EP 51: Why Some Anglers Catch More When They Say Less with Chell Baybay

Cold air, numb hands, and a white crab that changed everything. That’s the scene Chell Baybay paints as she walks us through the drop, the thump, and the surge that sealed her first double-digit tautog—a moment that turned a late-start angler into a fixture on New Jersey head boats.

We dig into why tog fishing hooks so deep: the fight starts at the bite, and winning is all timing, patience, and feel. Shell breaks down the quiet focus she brings to crowded rails, how she reads taps without overreacting, and why stillness beats motion when you shift from summer fluke to winter wrecks. If you’ve ever struggled to switch gears seasonally, her approach offers a clean reset.

Then we get practical. Shell’s setup is brutally simple—low-profile reel, strong bottom stick, 40–50 lb braid, and a Belmar slider rig—so the work goes into reading current and controlling scope, not chasing gear. We compare jigs and rigs honestly: jigs shine shallow and in backwaters when you can stay vertical; rigs dominate offshore head boats where depth and drift punish light presentations. We cover bait strategy with green crabs and white-leggers, when to use halves or whole, how to crack shells for scent, and why subtle colors and dark silhouettes often outperform flashy paints that invite dogfish.

This one also stretches beyond tog. Scotty shares the guiding mindset that keeps anglers in the game when conditions blow out, plus the sheep’s head lessons that translate to better timing and lighter hands. Most of all, we come back to the memory fish—the one that locks in every detail and keeps you grinding through cold fronts and tough tides. For any angler chasing tautog, winter wreck fishing, or just more consistent results on party boats, this conversation delivers tactics you can use on your very next drop.

If you enjoyed this, follow the show, share it with a fishing buddy, and leave a quick review—your support helps us bring on more sharp voices like Chell’s. What’s your confidence setup for winter tog?

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Chapters

• 0:00 Cold Open: The Fishing Bug Hits
• 0:18 Welcome And Tonight’s Game Plan
• 2:15 Sponsors And Housekeeping
• 4:23 Scotty’s Blown Forecast And Big Bass
• 8:43 Meet Shell Bebe: From VA Trips To Head Boats
• 12:10 Focus Over Chatter: How Shell Fishes
• 16:32 Women On The Rail: Respect And Results
• 22:45 Why Tog Hooks You: Fight Over Hunt
• 27:40 Gear Without Hype: Shell’s Simple Setup
• 31:36 Jigs Versus Rigs: When Each Wins
• 37:24 Bait Choices And Crab Tactics
• 41:35 Sheephead Moments And Mindset
• 47:30 The Memory Fish: First Double-Digit Tog
• 52:24 Upcoming Trips And Closing Notes

Transcript

Chell Baybay: 0:00

I just wanted to keep catching more top. Like it was, I think after that, there was just like more, more, more. Like I my addiction just like skyrocketed from there.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 0:18

Hello and welcome back to the Fat Dad Fishing Show. I'm your host, Rich Natoli, and we're gonna have a fun one tonight. We have somebody on tonight that has never been on this channel, and as far as I know, she hasn't been on anywhere. But if you fish anywhere in New Jersey, saltwater, and especially if you hit any of the party goatina host she is, we have Shell Bebe coming on. We have Captain Scotty Sevens who's going to be the guest co-host tonight. But before we jump into that, oh, and by the way, the topic is pretty much what Shell does when she's on the water, and it's just catching things that swim. So there's not a specific topic. We're not talking specifically fall fishing, we're not talking striped bass or tog. We're talking anything. Anything and everything that comes up. Uh yeah, so I'm I'm looking forward to this one. Um, I was I was talking to Scotty and Shell in the in the in the backstage a moment ago, and when we had the fat dad trip for Tog a couple years ago, we weren't catching anything. I think it's actually John Creele who said, you know, if Shell was here, she'd probably be catching them all and make us look even worse as a boat. And and that's true. You hear Shell's name a lot on these boats. So she's gonna be coming on, and we're gonna be talking a little bit about her style of fishing, everything and I've seen walleye all the way out to nice fluke. You saw the thumbnail. But before we jump into that, a couple of things, a little bit of the housekeeping. The first thing is if this is your first time here, uh, would love to get a follow, get a like if you're on YouTube, if you're listening to the podcast, a review on whatever site, and please share it out to anyone that you think would be interested. The podcast is actually growing pretty fast right now, and uh, let's keep the momentum going. Um, it really helps to get more and more guests on. So share it out, and uh everything you've done so far is greatly appreciated. Let's talk about our sponsors. We have great day outfitters on Radio Road in Tuckerton, New Jersey. Anything that you need kayak fishing related, whether it's freshwater or saltwater, old town, natives, anything he uh man, they've got stuff on consignment too. And Paul loves to mess around with the motors like the garment force. So if you're thinking about tricking out your uh your sled there, you might want to reach out to Great Bay Outfitters and see what Paul can do because he just gets excited when he can do those things, add on some new electronics, motor. There, he's he's churning out machines from that shop. So check them out. Quad state tune, Kevin Driscoll is your guy. If you have a Toyota truck, so you look at it's basically all models. So you look at the Forerunner, the Tundra, even the Lexus 460 and 470, the Tacoma, the third gen with the gear hunting issues. If you get this tune, it will actually make the truck and the truck or the SUV shift a lot smoother, better torque, better horsepower, better mileage, and we could all use that. If you're towing a truck and you have a Toyota, you should really be reaching out to him. So 4463-5975. And the last sponsor is me, your trusty, rusty real estate agent in southeastern Pennsylvania. If you're looking for it's primary residential, so if you're looking for anyone to help you buy, sell, invest, give me a call. Number is 267-270-1145, or if you want to go to the websites, RichardNatoli.com. If you don't know how to spell my name, it's right underneath my face on the screen. So, with that, we're gonna pull on first Scotty. Welcome back, Scotty. Good to see you, man.

Capt. Scotty Sevins: 4:01

Good to be back so soon again.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 4:04

Yeah, and you gotta lift up what you got there.

Capt. Scotty Sevins: 4:07

You got your co co-co-host, hasn't made her fat dad appearance in a while.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 4:13

Yeah, well, she had the purple tail last time.

Capt. Scotty Sevins: 4:16

Yeah, she still does, she still does, but it needs to be redone again.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 4:20

Okay, good to see you, Starler. Good to see you, Scotty.

Capt. Scotty Sevins: 4:24

See you too, Rich.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 4:26

Yeah, so so Scotty's gonna be coming on you know not every show, but more regularly. We just have fun when we're hanging out and talking fishing. So we decided why not do it a little bit more often instead of waiting for special events and all that stuff. So we're gonna do our best. Now, Scotty is not like in the co-host role, so he is not the one who's responsible for monitoring chat. That's still me. So I'm gonna tell you right now, I'll do my best. We'll try to get the questions in throughout this entire episode. But if we miss them, that's on me. It's not on Scotty. Uh, so you can you can yell at me. We should say hi to some of the folks that are in the chat right now. And you think with these glasses on, I could read it. So, what do we have? SD0753, James Flynn. James, for the first time in a long time, you weren't the first one into the chat. Scotty's in there, I'm in there. I can't even read these. This resolution is terrible. Mr. I can't I can't read it, it's all blurred. And then we got a few others in there. My brother is in there, I'm in there, and uh, we've got a whole bunch watching that have not chatted at this at this point. Peter is in there, basic Dave. Good to see you out there. Yeah, Scotty. So we're we're into the the fall. The weather forecasts suck uh as far as the ability to forecast, and you ran into that today.

