Capt. Mike’s Guide to Productive Early Season Albie Recons

Capt. Mike’s Guide to Productive Early Season Albie Recons Salty Cape  ·  Early Season  ·  Recon Capt. Mike’s Guide toProductive Early Season Albie Recons A tactical protocol for f...

Crack The Code: Outer Cape Bluefin Tuna Casting

Bluefin Tuna  ·  Offshore — Outer Cape Backside  ·  Late Fall Cracking the Code Capt. Mike Hogan & John Burns  ·  Salty Cape TV powered by Hogy Location Outer Cape Backside (Peaked Hil...

Crack The Code: Late Summer Bluefin Casting

Bluefin Tuna  ·  Offshore — The Star  ·  Late Summer Cracking the Code Capt. Mike Hogan, Willy Goldsmith & Capt. Shaun Ruge  ·  Salty Cape TV powered by Hogy Location The Star (South o...

Crack The Code: East Of Chatham Tuna Trolling Spread

Bluefin Tuna  ·  Crab Ledge, East of Chatham  ·  Summer Cracking the Code Capt. Mike Hogan  ·  Salty Cape TV powered by Hogy Location Crab Ledge — East...

Crack The Code: Topwater Striper Handkerchief Shoal

Cracking the Code: The Franken Popper at Handkerchief Shoal Striped Bass  ·  Handkerchief Shoal  ·  Early Summer Cracking the Code Capt. Mike Hogan  ·  Salty Cape TV powered by H...

Crack The Code: Micro Squid Rips Finicky Stripers

Cracking the Code: Four Retrieves on One Cast — Surface Eraser vs. Finicky Monomoy Stripers Striped Bass  ·  Monomoy Rips  ·  Mid-June Cracking the Code Capt. Mike Hogan &...

Fall Groundfish Tackle & Jig Loadout | Hogy Lures

Build a streamlined fall groundfish tackle crate for black sea bass, scup and tautog. Capt. Mike shares his three essential jig pouches, backup gear, tools and how his loadout changes throughout th...

Gear Deep Dive: Hogy Deep Drop Swordfish Eel

Gear Deep Dive: Hogy Perfect Sword Eel — The Eel That Would Not Die Salty Cape  ·  Gear Deep Dive  ·  Limited Relaunch Offshore Deep Drop  ·  Daytime Swordfish Hogy Perfect Sword ...

Gear Deep Dive: Pocket Splash Bird Bar

Salty Cape  ·  Gear Deep Dive Offshore Bird Bar  ·  Spreader Bar System Hogy 18″ Pocket Splash Bar Compact. Versatile. Always in the Water. The Foundation of the Hogy Trolling Spread — and the...

Introducing the Franken Popper

Every once in a while, an idea comes along that flips the script. For us, that moment was back in January, when we asked a bold question: What if we didn’t design our next lure alone? What if we l...

When to use a Slider vs. SP-Style Plug

SP-style swimmers are reliable, no doubt. They’re a top pick when fish are actively chasing slim bait up top. They track well at a steady pace, cover water efficiently, and are often the first plug...

Comparing the Hogy Slowtail vs. Hogy Protail Paddle: When and Why to Use Each

Comparing the Hogy Slowtail vs. Hogy Protail Paddle: When and Why to Use Each Lure Comparison Series  ·  Swimbait Selection Slowtail vs. Protail Paddle Capt. Michael Hogan  ·...

Performance of 1 vs 2 Hooks On Plugs

First, let’s decompose (one) hook vs (two) hooks in performance terms: One Hook Pros: Efficiency: Easier and faster to release fish, thereby increasing lure time in the water. Improved Action: ...

Hook Influence on Lure Action

Weight and Balance:  Hook size can affect the weight and balance of a lure, potentially altering its action. Larger hooks might weigh down a lure, changing its swimming pattern, while smaller hook...

Hook Types: J Hooks vs. Treble Hooks

J Hooks: When choosing J hooks for your lures, it's crucial to understand the various types of J hooks and how their orientation can impact the lure's performance. Here’s a detailed guide that in...

