Species › North America · Saltwater › Tautog

Saltwater

Tautog

Tautoga onitis · blackfish, tog, white chin

Water temp
50–64°F
Peak season
Oct–Nov
Best light
Daytime
IGFA record
28 lb 13 oz (13.07 kg)
Tautog (FMIB 43253 Tautog (Tautoga onitis).jpeg)

Photo: State of New York Forest, Fish, and Game Commission · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons

OverviewWhere & WhenHow to CatchGearRegulationsRecordsForecastCatches

Overview

Tautog are stout, heavy-shouldered wrasses with a blunt head, thick rubbery lips over a set of crushing teeth, a long dorsal fin and a dark brown to black mottled body, with big males sporting a white chin. They range from Nova Scotia to South Carolina but are a sportfish mainly from Massachusetts to Virginia, with the biggest fish historically off Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland. Most keepers run 3–6 lb and 15–20 in; a 10 lb tog is a trophy and the all-tackle record from Ocean City, Maryland, topped 28 lb.

Tog live in the harshest structure available, wedged into rock piles, mussel beds, bridge abutments and wrecks, where they feed on crabs, mussels, barnacles and clams during daylight and sleep in holes at night. They move inshore to 10–40 ft in spring and fall and retreat to deep offshore wrecks and reefs in winter, becoming torpid below 45°F (7°C). The bite is a tap-tap followed by a hard pull into the rocks, so anglers fish directly over structure with heavy jigs or crab-baited rigs and set fast. Slow growth and heavy fishing pressure have brought tight seasons and limits, and the firm white meat is prized for chowder.

Typical size3–6 lb (1.5–2.5 kg); 15–20 in
Trophy10 lb+; 15 lb+ is exceptional
Table fareExcellent — firm, white, sweet fillets; the classic chowder fish

Where & when

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The main season is fall from October into December as fish feed hard on inshore rocks and wrecks before winter, with a shorter spring run in April–May; southern states such as Maryland and Virginia fish deep wrecks through winter, and most states close the fishery for part of the summer.

Block Island, RIBoulder fields and wrecks; big fall fishLong Island Sound (Orient Point), NYRocky rips and reefs for fall togShark River Reef, NJArtificial reef complex loaded with blackfishOcean City wrecks, MDWinter offshore wrecks produce world-class tog

How to catch

Tog jig with crabThread half a green or white-legger crab onto a 1–3 oz tog jig, legs trimmed, and lower it straight to the structure on braid. Hold the rod, feel for the tap-tap, and set hard on the second tap before the fish backs into its hole.
Single-hook sinker rigTie a 3/0–5/0 octopus or Virginia-style hook on a short 4–6 in dropper above a 4–8 oz bank sinker, bait with a crab half or whole small crab, and fish it vertically tight to rocks. The short dropper reduces snags and keeps bait where tog feed.
Anchoring precisely on the wreckTog hold within a few feet of structure, so anchor with two anchors or a stern line to put the boat directly over the piece and move 10–20 ft if the bite dies. Scope matters more than bait.
Shallow rock piles in fallIn October, work 10–25 ft rocky shorelines, jetties and bridge abutments with a 1 oz jig and half a crab from a boat or kayak, drifting slowly with the tide. Big fish push shallow to feed before winter.

Gear

Rod7' medium-heavy to heavy conventional or spinning jigging rod, fast tip
ReelConventional star-drag 20–30 size or 4000–5000 spinning
Line40–50 lb braid with 50–60 lb fluorocarbon leader

Lures

Tog jigs (crab-baited)Heavy bucktails tipped with crabCrab-imitation soft plastics on jigheadsScented crab flies for jig trailers

Baits

Green crabsWhite-legger (Jonah) crabsAsian shore crabsFiddler crabsClams

Regulations

Tautog are managed regionally by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission with state-by-state seasons, minimum sizes, small daily limits and, in some states, a commercial tagging program; seasons close for part of the year and differ between neighboring states. A saltwater license or registry is required.

Records

IGFA all-tackle world record: 28 lb 13 oz (13.07 kg) — Off Ocean City, Maryland, January 2015 (Ken Westerfeld). State and regional records are kept by each fish & wildlife agency.

Frequently asked

What is the best bait for tautog?

Green crabs are the standard, cut in half with the legs trimmed and the hook pushed through a leg socket and out the shell. White-legger crabs, Asian shore crabs and fiddlers also work, and some anglers swear by clams in spring. Whatever you use, keep it fresh and fish it tight to the rocks.

Why are tautog so hard to hook?

They nibble the bait with their front teeth and crush it with the throat teeth, producing quick taps that are gone if you wait. Fish a tight line with a sensitive rod, let the first tap pass and set hard on the second, and lift immediately to stop the fish diving into its hole.

Bite forecast — Tautog

Recent catches

Posted by anglers on the live map, filtered to Tautog.

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