cleaning tip...
A friend told me about this and it REALLY WORKS!

Generally, most times I clean the catch right after I return and sometimes this results in blood stained fillets, yes you can bleed them but still they stain, and to get the blood off you need to overly rise them something I don't care to do...further the fish fillets are not that firm and it makes for more difficult handling when cleaning.
A better way and as it turns out even tastier way is to "chill the meat on the bone"... pack the entire catch real well in ice, let sit overnight clean the next day. The fillets are firmer well chilled and no blood stain. Further they seem to even taste better . I tried this and it works out great.

Sandman, I get the same results just tossing them in the fridge overnight. The blood congeals. Works for bass and cod too.

Never bothered with blackfish, but I usually do that w/ bass.
Gut them at night, bury in Ice and clean the next afternoon.
Much cleaner, whiter fillet!

I'll have to try that, usually we just soak the fillets in a bucket of saltwater as we are cleaning them and that seems to remove a lot of the blood but not all.

I find when I bleed the fish, gut it, and ice it overnight I get the absolute best results. I don't always do it this way, but when I do, it's fantastic.

When does the tog bite usually start up again? Late April? I'm definitely going to have to put the boat in earlier and try this spring.

I am never seem to get in the water early enough to know how the bite is in the early spring, my guess would be good. I can tell you that I have done well during the last week of may into the 1st 2 weeks of June.

We've done very well in Late April/Early May the last few years, Mike.

Just watch where you are fishing, and when.
RI: 15 April to 31 May, 3 fish. June closed

Awesome I'm definitely going to try to get out on the sound in late April

The face only a mother could love
 

The fish, not me.
12.0

Way to go.... that's a beauty!!!

I see visions of an oiled baking dish and 2 nice big fillets, seasoned to perfection and surrounded by gobs of crab meat stuffing.

I just made myself very hungry.

look for the first dandelions