Tautog

Want to tangle with some Tautog (Blackfish) off Long Beach, New York? This area offers excellent opportunities for targeting these hard-fighting bottom dwellers. The key to success lies in finding the right structure. Tautog are masters of camouflage and prefer rocky bottoms, wrecks, and pilings. Focus your efforts around the many inlets and nearshore reefs. The prime time is during the spring and fall, when water temperatures are cooler. A local tip: green crabs are the bait of choice, but Asian crabs are a close second and often easier to obtain. Make sure you're using stout tackle, as Tautog are notorious for breaking lines on structure. Also, pay close attention to the tides. Tautog often feed most aggressively during periods of slack tide or moderate current flow. Be prepared to anchor precisely to present your bait right on the structure.