Tautog (Tautoga onitis)

Tautog (Tautoga onitis)

Also known as Blackfish, Chub, ‘Tog, White Chin.

Description ..

Tautog are a favorite fish for many anglers to catch and eat.  They are a thick bodied fish, that have thick lips that cover large irregular teeth, which have the incisors in the rear and the molars in the front.  They vary in color from chocolate brown to gray or blackish olive on their backsides and feature a white belly.  Some have a mottling pattern of irregular patches on the sides which is associated with spawning activity. A white saddle down the middle of each side will develop on females during spawning.   The blunt head is more prominent in males, with a pronounced white chin, and a white spot on their side that is very distinct.  They are often confused with cunner fish and can be distinguished by a lack of scales on their gill cover (tautog) and cunner fish rarely weigh over a pound.  

They are found in the waters of Nova Scotia to South Carolina, and in great abundance between Cape Cod and the Delaware Bay.  They will move in and out of bays (in shore) to off shore locations in accordance with water temperatures, they are a cold water fish.  They prefer rocky bottoms, shell beds, and inshore wrecks or structure.  They usually inhabit these areas year round.   They feed on shellfish and crustaceans, the most popular baits are green crabs and sand fleas.  The white legged crabs are one of their favorite baits, but hard to find in Delaware bait shops.  However you can catch these crabs at the Cape Henlopen fishing pier with crab rings.  

Locations for “taugin” or tautog fishing in Delaware include, the jetties of the Indian River Inlet, Masseys Landing along the pier and bulkheads, the inner and outer walls in the Harbor of Safe refuge, the haystacks or ice breakers in the Delaware bay, wreck sites and artificial reef sites.  Many charters are available for trips to catch these desired fish.  They are stubborn to catch and fishing for them can be an art.   A traditional tautog top and bottom rig is often used and many in the northern states use a SNAFU rig.  This rig has 2 hooks that hang below the weight on equal lengths of line, and can hook into the same piece of bait or two separate pieces.  Tautog will “lip” or “mouth” the bait and then grab it so hooking them on the first “tug” is a must.  They are the original master bait stealers.

Delaware Creel limits …