Generally when you hear anglers talking about fishing for blackfish (known as tautog) you will hear them telling you about using crabs and sandworms over the sides of their boats and enjoying the fight of this feisty fish. In fact, many will regale you with tales of their rods practically bending in half as they fight to drag these fish out of the rocks. You might be wondering – what if you don’t have your own boat or access to a boat – are you going to miss out on this fish? The answer to that is NO! While you might not be able to find a lot of information about shore fishing for blackfish, it is an option for those who prefer it.

If you are in an area where the shoreline waters reach the optimal temperatures of 50-65 degrees and have rocky areas, they might be the best possible locations to find tautogs. Since these fish prefer to favor cooler waters, your options are probably even better in early spring and late fall. Once the waters begin their springtime warm-up, blackfish will head towards the coastline to feed in shallow water rock piles. This is where they will begin preparing to spawn and once that process is complete they will move out to the deeper, colder waters.

Blackfish tend to move towards the shoreline in the fall in the hopes of getting fattened up in time for the winter months that lie ahead of them. They can be found in waters as shallow as 6 feet during these times, again in shallow rock piles. You’ll likely find them feasting on mussels, crabs and barnacles in these areas and if you’re interested in shoreline fishing, this is a great opportunity to get in some fun fishing for blackfish.

Charts can be very useful in these areas, especially those that provide depth contours and identify rock piles that are along beaches and jetties. These are ideal fishing areas for blackfish and the right charts will help you identify them with ease. Tautogs will also be found hiding in rocky formations that can be identified when the tide starts changing – you can find those formations that extend into the water under breaking waves.

After you’ve identified the right fishing area, it’s time to verify that your gear is up for the task. Just remember, these fish are fighters every step of the way and their goal is to separate your line from your reel. You can get the upper hand easily by making sure that you have the right rod, reel and line. Keep in mind the shape of these fish – they have a stout body and a tail that resembles a broom. They waste no time at all trying to break off your line by dragging it into the rocks. Not only will you need a stout rod, but you want to make sure that you have a good drag system that will stand up to the abuse this fish will put upon you. In the case of reels you may elect for either a spinning or conventional style, depending on which one you feel offers the most control. You need to be able to stop this quickly as these fish are going to hit fast and attempt to flee even faster. Most surf anglers generally prefer an 8 foot rod, but in the case of blackfish, you might be better off with a 10 or 11 foot rod as it will allow you more upward pulling power and far more leverage.

Line is a concern when blackfish are the game you are after. These fish will do their utmost to snap off your line at on every boulder that they encounter. While braided line is quickly becoming a favorite, because it does not stretch and because it is very sensitive to a bite, it’s problematic with tautogs. Braided line does not have the abrasion resistance that is available in monofilament and fluorocarbon line and therefore it’s likely to break if a blackfish drags it across the rocks. You can probably work around this by using a one and a half or two foot fluorocarbon or mono leader with a thirty to fifty pound braided line.

Rocky holes are the favorite hiding spots of tautogs. These blackfish are going to head straight towards any rocky hole that is available when they find they’re attached to your line. What winds up happening is that you are quickly going to discover that your line is being dragged over every rock that is in their path – monofilament line between 17 and 30 lb weight is probably the best possible choice for blackfish.

Your rig can be a simple slider rig created from a 2-4 ounce slider sinker threaded on your line. Use caution that your barrel is sufficient to battle with this stout fish – remember he’s going to fight you tooth and nail – it should be rated for upwards of 50 pounds. Add a monofilament or fluorocarbon leader and a 2/0 octopus hook and you’ll likely have fairly good success. This type of a rig will allow you to keep your sinker along the bottom – since the blackfish will do his best to steal your bait and head for rocks, the rig will allow you to prevent the tautog from feeling the initial resistance that could make him bolt.

Bait isn’t that much of a challenge if you know the dietary habit of the tautog. Crabs, clams and sandworms are all part of their diets and so are mussels. You can toss your rig complete with any of these bait choices into rocky areas to lure blackfish. Just make sure that instead of using a sand spike that you are holding onto your rod – remember, these fish are interested in not getting caught and if you don’t start reeling them in right away they are liable to take off immediately after stealing your bait. As many others have, northeast anglers will enjoy tackling these aggressive tautogs from onshore.

When you are getting prepared for a saltwater fishing adventure, having the proper equipment is essential. Some of the most popular products on the market include van staal reels, okuma reels, and shimano spinning reel.

1. Blackfish 102
2. Fishing for Striped Bass Part 2
3. Striped Bass Fishing Part 2
4. Information on Atlantic Salmon
5. Tying an Albright Knot

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