Tautog: season, lures and limits

Showing the fish for Massachusetts North Shore and Boston Harbor, MA.

Fishing region

Season in North Shore MA

Peak months: Oct.

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MA DMF: move inshore as water approaches 48 F in spring and leave when it drops below 52 F in fall; north of the Cape they keep to water under 60 ft; can be caught along the entire coast. OTW May 2026: occasional tautog on rocky spots. OTW Oct 15 2026: tog come into the shallows, inner Boston Harbor parks and wharves holding tog. (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

Rocky shores, wharves and pilings in water under 60 ft (MA DMF); inner Boston Harbor parks and wharves and South Shore rocks (Minot, the Glades) in October (OTW).

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

MA DMF: excellent on the table, popular in chowder. Season and limits are in the regulations file.

Recipes for tautog

Typical: 2 to 4 lb (MA DMF). Large: Largest Massachusetts hook-and-line fish nearly 23 lb (MA DMF).

Limits

FishOS has not checked the MA limits yet. Check the size, bag and season rules with the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries before you keep a fish.

Sources

MA DMF: Learn about tautog (Official source)
On The Water: Massachusetts Fishing Report, May 7 2026 (Angler knowledge)
On The Water: Massachusetts Fishing Report, Oct 15 2026 (Fore River Fishing Tackle, Tomo's Tackle, Fishing FINatics) (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 North Shore MA

Tautog