Tautog Fishing Tips and Techniques

 

Ocean Tautog Fishing

The tautog or blackfish is one of the most popular species caught by wreck and reef fishermen. Tautog are structure fish that can be difficult to hook and even more difficult to bring up.

A few of the top ports for catching tautog in the Mid Atlantic include Cape May New Jersey, Lewes Delaware, Ocean City Maryland, and Virginia Beach Virginia.

These are a few tips and techniques for tautog fishing along the Mid Atlantic Coast:

• Fish directly over structure, including shipwrecks, rocks, rubble, bridge pilings and artificial reefs.
• Use a basic top and bottom fishing rig when snags and hang ups are not a problem.
• Switch to a single hook rig in areas of extremely rough bottom.
• Carry a wide selection of sinkers ranging from 3-8 oz.
• Choose a rod and reel that can handle depths from 15-120 feet, and 3-8 oz. sinkers.
• Fish with braided lines for added sensitivity.
• Use baits such as blue crabs, green crabs, mole crabs, fiddler crabs, shrimp, and clams.
• When fishing whole blue crabs or green crabs, some anglers imbed both hooks in a single bait and remove or crack the shell of the crab.
• When using cut crab, leave the legs on and check baits often. Replace baits that have had the meat sucked out of the shell.
• Avoid excessive tension on the line and pay attention for minute signs of nibbling. Give a short tug upward when movement is felt.
• If the fish appears to be in the line, set the hook, lift the fish away from structure and then reel in gently.
• Tag and release undersize fish.
• Take no more fish than needed.
• Release female fish when possible.
• Identify sexes - Male tautog have blunter heads and darker, more solid coloring with a faint lighter spot on their flank. Females have a more mottled appearance and sloping forehead.
• Support Artificial Reef programs.
• Seek out party boats or charter boats with a reputation for successful tautog fishing trips.

Related Information

Shipwrecks and Obstructions

Artificial Reefs

Maryland State Record Tautog - Possible World Record

On January 2, 2015, Kenneth Westerfeld of College Point, NY landed a 28.8-pound tautog, which set a new Maryland state record for the species. Westfield's fish eclipsed the previous state record, a 23 pound tautog caught by Charles Donohue near Ocean City in 2012.

Westerfeld caught the fish using a Jonah crab rigged on a seven-foot, two-inch Calstar Custom rod loaded with 50-pound braided running line and a 50-pound fluorocarbon leader on a Shimano Tymos reel.

The fish was caught approximately 20 miles southeast of Ocean City while fishing in about 75-feet of water with Captain Kane Bounds on the charter boat Fish Bound.

"Ocean City is the best place for big tautog," said Westerfeld. "The water clarity is very good and the offshore wrecks hold some really big fish. I’ve been fishing very hard for over 20 years to catch a 20 pound tog."

Jacob Widgeon at Sunset Marina weighed the fish on the marina’s International Game Fish Association (IGFA)-certified scale.

Maryland Department of Natural Recourses fisheries biologist Keith Lockwood examined and confirmed the species, making the new Maryland record official. Westerfeld is pursuing the all-tackle world record certification with IGFA.

The current world record for tautog stands at 25 pounds.

source: Maryland Department of Natural Resources

New York Blackfish Regulations

In July, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced that the agency had formally adopted new recreational and commercial fishing rules for blackfish (tautog).

The rules have been in place since May 5, 2012. These changes were necessary in order for the state to comply with interstate management measures to assist in rebuilding blackfish populations. The changes are a revision of regulations that were originally put in place on December 30, 2011.

The following is a summary of the new regs:

Recreational:

The season has been shortened by 115 days and now runs from October 5 to December 14. In addition, the minimum size limit has been increased by 2 inches to 16 inches total length. The possession limit of four fish per day remains unchanged.
   
Commercial:

The minimum size limit has been increased by 1 inch to 15 inches total length. The season and trip limits for the commercial harvest of blackfish will not change in 2012.

As a member of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), New York is required to develop recreational and commercial fishing limits that prevent New York State fishers from harvesting more blackfish than the population can sustain.

The ASMFC mandated that most of its member states, including New York, significantly reduce their harvest of blackfish because the population was at a low level.

source: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

2012 Maryland Tautog Regulations

After reviewing data from the previous season, Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recently tightened regulations for tautog. According to DNR Fisheries Service Director Tom O’Connell, Maryland is one of several Atlantic states that are restricting tautog harvests.

2012 Maryland Tautog Regulations:

Minimum size limit: 16-inches
Season dates and fish limit per angler:
April 2- May 15, four fish
May 16 - October 31, two fish
November 1-14, four fish

DNR may extend the Tautog November season if late breaking developments in the Atlantic Coast stock assessment warrant. However, under current regulations the season will close from November 15 through December 31, reopening on New Year’s Day 2013 with a four fish limit.

Recently, a new Maryland state record was set for tautog when an angler landed a 23-pound fish on a charter trip out of Ocean City.

Recreational anglers who register tautog measuring 24 inches or longer at Maryland Angler Award Centers will receive free admission and a chance to win prizes at the 2012 Maryland Fishing Challenge Grand Finale.

source: MD DNR