Capt. Scotty Sevins: 5:54

Yeah, oh yeah. Today was like uh completely blown forecast, you know, the forecasted 10 knots of wind, two feet, eight seconds. You get out there, and they're four to fives by about six or seven seconds, so and blowing north-northeast. I was the smallest boat out there for most of most of like the day, and just got your teeth kicked in, you know what I mean? But it was worth it, and that's all that matters.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 6:24

That's what I was gonna say. But did you get on anything?

Capt. Scotty Sevins: 6:26

Uh uh oh, yeah, absolutely. Yeah, we got we got eight baths or so, and I would say between 42 or 43, all the way up to 47 and a half, and that's when the tape measure blew off the boat. Um and we got some bigger ones after that where we had a mark the rod. So I I I I I don't know where they're gonna land, but but yeah, there were there was there was some monster bass out there this morning. Bite shut down around 10 a.m. though, which is kind of sort of typical.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 7:04

Yeah, yeah. Well, it hey, at least you're out there getting um the forecast for this week, at least in the mid-Atlantic for most of the mid-Atlantic, it looks like crap. Yeah, so I actually so I was thinking of fishing tomorrow. I'm actually going to be in New Jersey for a settlement of a property, and I was gonna bring my stuff and just do some land-based fit. Well, first I was gonna bring the kayak. I was like, I'm not gonna do it, it's just gonna be too much. Then I was like, all right, well, I'll just bring some land-based stuff. I'm like, uh, I don't even know if I feel like doing that. So I I may just be going down and heading right back.

Capt. Scotty Sevins: 7:36

Although I'll be heading back with with a check, but yeah, I it's it's just that time of year where you just gotta pick the days and you do, you you do, and and and like you you know as well as I do, there's some places you can hide from the wind, depending on the wind direction, and there's just some wind directions, especially in the back bay here, where you just can't hide from at all, you know what I mean? And and the run to get to where the hidden places are, uh, is just it's just not even worth it. So, yeah, this is going to be a really tough week.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 8:13

Yeah, I figure I'll wait until maybe maybe this weekend I'll I'll head down. If I do, it'll be Sunday. I've got it, I've got an not an appointment. I have a social appointment on Saturday, my mother-in-law's birthday. So we're going out for a family lunch down in Delaware. But you know, anytime I anytime I go that distance, I'm like, can I get away with bringing a rod? But there's no way I'm gonna get away with that. So not gonna happen. So maybe it'll be Sunday. We'll see. But hey, I don't want to, I don't want to go too long because we have Shell here, and let's get her on. Shell, if whether you're ready or not, you're coming on stage. Here we go. Yep. Welcome to the stream.

Capt. Scotty Sevins: 8:55

What's up, baby? Hi guys. What's up, Shell? Hi.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 9:01

So this is this is I I love having people on for the first time to the so with this. I don't know how familiar you are with this podcast and live stream. We do a lot of repeat guests because it's not like the approach that a lot of them have, which is just get as many different people as possible to appeal to as many different people as possible and try to, you know, kind of build up your numbers and everything. We're more about let's just find people that like to talk fishing, that have something to say, have a unique perspective or unique personality, and let's just talk fishing. And you know, they'll be participating with us in the chat. And you know, as I mentioned before, your name always comes up, and I've never met you. There was one time uh that I heard that you were gonna be on the trip that I was on, and you weren't. I think Kristen said that you were thinking about going, Kristen McKinsey so Philly Fisher Girl or Fisher Girl.

Chell Baybay: 9:55

Oh, no, Osprey.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 9:57

I think it was the Osprey. Okay, and she was hoping that you were gonna go, but you did. I think it was with Kristen, and she said that you weren't able to make it. So I've never met the elusive shell until now. So welcome, welcome aboard. It's good to see you.

Chell Baybay: 10:12

Thanks. Good to see you guys. Um I don't go ahead.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 10:16

I I was just gonna say, so we promised it wouldn't be like a hard interview, it's just gonna be talking fishing. So, do you want to tell a little bit about yourself or do you just want to jump into talk fishing?

Chell Baybay: 10:28

I'll just talk about how I start. I mean, I started maybe only five years ago, yeah, fishing. So before I mean, I've always wanted to go fishing, and I never knew there were boats out there that that go like these charts, these head boats out there in these private charters. But I work at the Veterans Hospital, I'm a veteran, and there was this group of veterans that always go fishing throughout the year. And if they had spots open, they would, you know, they would send me an invite, or they would, you know, ask if they had a spot open, they would, you know, invite me on. So I would go every once in a blue moon with them. And then I think someone said, you know, you can go on these boats without waiting for us. There's boats out there. So I think the first boat that I tried by myself was Queen Mary for stripers. And and someone mentioned to me, Oh, you know, you should try Jamaica too if you want to, you know, go fishing. Like, you know, they go, you know, they go out for the like different like sea bass or whatever. So I think I went on group on and I just I went and I went for like the half day. And I was like, oh, this is kind of fun, you know, and then I went for the second half, and then then I came back the following weekend. And then I think someone mentioned to me, Oh, are you gonna come into wintertime? I was like, Oh, they fish in the cold, and they were like, Yeah, they go all year round. I was like, Oh my god. So I was like, I think I just went like for a full year, like just whatever they were fishing for, I just did it. And um, I have good friends with like one of my best friends, Chris, they had age on 22, and he's taught me everything about, I mean, everything for fishing for small. So everything I know and that I've caught is because of what he showed me. But I don't have anything, I don't there's like a lot of people with special rods, and this, I just I told him this is my budget. I don't want to spend any more than this because I'm not trying to be a professional, I just want to be out here.

Speaker 2: 12:30

Right.

Chell Baybay: 12:30

I mean, even when I'm not catching fish, I'm happy just to be out on the ocean. Like, I mean, it's a added bonus when I'm actually when when I catch a fish, but when I'm out there, like literally on the ride home, I'm sitting like on the front of the boat and just looking at the ocean. So just being out there is the number one for me. And number two is catching the fish.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 12:53

Yeah, it kind of I I can I can relate to that. To me, it's about being out on the water. It's not so look, there was a time where it was all about catch as many fish as possible, then it was catch the biggest fish possible, and then it's catch as many of the biggest fish as possible. And now it's just I just want to be on the water, you know, it's it's that experience. But I will say also that your reputation is that you don't go without fish very often, like you're one of those fishy people.

