Tautog (Blackfish) Fishing in Marlow Cove, MA
A crab-crushing bruiser that lives tight to the rocks. Technical, stubborn, and worth every lost rig.
About the tautog (blackfish)
Rock and wreck brawlers caught on crabs in spring and fall. Tough to hook, tougher to pull out of structure, great to eat.
Typical season in Massachusetts
- January: off peak
- February: off peak
- March: off peak
- April: peak
- May: peak
- June: off peak
- July: off peak
- August: off peak
- September: off peak
- October: peak
- November: peak
- December: off peak
Peak months: April to May and October to November.
Tautog seasons differ by state. Rhode Island closes June and July, and Connecticut opens only in April, July and August, and Oct 10 to Nov 28. The minimum is 16 inches.
Peak months are general guidance for the region, not regulations. Always check your state's current rules and ask us before you book.
Best in October and November, with a shorter spring season in April and May.
Species guide
Tautog (Blackfish) (Tautoga onitis)
- How to identify
- Dark mottled gray, black and olive body, thick rubbery lips and a blunt, rounded head.
- Size
- Usually 2 to 6 pounds; trophies pass 15
- Lifespan
- Can live more than 30 years
- Habitat
- Rocks, wrecks, jetties and mussel beds.
- Range
- Atlantic coast from Nova Scotia to South Carolina, most common from Cape Cod to the Chesapeake.
- Diet
- Crabs, mussels, clams and barnacles
Did you know? Tautog grow slowly and rest tucked into the rocks at night, which is why they hold so tight to structure.