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

Red Drum Fishing Tips

The red drum, also known as redfish or channel bass, is one of the most popular saltwater fish species in the USA. Red drum occur along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts.

In order to catch red drum successfully, it is important to understand their preferences, behavior, and other information. Red drum are specialized feeders with a variety of feeding patterns.

Juvenile red drum, known as puppy drum, feed on small fish, crabs, shrimp, and other invertebrates. As they grow in size, their primary food sources tend to increase in size. Adult red drum are known to feed on blue crabs, shrimp, and a wide range of fish species.

Occasionally, anglers are able to observe red drum behavior on the water. By watching reds feed, anglers can develop fishing strategies that best suit the current conditions.

Perhaps the best known red drum behavior is a phenomenon called "tailing" in which individual fish orient themselves on an angle to feed on the bottom. In calm conditions, the tails of red drum can be seen protruding from the water. Tailing drum sometimes remain in a small area for several minutes, allowing anglers opportunities to sight cast with lures or baits.

Another known behavior of red drum is their habit of cruising shorelines during early morning and late afternoon. In some areas, small to medium sized reds can be seen within a yard or less of the shoreline.

During late morning thru mid day, drum tend to move into slightly deeper water. At times, their locations may be indicated by small fish jumping out of the water.

Each of these feeding patterns may call for specific baits, lures, and fishing techniques. As with most fisheries, nothing beats experience on the water when targeting red drum.

It important to remember that red drum spook easily in shallow water. Anglers should avoid causing wakes, abrupt boat movements, loud noises, or other actions when fishing for these intelligent fish.

For anglers that have limited time available for fishing, it may be worthwhile to fish with a professional guide or experienced local fishermen for a few trips.

Saltwater Dead Stick Fishing Techniques

Dead sticking is one of the simplest and easiest techniques for catching saltwater fish. The term dead stick refers to a rod and reel that is placed in a rod holder or simply leaned against a rail or other structure.

Dead sticking works with lures and baits and can be done from the shore, from anchored boats or while drifting. Depending on conditions, dead stick lines may be set near the surface, at mid-depth, or on the bottom.

With some species, bites are indicated by only a slight movement of the rod. Others, such as seatrout tend to strike hard and can wreak havoc on equipment. When fishing areas that contain a wide range of species, fishermen must pay close attention to dead stick rigs or risk loosing fish, equipment, or both.

Rod and reel outfits need to be in good working condition when used for dead sticking. Reel drags should have a smooth action and be set correctly. Rods should be in good condition for dead sticking. Reel seats should be tight and eyes should be in good condition. It is also important to replace line that becomes frayed or develops memory (coiling).

When using a dead stick rig to fish live or cut baits, circle hooks are usually the best type of hook. Their unique hooking action eliminates the need to set the hook, which can result in better hookup ratios while causing less injury to fish.

What Kinds of Saltwater Fish Can Be Caught During Spring?

Striped Bass

Along the Mid Atlantic Coast, several species of saltwater fish are caught during Spring. Species such as tautog, flounder, shad and striped bass are ready to bite long before most anglers are ready to begin the spring fishing season.

Among the first fish to be caught along the Mid Atlantic coast are usually tautog. These ocean bottom fish are sometimes called blackfish. Found around shipwrecks, rockpiles, reefs and other structure, these odd looking fish are caught using baits such as blue crabs or sea clams.

Occasionally, anglers fishing for tautog may catch cod, haddock, pollock, whiting, spiny dogfish, or other cold water species. Head boats or charter boats are the best bet for catching early spring tautog, with some boats having reputations as tautog specialists.

Another early spring fish is the striped bass. Large stripers migrate along the surf in spring and are sometimes caught in good numbers. Mid Atlantic surf fishermen use fish finder rigs and baits such as menhaden, crab, or squid when catching spring striped bass.

Beginning in late March and continuing thru early May, waves of summer flounder (fluke) enter Mid Atlantic inlets. Anglers in Virginia are usually the first to catch summer flounder although catches in Maryland, New Jersey, and New York are not far behind. Early spring flounder fishing can be fast paced as fish school together in large numbers in areas where warmer temperatures prevail.

As shallow estuaries such as the Chesapeake and Delaware bays begin to warm, Atlantic croakers move in to feed. The first croakers are sometimes caught in late April or early May, around the time that blue crabs begin to move into shallow bay grass beds. Croakers will take a variety of cut baits, including peeler crab, quahog clam, squid, bloodworms, or other baits.

NOAA Catch and Release Guidelines for Atlantic Highly Migratory Species

NOAA Fisheries Service has developed a brochure that offers guidelines on how to increase the survival of  hook-and-line caught, large pelagic species.

The objectives of careful catch and release include reducing stress and minimizing injury to a fish caught on hook-and-line, and assisting in its recovery prior to release.  These objectives are especially challenging for large highly migratory species such as tuna, swordfish, and sharks, because of the size and potentially dangerous features (e.g., teeth and swords) of these species.

The brochure provides guidelines for careful catch and release in four topic areas: planning ahead, gear, play and handling, and release and revival.

 The information in this brochure will assist anglers in following NOAA Fisheries regulations, which require that any Atlantic highly migratory species that is caught and released, be released in a manner that maximizes its probability of survival.  The survival of a released fish today will help lead to healthy stocks for future harvest.

To obtain the document, visit http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/ and click on the brochure to download it, or call 301-713-2347.