Chell Baybay: 13:19

Yeah, yeah. I mean, I literally will, I mean, people that have fished with me and fish with me a lot. When I get on the boat, once that corn is honking or whenever we're ready to drop lines, I'm literally not, I won't talk to anybody. And I think I've been on like private charters where I'll fill a spot and I won't know anybody on the boat, which again is fine with me because I'm out on the boat and I'm just fishing. And I think you know, some people take it we're antisocial. It's not that, it's just I came on the boat to fish. And I mean, if I talk to people in between when we're going from spot to spot, but once we stop, I'm I'm literally on that boat just to fish. And and it's really not to socialize, it's really just to fish, actually. And just to be and just to enjoy the ocean. I mean, I'll speak to people, but I mean, my main focus is like just being on the water and catching usually when I'm on a private charter, it's for something specific and it's mainly talk. So when I'm there to talk, I'm I'm talking. I just want to talk, and and that's it.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 14:29

All right. So let's so okay, so here we are on screen. We have Scotty in the middle, you're on the side, I'm on the other side. So you go out on the water and you don't talk aloud, but you go out with with Scotty, yeah. So Scotty, so so how does that work? Because I imagine that you're talking a lot when you have a client on the boat. You're talking to yourself a lot, or no, or are you just focused dialed in on the fish at that time, too?

Capt. Scotty Sevins: 14:54

I'm I'm always super hyper focused on the task at hand and like I'm in the zone, but I also do like to socialize. You you know what I mean? Like, I love talking to people because to me, especially being a guide, the most important thing is whether it's a good day or a bad day, the people just have fun, you know? And people, people and and and I make posts about this all the time, that like people, especially like that come out with family or come out with their their dad or their son, like they're they're out there trying to make memories, you know, and I I take I take making those memories very, very seriously. So because that's what my dad did for me, you know what I mean? So so I when when I have people on the boat, like it's just it's just super important to to just make sure, I don't know, regardless, that everyone has a good time. But I I'll tell I'll tell you this. So I was and I got I gotta tell you, I I literally even this year, I I went into almost every trip, even in the beginning of this year, most of this year, thinking I can't do this. You know what I mean? I I can't do it. I I I like I can't make this happen. And I would have to boost myself up to get myself, you know, like believing that I could get it done. And and somehow I would go out and get it done. But you you meet a lot of people, I'll say, doing this. And I've met uh a lot of amazing people, and I'll say that as soon as, and sometimes I'm like intimidated by like most of the people that come out at first, you know what I mean? And especially the guys like and well, well, I say say people that fish up north, you know what I mean? And they're used to catching like big fish, like like big tog, like I get a lot of tog guys, and as soon as Eddie and Chell walked down the dock, it was like boom, instant connection. I was like, okay, this like they they got the vibe, they got the energy, and and uh it's it was you you don't always get that like with with everybody. I mean, I I I do bond and and vibe with most anybody, but man, it was it was like it was just so refreshing. And as a guide, I'll just say this my my favorite thing to do as a guide is guide for women because of the fact that women usually I'll say nine out of ten times always outfish the guys, they they understand the processes, they listen, they they focus. Guys just tend to do too much, you know what I mean? They want to wiggle, they move, and and uh women aren't like that. And I'm a huge supporter of women in the fishing community, and I love to see women succeed, especially in a male-dominated sport such as this. So yeah, so I I'm a huge supporter of that. That's why I wanted to bring Chell on, because you know, I I feel like we don't have we we have a lot of men on a lot of different podcasts, but you know what? There's a lot of kick-ass women fishermen out there and women anglers that really deserve the recognition, and you can really learn a lot from. And Chell was one of those people, you know what I mean? She she she kind of like stays like out of the limelight, you know what I mean? But I feel like she really deserved, you know, for people, more people to to get to know her.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 19:11

Yeah. Well, let me ask you, Shell. So to that point, there's definitely, I mean, there's no question, I don't know the stats, but there's no question that there are you know exponentially more men fishing than women. Have you noticed, like, is like, do you run into difficulties with that? I I've heard from some people, uh Heaven and L as an example, that there's you know, she's run into some pretty piece of crap people in her time. And it was because she's fishing as a woman. Have you run into anything like that yourself?

Chell Baybay: 19:45

I mean, yeah, there's I I know men are bothered when you're fishing. I mean, not most, I'm saying most men, not all men, but when I'm fishing next time, if I don't know them and they don't know me, you know, I'm pretty sure they look at me and they're just like, oh, she doesn't catch any fish. But once I start catching fish, I think they're a little bothered, and I think it throws them off so they don't fish as well. Because there's times I mean, I was just telling Scotty that you know, I catch the pool fish a couple times, and you know, people always have excuses that you know, I mean, this last one was ridiculous that I had a live well on the boat, like that I I brought on I brought on the fish and it was in my cooler, but then that didn't work, and then he said that I had a live well on the boat, on a head boat, like I dragged this live well and stuck it somewhere imaginary on this head boat, brought this fish on and just kept it alive somewhere out of everybody's out of so no one can see it.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 20:52

Okay, so let me just say real quick, that is hilarious. I love that, even though it must have sucked for you at the time. I yeah, people like that just they make me feel so much better about myself that you can actually say that out loud, yeah, and and come up with that argument. You got outfished. I I've looked I've been outfished by women many times. I honestly I don't think there's really any difference. I can point to people that have outfished me that are men and women, but it's interesting that your your perception is that a lot of men, maybe even most men, don't like it when you're outfishing them.

Chell Baybay: 21:31

Um I don't think I mean that's my impression. It's not all the time and and not on every boat. I mean, I could say on certain boats and that it bothers. I I mean that I felt that, but I don't think it really bothers me that much. Yeah, I mean, you can I can feel it, but I it I nothing really bothers me when I'm out there. I don't let anything bother me because I mean their opinion of me is really not gonna matter because I'm just out on the boat to fish. Yeah.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 22:00

So I I'm gonna just throw this. Maybe I don't know, but I would think that it's not most men, but that it it I'm look, I know that it's a healthy amount, but I would say it's probably not most because I I don't know that I fish with anyone who doesn't maybe it's just who I'm surrounded with, right? Because like people ask for like the women guests on, like they ask for for L. They ask for Kayla to come back on, Kayla Hale. Kristen has been on. I see Nick Devereaux in the chat. It's funny. It's so the funniest thing was Kristen trying to be quiet on a on a charter that we went on, and Nick trying going toe to toe with her to see who could outfish who. I think Nick actually, I think Nick pulled it out at the very end, but it was it was hilarious. I I caught one fish the whole day, by the way. I was I was very I was outfished like crazy by Kristen and and she wouldn't let me mean mug her place. I was like coming up next to where she's like, uh-uh.

Chell Baybay: 23:06

I don't know why you didn't go. She she gets right into people's spots. All you have to do is go right next to her. Well, she declares for that.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 23:13

Yeah, she declared it. She's like, Oh, I'm just gonna stand right next to you and put my rod right next. And she starts fishing next to me. I'm like, why? I haven't caught anything. And she just but she does it in such a nice, funny way. And then when I go over, she just looks at me and says, What? And she starts leaning. I'm like, Oh, come on. Yeah, yeah.

