Tautog: season, lures and limits

Showing the fish for Long Island, NY.

Fishing region

Season in Long Island

Peak months: Oct, Nov.

JFMAMJJASOND

NY Sea Grant: first appear in the NY Bight on offshore wrecks in late March and early April, inshore by the end of April in 5 to 25 ft until the water warms, hard to locate by July until they reappear in mid-September; some of the best fishing is the fall run until November, then they return to deeper water. NOAA NEFSC: adults move offshore when bottom water drops below 10 C (50 F); Montauk averages 53.4 F in November and 45.3 F in December. (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

Rock piles, jetties, breakwaters, wrecks and artificial reefs: North Shore rock piles (Port Washington, Northport), Montauk and Orient rocks, and South Shore inlet jetties and ocean reefs.

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

Slow-growing and long-lived (to 34 years per NY Sea Grant). Seasons differ between Long Island Sound and the NY Bight; check the New York rules.

Recipes for tautog

Typical: 3 to 4 lb (6 to 10 years old). Large: Bulldogs over 10 lb. NY record 22.53 lb (2014).

New York (marine waters) limits

Minimum: 16 in TL
Maximum: none
Bag: Long Island Sound Region: 2 (April 1 to 30), 3 (Oct 11 to Dec 9). NY Bight Region: 2 (April 1 to 30), 4 (Oct 15 to Dec 22)
Season: Long Island Sound Region: April 1 to April 30 and Oct 11 to Dec 9. NY Bight Region: April 1 to April 30 and Oct 15 to Dec 22
Long Island Sound Region: marine and coastal district waters east of the Throgs Neck Bridge and west of a line from Orient Point, NY to Watch Hill, RI
NY Bight Region: all marine and coastal district waters outside the Long Island Sound Region
No separate party/charter rule is published

Last checked 2026-10-17. A summary, not legal advice; the official rules win. New York State DEC fishing regulations.

Sources

New York Sea Grant fish profile: Blackfish (tautog) (Cornell, 2001) (Official source)
NOAA Tech. Memo. NMFS-NE-118: Tautog life history and habitat requirements (Steimle and Shaheen, 1999) (Official source)
NOAA NCEI Coastal Water Temperature Guide, all stations table (Montauk 8510560; Bridgeport CT 8467150 as the closest listed Sound station) (Official source)
NYSDEC Marine Recreational Angler Records Program (Official source)
NYSDEC Recreational Saltwater Fishing Regulations: size, possession limits and seasons (fish table last changed May 12, 2026; shark table last changed Aug 27, 2025) (Official source)

All the fish of Long Island

Tautog