Tautog or also known as blackfish is a species of wrasse that is commonly found roaming around the Atlantic Ocean. The variety inhabits the inshore waters at depths ranging from 1 to 75 meters.
At the time, tautog is the only known member of its genus.
These are slow-growing fish that can stay alive for about 34 to 40 years. This is a long time when compared with other varieties of similar sizes.
You should note that these fish are generally caught because of their taste. This is often compared with lobsters because of all the similarities.
The tenderness of the meat along with its slightly sweet flavor makes this an amazing option to go for if you are looking for something light to eat. The meat is also filled with tons of nutrients that can keep you healthy.
However, when compared with lobsters, people will notice that the meat is firmer.
With that being said, people often try catching the variety, but this can be a little tricky. You might run into similar problems which is why going through this article should help you out.
This is because will be providing you with a small guide that should teach you how to fish for tautog without any issues.
How To Fish For Tautog?
Fishing is a fun activity but there are tons of things that should be kept in mind before you even start fishing. Varieties like tautog are often harder to catch because they tend to move around.
Additionally, these fish can also sometimes hide which makes it even more difficult to attract or find them.
This is why it is important that you keep the steps mentioned below in mind when looking for tautog. These should help you in ensuring that the variety is caught without any problems.
As long as you stay cautious and follow the information, catching these fish should be a lot easier.
- The location that you are fishing in usually plays a huge role when looking for a variety like this. There are several things that you can look out for when deciding on a fishing spot, but the first thing should always be selecting an area that is close to you.
- Aside from this, the fishing spot being selected should generally have fewer fishermen roaming around. This is because tautog is hunted by tons of people because of their meat. This means that if you choose a populated area then this will most likely be overfished.
- After you have your location in mind, the next thing that you need to do is decide what time of the day you will be fishing at. This paired up with the season you are fishing in can drastically increase the chances of you finding the variety.
- In most cases, it is much better that people start their fishing trip during the daytime. This should be early morning as there is a lot more visibility while the temperature of the water is also colder. As the sun rises, the temperature gets warmer, and these fish starts going deeper.
- While catching tautog while it is at deeper levels of the sea is possible, you should note that there are also several problems with this. These include using a long line while also staying cautious of other varieties roaming around.
- People can now start selecting the bait that they will be using for their trip. When it comes to this, green crabs are easily the best type of bait that can be used to attract tautog. These can sometimes be a little harder to find which is why white legger or Asian crabs can also be used.
- You can now start selecting the rod, hook, and line that will be used. These should generally be medium-sized so that the equipment does not break. Once you are ready for the trip, prepare your tools and start your fishing adventure.
The steps mentioned above are generally enough to understand how tautog can be caught.
Keep in mind that different techniques can be used. While all of these should be effective, it is recommended that you go with a method that you are already proficient with.
This helps in ensuring that the variety will be caught without much trouble. If you are still having trouble then try throwing your bait near rocks, boulders, wrecks, or other similar hard structures.
This is because tautog often tries hiding near these spots if they are scared.