Capt. Scotty Sevins: 23:34

No, I I I kind of love I kind of love it though. Like, you know, I see Nick is on right now.

Chell Baybay: 23:39

I'm sorry, Sadi. Nick is on right now.

Capt. Scotty Sevins: 23:42

What's that?

Chell Baybay: 23:44

Nick is on, yeah. He's in the chat right now.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 23:47

He's gotta throw his little jab at Kristen because she's the roller speeds because she she is all over the boat. She is all over the boat, but she's another one, she knows what she's doing.

Capt. Scotty Sevins: 23:57

Oh, yeah. Uh no, I listen, I see it firsthand. I see it with even even young girls, honestly. Like, like one of my best trips this year, like uh a young 16-year-old lady angler, she absolutely crushed it. In fact, at the time, she set the rec, the length record for the biggest of the year. And she literally followed the process to the T and listened to everything. And she produced. They they just they just have that way about them. And like I said, like I I love seeing women succeed, especially in like, like I said, like a like a male-dominated sport like this. And and I like I love it when women catch more fish, bigger fish, and even seeing it on social media, you know, where it makes some some guys uncomfortable. And I love that. I really do.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 25:03

Yeah, I I don't know. I you know, it's one of the sports. I I would popular or not opinion, there there are sports where you have an advantage being a man, obviously. I mean, yeah, there it's you people can get all woke that they want on it, but it's true. It's just true. Fishing is not one of those.

Speaker 2: 25:25

No, I don't think no.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 25:27

I I don't I don't think it's it is at all. I and yeah, I I just don't, I don't know. I just can't I can't relate to it because I look, I don't notice it, but I also don't feel it, so maybe I'm not looking for it. But but but shell, so you had mentioned before tog fishing, you really zero in. Is that your favorite thing to go for?

Chell Baybay: 25:48

It is, it's my absolute it's I'm a I'm addicted to togging. I'm just I it's not that I'm really looking. I I mean I I would love to catch, you know, and keep keep catching a bigger, bigger, bigger fish, but I mean the fight of that and just the it's not like a drop in real fish. So it it it takes it takes you know some type of skill or some to know the bite, because and then you know, some people go from when you go from like fluke season to talking, it's like I I know like the best some of the that I've watched fluke, and they're just so used to moving all the time. So when we're togging, it's just like they cannot absolutely cannot sit still, and it's like you turn around and they're already stuck, and it's like you have to stay still, and you gotta leave. I mean, being stuck is probably the best the best spot to be, right?

Capt. Scotty Sevins: 26:46

So, but they absolutely cannot sit still, a little earlier where most men do too much, you know what I mean? They want to win.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 26:56

Yeah, I'm one of them.

Capt. Scotty Sevins: 26:58

Yeah, I and that you just you you just kind of like confirm that, but it's the truth. It happened. I I see it all the time, I see it every day.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 27:09

I I do that. I mean, I I do have trouble switching from fluke over to talk. I I I typically need a couple of a couple of fish. It doesn't need to be like days, but like I need a couple of good uh sticks, and then and then I get I get back into it. But you know, I've always and I I'd be interested in your opinion on this. So the difference and you catch a lot of fluke too. So the difference to me between the two types of fishing is is this I think fluke fishing is more about uh hunting them and finding the spot, uh and it's almost nothing about the fight because I've caught some really friggin' big flounder and I've never felt risk on the fight, right? So it's okay, maybe they might spit the hook, but it's not like it was a tough fight. Whereas for tog, okay, you're going to a piece and you're just hoping that there's a big a big tog there, yeah, and it's all about the fight because you could hook into a 13-incher and it can bury you in that in that in that piece, or you could hook into a double digit and it's going to bury you in that piece. So it so the action starts not at the hunt, but at the at the bite. Would you agree with that? Or do you think I'm off on that?

Chell Baybay: 28:29

The actual fight, when does it begin? Once he hooks the fish, once he gets hooked.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 28:33

Yeah, but I mean that the like for tog, you're not it's not hunting for the fish necessarily. It's it's more uh the fishing, the fun in the fishing for tog is in the fight. Whereas for me, the fun of fishing for fluke, it's not in the fight because it's the uh it's among the worst fights out there. It's it's on actually finding the fish, right? I mean, tog are gonna be they're gonna be on any piece of structure, right? So you just go just bounce structure to structure. It's not yeah, like I kind of think it's almost luck that you that you hook into a world record. It is for tog. It is not luck that you landed it though. That is pure skill and determination and gear. That is everything, but it's almost luck that you were the one that hooked into it because you're your bait's just sitting there, it's not doing anything. You just happen to drop it right there and let it sit undisturbed for the right amount of time. I don't know, maybe, maybe I'm confusing, but it just seems to me that you know Paul's in there saying he disagrees, he spends months scouting for new pieces.

Capt. Scotty Sevins: 29:37

Yeah, I I guess I I kind of I I kind of tend to agree with Paul. Like, I don't know, like I I have like a lot of northern guys come out, you know, like like even Jerry Pastorino or Alex Lebkeys, you know. And they're they're just amazed at the way we catch tog down here in South Jersey. You know what I mean? And some of the tog fisheries that we have in places that you you would never you would never consider, you know, fishing for tog or catching tog.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 30:24

Okay. Well then then I look, I'm fine being wrong.

Capt. Scotty Sevins: 30:29

I just gotta look at it like like I can look on a chart and I can look like flounder flounder are much, much harder to find, you know what I mean? And dial in that fishery. I'm a horrible flounder fisherman. I will be the first one to admit that.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 30:48

Well, don't admit that because you do flour you do flounder charters and they they always seem to catch.

Capt. Scotty Sevins: 30:53

I I'll I'll say I'll say it's it's the fishery that I am I am the like I have the least amount of knowledge.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 31:04

I you know that's fair. Well, there's gotta be something. Can't be an expert on everything. All right, so Shell, you don't you don't go out and buy all the top end gear, you don't wear gear like you know, fashion accessories like a lot of people do. But what are you using? What what's your setup for let's say you're going out on the osprey on December 7th with all of us?

Chell Baybay: 31:31

I am going. I'm already going.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 31:33

By the way, there's all there's the boat is over halfway filled. There's there's like less than 15 spots left on the entire boat for for that. So anyone who hasn't signed up yet, December 7th, the Osprey, New Jersey, sign up for that. But look, okay, so what's what's your first setup that you're going to use on December 7th when we get out there and we we get tied up?

Chell Baybay: 31:54

I have the same setup that I always use. I have a Dial Alexa, and it's I think it's uh a Terramar. It's okay. It's one that I use for sea bass, Portuguese, and TOG. It's just a bottom fishing rod that I just I that's the only thing I use. There's nothing great about it.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 32:14

Well, but it works. I mean, you've caught how many, how many double digits?

Chell Baybay: 32:18

I think I've caught maybe three or four in Jersey, yeah, and maybe a couple in like Delaware and Maryland.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 32:28

Yeah, I say that because I've caught zero.

