How to target Blackfish ( Tautog )

A member of the wrasse (Labridae) family, tautog (Tautoga onitis) is a stout fish with

an arched head and broad tail. Juveniles are greenish in color and become darker with

age. Fishermen have given tautog the nickname “blackfish” due to its dark mottled sides

that are either dull black, brown, blackish green, or blackish blue. Anglers also call tautog

“white chin” because this coloring pattern is commonly found on large males.

Tautog are slow growing and can live 35 to 40 years. Males and females are sexually

mature at three to four years of age, but studies have shown that larger females

produce significantly more (and potentially higher quality) eggs than smaller females.

Tautog are distributed along the Northeast Atlantic coast, from Nova Scotia to Georgia,

with the greatest abundances occurring in the U.S. between Cape Cod, Massachusetts,

and Chesapeake Bay. North of Cape Cod, the species generally remains close to shore in

waters less than 60 feet. South of Cape Cod, they inhabit waters 40 miles offshore at

depths up to 120 feet. During spring, as water temperatures approach 48° F, tautog

migrate inshore to spawn in estuaries and nearshore marine waters. They may remain

inshore throughout the summer, then move to deeper (80- 150 feet) offshore wintering

areas as fall approaches and water temperatures drop below 52° F. Toward the

southern end of their range, some adults may remain offshore throughout the year.

Throughout their life, tautog aggregate around structured habitats. Shallow, vegetated estuaries and inshore areas serve as juvenile nurseries, while larger juveniles cohabitate with adults in deeper offshore waters. North of Long Island, tautog are generally found around rocks and boulders. Toward the southern end of its range, tautog often inhabit wrecks, jetties, natural and artificial reefs, and shellfish beds. They are also found near the mouths of estuaries and other inlets. Adults stay close to their preferred home site and, although they may move away during the day to feed, they return to the same general location at night where they become dormant and may actually sleep. This aggregation around structure makes tautog easy to catch, even when biomass levels are low. The easy catchability and slow growth rate make tautog highly susceptible to overfishing and slow to rebuild. - ASMFC

Methods of Fishing

Depending on the time of year, Blackfish will be found near the shoreline as well as deeper waters. Blackfish tend to stay closer to the shoreline during the warmer months. When the weather cools blackfish will move out into deeper waters of the ocean and stay there throughout the winter months. Blackfish tend to congregate along the bottom in areas that are rocky, some of their favorite spots include piers, bridge pilings, wrecks and mussel beds. Blackfish can be very difficult to catch and require some skill setting the hook and reeling them in without getting your line tangled up in the rocks.

You can use baits such as fiddler crabs, green crabs, clams. Rig your line with a two to four ounce bank sinker.

Due to stronger currents you might want to opt for heaver sinkers to get your rig to the bottom.

Use a strong fishing rod and a 40 lb. test fishing line. Use leaders of 60 lb. to 80 lb. test. The heavier leaders will

protect the line from becoming frayed once you hook into a blackfish. Fin Strike offers pretied rigs that are available

at most tackle shops.

Let your baited line rest on the bottom to attract the fish. Do not move or bounce the rig. Let the fish take the

bait and swallow it before you set the hook or you will risk losing the fish. Once hooked reel in quickly. You must

bring the fish up to the surface before it attempts to swim into the rocks and snag your line.