Why Tautog?
If you have been watching on social media the past couple of years, you will have noticed a significant uptick in posts about catching and cooking tautog. Once kind of an afterthought sort of bottom fish, you only really heard about it being caught on the head boats years ago. Now, thanks to the wonder of the internet, tautog fishing on Cape Cod has now gone mainstream and primetime. Tautog will never win a fish beauty contest, but their super high quality as table fare and because these guys can really put up a tussle on appropriately matched tackle, make this an early/ late season species to start fishing for.
Being successful at catching tautog is only a function of selecting their favorite bait, appropriately matching your tackle , and learning to locate the right spots- here are the when, where's and what's of Tautog fishing on Cape Cod.
When?
As luck would have it, Tautog fishing season on Cape Cod, is an early, then late season sort of fishery. In most years, Tautog show up inshore here in early to mid April . They can typically be fished for earlier than the glamour species like striped bass. Then again, in the fall, because tautog tolerate fairly cold temps, they can linger around here in late Sept, October and even into November- usually long after our other local species have begun the wintertime southern migration in earnest.
When it gets really cold in December, tog move off into their offshore wintertime spots. Then all the fun will be over until the following Spring.
Where is a good place to catch tautog?
Tautog like and need structure to orient to and feed around. You will rarely catch one on open sandy, featureless bottom.The best spots? Jetties, artificial reefs and wrecks.
If you are a shore bound fisherman, jetties are going to be the place. Be sure to fish your baits closer to the rocks then not.Casting as far as you can will generally not help you.
If you are a boat fisherman, you need only consult your navigation charts to see where the artificial constructed reefs or submerged wrecks are located. Or, simply look where the head boats/ charter boats like to frequent. Just remember, these guys are out there working hard to make a living. Give them respectful space and try not to fish right on top of them.
What is the best tautog fishing rig?
The old stand by High-Low rig with a lead sinker heavy enough to keep you securely on bottom is a great way to rig up if you are just starting up in this fishery. Some people catch them on jigs intended for black sea bass, but that is lower percentage than using the right bait...
What is the best bait for tautog?
Although Tautog can be caught on a range of baits and fishing methods, one bait towers over the others in terms of effectiveness- Green crabs. The Goose Hummock does not carry them as a bait, but we do have the inexpensive traps you can use to catch your own. There are so many green crabs around Cape Cod , few people will bother to pay for them. It only takes a few minutes to catch enough for a fishing trip .
Fishing with crabs for the first time can really be an experience- make sure you bring scissors or clippers to remove claws and legs before trying to hook them up. It will make your life alot easier. Tautog generally don't need legs on to recognize them as their favorite food stuff.
Tautog have a mouth and dental work designed to easily crush the crabs and clams that are the mainstays of their diet.
When hooking green crabs, simply run your hook through the tough part of the leg socket furthest back and then, secure it by pushing through the main top shell.
Don’t hesitate to throw some crushed crabs and legs in the water to create a slick in the water. The scraps will put nearby tog into a feeding frenzy.
Tips/ Tricks?
Tautog take a bait in a relatively unusual fashion. Delay your urge to set the hook immediately on the first tap or bump. Tautog need a second to negotiate the shell and position in their mouth before they actually take the bait in full. The initial take is usually subtle and lite, when they actually have the bait, you won't wonder if it's time for a hook set.
What’s the best rod and reel set up for tautog?
If you fish for other species like striped bass and bluefish on Cape Cod, you probably already own the right rod and reel set up to tangle with these guys. The only programming error you can make is fishing gear that is too lite for the weight of the terminal tackle you will need to fish in most spots. The Daiwa Harrier Series rods are a great low price point bottom fishing rod and are perfect for this type(and other types) of fishing on Cape Cod if you want to invest in a decent bottom fishing specific type set up.
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