As the spring season for tautog—or “blackfish” as many prefer—winds down in the Ocean State, anglers are reminded that the window is about to close. Effective June 1, the Rhode Island tautog season will take its annual summer hiatus, giving these fish a break as the waters of Narragansett Bay and the Sound warm up and the focus shifts toward large striped bass and the summer fluke bite.
For those who live for the distinctive “thump” of a white-chinner on a jig, you won’t have to wait too long. The season is slated to reopen on August 1. When we get back out there in the heat of late summer, the 16-inch minimum size remains unchanged. From the August 1 opener through October 14, anglers will fish under a three-fish bag limit. Once the calendar turns to October 15, the limit bumps up to the fall standard of five fish per person, just as the bite typically moves to the deeper rock piles and the action intensifies.
It is also critical to keep the Rhode Island “trophy slot” top of mind. In a dedicated effort to protect the genetic heavyweights of the species—those slow-growing, double-digit bruisers that have the genetics to keep the population robust—the state continues its mandate that only one fish per daily limit may exceed 21 inches. If you’re lucky enough to deck two monsters in a trip, the second one has to go back. It’s a conservation-minded move designed to ensure that the 10-plus-pounders stay in the ecosystem to spawn future generations of these amazing inshore bulldogs.
Mass’ Summer Limit Drops to 1
Across the border in Massachusetts, the regulatory landscape shifts on June 1 as well. While the Bay State remains open through the summer, the bag limit drops to just a single fish per person starting June 1 and running through July 31. On August 1, the limit increases to three fish (matching RI), and then follows the same jump to five fish on October 15, remaining there through the end of the year. Notably, Massachusetts has also adopted the same trophy slot regulations as Rhode Island; the 21-inch rule is in effect there as well, one “jumbo” per day is the law of the seas in both states.
So, take this June and July break to re-tie your rigs, stock up on your favorite jigs, and maybe scout some new structure on the side-scan. The fall run will be here before you know it, and the tog will be waiting.
(And just in case you’re wondering, Connecticut’s tog season remains closed until July 1.)
