In late January and early February, trophy blackfish of 10 to 20 pounds will be holing up a bit deeper in the 80-120 ft range along the DelMarVa coast.

Some truly titanic blackfish show up in late January and early February as the bite slides south off of south Jersey, through Delaware and into Virginia. Trophy blackfish of 10 to 20 pounds will be holing up a bit deeper in the 80 to 120 foot range now along the DelMarVa coast. Rod and reel gear requires serious backbone.

A 7 to 7-1/2 foot rod, rated for heavy action is recommended. I use a Lamiglas 7040 CT, Fin-Nor Tidal FNTC61040, and have tried out the Maxel OMGC 701-4080 OceanMax Gold Conventional Rod, all which have worked well to turn a tog’s head. Reels need to be sturdy and powerful. Go with an Avet SX 5.3 G2 or Shimano Torium 20. Spool with 50 to 65-pound braided Power Pro line, Albright knot at a 10 foot section of 50 to 60-pound monofilament leader, then tie an overhand loop to loop on a 6 to 12-ounce bank sinker, heavy enough to quickly get to the bottom, but light enough to feel the subtle bites. About 8 inches above the sinker, loop on one snelled 5/0 Gamakatsu or Owner Octopus hook, the snell just long enough to rest the hook on the bottom. If you choose, you may also tie a small dropper loop 8 inches up and loop on a two-hook snafu rig for hookset insurance.

For bait, white legger crabs reign supreme. Serve the crab baits up a la carte; either cut a large monster crab in half to use, bigger can be better, but don’t be afraid to go with one small one, cracked shell, legs off. Large tog tend to pick up the entire rig, you will feel like your sinker just disappeared as it comes off the bottom as the weight alleviates, signaling the big tog has grabbed it and has started to run off. Fighting trophy tog requires patience and muscle. Its of paramount importance to turn a blackfish’s head and pull it off the wreck before it dives back down to cut you off in the structure, much like a large grouper or snapper. Keep your rod tip high and reel as fast as you can to winch him off the structure, keeping in mind your drag should be almost locked down. Once you get blackfish above the wreck, expect three or four more dives back down, reel up slow and steady through the water column and have the net man ready for the scoop. Last year during this time period, a few 20-pound plus whitechinners came up. Time to catch your Moby Blackfish!