All Aboard for the Best About Cruising!

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.

Locating the best fishing area may be the least of your concerns if you’re after blackfish. Remember these fish are fighters – they not only don’t want to be caught, but their unique shape with their broom-like tail and stout body mean that they can quickly get the upper hand on you with their strength. The tautog wastes no time at all – their entire purpose once they are on your line is to see if they can get the best of you by dragging your line to the rocks. This need not be problematic if you have the right tackle. A stout rod with a strong drag system will help you ensure that the fish doesn’t win. Your reel can be whichever you feel you have the most control over - conventional or spinning – whichever you choose make sure that you have complete control. Remember that speed matters when you are fighting a blackfish – they are going to hit and run faster than you might think. In general a 10 to 11 foot rod is the best choice for blackfish even though most surf anglers will use an 8 foot rod. The longer rod will give you the additional leverage you need for blackfish.

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 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.

The best bait rig for the blackfish could very well be the simple slider rig. It’s easy to create with a 2-4 ounce slider sinker which you thread onto your line. The barrel should be rated for up to 50 lbs and you can add a monofilament or fluorocarbon leader (1 ½ - 2 feet) which has an octopus hook (2/0 size). This allows your sinker to stay along the bottom because there is little doubt that the blackfish is going to do his very best to take your bait and make a run for it. This type of rig will allow your line to pass through the sinker and the blackfish will not feel the resistance.

The northeast waters provide ample opportunity for landing blackfish if you are using the right rig and the right bait. Toss clams, sandworms, mussels or crabs into the rocky area and be prepared to not give into the temptation hang your rod in a sand spike. You’ll be far better off holding on to your rod since the first sign of a hit you’ll want to quickly get a chance to hook the tautog and reel him in.

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 fishing reels, okuma fishing reels, and shimano saltwater spinning reel.

Share This

This entry was posted on Monday, September 6th, 2010 at 2:05 am and is filed under JetSki. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.