Tautog: season, lures and limits

Showing the fish for North Jersey Shore, NJ.

Fishing region

Season in North Jersey

Peak months: Oct, Nov.

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ASMFC: most tautog landed in spring and fall, recreational peak September to December. Aug 2025 tog under the Highlands Bridge and in the Point Pleasant Canal on green crabs; Oct 2025 Shark River Inlet, Manasquan Inlet and the canal; Dec 2025 keepers on wrecks and reefs, a few at Shark River Inlet. Winter fish mostly on deeper reefs by boat. (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

Inlet jetties (Shark River, Manasquan), the Point Pleasant Canal, bridge pilings (Highlands, Railroad Bridge), docks; bigger fish on wrecks and reefs by boat in late fall.

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. NJ splits tautog into several seasons; check NJ rules.

Recipes for tautog

Typical: Mix of shorts and keepers inshore. Large: 10 lb 2 oz released at the Reel Seat (2025); 22.8 lb weighed at Fishermen's Headquarters, LBI (Dec 2025).

Limits

FishOS has not checked the NJ limits yet. Check the size, bag and season rules with the New Jersey Fish and Wildlife before you keep a fish.

Sources

ASMFC: Tautog (Official source)
On The Water: Northern New Jersey Fishing Report, August 14 2025 (Angler knowledge)
On The Water: Northern New Jersey Fishing Report, October 16 2025 (Angler knowledge)
On The Water: Northern New Jersey Fishing Report, December 11 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 North Jersey

Tautog