Tautog, or blackfish, are the bulldogs of the structure. They live tight to the rocks and wrecks, they eat crabs with their powerful, human-like teeth, and when hooked they dive straight back into the structure to break you off. Landing one is a satisfying test of timing and stout tackle.
Bait and rig
The bait is green crab (whole or halved), the tautog’s favorite food. Fish it on a dedicated tog jig (a heavy jig you tip with crab and fish vertically) or a simple tog rig with a bank sinker, fished right on the structure. The jig is the modern, sensitive, fun way to do it.
How to fish it, and the hookset
Drop tight to the rocks, wrecks and hard bottom and keep the bait right in the structure. Tog are notorious bait-stealers, so the game is reading the bite: ignore the little taps (that is the tog chewing), and when you feel the rod load up with weight, set hard and immediately crank, you have to pull the fish up and away from the structure before it dives back in.
Tip Set hard and lift fast. The whole battle with a tautog is the first three seconds, get its head up and moving away from the rocks immediately, because if it gets back into the structure it will break you off every time.