Capt. Mike's Inshore Tackle Crate & Load Out

  Capt. Mike’s Inshore Tackle Crate & Load Out Hey folks, Captain Mike here. This is my distillation of my personal approach to inshore fishing where I live by the mantra "Fish Smart. Fish Simp...

Capt. Mike's Offshore Tackle Crate & Load Out

  Hey folks, Captain Mike here. This is my distillation of my personal approach to tuna fishing where I live by the mantra "Fish Smart. Fish Simple." By this, I mean a system-driven approach that i...

How to Catch Tautog with Crab & Biki Jigs | Hogy Lures

Learn how to catch tautog by pairing a green crab with a Hogy Groundfish Biki Jig. This guide covers precise anchoring, bait preparation, patient presentation, hooksets and tackle for fishing rocky...

How to Catch Sea Bass at Slack Tide | Hogy Lures

Learn how to catch black sea bass during slack tide with a Hogy Groundfish Biki Jig. Capt. Mike explains how to fish shallow boulders, plan short drifts and work the jig effectively without bait.

Deep-Water Sea Bass Contour Drifting Guide | Hogy Lures

Learn how to target black sea bass in 100 feet of water by drifting productive contours with a heavy Squinnow Jig. This guide covers reading bottom, controlling line angle, working the jig and repe...

How to Jig Sea Bass on Deep Wrecks & Boulders | Hogy Lures

Learn how to catch black sea bass on deep boulder fields and wrecks with the Hogy Squinnow Jig. This guide covers reading structure, planning drifts, maintaining bottom contact, varying retrieves a...

Top 10 Fall Black Sea Bass Fishing Tips | Hogy Lures

Catch more fall black sea bass with Capt. Mike’s top 10 tips for selecting jigs, matching rods, controlling bottom contact, planning productive drifts and adjusting retrieves as conditions change.

Best Albie Rods for Sea Bass & Tautog | Hogy Lures

Discover why Capt. Mike uses the same 7-foot albie rods for sea bass, tautog and scup. Learn how parabolic action improves bottom contact, hooksets and control—and when a dedicated groundfish rod m...

7 Catch-and-Release Tips for Groundfish | Hogy Lures

Help released groundfish survive with seven practical conservation tips. Learn how lure choice, hook style, retrieval speed and careful handling can reduce injury to sea bass, tautog, cod and haddock.

2026 Northeast Groundfish Fishing Regulations | Hogy Lures

Review fall 2026 recreational groundfish regulations from Maine to New Jersey, including seasons, size limits and possession limits for black sea bass, tautog, scup, fluke, cod, haddock and more.  

Five Ways To Keep Big Stripers Alive

Salty Tips: Catch and Release Big Striped Bass — 5 Best Practices Salty Tips  ·  Catch & Release Five Ways to Keep Big Stripers Alive Capt. Mike Hogan & Capt. Rob Low...

Design Considerations For Single Hook Plugs

We (as an industry and anglers collectively) are receiving new data indicating how damaging two hooks can be on a lure for catch and release fishing. As a result, we’re making big changes in on th...

Conservation and Safety Factors with Plugs

A Deep Look at Hooks and Survival Rates of Striped Bass: Here at Hogy and Salty Cape, we have been thinking about the ways we can better contribute to conservation of these awesome fish we chase e...

The Hogy Citizen Science Albie Study

Thank you for checking out the Hogy Citizen Science Albie Study! We are proud to partner with Got One! – the hot new fish logging App – to learn from a dedicated “crowd” of Albie anglers (you!) on ...

When Are Eel Tail Softbaits the “Go To”?

Eel tail softbaits are versatile and highly effective lures that can outperform other types, such as paddle tails, in specific fishing scenarios. Their lifelike, sinuous action and durability make ...

Q & A: Reverse Style Footer Guide On Tuna Casting Rods

Q: I just took delivery of a Hogy Tuna Spinning Rod. It appears one of the guides is backwards? A: Reverse Footer Guide System: Some tuna rods feature a “backwards” first guide, with the guide faci...

Black Seabass: Buzzards Bay Rock Piles

Cracking the Code: Simple Sea Bass — Three Methods, One Heavy Minnow Black Sea Bass  ·  Buzzards Bay Rock Piles Cracking the Code Capt. Mike Hogan & George Fearons  ·  Sa...