Species guide · New Jersey
Tautog fishing in New Jersey
Tautoga onitis, a nearshore species also called blackfish, tog and white chin. Listed for the Mid-Atlantic region. Shoulder season, about 1 more week.
Right now it scores best in Delaware Bay waters south of East Point NJ to Slaughter Beach DE at 58, one of 4 New Jersey bay systems where the Waterlands engine is scoring it.
Season now
Shoulder seasonSeason by month
From the Waterlands saltwater species research: when the fish are present and biting, not whether retention is open.
Mid-Atlantic
Shoulder season, about 1 more week- Jan: Shoulder season
- Feb: Shoulder season
- Mar: Shoulder season
- Apr: Peak season
- May: Shoulder season
- Jun: Off season
- Jul: Off season
- Aug: Off season
- Sep: Shoulder season
- Oct: Peak season
- Nov: Peak season
- Dec: Peak season
Peak: Apr, Oct to Dec. In season (shoulder or peak): Sep to May.
Research notes, Mid-Atlantic region
New York and New Jersey fish best in April-May and October-December. In the lower Chesapeake Bay and on Virginia and Maryland ocean wrecks, tautog are common from autumn through spring and move offshore in summer; VMRC citations 2023-2025 peak January-April.
Seasons and limits in these notes are background. The regulations below and the regulator’s own page govern.
Where it's scoring now · 4
New Jersey bay systems ranked by the Waterlands engine's tautog score this hour.
Best window today 5-8 PM (60) · Best day Tue, Sep 29 at 4 PM (62) · 147 named spots
Best window today 5-8 PM (58) · Best day Tue, Sep 29 at 4 PM (63) · 72 named spots
Best window today 6-9 PM (63) · Best day Sun, Sep 27 at 7 AM (64) · 38 named spots
Best window today 5-9 PM (58) · Best day Wed, Sep 30 at 5 PM (65) · 100 named spots
How and where it feeds
- Water temperature
- Feeds from 45°F to 72°F, best between 50°F and 64°F.
- Water depth
- 5 to 120 ft of water.
- Structure
- Reef, wreck, jetty, bridge, pier, ledge and oyster, in that order of preference.
- Tide and current
- Prefers moving water, with light current.Tautog feed with some current, but the bait has to sit in the rocks. Jetties and bridge pilings fish well on a moderate moving tide; on deeper wrecks the slower water near the change is easier to fish.
- Light
- Little tied to dawn and dusk.
- Pressure
- Little response to pressure changes.
- Wind and sea limits
- 18 kt of wind and 4 ft of sea. The Waterlands engine scores hours down as conditions pass them.
Tackle and technique
Tautog live in rocks, wrecks, bridge pilings and jetties and rarely stray from cover, usually in 10 to 60 feet inshore and deeper in late fall. Anchor so the bait sits in the structure, fish crab on a short rig or a tog jig, and set hard on the second tap before the fish pulls into the rocks. Clams and worms work better in cold spring water; hard crabs are the standard in fall.
- Methods
- bottom fishing, anchoring on structure, jigging
- Lures
- tog jigs tipped with crab
- Bait
- green crab, Asian shore crab, fiddler crab, clams, sea worms
Regulations
New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife. Synced with NJFW Sep 18, 2026.
No reviewed tautog rule for New Jersey is on file yet. Check with NJFW before you keep one.