🐟 Tautog (Blackfish)

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🐟 Tautog (Blackfish)

Tautoga onitis

Also called:

• Blackfish

• Tog

• “Structure thugs” (unofficial but accurate)

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🌎 Where They Live

Found along the:

• Atlantic Coast (Nova Scotia → Florida)

• Heavy concentrations from New England to New Jersey

They love:

• Rock piles

• Jetties

• Bridge pilings

• Wrecks

• Mussel beds

• Boulder fields

If there’s hard structure, there’s probably a tog in it.

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📏 Size

• Common: 2–8 lbs

• Good fish: 8–12 lbs

• Trophy: 15–20+ lbs

• Record-class fish push 25+ lbs

They are thick, muscular, and built like bricks.

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🎨 Identification

• Dark olive, brown, or black body

• Thick lips

• Prominent forehead

• Large rubbery mouth

• White chin patch (on many fish)

• Powerful crushing teeth

They look grumpy. Because they kind of are.

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🍽 What They Eat

Crustacean specialists:

• Green crabs 🦀

• Asian shore crabs

• Fiddler crabs

• Mussels

• Clams

• Barnacles

They have strong pharyngeal teeth designed to crush shells.

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🎣 How to Catch Tautog

This is precision structure fishing.

Best bait:

• Green crabs (cut in halves/quarters)

• Asian shore crabs

• Fiddler crabs

Rigging:

• Simple tog rig

• 40–60 lb leader

• 3–6 oz sinker (depends on current)

• Short dropper loop

• Strong 3/0–5/0 hook

Technique:

• Drop straight down into structure

• Feel for subtle “tap tap”

• WAIT… then set hard

• Immediately pull them out of structure

You have about 1–2 seconds before they rock you.

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🔥 Why They Matter

• Highly prized table fare

• Strictly regulated seasons

• Popular fall & winter fishery

• Iconic Northeast species

They are considered one of the best eating fish in the Atlantic.

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🧠 Interesting Fact

Tautog can live 30–40 years. Some of those big ones you catch are older than the boat you’re fishing from.