An overview of perfect fall tog spots.
For many anglers in the Northeast, tog fishing becomes an obsession during the fall and early winter months. The challenge of finding these elusive, hard-fighting fish – and the satisfaction of landing a few – is what draws seasoned anglers back year after year. But targeting tog isn’t just about having the right gear or bait. It’s about one critical factor: structure. If you don’t know how to find the structure where tog love to hide, you’re going to have a tough time hooking up.
Understanding tog behavior, especially their reliance on structure, is key to becoming a successful blackfish angler. Let’s look at the types of structure that attract tog, why these environments are ideal for them, and how to find and fish these areas effectively.
Tog are bottom-dwelling fish that thrive around hard, rugged environments where they can find both food and protection. Unlike some species that roam the open water, tog are structure-oriented. Their preferred habitat includes rocky bottoms, reefs, wrecks, jetties, and other underwater obstructions.
Tog use these areas as shelter from predators, and they feed on the abundant marine life growing on these structures. Crabs, barnacles, mussels, and other shellfish make up the bulk of a tog’s diet, and these creatures cling to rocks and other hard surfaces. This is why tog are often found hugging these spots: their next meal is never far away.
While tog are found around a variety of structures, not all are created equal. Some produce more consistently than others, and certain types of structure are more effective at different times of the year. Here’s a breakdown of the most common places tog love to hide.
Rock Piles
Rock piles are a classic tog-holding structure. Large boulders and piles of rocks provide both the cover and food sources tog crave. The crevices between rocks offer prime hiding spots for tog, and these areas often hold the biggest fish. Rocky bottoms are common along the coastlines of the Northeast, making them an excellent target for tog anglers. Use your fish finder to locate rocky terrain, especially in water depths of 10 to 50 feet during the early to mid-fall months.
Reefs
Natural and artificial reefs are also prime real estate. Reefs, especially those with complex structures, attract an abundance of marine life, making them excellent places to find tog. Artificial reefs, which are manmade structures placed in the ocean to create fish habitat, can be particularly productive. These reefs are often comprised of sunken ships, concrete blocks, and other materials that provide the rugged, irregular structure tog prefer. Check local reef maps and state-sponsored reef programs to identify reefs in your area.
Wrecks
Sunken ships and other wrecks are some of the best places to target big tog. Wrecks, particularly those that have been underwater for a long time, become encrusted with barnacles, mussels, and crabs, creating a buffet for tog. The jagged edges and nooks of wrecks also offer perfect hiding spots for tog to ambush their prey and avoid predators. Wreck fishing requires precise boat positioning to stay on top of the structure, so using a GPS and fish finder is essential.
Jetties & Piers
For shore-based anglers, jetties and piers are prime tog fishing grounds. These structures offer easy access to deep water and are often covered in the crabs and mollusks that tog feed on. The spaces between the rocks of a jetty provide ample hiding spots for blackfish, and they tend to stay close to these structures throughout the day. Fishing jetties and piers requires accurate casting to get your bait into the crevices where the tog are hiding.
Bridges & Pilings
Bridges and the pilings beneath them offer vertical structure that attracts tog. These structures often hold smaller tog early in the season, but larger fish will move in as the water cools. Pilings are typically covered with mussels and barnacles, making them an excellent feeding ground. Fishing pilings requires precision to get your bait close to the structure without snagging.
A good fish finder is essential for locating the underwater structure that holds tog. Today’s sonar technology makes it possible to identify rock piles, wrecks, and reefs with remarkable clarity. When scouting an area, look for abrupt changes in bottom composition. A sudden transition from sand or mud to rock or debris often indicates a prime tog spot. Keep an eye on your depth finder as well.
Once you’ve located a promising structure, anchoring is crucial. Tog fishing is often a stationary affair – you want to position your boat directly over the structure so you can drop your bait straight down. This allows you to stay close to the rocks or wreck, where tog are likely to strike. If you’re off by even a few feet, you may not get a bite.
Whether you’re targeting rock piles, reefs, wrecks, or jetties, the key to catching tog is finding the structure they call home. By understanding their habitat and using the right tools to locate these areas, you’ll increase your chances of hooking into these tough, rewarding fish.
