Fishing for Tog on the Eastern Shore from Virginia Beach, Chesapeake Bay, MD and DE
If you’re looking to reel in some big blackfish, look no further than Tog Fishing on the Eastern Shore! Tog are also known as Tautog and Black fish. Our experienced local captains will teach you everything you need to know about fishing for these feisty critters in VA beach, MD and De and the Chesapeake Bay. From fishing spots to this written guide, we’ve got you covered.. So come on board and let’s go togging!
How to catch Tog
Tog fishing is a great activity for both experienced anglers and beginners. Our knowledgeable guides have provided superb tog fishing spots to help you catch more Tog. Along with this helpful guide, we will teach you everything you need to know to have a successful day on the water.
What’s for Bait?
Looking to reel in a tautog? Then you need the best bait! Green crabs, White Legger crabs, and Asian crabs are both great options. You can find these baits at local bait shops along the Eastern Shore. Make sure to bring a cover or lid for the crabs and a pair of sharp scissors to cut their claws and legs – you don’t want them getting away!
Squid is also a top bait for tog fishing. Many other fish, such as sea bass, will also eat squid while tog fishing on bottom structure.
Where to Catch Tog
If you’re looking for a great spot to catch Tog fish, look no further than the central east coast and Eastern Shore. Tog are bottom feeders, so you’ll find them near areas with hard bottom habitat and structure like rock piles, wrecks, mussel beds, jetties, bridges and under water tunnels and any type of natural or man made reefs. These spots provide the perfect place for Tog to hide and ambush their prey. So make sure you bring the right gear and bait to make the most of your fishing trip. With a little patience and luck, you’ll be sure to land a big one. We should note that the Chesapeake Bay bridge tunnel is notorious for producing big Tog on the inshore waters. See the Chesapeake Bay fishing spots here.
Best time of year to catch Tog
When it comes to catching tautog, anglers know that the key is to hit them during their peak seasons. Luckily, those seasons correspond with some of the best months for fishing overall: spring and fall! Whether you’re a shore angler or hitting the open waters, these tips will help you put more tog in your cooler.
Spring and fall tautog are the best times to catch legal and trophy size tog fish. Action for spring tog fish is good from April to June. Then, the action picks up again in the fall months. Tog can be caught well into December on the inshore waters. Winter Tog fishing is very popular in the bays. See our Chesapeake Bay fishing spots and Delaware Bay fishing spots.
How to Rig for Tautog
The over-under rig is the most popular rog for Tog fishing among Anglers. No matter if you’re fishing the Bay or offshore wrecks and other bottom structures, this rig gets the job done. It’s cheap and easy to make yourself, or if you’re short on time, you can buy Tog rigs at local bait shops anywhere on the Eastern shore.
Anglers use a 2 hook rig and a 1 hook rig for Tog fishing. This depends on how much bait you have with you and the style of fishing you like most. This is completely personal preference. Both the rigs shown here are highly effective at catching Tog and other bottom fish. Click the images below for a larger view.. (Illustrations by thefisherman.com)
Delmarva Fishing Spots has the information and the fishing spots you need for all types of fishing for coastal Virginia, Maryland and Delaware. See all our fishing spots locations here.