Chell Baybay: 32:36

Well, I go out a lot. You would you would think, I mean, people think I work on Jamaica too. That's how many times that's I'm out all the time.

Speaker 2: 32:44

Yeah.

Chell Baybay: 32:44

But I mean, I have a good schedule and I have a lot of vacation time. People think I don't have a job.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 32:52

I want to be like that.

Capt. Scotty Sevins: 32:53

Tell them what your your PB TOG is. 11. Really? Yeah.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 33:01

Yeah, I saw I was looking at some pictures the other day, and there's uh I saw at least two double digits. I was like, yeah, that's not even close to I think my biggest is like nine. And it and it was it, it wasn't even one that like looked like it could be 10. It was like, no, it's not, it's not gonna get there. It was probably like eight and then some ounce, like all like I think it was like eight pounds, 13 ounces or 12 ounces, or something like that. So not even not even close. But you're using a a pretty base, like you said, a pretty basic setup. What what what pound test do you have? I assume you're using braid.

Chell Baybay: 33:35

I'm using braid, I think it's uh 50, 50, and 50. 50 and 40.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 33:41

Okay, so you're heavy on those, and then and what kind of rig are you using?

Chell Baybay: 33:46

If uh the Belmar, the slider rig. Okay, so and usually when I used to go to Rhode Island, I went twice to Rhode Island, and that drive kills me. Yeah, so I'm like, I stopped going there because it I love to tag, but that drive is is I'm I must fell asleep maybe 10 times while I was driving home one time. So I was like, Yeah, I I love talking, but I I can wait. I can just do Jersey talking for right now until you know John from No Limit goes back to Delaware, and then I'll start going over there. But other than that, I I can't, I can't drive to Rhode Island.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 34:26

I you know, I I had uh I was talking to Halkius this summer. He's like, Yeah, you gotta come up. And I'm like, that is such a long drive. Like, I just don't know if I have the stamina to make that drive. And that's not even Rhode Island, you know, that's just long island.

Chell Baybay: 34:39

It's okay. I mean, I I could drive five hours, yeah. But driving through New York is is too much. It's too much for me.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 34:48

You go through New York, then you fish all day, and then you drive all the way back through New York. Uh yeah, that just makes me want to. I can't say it on YouTube to myself.

Speaker 2: 34:58

Yeah, I know I've been there.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 35:00

Uh yeah, that that's that's brutal. That's brutal. My brother is saying that on the trip, he would like to have him and my nephews fish next to you so they can they can learn how to uh learn how to fish.

Chell Baybay: 35:13

That's fine.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 35:14

But then but then you do you do you also mug people? You move around?

Chell Baybay: 35:19

No, I I could I could be and and it's funny because they're always like, oh, go to the other side, there's bites. I will not move from my spot. I will just stay there all day and try to catch a tug there. That's kind of everybody's like, how can you stay there all day? I was like, I'd I'd rather just stay here. I always feel like if I'm gonna walk away, someone's gonna go right there and catch it. And I think that I think that would upset me more.

Speaker 2: 35:47

Yeah.

Chell Baybay: 35:48

If someone caught a fish there and or double digit or something in the spot that I'm in. But I mean, I'm just so used to staying in my spot.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 35:55

Are you front of boat, rear of boat, side? Let's talk head boat, not not smaller charter boats.

Chell Baybay: 36:01

When I'm on the osprey, in the I'm in the stern. I'm in usually in the starboard stern. If I can get there early enough before everybody grabs it. Now that I mentioned it, it's like everybody's gonna get there before me. And I've now got to show up two hours early just to get my spot. That's right. But I mean, I know everybody loves that that that spot at the door on the starboard side. Everybody loves the door above the door on the starboard side on Oshbury. I mean, I've seen big fish caught there, but it's just like it's too many people. I'd rather be comfortable catching the smaller fish or whatever it's the case may be than being like jammed up and and potentially getting tangled up. I I'd rather be comfortable and happy.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 36:46

Yeah, I I like going toward actually the starboard stern is where on the osprey I would go if I can. However, I never show up super early. And you know, there's always those five dudes that are there at like 3 a.m. and they just sit for four hours, you know.

Chell Baybay: 37:00

Yeah, I'm one of those dudes.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 37:02

I I am not. No, I have too long of a drive. So I actually end up going wherever there's the least number of people most of the time, which puts me on the bow. But I've caught some, you know, I haven't caught the double digit, but I I've caught some nice fish on the bow. And here's the thing: if you have a good captain, he's moving that thing over the structure, right? So he's he's pulling in line every once in a while. He knows where to put it so that people are catching from front to back, right? Doesn't mean you always are, but he's not just you know guessing where he is. And I don't know. I seem to I seem to do fine up at the front, but yeah, I'll do that just to get away from it.

Chell Baybay: 37:42

Like I've seen the there was a guy there last year, and he caught his first double digit up and about on the port side, and he pulled up, I think it might have been a 10-pounder or 11-pounder, and then and that was his first double digit, and I think he dropped down after and caught another dub, another another double digit. So he had an awesome day that day. So happy for him because he was it was his first double digit.

Capt. Scotty Sevins: 38:11

I I got I could take that every tog trip that I've ever went on, I've always gotten skunked. Or actually, I think the most the most tog I ever caught on a tog trip was maybe like five on the new North Star back in the day. Remember, remember the North Star out of Ocean City? They the they they had the the world record for like 25 years or something like that.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 38:41

Oh, did they?

Capt. Scotty Sevins: 38:42

Yeah, yeah, definitely.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 38:44

Till Westerfield came by and took it and crushed it. Yeah, yeah, he pretty much crushed it. Let me ask you this, Shell. Do you ever use jigs or are you using that Belmar all the time?

Chell Baybay: 38:56

Uh I use the jig if it's com. See, I'm not used to the using the jigs unless I'm on land and shallow.

Speaker 2: 39:04

Yeah.

Chell Baybay: 39:05

I started using the jig last year, and I don't think it for me, it doesn't produce as much. I I don't produce as much. I mean, I'll catch a bunch of shorts, and I think I've caught maybe a couple keepers, but like I like my go-to. I think because I learn that way, and I trust in my mind, I trust that way to pull the fish up because I'm not like again with my gear not being you know up to par, um to me, not up to par as far as the strength or any because I'm not used to using a spinning roll. Like I I don't like using it. I just I'm I'm comfortable with my with the rig and knowing that I feel that fish biting, and because everybody's like, oh, it's easy, you know, if the jig's light, the the fish will pick it up and run. It's like not all the time, because I've I've used a jig before, and they're literally biting it. I'm reeling them in again, like again, like they're smaller, they're smaller fish. I've caught way bigger fish on on the rig. Because to me, it's like a I know that it's there and I know it's strong enough to reel it up. I think in my mind, with it being like lighter line and stuff like that, I feel like it's gonna break. And I think that would upset me that I if I'm reeling and I know this is a big fish and all of a sudden it just breaks. It's just gonna, it's just gonna upset me that when I'm like, oh, I could have had a rig. And but I know there's times where it's a jig bite and it's a rig bite and stuff like that, but I I'll just sit there. I I will sit there all day with the rig just while everybody just throwing jigs. I'm just sitting there like I'll sit there and and use the rig. That's what I'm most comfortable at the time.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 40:44

So we we've talked about this a lot, Scotty. You you and I have talked about this a bunch, not even just on stream, but we've talked about it. And I think there's a lot to be said for a confidence rig, a confidence lure, just being confident in your equipment because you tend to fish differently. Right. So, like let's say I'm a rig fisherman and now all of a sudden I'm gonna go with jigs, or uh it's it changes it up for me. So now it's like, well, what do I do? Like you do fish it differently. So now it's now I'm not as confident, and now all that nervous energy is going through. I'm moving it around too much, or I'm not moving it enough, and I'm not getting it where it needs to be. And you know, I'm setting quicker because I think it's a lighter setup, so I need to clear that structure quicker. Yeah, and now all of a sudden you're just bringing trouble.

