UTERTautog fishing in New Jersey saltwater fishing
In New Jersey saltwater fishing, tautog peak April–May and November–December and are around year-round, according to Fish Scouter's month-by-month season calendar. April: Spring tog on the jetties and inshore reefs — NJ has a closed summer stretch; check NJDEP.
The fall run starts; bluefin push inshore. Stripers on sand eels and peanut bunker along the coast — birds off Sandy Hook and Island Beach; tog season reopens on the jetties; bluefin on topwater within sight of the beach some years.
Tautog in New Jersey saltwater fishing, month by month
- JanuaryAroundHoldover stripers in the rivers; tog and sea bass on the wrecks. Slow soft plastics for holdover stripers in the Mullica, Toms and Navesink; party boats for tog and jumbo sea bass on the deep wrecks when the season's open.
- FebruaryAroundThe dead of winter — wrecks and river holdovers. Calm-day wreck trips; warm afternoons in the back-bay rivers.
- MarchArriving
- AprilPeakSpring tog on the jetties and inshore reefs — NJ has a closed summer stretch; check NJDEP.
- MayPeakBunker-pod stripers off Monmouth; fluke season opens. Live-line bunker for big stripers along the beaches; poppers for blues in the inlets; drift the back-bay channels for fluke once the season opens (check NJDEP).
- JuneAround
- JulyAround
- AugustAround
- SeptemberAround
- OctoberArrivingThe fall run starts; bluefin push inshore. Stripers on sand eels and peanut bunker along the coast — birds off Sandy Hook and Island Beach; tog season reopens on the jetties; bluefin on topwater within sight of the beach some years.
- NovemberPeakBest of the year on the ocean wrecks and rock piles; white-legger crabs.
- DecemberPeakThe run slides south to Cape May; tog on the wrecks. Last big stripers on the south Jersey jetties and beaches; jumbo sea bass and tog on the deep wrecks.
Where to fish tautog near Cape May, Atlantic City, Barnegat Light
A 130-mile barrier-island coast of surf beaches and rock jetties, cut by inlets (Cape May, Townsends, Absecon, Barnegat, Manasquan, Shark River) into shallow back bays — Barnegat Bay, Great Bay, the Cape May wetlands — with Raritan Bay at the north end; offshore, a field of artificial reefs, ridges and wrecks out to the Hudson, Toms, Wilmington and Spencer canyons.
Fish Scouter charts 868 artificial reef, 470 wreck, 148 ledge / hard bottom spots in the The Jersey Shore 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 New Jersey saltwater fishing?
Peak season is April–May and November–December. Tautog are here year-round. April: Spring tog on the jetties and inshore reefs — NJ has a closed summer stretch; check NJDEP.
Where do tautog hold in New Jersey saltwater fishing?
Look on artificial reef, wreck, ledge / hard bottom, bridge, fishing pier — around Cape May, Atlantic City, Barnegat Light, Point Pleasant, Belmar, Sandy Hook.
What is the best bait for tautog in New Jersey saltwater fishing?
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.
What are the rules for tautog in New Jersey saltwater fishing?
Size and bag limits and closed seasons are set by the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife (NJ Fish and Wildlife) and change — read the current rule at https://dep.nj.gov/njfw/fishing/marine/ before you keep a fish. A licence is sold at https://dep.nj.gov/njfw/licenses-and-permits/.
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