Tautog (Blackfish)

Range: Nova Scotia to South Carolina, most abundant between Cape Cod and Delaware Bay. North of Cape Cod they stay close to shore in less than about 60 feet of water. They tolerate brackish water.

Habitat: tautog need hard structure: rocks, jetties, breakwaters, bridge and pier pilings, bulkheads, peat banks, wrecks and artificial reefs. Juveniles live in weed and grass beds.

Seasonal movements: tautog move inshore and offshore rather than north and south. In spring they come in from deeper winter structure to shallower wrecks, inlets, jetties and bays, then spawn in late spring and early summer. From late summer into fall they feed hard around inshore structure, and as the water cools in late fall they head back to deeper ocean wrecks and reefs for the winter.

Baits

Tautog eat crabs and shellfish. Match the bait to the season:

• Early spring: softer baits such as clams (and shrimp, according to On The Water) while the fish are sluggish.
• Late summer and fall inshore: green crabs and Asian shore crabs; fiddler crabs and sand fleas are shore favorites, and you can collect many of these yourself at low tide.
• Late fall and winter offshore: Jonah (white-legger), rock and hermit crabs.

Cut big crabs in half and hook them through a leg joint so they stay on.

Technique

Tautog feed only during the day. Anchor precisely over structure, or fish straight down from a pier, bridge or bulkhead, and keep the sinker on the bottom and your hook close to it. Walk the sinker slowly across the rocks, feeling for holes and edges where big tog hide. Bites come as sharp taps as the fish crushes the crab. When you hook one, crank hard to turn it away from the structure before it can dig back in. If you're getting small bites, stay put; more crab scent often draws bigger fish.

From piers and bridges, fish around slack tide, when you can hold bottom. From jetties and inlets, casting out and slowly dragging the bait back can outfish dropping straight down.

Rigs and jigs

A simple one-hook rig (a Belmar or dropper-loop rig) with enough weight to hold bottom is standard. A tog jig tipped with a crab lets you fish lighter and feel more, especially in slower current.

A stout rod with a sensitive tip, a fast-retrieve reel and braided line with a heavier monofilament or fluorocarbon topshot. From jetties, a longer spinning rod helps lift fish over the rocks; wear studded footwear. Bring plenty of sinkers and rigs, because you will lose some. Tautog seasons and limits are regulated along the coast and change often, so check your state's current rules.