Capt. Scotty Sevins: 41:34

So, no, no, I I agree with you because like I'm a jig guy through and through. I think like everybody knows that. Like, to me, uh to like I can't even wrap my brain around and comprehend like fishing with a rig, like at this point. Like, I it's absolutely necessary, especially for deeper water and the currents that you deal with, like for for wrecks and stuff like that. Like, I could probably never never get away with fishing the way like this like this backwater guy would want to fish for tog, you know, but I've also I'll say this every every tog trip that I ever went on, like, like like you know, tog like a party boat or whatever, I've never actually given jigs a fair shake because I always thought that you know you just gotta you gotta go straight with a rig. And I never seem to do well. I I don't know. So I I feel like my approach that the next time that I go out, I'm just I'm gonna go put more effort into the jig route in the way that like I uh understand and like my brain understands. Yeah, like you said, like your your confidence bait, your confidence lore. So who knows? I I might even bring out some some backwater type bait on on too.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 43:09

Well hey, it's worth a try, you know. As you see on the screen, SD0753, over the weekend the TOG did not bite the jig, didn't get a TOG until the swap to the rig. And you know, it is I don't know why. Like to me, it doesn't make sense. The only thing that that kind of makes sense is you do tend to get less drift on the rig than a jig. And for people that are unaware, I probably should have clarified this. I don't think I have one here. The rig is basically talking about having a separate weight, usually anywhere from four to eight ounces, depending on the conditions. And then you have just a regular hook set up in different styles. There's the Bellmar, there's a bunch of different ones, right? That's that's a rig. A jig is typically like a bottom sweeper type of hook, which is basically think about similar to the head of a bucktail, you know. So it's the weighted jig head with the blank hook underneath it, and you're putting the crab on there. So what can happen is you get more drift on the jig because it's a lighter weight. And one of the big problems that people have is they'll use the same gear with the with the jig as they use with the rig. So they're sending down this really heavy line, and the heavy line catches more water. So as the current is pushing, you have all that going against a much lighter weight because you may only have two ounces on that jig. Most people won't even fish over a three-ounce jig. But compare that to the eight ounces that you were just using on the rig, and it wasn't moving, it was staying there, it was only fluttering around that weight. So, so that's one of the big differences between the two. So it's it is an entirely different thing. And I wish I brought some. I didn't I didn't even think that we would be getting into jigs versus rigs, but yeah, uh, that's one of the things. But you do end up, and this is where this is what I hate, and what is one of the quote unquote unofficial rules for some fishermen on headboats. If you're going tog fishing, do not pull out a jig because you're gonna tangle people up if you don't have the right gear, you're gonna start drifting over other lines, and people get really pissed off when you do that. And if you throw, here's the other thing. This is the other, this is maybe not as uh quiet, like people will be very vocal about this. If you throw on a glow jig and you drop it when you're tog fishing off, you know, out front, people get like not physically violent, but verbally violent quickly because those bring in the dog fish, right? So, just a couple of tips for people. Don't don't bring the glow, whether whether it's true or not, people perceive it that way.

Capt. Scotty Sevins: 45:58

I I really don't believe use glow anything, to be honest. Like honestly, I don't I don't I don't want bright colors. I I mean every single tog that I've ever caught and put in my life, well, they're all full of muscles. I I would use straight black jigs like like all day, every day, like if I could, you know what I mean, or something that's gonna blend in. But that's that's just my personal preference.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 46:29

Yeah, well, because you're going for silhouette rather than color and brightness and silhouette, you know, dark a dark silhouette is going to stand out whether it's bright out or it's dark, but it's really going to stand out in a sandy bottom, or if you have a lot of stuff going along the bottom. Yeah, it just sticks out more, which is why you use black lures at night. It's a really, really good contrast because no matter how dark it is, that sky ain't black, right? So they can see it moving above them.

Capt. Scotty Sevins: 46:56

Yeah. Which it's kind of a quick funny point to that. And I may, I may have told this story before, but like I I like uh dropping cameras a lot underwater. And this one day I dropped my camera in some really murky, murky, murky water. And all I saw was this black thing goes zoom, zoom, zoom, zoom, zoom. And I was like, what in the hell is that? And it was actually it was it was a tough, and it clicked in my brain why that is why black works so well at night, and in in actually probably a lot of different conditions because it's a shadow that it throws, you know what I mean.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 47:43

Yeah, it's about silhouettes in in a lot of cases. So let me let me ask you this, Shell. So, God, this turned into a TOG episode. So for Tog, which is good because we 'tis the season, right? We're gonna we went through the striped bass. We're we'll come back to that in the last couple episodes. We did that, but TOG is really about to take over in a couple weeks, and it's you know, all of the mental patients that are addicted to TOG.

Chell Baybay: 48:10

Yeah, I cannot wait. I'm super excited. As soon as I seen Osprey said they were gonna be here on freaking November, what, six months or six o'clock? Oh my god. Yeah, I was just like, book.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 48:23

I was thinking about it, yeah. And I was like, you know what, I gotta save my time. So I was like, all right, the first time I'm gonna go is December 7th. But I actually enjoy going as long as they're sailing. So the colder for me, the better. Like it's like there have been trips where we've gone out and not even thinking, we left the rods out outside, and you get halfway out and you look out, and your rods are just encased in ice. So you have to go out and get them, bring them in to thaw in the cabin as you're going out because the spray is just freezing on everything. Those are my kinds of days. Though those are the days that I truly, truly like fishing for tog. To me, that's tog season. Like November is not tog season yet for me. It's it's when it's when it's cold. But let me ask you this when you're when you have your rigs going down, are you fishing? What what what are you doing to the bait? What are you going to first as far as greens versus you know white leggers or anything else?

Chell Baybay: 49:23

If they have whites, I'll do white first. Or it depends. It depends on how warm it is, too. I mean, it depends because I try everything. I actually try half and half sometimes because I don't know what they want. Sometimes I try like I try everything until I just until I can feel what they like. So I'll I'll try a whole crab, then I'll try halves. I'll try, I mean, I'll try every combination there is. Take the shell off the top, I don't step on it, let me break it up. I I'll try everything until I get to a point where I'm actually catching fish. Okay. Um, so I'll start off with a whole crab and cut it in half. And you know, my my go-to to squishing them is stepping on.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 50:05

Yeah.

