jigs. I caught ten double digit blackfish this year (2018) but nothing over the 13 pound mark. I can’t believe it finally happened today!

Dante and Magictails set out to make The Best Tog Jigs that would outfish all competition based on superior design elements. It’s safe to claim they hit a home run!

More tog and the biggest tog in the past two years have been caught on Magictail Tog Jigs than any other tog jig on the market.

On 1/2/2019 I fished with Paul Haertel aboard his boat the Angler. We got into some really good fishing. It all started off when I caught a really good fish. On my Boga Grip 15 it pulled down and almost bottomed out. This fish which was about 14.5-15 pounds. It was photographed and released. Then a few minutes later another double digit fish hit the deck. This 12 pound tog was also released. An hour went by and Paul caught a 11.5 pound tog on the jig.

About two hours later I hooked a big fish on a baited Magictail Tog Jig, 2oz Glow White Legger. This fish actually pulled drag and took me deep twice. What An Epic Battle! Shocking all of us it bottomed out my Boga Grip 15. Fortunately Paul had a Boga Grip 60 onboard. It weighed in between 20-21 pounds. I was going to release it but Paul wouldn’t let me. He said, “It’s a true giant!”

Once back on land I stopped in at Fishermans Headquarters and got a certified weight, 20.96 pounds. Just a few pounds shy of the state record. I’m so happy to have smashed the 15 pound mark. I’m in shock that I broke the 20 pound mark. Best of all I did it on my Magictail Jig… Mission Complete!

That’s a smile only a 20+ pound tog can produce! 20.96 to be exact. Congrats Big D on a fish of a lifetime! With all the time and dedication, you earned it!

Tog Jigs are very effective and at times outproduce. For those blackfish anglers looking to add to their arsenal and learn more about targeting tog with specialty jigs, we published a fishing blog article just for you. But first…

Here’s Paul Haertel with a large blackfish that fell for a Magictail Tog Jig.

Here’s a testimonial from ace anglers Paul Haertel, “I’m sold on using Magictail Jigs! Up until a week or so ago I was more of a rig fisherman. Today I caught my limit plus, all on jigs. With a new boat record and all of these double digit catches they proved their value to me.”

Catching Blackfish With Jigs

Light Tackle Fishing Florida’s South Central West Coast

Light Tackle Fishing Florida’s South Central West Coast

For the holidays (late 2018), I enjoyed some family time down in the Sunshine State visiting family. Not knowing our exact plans I did not book a guide in advance. I managed to score a last minute light tackle trip with Captain Jim Klopfer of Adventure Charters out of Sarasota, conveniently only 15 minutes from in law’s house.

The day started off slow due to dense fog. Looking for game we worked some mangrove lined creeks with small Rapala X-Rap Swimming Plugs but we came up short. Live bait might have made the difference but we stayed away from the dark side. Captain Jim kept us moving and on the hunt with a hit and run mentality.

On The Hunt For Game

It paid off! On the way to check out another area we came across jack crevelle crashing on top. It was a frothy feed! My cousin Mike struck first and enjoyed the fight on a 20# braid, Penn Conflict 2000 Spinning Reel and St. Croix 6’6″ Medium Action Rod. The feed dispersed.

Here’s Mike enjoying the fight, hooked up with a Jack Crevelle. The Penn Conflict Reel and St Croix Rod make a perfect light tackle inshore rod and reel setup.

We continued to work the area and our patience paid off. I managed a hook up on the 7wt fly rod blind casting a sink tip line with an Olive/White clouser minnow. During my tug of war, Mike hooked up again on the X-Rap. Before we knew it the jacks were smashing on top again.

Boat Side Top Water Take

Above all other, the next couple of minutes are ingrained in my brain for awhile. I punched out a good cast but was a little bit short of the target. One strip and then I let it settle. Second guessing my placement I quickly stripped the line to clear and recast. Five feet from the boat a big jack half out of the water fright trained my clouser. One solid strip set and he took off, clearing my line and into backing. These challenging close encounters is why I’m hooked on saltwater fly fishings!

