UTERTautog fishing in Delaware Bay and Ocean City
In Delaware Bay and Ocean City, tautog peak April–May and October–December and are around year-round, according to Fish Scouter's month-by-month season calendar. April: Indian River Inlet rocks and the Delaware Bay jetties — green crabs; check DNREC season.
Fall surf: blues, drum, specks and weakfish. Cut bunker in the Assateague and Delaware surf for drum and blues; jigs at Indian River Inlet for specks and weakfish; the tog bite starts on the rocks.
Tautog in Delaware Bay and Ocean City, month by month
- JanuaryAroundQuiet inshore — tog on the wrecks, the last stripers offshore. Party boats run the ocean wrecks for tog and sea bass when seasons are open; stripers wintering off the coast are mostly outside three miles, where they're closed.
- FebruaryAroundThe coldest month: tog and the offshore wrecks on calm days. Crabs on the deep wrecks for tog; watch the weather windows.
- MarchArrivingStripers head up Delaware Bay; perch in the creeks. Bloodworms in the back-bay creeks for the first stripers; white perch run up the Delaware Bay tributaries.
- AprilPeakIndian River Inlet rocks and the Delaware Bay jetties — green crabs; check DNREC season.
- MayPeak
- JuneAround
- JulyAround
- AugustAround
- SeptemberArriving
- OctoberPeakFall surf: blues, drum, specks and weakfish. Cut bunker in the Assateague and Delaware surf for drum and blues; jigs at Indian River Inlet for specks and weakfish; the tog bite starts on the rocks.
- NovemberPeakOcean wrecks and the Ocean City inlet jetty on crabs and clams.
- DecemberPeakLast of the migration on the beaches; tog on the wrecks. Big stripers running south along the beaches and the inlets at night; tog and sea bass on the deep wrecks.
Where to fish tautog near Lewes, Indian River Inlet, Ocean City
Delaware Bay's big, shoaly estuary with the lumps and sloughs off Slaughter Beach and the Coral Beds; the Delaware, Maryland and Assateague surf; the inland bays and back bays behind them (Rehoboth, Indian River, Assawoman, Sinepuxent, Chincoteague); Virginia's wild seaside barrier islands; and the offshore lumps (Jackspot, Hambone) out to Baltimore, Poor Man's and Washington canyons.
Fish Scouter charts 150 wreck, 52 artificial reef, 1 ledge / hard bottom spots in the Delmarva & Delaware Bay map area — the kinds tautog hold on.
What to use for tautog
- Fiddler crabsA #1 hook through the back corner of the shell, dropped tight to the piling — the sheepshead bait.
- Blue crabsWhole and small for permit and tarpon; halved or quartered on the bottom for black drum, redfish and cobia.
- Leader30–60 lb fluorocarbon
- Hook2/0–7/0
- Braid30–65 lb
Feeds in 44–72°F water, best at 50–64°F.
Questions anglers ask
When is the best time to catch tautog in Delaware Bay and Ocean City?
Peak season is April–May and October–December. Tautog are here year-round. April: Indian River Inlet rocks and the Delaware Bay jetties — green crabs; check DNREC season.
Where do tautog hold in Delaware Bay and Ocean City?
Look on artificial reef, wreck, ledge / hard bottom, bridge, fishing pier — around Lewes, Indian River Inlet, Ocean City, Chincoteague, Wachapreague, Cape May.
What is the best bait for tautog in Delaware Bay and Ocean City?
Live bait: fiddler crabs, blue crabs. Fiddler crabs: A #1 hook through the back corner of the shell, dropped tight to the piling — the sheepshead bait. Tackle: leader 30–60 lb fluorocarbon, hook 2/0–7/0, braid 30–65 lb.
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All about tautog · Delmarva & Delaware Bay, the whole year