Chell Baybay: 50:06

Just take it, step on it, and throw it out.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 50:08

So I do I found that I'm a little too heavy-footed for that. So I take the weight and just drop it on it on the rail and just crack the shell that way.

Capt. Scotty Sevins: 50:16

Mash, just just crack the shell a little with the weight.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 50:20

Scotty, I I can't tell you how many I've put on the hooks, and then I was like, all right, I didn't smash it. And so I just, you know, it's already down near the ground, and I just step on it and it just like falls apart.

unknown: 50:31

Damn.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 50:33

You're just kicking it out underneath the rails. You're like, oh nobody saw me waste that day.

Capt. Scotty Sevins: 50:37

I always felt felt bad for the poor mates that got to clean up a time trip, man. Oh my god.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 50:44

It's absent.

Capt. Scotty Sevins: 50:45

Oh, it is. It is. Yo, even my boat, not even kidding you. Like, I have stowaway fiddlers that live on my boat at all times. Like, I went back down in my bilge just yesterday, and I I still have there's two fiddlers that are it living in my in my bilge. Yep, there's literally everywhere. In fact, I think I'm still finding uh baby hair on my on my boat.

Chell Baybay: 51:16

Yeah, it's my confetti. Yeah.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 51:19

Well, you were just out what last week with him, right?

Capt. Scotty Sevins: 51:22

No, two weeks ago, two weeks ago at this point.

Chell Baybay: 51:25

Two weeks ago. Yeah.

unknown: 51:32

Yeah.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 51:34

Well, so let's go back to the other.

Capt. Scotty Sevins: 51:38

Like, yeah, she she's she she's a top queen, but I'll tell you what, she she took to sheep immediately. Immediately, she really did. So that's always been a togg.

Chell Baybay: 51:51

But it's it's a lot. It's I I think that moves like they're they're neck and neck, sheep's head and and tog, but I don't get to do sheep's head as much as I get to tog, though. Yeah, I mean, but if I had a choice and I could sheep's head as much as I togg, yeah, I would definitely be out there, yeah.

Speaker 2: 52:07

Sure.

Chell Baybay: 52:09

Yeah, go right above that fight on shallow and light tackle. My god, like uh it's it's I can't even explain it. That the day that the first time I went out with Scotty and me and my boy Eddie went out there, my god, that day it was just like it was it was crazy. It was crazy that day.

Capt. Scotty Sevins: 52:30

I felt like that that like there's certain times like throughout like my fishing career where I just had like an epiphany or something, or something happened that just changed it changed my entire direction and trajectory of like my fishing and fishing career. And I I saw that unfold for you in front of my eyes, and it was just such a rewarding feeling to to see that because like you you took to it right away, and yeah, it was just amazing to see. And I'll tell you what, she she grinds too, even even when it's even when it's tough, she always yeah, and that's so that's the other thing too, like I really wanted to touch on like like mentality with all fishing goes like I I I feel like 90 or more of fishing is staying positive and staying in the game and not like not getting frustrated, you know what I mean, and keeping like that that that positive mentality because like like guiding, I see it all the time. People start to get in their get in their own way with things, you know what I mean? And uh that's something that's something that Chell does very, very, very well. And there's a lot to be said for that.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 54:08

Yeah, I mean you gotta you gotta push through sometimes. I I took a guy out, he was visiting from I think it was from Delaware, and he sent me a message. He said, Look, I know that you fish this area. I'm gonna be in town, want to get out with my son and go fishing. Now, his son and he are both extremely accomplished freshwater fishermen with a lot of saltwater experience, but they weren't familiar with the area. So I said, Yeah, I mean, if you have your own kayaks, let's go. He's like, Yep, we both got our pedal kayaks. We went out, and his son is like, I think he's like a champion bass fisherman, and he got frustrated when we were just fluking. He got frustrated. His dad is pulling in like multiple 20 inchers, like right next to him, and he's not getting anything. And it was like, it's because you're so frustrated, like you're not doing what you're supposed to be doing. And you know, he wants to fish it like the bass, and you know, like running gun. It's like that's not what we're doing today. And he, I think he caught nothing. Whereas I think I think Frank and I both limited like really nice size, really nice size fish. I think the smallest one was 20 inches, and back then it was three keepers over 18. So we each had at least 20 inches plus three fish each. And uh son got nothing. But he was so bitter, he was so frustrated. I think he actually left in the middle of the day because he just wasn't catching anything.

Capt. Scotty Sevins: 55:41

That that's what I always say, man. Like you can't leave five minutes before the miracle happens. You know what I mean?

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 55:50

Yeah, well, especially he's such a good fisherman, right? Like he like put us put us in fresh water. He would have fished me into literally into the ground. Like, I it would have been ridiculous, you know. I would have been like a baby next to him, but I was out fishing him because yeah, it was a grind of a day, but I was willing to grind. And Frank was willing to grind, and he he did well. You know, maybe he caught something, but I know he didn't have a keeper. I know he didn't have a keeper all day, and and the other two of us, we we both limited right in front of him, and there were other people around us catching as well. So it it definitely does it it does transfer over. It it definitely transfers over, right?

Capt. Scotty Sevins: 56:32

Yeah, no, there's no doubt about it.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 56:35

All right, so so as we come up to the hour, shell, I won't I do want to ask you this. And I want to go back to how we kind of started where Scotty was saying, you know, it's about it's about making the memories and everything. Now you've been fishing for five years approximately. Have you have you had that moment that you can say, I'm always going to remember this fish?

Chell Baybay: 56:59

My first tog. The first tog double my first double digit tog.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 57:04

Okay, I'll never forget that.

Chell Baybay: 57:06

I'll never tell us about it at that moment. Tell us about it. It was cold, it was probably the wind blowing, it was probably about negative 20. Oh, and I was I was on the headboat, and there was actually snow on the benches, like it was forming on the bench because the the way the wind was blowing, and we were all huddled up in the back, like in the middle in the back. So if the wind blew, we were all like there was probably about 12 of us, and I think my boy's on here that was on the boat with me. So we're we're huddled up in the back trying to fish for Todd. And my buddy, that's my good friend, the head mate, was fishing up front by himself. So he comes to the back and he's like, he's like, Shell, grab one white crab and follow me to the front, right? So grab one white crab, you know, so cold, like even the crabs are like dead, but they're alive, but they're yeah. So he was like, put it on, don't pitch it that far out, just pitch it out and then you know, let it fall. So I pitch it out, and he was just like, you know, it's they're not gonna be nibbling. He was like, if you feel a bite, you know, they're it's cold, this, whatever, they're just gonna bite that thing. If you feel that bite, hook it, hook the fish. So I drop it down and I wait it no longer than maybe 10 seconds. A fish bit it, and I went to I yanked it and I hooked the fish. So I'm like reeling it. So like I'm the way I'm holding the reel, like my thumb is on the reel. And he's like, stop dumb it. Like he's running on it. And he's like, he's like and I'm like reeling, and I'm still now he's still running and digging on me, and I'm still dumbing and he's like still yelling at me, and then like my boy's screaming, like, he's yelling at me, and then he's like, You're and I'm like, I'm not, and then the captain is like looking down, I'm like, be quiet. So I'm like reeling, and now I've got stuck. So I'm still trying to reel this damn fish, and I think it top that I thought I lost the fish. So when I started reeling, he was still fighting, so I had lost the finger in the wreck, so it broke off. So I'm like reeling this fish up, and like he's grabbing a net when he reeled this fish up, and like when he netted it and put it on the thing and like slammed on the thing. I mean, I was jumping up and down. When I tell you it didn't feel like negative 20 out there, it was so I was so warm and so hot, I didn't even feel how cold it was. And then just after that, it was just like I just wanted to keep catching more time. Like it was, I think after that, that was just like more, more, more. Like I five. Difficult just like skyrocketed from there.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 1:00:03