Here’s a short video from our day light tackle fishing Sarasota Bay with Captain Jim…

We finished the day working some flats (grass and oyster beds) with Berkley Gulp Shrimp on a lead head jig. Using a snap jigging technique similar to fluke fishing at home we caught a couple ladyfish.

In the end we had a great day with a ton of fun. The jacks (three on fly, five on spin) and ladyfish kept our line tight for the majority of the four hour trip. 

Highlight Note: While pulling into the ramp at the end of the day a very rare jet engine powered boat was leaving the dock. It’s shown at the end of the video. Have you ever seen a boat like this before? Let us know in the comment section.

Here’s a link to a short fishing report from Captain Jim as well as a blog post he wrote about Fly Fishing Jack Crevelle. Also stay in the loop with Jim’s reports here.

Anyone looking for a light tackle guide in the Sarasota Area? Call Captain Jim Klopfer of Adventure Charters, 941-371-1390

Happy New Year!

From all of us at Fish Heads… Happy New Year!

Thank you for making our 2018 a fantastic year.

Here’s Special Gift For You

Reel In 2019 and SAVE 19% Off Any Order Over $50 with online shopping cart checkout code NEWYEARS

Looking Forward To The Next 365 Days

We hope that we helped your 2018 fishing adventures. Here’s to new horizons with new species, tackle and techniques! Our goal is for everyone to catch more fish, bigger fish and have even more fun doing so. All year long, we are  seven days a week to help assist.

Start To 2019

What an awesome start to 2019! The mild temps and sun today felt more like the first day of spring. I spent the day enjoying the waves surfing mid-island. The water was churned up but lots of water foul, gulls and gannet were roaming around. One angler was waling the beach plugging. No hook ups that I saw. My assumption is he didn’t connect, but as long as the brutal cold stays away, I expect bass in the suds.

Fishing Report Update

On Sunday store staffers Frezza and Kelley were out with Swagmattic (Matt) and the guys from South Jersey Saltwater Anglers Fishing Club. They all fished with Captain Sammy aboard the Mary M. out of Barnegat Light. They reported solid day with fish up to 8.5 pounds, 10 fish shy of a 16 man boat limit. Matt reported, “Kelley was on fire and had the right touch. He boated thirteen keepers and was high hook.”

Here’s Mike Frezza with a nice tog he caught aboard the Mary M on Sunday December 30, 2018.

Reminder: New Jersey does not have a saltwater fishing license, but it does have a mandatory Saltwater Angler Registry for all anglers age 16 and over. Now’s the time to renew for 2019. For those anglers still unaware be sure to follow the link, read and register. NJDEP Saltwater Registry Program

LBI Fishing Report Update December 30, 2018

We hope everyone enjoyed their holidays with family and friends. With the year coming to a close we hope everyone had a great 2018. Here is the report update for December 30, 2018.

LBI Surf Fishing Report

Surf fishing continues with a couple solid reports from the Long Beach Island surf came in. We gave our shop “test/prototype” Tsunami Salt X Spinning reel to Dan for a day and he put to the test.

First it was a sand test. Dig a hole drop it in and burry it. Pack it down and then pull it out. No problems. Next it went in the wash. Surf fishing reels live in the wash with saltwater and sand. Again no problems. Then it was time to fish it. Although not big ones, Dan found fish. The reel performed flawless. While the long term durability/longevity of this reel will not be determined until after seasons on seasons and year upon years of use. Our preliminary thoughts are very good. Considering the design, quality and VALUE! It’s a great price point that fits the saltwater market.

Here’s a fishing report from Dan, “The bass fishing on the beach was great the last couple of days. Finally we’ve seen a couple things absent all fall; adult bunker on the beach and massive bird plays with gannets dive bombing all day long. Curious what this storm will do! Friends a little north of me had tons of peanuts at their feet. We snagged about 5 adults with pods scattered along beach. The largest fish we caught over the last two days was around the thirty inch mark.”

John Del Sordo reports, “What a fun post Xmas session. There’s still lots of life out front. With school striped bass.”

Other reports came in from the surf about birds working along the beach.

