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Cold water finally clicked the “on” switch, and we leaned all the way into it: a full tautog system that works from New Jersey reefs to Rhode Island boulder fields. We brought Frank Mahalik on to open the tackle bag and the playbook—how to lock your drag without popping fish, why a mono top shot turns a broomstick into a shock absorber, and the exact V-rig that puts a whole white crab in the strike zone without helicoptering in heavy current. If you’ve ever wondered whether weight spooks fish, you’ll love the segment on fishing a true slack line with a 10 oz sinker so the bait sits and the tog can move it like a fluke drift.

We get specific about hooks because that’s where heartbreak lives. Heavy-wire, short-shank cutting points—think Owner octopus and the promising SaltX and Z Blade styles—pair with a Century Pro Togger and a star drag you can crank to “murder.” That combo wins the first 20 feet, holds fish off the wreck, and ends fights fast. We talk jigging in shallow, oxygen-rich water where nine-pounders pull like teens, why Rhode Island barnacles demand 60 to 80 lb leaders, and when to swap to a single-hook, small-crab rig to beat ripping current. Add the red sinker trick to cut dogfish and protect your next legit bite.

Bait logic stays simple and honest: whites offshore, greens inshore, hermits only if you love a single tick and a reload. We wrap with two pillars that matter just as much as your knots: cold-water safety—dry suits save lives—and conservation that’s easy to follow. We keep males under seven pounds, release big females after a calm livewell ride, and respect the fishery we love. Come for the gear talk, stay for the mindset: fish like a system, not a guess, and surround yourself with anglers who make you better.

If this helped you dial in your next tog trip, follow the show, share it with a fishing buddy, and drop a review telling us your go-to crab and hook combo.

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