That'll do it. That that'll absolutely that see. The reason that I asked is if you have a memory like that, you don't just tell the story about the fish. Like you started with how cold it was, and this you and you remember there was snow, and you remember, you know, the the condition of the bait and and the people yelling behind you and how you felt after. And that right there is the perfect example of your story. You know, everybody has one, and that that is definitely your story because you remember every little detail about that.

Chell Baybay: 1:00:38

I'll never forget it. I'll never ever. And it was funny because I was just like, I think someone had a GoPro or I think I had my glass, my Ray-Ban glass that recorded, and I just was completely out of it trying to pull this fish in that I completely forgot about everything. But I mean, I'll never forget it. I'll never forget that day.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 1:00:57

That's great. Scotty, what's yours?

Capt. Scotty Sevins: 1:00:59

Yeah, I I would say uh going back to my double-digit tog that I caught and like literally, I was after that fish for 10 years. I ran my bay boat like 16 miles to this one wreck. I had to wait for a weather window. I get out there, my trolling motor battery is dead. I have enough trolling motor battery to make one drop. I drop one Mac Daddy Asian crab on a jig down. As soon as it hit the bottom, thump. I was like, I was like so taken back. I was like, I started fighting it, reeling it up, and then it ran me back down to the bottom. I was like, there's only one thing out here that's gonna eat a crab like that. It ran me back down to the bottom four different times. And mind you, I'm in flip-flops, and it's like end August, I'm doing this, and uh, when it came up, I lost my entire mind. Like in like I under I think I still have this video of me like cursing and freaking out, but like like the scope from that my first double digit tag, like I totally lost it. Yeah, no, yeah, I did. And I'll I I'll have to say, like that double digit tog may have even topped my first sheep, believe it or not.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 1:02:37

Well, I'm not a fan of sheep, so I'm the one I don't like I don't like fishing for sheep's head. I love the fight. I do not like the fishing, but let me qualify it. I fish from a kayak, and it is a pain in the neck to be up against bridge pilings and jetties in a kayak. And uh I I just don't enjoy, I just don't enjoy it. I'd rather like go for the striped bass that are around the pilings or usually I just stop after like 20 minutes and go for fluke. Yeah, I'm one of the I'm one of those people, you know. I it's just not, it's just not hey, everybody's got their their species that they that they're into. I do have to say though, I absolutely love talk. Yeah, and it's one that I want to get better at, which is probably why you know I'm constantly talking to people that are better than me, that I can watch. I was out the one the one time I was out with it was the time that I was out with Kristen and Nick, and I was fortunate enough to have Nick on my left, and Nick was he was struggling until he wasn't. And you know, Nick Devereux, for those that are unaware, he's he's a definitely a better tog fisher than me, fisherman than me. So I I like watching and trying to pick up things from people that are around me. Unfortunately, on my right, I had Ed Gobo, and he was he and I were both not catching. We were both like the worst on the boat that day. We were just kept looking at each other. We're like, they're reeling in around us. We're like, what the hell was going on? Nick's pulling in to the left. I'm like, God dang. Yeah. Kristen was quietly catching a ton right up near the near the cabin. But yeah, she didn't want people to know that she was bailing them all day. But yeah. All right. Well, Shell, I want to thank you for coming on. Hopefully, it wasn't too painful for you.

Chell Baybay: 1:04:35

It wasn't too painful. Thanks for having me.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 1:04:38

Yeah, I told you we just talk fishing. You know, we could talk for we could talk for hours, I'm sure.

Chell Baybay: 1:04:43

Yeah, we actually could.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 1:04:44

Yeah, there's so many things that I want to ask about, but yeah, we're over an hour already. So I don't mean maybe we can convince you to come back sometime, and I'll I'll use the trip on the seventh to try to talk you into that. Uh yeah, yeah. Well, I'll do it before we stop and you get quiet and you get focused. And Scotty, I'll look for you to help me out on that.

Chell Baybay: 1:05:10

It has to be in between moves, yeah.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 1:05:13

Yeah. I I I'll be honest, I also get very focused when I'm fishing. So I'm I'm not typically I'm I'm actually not, despite having a podcast and live stream, I am not uh the extrovert that's out talking to everybody. I get very uncomfortable uh doing that anyway. So I I get really quiet. So it'll be between it'll be when we're moving that I'll I'll I'll be talking to people for the most part. It's just more comfortable that way.

Capt. Scotty Sevins: 1:05:41

Happy to not have to drive.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 1:05:46

You never know. He might bring you up top.

Capt. Scotty Sevins: 1:05:48

Yeah, no, no, I will not. I'll I'll I'll probably be the one uh that's socializing and pissing everybody off.

Rich Natoli - Fat Dad Fishing: 1:05:57

There you go. There you go. I'm looking forward to it. I got I I uh this weekend I got my Tog gear out and uh took the reel apart and uh starting to put it together again. Hopefully I remember how to put it back together. I took a bunch of photos, but yeah, I'm I'm really excited for it. I'm looking forward to it. Everybody, if you're not signed up yet, Ospreay, New Jersey, make sure it's New Jersey. Out of AC area. Uh and it's on December 7th. Boat leaves at 7 a.m. It's gonna be fun. We over half of the boat is full already. I don't know how many are with us, but the fact that it's a random Sunday and it's only been available to book for a week kind of indicates that there's a lot that are coming uh because of this. You know, we we talked about it on the stream and on the podcast. So hopefully we'll get to see a lot of people there. Shell, thank you again for coming on. Really appreciate it. It's great talking with you, Scotty. We'll talk again uh very soon. And I will say next week, I think it's next week. The week after. I have to double check, but we do have we're gonna continue with Tog, and we're gonna have Frank Mahalak coming on uh to talk. Uh and then Scotty, you got some more guests lined up for after that. So we're gonna have an action-packed end of the year for everyone, and uh, I'm really looking forward to it. So, everyone, thanks for stopping by. We'll be back next week. Until next time, everyone, even with this weather, get out there, get on the water, and get some tight lines.