Close quarters tautog fishing sheltered waters in a small craft.
While my start in togging began from the rocky shorelines and jetties with a lot of great success, my acquirement of a small skiff unlocked some other great options for my fall tog fishing missions. The use of a small craft allowed me to access areas that I would have had a tough time getting to otherwise and let me cover so much more ground in the pursuit of one of my favorite autumn Northeast species.
I’ve been doing much of my tactical small skiff togging out of my 17-foot side console that draws less than a foot of water and does not have much hull weight. The boat essentially has 360 degrees of fishability. Of course, you do not have to have the exact same type of boat as mine to do this type of fishing; in general, you need something you can maneuver into tight spots, meaning tight to rock piles, close to or even under docks and bridges with a pretty open layout, and maybe even something that you’re not afraid to bump off visible structure with. My boat is fairly narrow as well, so it can literally fit between the piling of old docks if needed.
Being low to the waterline is nice as well, especially when fishing tight areas where you might have overhead obstructions. Another nice advantage of using smaller, lighter boats is that it makes setting up and anchoring a breeze. I can pretty much grab onto a piling and position myself where I want to be easily before securing myself in place.
Holding Position
Like any other type of tog fishing that you would do from a boat, being stationary is important here, too. But, different from some other tog fishing, my ways of staying stationary will vary. First, I will start off by saying that this type of fishing is done in sheltered waters or on calmer days; don’t try to do this if you have a lot of wave action or are in deep, open water.
Some locations will just require a regular anchor to hold a spot like you would with any other type of boat. But it really gets tactical when you try to position yourself to fish in some close-quarters structure, like next to bridge pilings and near or under dock structures. Both of these types of structures hold plenty of tog during the early fall months and are an absolute favorite of mine to fish. I’ve had my boat under some docks where it can fit, and the fishing is absolutely insane. For fishing these docks without much current running through them, I found it’s always easier to put the bow of the boat into the pilings than the stern. You can either nose your way in or back out, depending on which way the current might be running.
Since tying off on a bridge is mostly prohibited wherever you may be fishing, the best way to fish this structure is with a trolling motor if you have one. My advice would be to observe the situation first (tide, wind, and boat traffic) and then make your move slowly. Some large bridge abutments create a slack water area behind them, which makes it easier to anchor up in, and I find that the blackfish like to hold up in these areas of current break created by the manmade structure rather than the area in direct line of the moving tide.
A reef anchor will usually do the job as well for this type of area since the area around the abutments is typically a rocky foundation. Go slow, and don’t be afraid to make a few passes at it. I’ll even pull up to the bridge structure and drift off it a couple of times to see which way the boat will sway once it’s locked into place.
A Light Tackle Strategy
Following along with the strategy of using smaller boats and fishing still, bay, harbor, or protected waters, my go-to method for tackle is medium-light to medium spinners. The reason is that a spinning setup will help me pitch a rig or jig into a tight area that might be slightly in front to the side of the craft or even behind me. I found that using a spinner over a baitcaster makes it easier to cast the lightest jigs I can use. Just keep in mind that the closer you place a bait to the structure, often time the more action you will get when tog fishing.
I also go lighter on the setup for a couple of other reasons. This is a form of finesse fishing to me. I use the lightest jig possible to hold the bottom for the most natural presentation. Quite often, blackfish will pick up the baited jig in their mouth and swim with it for a few feet. They are more inclined to do this with a lighter jig since they won’t feel as much resistance when they decide to take a swim with it. For me, I’m using jigs from a quarter-ounce to about 1-ounce depending on the current and water depth. My other reason is strictly for the self-fulfillment purpose of me being a light tackle junkie; it’s so hard to rival the fight of a beefy tog on a light spinner setup, in my opinion.
In close quarters tog combat, I’ll use anywhere from a 6-foot to a 7-foot medium light action rod with a moderate/fast to fast bend depending on surrounding and overhead obstacles. If I have some overhead structure to navigate during a hookset, I’ll opt out of the shorter rod, but if I don’t, I’ll go for the 7-footer to get that extra leverage. For rods, St Croix has some great choices in their Avid Inshore lineup, one of my favorites being the ASIS60MF. The Shimano Teramar TERSES70MB is another great choice. In the Penn lineup, I enjoyed the action of the Battalion II BATINII1017S70 for this type of fishing. I found that 2500 to 3000 size reels pair up well with these rods and have enough backbone to tune a good tog near structure. Some reels I’ve been using for the past few years are the Daiwa Saltist MQ 2500, Shimano Stradic 2500, Van Staal VR 50, and Penn Spinfisher VI 2500.
For line and leader, I have been using a 15-pound braid in a high visibility color such as yellow so that I can keep track of when my jig hits the bottom. Typically, when it does, you see the line “slack out.” The high vis line also helps to watch for subtle bites and when a tog might pick up a jig and start swimming away with it. For leader, I have been using about a 5-foot section of Seaguar Inshore fluorocarbon in a 30-pound test. While blackfish are not line shy and the low visibility properties of fluoro don’t come into play here, the better abrasion resistance does for sure when fishing structure.
Rigs & Jigs
| EZ-RELEASE ANCHOR |
| You don’t need an oversized reef anchor for this type of fishing and to hold a smaller craft in the right spot. Local marine consignment stores, yard sales, online marketplaces and local boatyards are great places to find old grappling anchors that will get the job done. Rig the anchor on the claw side eye and run the rope up the shank, using a couple of zip ties to hold the rope against the shank. Use one final zip tie at the eye at the end of the shank. If your anchor does not come out easily, you can break the light zip ties and pull the grappler out from behind.
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A good portion of my fishing done in this way is with the tog jig. Ever since it took off, the tog jig has been the craze by many who are going after these fish. And for a good reason, too. It brings a new light tackle element to the whole game, and it works quite well. I try to keep it simple when selecting the right type of jig for this type of fishing. Again, I prefer to stick in the quarter- to 1-ounce range. I typically have not had to use anything heavier for this type of fairly shallow-water tog fishing.
A few different styles of jig are available to anglers these days, so I’ll just go over some general characteristics of what a good jig should have. Look for something with a longer shank to the hook. This will hold the bait better and more naturally. If you can fish something that sits on the bottom flat with the point of the hook sticking up, that’s a plus, too. Also, if you can find a jig with a thicker wire hook, that will help you if you happen to hook into a brute. For colors, I found that sticking to those natural colors of the bottom or of a green crabs work best for me, like green, orange, red, and brown. all get the nod from me.
I always like to have a “rig rod” handy during these trips as well. The main purpose of the rig rod is to present a bait in a different way. When fishing a jig, the bait sits on the bottom – sometimes not always in sight of tog passing by. The rig setup consists of a sinker loop at the bottom for a 1-ounce sinker and a dropper loop tied in 1-1/2 feet above the sinker with a 3/0 Live bait Gamakatsu hook. On some trips I found that elevating the bait off the bottom got more action than the jig sitting on the bottom. The total length of the leader from the sinker loop to the braid connection is 5 feet.
I promise you that if you decide to get tactical this fall for tog – whether it be a small skiff, tin boat, or even a kayak – you won’t forget it. The thrill and excitement of these hard-fighting fish in close-quarters combat makes for a heck of a good time and keeps you coming back for more.
