Tautog, Blackfish are one of the tastiest and most sought-after gamefish for the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic near shore angler.   “The Tug is the Drug” is often used to describe the pursuit and fight of the Tautog.  Fishing for Tautog even has its own specialized vocabulary:

• Tog – Tautog
• Togger – Tautog Angler
• Togging – Tautog Fishing

Read our related articles Catching Trophy Blackfish and You 100% Need a Heading Sensor to help you dial in the bite and be a more productive “Togger”.

Tip 1 – Water temperature for Tautog

The best water temperature for Tautog is between 48 to 62 degrees.  Tautog are in shallow waters (less than 30 ft) in the early Spring as the water warms and in the early Fall as it starts to cool.  They travel to deeper structure (30ft +) after these times.  At all times it is critical to fish exactly on the structure and not just near it.

Tip 2 – Tautog Jig vs. Rig

There are fans and advocates of Tautog fishing with Jigs and Rigs.  They both work well, but there are times when one works better than the other.   In general, Jigs are more productive.  They allow the Tog to pickup and move with the bait which is more natural and easier to detect that cannot be duplicated with Rigs.    It can be difficult to present a Jig on the bottom when the water is deeper (60ft+) and the current is strong.  Rigs tend to work better in this situation. 

Tip 3 – Tautog Hooks

There are two main hook types for Tautog fishing – Octopus Hook and Virginia Hook.  I tend to use the Octopus style more as it has a wider bite, but the Virginia hook can also be used as it has a longer shank.  The hook size depends on the crab size, but I use either 3/0 or 4/0 sizes mostly.  Tautog have relatively small mouths in relation to their body size, so I stay away from 5/0 and larger.  I would rather use a Snafu (double hook) rig for larger crab baits then use a larger single hook.

Tip 4 – Tautog Fishing Line and Leader

It is critical to present your crab baits on the bottom to be a successful Tautog angler.  It is best to use the lightest weight jig or rig that allows you to effectively feel the bottom.  To minimize line drag in the current, we use 20 pound braided line and a leader/rig with 50 pound monofilament or fluorocarbon.  You can certainly use heavier line, but it makes it more difficult to keep bottom contact and detect lighter bites.

Tip 5 – Tog Fishing Rod

There are social media channels that push the latest flashy color, personality named rods some even named for a target species – Tautog Dark Flash Stick, etc.  While a targeted to a specific species can productive, you can be successful with any rod that is properly aligned to the power, weight, and action.  For Tautog it is important to have a rod that has a bit of flex at the tip to detect hits and a strong mid-section to help lift the fish out of the rocks.  In general, the best Tautog rods:

• 15/30 pound class
• Medium heavy action
• 1-4 ounce lures
• 8 feet in length

Tip 6 – Bow to the Tog

At times, Tautog fishing is difficult as you cannot seem to set the hook and catch fish.  It can be frustrating.  Tautog fishing is highly based upon feel so it is important to hone your ability to detect the scratch bite and the bump bite before setting the hook.  To be most productive, use the proper gear as listed above and maintain light, consistent contact with the bait to detect the bite.  When the boat moves in the waves, you should bow to the bait to keep the bait still on the bottom and still keep contact.   This requires some practice but is highly effective.

Tip 7 – Use a Jig Teaser

A jig teaser rig adds a small line and hook behind the jig to allow a different presentation.  It is often productive especially when building a bite on a new spot.  The one challenge is that the teaser can be more difficult to keep on the bottom as the 2^nd crab bait creates a bit more drag in the water, so it is best to use smaller crabs on the teaser rig.

Tip 8 – Loop Knot on Jigs

You can catch Tautog on jigs that are tied with any strong knot, but a perfection loop knot can raise your hook up rate as the optimal angle of the hook is maintained as you set the hook.

Tip 9 – Crabs with Legs or no Legs

There are times when Tautog can be finicky and only eat baits presented in a specific manner.  We tend to start fishing on a new spot by leaving the legs on the crab bait.  Its quicker and presents the crab in a more natural manner.  If we are not getting hits or are not hooking up, we then switch to trimming the legs off.  A trimmed crab can yield more hook ups if the fish are lightly biting and are not taking the whole bait at once.

Tip 10 – Knot the Sinker

There are many Tautog rigs that anglers have options to use and they all work well.  The standard bottom rig, snafu rig, heart rig, slider rig, etc.  .    When tying a rig add a simple overhand knot just above the sinker.  This will allow the sinker to snap off if it gets stuck on the bottom and you can just re-attach a new sinker without having to tie on a whole new rig.  This can also save you a fish if the sinker gets stuck.

Bonus Tips – Do Not Lose Your Anchor

It is well known that Tautog relate closely to underwater structure such as wrecks, rock piles and reefs.  To be a productive Togger, it is critical to fish directly on these structures to catch the best fish.  The challenge is that these locations are also spots where your anchor can get stuck beyond your ability to retrieve it.

• Consider the anchoring drop in relation to the structure. Try to anchor up current from the structure and back down with the line.  Do not drop directly on top of structure
• Rig the anchor to help with retrieval
• Use a heading sensor if your GPS/MFD drifts when you stop on a spot. See our article – You 100% Need a Heading Sensor.
• Use tactics to retrieve a stuck anchor – Be careful a lost anchor is cheaper than windlass or hull damage. Use the wave action to help with leverage.  Be patient and try each tactic a few times.
  • Head over the anchor. This will give you a better angle to pull the anchor
  • Swing behind the anchor and pull the anchor from 180 degrees
  • How To Retrieve a Stuck Plow Boat Anchor
  • Retrieving a Stuck Danforth Anchor
• If you must cut your anchor line, make sure to drop a GPS mark and cut the line as close to the anchor as possible.

SUMMARY

Tautog fishing is fun and can provide the hottest fishing action outside of a top water bait blitz if you can lock in the bite with these tips.  Blackfish are one of the best fish for the table, but it is best to release the largest ones as they are slow growing.  From CT DEEP web site, a keeper 16” Tautog is between 6 and 7 years old and a 20” fish can be 8 to 9 years old.

If you have any great fishing tips, please send me a note.  You can contact me by email at [email protected].

Tight lines …  Capt. P.