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.
Once fall arrives, the blackfish tend to move back towards the shore in an attempt to make sure that they are able to fatten up and prepare for the winter months that lie ahead. This is when you can find them in shallow rock piles – 6 feet in some instances. This is where they are scrounging for crabs, mussels and barnacles to fill up on. This is a great opportunity for those who are interested in shore-fishing to have a chance to land a blackfish or two.
A good chart will help you locate the ideal spots for landing blackfish. If you find the right one, they will allow you to easily identify rock piles that are in the general area of beaches and jetties, which are good areas to start. If possible, the chart should also have depth contours which should help you identify the right areas. Rocky formations that extend into the water are also great places, and sometimes you’ll find them easier to spot under breaking waves as the tide changes. These areas can contain tautogs.
Your gear will have to be up to the task of taking on this feisty fish. You won’t get away with a weak rod or reel with tautogs. Since the goal of the blackfish is to separate themselves from your line by any means necessary and they have the bulky body and broomstick like tail that will allow them to do this, you have to be quick. Remember that these fish want to break your line off and they will immediately head for the nearest rock formation in their quest to do so. Make sure you have a good stout rod, and a reel that you can control well. Whether your reel is a spinner or a conventional one the secret to success with blackfish is having complete control of that reel. You are going to need to be able to stop the line from being released as quickly as possible since this fish is going to hit hard and he’s going to hit fast. Using a 10 or 11 foot rod might serve you better than the normal 8 foot rod that is preferred by most shoreline anglers. Not only will it be stronger, but it’s likely to give you the extra leverage you need to get the right upward pulling power needed for tautogs.
More and more anglers are turning to braided line for their fishing because this line offers unparallel sensitivity allowing you to feel the slightest nibble and the lines don’t stretch. The problem with a braided line is they are not very good under conditions that create any type of abrasion. Make no mistake about it, braided line is probably not your best option for blackfish angling. While they are strong in comparison to their diameter, a few quick drags on a rock and your line is history. You may want to think about using a leader – a couple of feet should do the trick if you use it with a 30-50 pound braided line – this will work fairly well if you are fishing in an isolated area and using a good monofilament fluorocarbon leader of the proper length.
Rocky structures allow the blackfish to not only fight with you, but they are likely to head straight for any rocky hole that is available to them. This exercise will result in your line being dragged over the rocks and therefore, you may find that a monofilament line that is of substantial weight (17-30 lb) might be a better choice of line.
Your bait rig will be your next consideration. An octopus hook (2/0 size) on a fluorocarbon leader will be a good option. Create your own slider rig with a slider sinker in the 2-4 ounce range, and thread that onto your line. Your barrel should be rated for upwards of fifty pounds and a fluorocarbon or monofilament leader around 2 feet long should be the best possible rig you can use.
Typically bait for a blackfish will be clams, crabs or sandworms and you may even consider mussels. Just toss it into the rocky area and hang onto your rod. It’s not recommended that you sit your rod in a sand spike because any delay and you could lose the blackfish – they are prone to snatching up your bait and they could very well spit it out before you get a chance to hook them. Have fun landing these aggressive blackfish in the northeast waters.
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 okuma fishing reel and van staal reels.
