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

ASMFC Lowers Tautog Harvest Reduction

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission's Tautog Management Board has lowered the harvest reduction necessary for states to comply with Addendum VI. Under the revised stock assessment update, states from Connecticut through Virginia are required to reduce harvest by 39% from the average of 2008 and 2009 levels.

This change responds to errors found in the 2011 assessment update, which overestimated the 2009 fishing mortality rate and, therefore, the associated harvest reduction necessary to achieve the fishing mortality target. Previously, states had been required to reduce harvest by 53%.

Approved in late 2011, Addendum VI lowers the fishing mortality target to 0.15 and requires states to implement measures to achieve this target.  Additionally, it allows for reductions based on regional/state fishing mortality rates for states that can demonstrate a lower regional fishing mortality rate than the coastwide assessment.

Massachusetts and Rhode Island submitted and received Board approval for a regional assessment which demonstrated a local fishing mortality rate below the Addendum VI target. Therefore, they will not need to make any harvest reductions. All other states are required to meet the 39% reduction in harvest and can employ a combination of bag limits, size limits and/or closed seasons based on approved methodologies to achieve the reductions.

All states have the option of implementing more conservative management measures. The revised assessment results show the stock continues to be overfished with overfishing occurring.

source: ASMFC

2011 Tautog Stock Assessment Update Errors

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission recently reported that its Tautog Stock Assessment Subcommittee has identified and corrected errors in the 2011 stock assessment update.

Originally, the assessment indicated a 53% reduction was needed to meet the Addendum VI fishing mortality target (F target) of 0.15. The revised update indicates that a coastwide reduction of 37% in exploitation is should achieve the F target.

Despite the revised data, tautog will still be listed as overfished with overfishing occurring. The Board approved Addendum VI in 2011 in response to the poor stock condition.

In order to end overfishing and initiate stock rebuilding, Addendum VI lowers the F target and requires states to implement measures to achieve this target by January 1, 2012.

According to ASFMC, the tautog's slow growth rate, late age of maturity, and spawning site fidelity makes it particularly susceptible to overfishing.

The Tautog Management Board is expected to complete a conference call over the next few weeks to review the revised assessment results and determine the reductions needed by each state to achieve the Addendum VI.

source: ASFMC

Maryland State Record Tautog

Charles Donohue of Philadelphia caught a 23-pound tautog on January 11, 2012, setting a new State record. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) confirmed the catch, naming Donohue as the the new record holder. The outstanding catch breaks the previous record of 20-pounds, 11-ounces set by Sam Beauchamp in 2007.

Donohue caught his record 33-inch fish aboard Captain Monty Hawkins’ boat, Morning Star, over an artificial reef about 12 miles east of Ocean City. He was using a whole green crab as bait. Captain Hawkins said he felt the fish was a new record. The other anglers and crew agreed they should return to shore to get the fish weighed on a certified scale at AKE Marine. DNR biologist Steve Doctor met the crew at the dock to witness and certify the weight and species.

"It was a beautiful fish," said Captain Hawkins. "The whole crew limited-out by 9:30, showing that the habitat work and reef building efforts have taken this fishery to new heights."

source: MD DNR