Tog Fishing Report

The awesome blackfish action continues and Magictail Tog Jigs remain the most valuable player. Take advantage of this great fishery that is firing on all cylinders. Get out there!

The Magictail boys Dante and Zach got out fishing with Paul Haertel aboard the Angler.

Zach Michot reported, “With four double digit fish it was a great trip. My largest was over 12 pounds, a new personal best!”

This Just Happened!

Here’s a report from Greg O’Connell, “This just happened! Prolly a once in a lifetime fish for my son Dylan. Self cast, 8′ rod with a 4000 reel, 1/2oz jig with a plastic… Citation Red Drum 52″ 27″ girth comes out to about 48 pounds by IFGA formula. When it hit and started dumping line we thought it was a brown shark. After fighting twenty minutes I got a glimpse and my heart skipped a beat. My other son Ryan and I let him think it was a shark right up until I tackled it!”

Merry Fishmas!

From the crew at Fish Heads… Merry Christmas! Hope all of our readers have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Just a heads up we are closed today but will be back open on normal hours Wednesday December 26th at 7am.

On the fishing front… Kelley and Matt got out on Christmas Eve morning with Captain Tony Pacitti. They got into good fishing putting together a quick boat limit with quality fish in the mix. This year’s striped bass action faded out much earlier than previous years; however, tog fishing is off the charts.With some of the best black fishing our local waters has produced in a number of years, this December is one to remember!

December 26th Update 3pm

Fresh LBI Surf Fishing Report just in from Todd Luyber live from the beach… “Fishing for an hour, I got two bass. The guy next to me is using a real tiny bucktail 3/8 oz. He caught over 20 bass today. His biggest was 31 inches.”

LBI Fishing Report Update – December 21, 2018

LBI Surf Fishing Report Update – December 21, 2018

Some of the Fish Head crew got out on the water aboard the Osprey yesterday. The guys reported it was a slow day compared to the past few weeks. But there was a pick of quality fish. Matt S (@swagmattic) said, “I struggled as did most of the boat. There was not a ton of life or bites.” Patience and perseverance paid off… Some five and six pound tog were caught.

Kelley got a nice fish about 7 pounds that was good enough to take the calcutta cash, photo above. A 10lb 1oz pool fish was caught by Torr Cohen of Beach Haven. This was his first trip aboard the Osprey and he made the jump from jetty jockey to party boat pool winner like a champ,  photo below.

Another double digit tog was caught on a Magictail Tog Jig. Yesterday Greg Sonday fished aboard Paul Heartel’s The Angler. The crew was one fish short of a four man limit. The photo below is Greg with a good tog that ate a green Magictail Tog Jig. It weighed in at 10 pounds even.

Store staffer Nick DeGennaro is home from college for the holidays. He stopped in and gear up for tog and then got out on the water yesterday. He reported, “Went out on the First Lady out of Belmar. We had fun fishing with 22 fish between 8 guys. The jigs out fished rigs.” Photo below.

Surf Fishing Report

It’s been awhile but finally were heard some news off the beach. Remember all of those peanut bunker that were stacked up all summer long. Where did they go? From what we gathered, one day they just disappeared. Could they have all moved out one night? Possibly slid out deep in the water column and then offshore? If you know please fill us in.

We haven’t talked to one angler who saw peanuts flowing on the beach this fall until now. Well flowing would be an exaggeration but seeing peanuts and catching striped bass on them is good enough! Yesterday, I had the pleasure of speaking to Shell E. Caris about his time fishing the Tsunami Salt X Spinning Reel this fall. While chatting he shared the info about a few peanut bunker and a few striped bass. Maybe they will head down to our beaches. Maybe they will not.  Time will tell.

LBI Fishing Report Update – December 14, 2018

LBI Fishing Report Update December 14, 2018

Recent mild weather has allowed those with fishing on the brain to get out and enjoy.

The surf fishing reports are becoming few and far between. Today we got word from two anglers. One, Rick mentioned a dead beach. He tried but didn’t find anything. Two, Dan found some fishing this afternoon. He reported at 2:15PM, “Check my story, I’m smoking them on bucktails on the north end surf! There’s tons of whitewater and I’m getting them good.”

