Tautog: season, lures and limits

We picked these fish for Virginia Beach and the Chesapeake Bay mouth, VA, the region closest to Columbus, Ohio, based on the approximate location of your internet connection (IP geolocation, looked up on our own server). It is about 436 miles away; FishOS covers the coast from Maine to Florida and the Gulf of America, and adds regions as they are checked. Pick another region if that is not where you fish.

Fishing region

Season in Virginia Beach

Peak months: Feb, Mar.

JFMAMJJASOND

VSWFT tautog citations in Bay-mouth areas: January 4, February 22, March 27, April 3, May 4, October 1 (2024 to 2025). FishTalk: tog move inshore to the CBBT once the Bay mouth passes 50 F (March), many shorts and jumbos at the CBBT and Kiptopeke ships in May, fish to 16 in at the HRBT in July, moving inshore again as water cools in October. (Our inference)

Season by region

Long Island	JFMAMJJASOND
Maine	JFMAMJJASOND
North Shore MA	JFMAMJJASOND
Cape Cod	JFMAMJJASOND
Rhode Island	JFMAMJJASOND
Connecticut	JFMAMJJASOND
North Jersey	JFMAMJJASOND
South Jersey	JFMAMJJASOND
Delmarva	JFMAMJJASOND
Virginia Beach	JFMAMJJASOND

Where to find them

CBBT islands, the Kiptopeke concrete ships, Rudee Inlet mouth and Bay reef sites, by boat or kayak; HRBT pilings. Crab baits on bottom-sweeper jigs; expect snags.

Tight to rocks, wrecks, reefs and mussel beds on the bottom.

What to look for

Hard structure with mussels and crabs; high spots and holes in a boulder field.

What to throw

Tautog jig tipped with crab1/2 to 2 (up to 5 in deep or fast water) oz, Flat-sitting ball, football, banana or boxer head on a stout hook. Drop to the bottom and hold it still; if nothing bites, move to another part of the structure. Set hard when the line goes light or moves off.

Bait

Green crabs, Asian shore or white-legger crabs, Green fiddler and calico crabs, Blue mussels, Steamer clams. Stout single-hook bottom rig, or a 1/2 to 2 oz tog jig tipped with crab; use the lightest jig that holds bottom..

Leader

NY Sea Grant: stout rod about 8 ft, 20 to 30 lb abrasion-resistant line. On The Water jig setup: 20 to 30 lb braid with about 10 ft of 30 to 40 lb fluorocarbon.

Common mistakes

Letting a hooked fish turn back into the rocks (turn its head right away)
Using a jig heavier than needed to hold bottom
Striking on the first tap instead of when the line moves off or goes light

Landing

Net it; keep pressure on to pull it away from the rocks.

Handling

Very slippery mucus-covered skin
Strong crushing teeth

Grip with a towel; keep fingers out of the mouth; unhook with pliers.

Keep or release

Excellent eating. Virginia closes tautog part of the year; check VMRC.

Recipes for tautog

Typical: Many sub-legal fish. Large: Jumbos over 10 lb, the largest over 18 lb (May 2026).

Limits

FishOS has not checked the VA limits yet. Check the size, bag and season rules with the Virginia Marine Resources Commission before you keep a fish.

Sources

VMRC Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament: 2024 Citations Year To Date (every trophy citation with species, catch date, area, technique) (Official source)
VMRC Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament: 2025 Citations Year To Date (printed May 8 2026) (Official source)
FishTalk Way South Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, March 2026 (Angler knowledge)
FishTalk Way South Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, May 2026 (Long Bay Pointe Bait and Tackle, Ocean's East Bait and Tackle) (Angler knowledge)
FishTalk Way South Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, July 2025 (Angler knowledge)
FishTalk Way South Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, October 2025 (Angler knowledge)
NOAA Tech. Memo. NMFS-NE-118: Tautog life history and habitat requirements (Steimle and Shaheen, 1999) (Official source)
New York Sea Grant fish profile: Blackfish (tautog) (Cornell, 2001) (Official source)

All the fish of Virginia Beach

Tautog