The tog fishing continues with solid fishing on the inshore grounds. Today the morning’s conditions were sloppy. Most boats cancelled. Reports from mid and early week were strong.

Dante at Magictail Lures was out and reported the tog bite is on fire! He said, “Now’s the time for that hog we are all looking for. Tog Jigs have become a staple of the fishery over the past couple of years. They’ve helped me land ten double digit tog in the past two fall seasons. If you are heading out stop by Fish Heads and gear up. You will be happy!”

Paul Haertel reported, “None off my friends could go today so I went solo. I had my best day black fishing of the fall. The two biggest were 7.2 and 9.67 pound.”

Keep Warm When Winter Fishing NJ

Keep Warm When Winter Fishing NJ

by Matt Sorrentino, (@swagmattic)

There’s no doubt, it takes a special breed to be eager for fishing in the cold. However, for those that are dedicated to fishing the rewards are often bountiful. Striped bass, Blackfish, Jumbo Sea Bass, Cod and plenty of other species are waiting for courageous anglers in the winter. 

Keeping warm is easy…  Layer up folks! 

Your parents were right! Although your dad still looks goofy in those old white long johns, the old adage remains true… Layer Up! Be sure to lean heavily on that wisdom in the colder months.

Start with a moisture wicking base layers. Ditch the old cotton waffle thermals for performance fabric underwear like the Grundies Long Sleeve Shirt and Grundies Pants. These are a best seller go to choice! Another great option is Guy Cotten’s Denali Pant and Denali Crew Shirt.

Then a mid layer is key to warmth via insulation. The Guy Cotten Polar Pants and the Arctic Hoodie are impossible to beat!

These two layers are worthless without an outer shell that is waterproof and windproof because staying dry is the real challenge. Frigid winds and sea spray can easily turn an epic day of fishing into a horrid nightmare.  Your shell is something that you do not want to cheap out on.  

More than once, I found myself fishing in wind, rain and snow! It was cold, but because I prepared and dressed appropriately I was warm enough to stay at the rail and keep on fishing.

Here’s what I use to keep dry and warm winter fishing in New Jersey.

We’ll start from the feet and work our way up. 

My feet are warm and dry thanks to my Xtratuf Tall Insulated Boots.  Designed for commercial fishing in Alaska, they’re flexible, warm and comfortable for an all day, everyday wear. 

Grundens… Seriously… You do not own a pair of Grundens Bibs?  Eat fish, Wear Grundens.  It’s an actual rule.  There are plenty of bibs options and anyone will make your day much better.  Bib pants (sometimes called waterproof overalls or  slicker plants) block the wind, they are waterproof so stay dry. When you take them off at the end of the day, you are clean and don’t smell. The Grundens Hercules Bib Pants are a  classic choice but I wear the Grundens Neptune Bib Pant. They are durable, lightweight, have a little bit of stretch for comfort and they are only $69.99. The cargo pocket and interior chest pocket are also very helpful. 

I finish my top layer with a Stormr Strykr Series Jacket.  They are heavy but nothing offers the warmth of a Stormr neoprene jacket. It’s a fantastic choice that you’ll appreciate in the early spring and late fall/winter. The company might not be the best at spelling, but they’re experts in keeping you warm and dry! Knowing some are allergic to neoprene another great choice is the Grundens Balder Jacket or the fleece lined Grundens Neptune Thermo Pullover.

When it comes to gloves, it’s more of a different strokes for different folks kind of thing.  There are plenty of gloves that will keep you warm. Some like ultimate warmth and the easy on and easy off of waterproof Atlas Freezer Gloves. These are great when you need to keep your hands dry but they are difficult to fish with. When fishing, I can’t lose “touch” with the line. Maintaining that “feel” is key for me.  So I go with a flip-mitt glove like the Glacier Glove Cold River Flip Mitts. I also like the Glacier Stripper/Fighting Glove fingerless glove but a whole you’ll need a lot of hand warmers in your pockets.

Don’t forget the sunscreen either folks.. that sun can still do some damage in December! I hope this helps you stay warm! Good luck fishing.