Conference wahoo::fishing

    
    Ahhh Tautog!  Makes my mouth water just thinking about them!
    
    Right now is indeed prime time for them in southern Mass.
    
    The most popular way to fish for them is in and around the rocks with
    a small green crab for bait.  Buzzards Bay is really popular for them.
    They will eat just about anything however.  I Flounder fish in Cape 
    Cod Bay and we catch them right along with the flounder on pieces of
    sea worm.  You'll want stronger hooks than the standard flounder hooks
    if you do that type of fishing though as the tautog will straighten
    them out.  They are also called Blackfish in this area and there are
    hooks made specifically for them.  Any of the bait shops near Buzzards
    Bay or anywhere on the Cape can help you out.  If you do fish them in
    the rocks you should use fairly stout tackle as they will dive right
    into the rocks as soon as they feel the hook.  They REALLY don't want
    to leave the bottom.
       I've seen them up to more than 15 lbs. and believe me, they are one
    UGLY fish at that size!  They have thick rubbery lips, large blunt
    teeth, and a very  enlarged anus!  They eat crabs, clams, mussels,
    lobsters, and even barnacles!  All of this is chewed up shell and all
    and the shell pieces have to come out somewhere!  As I said, UGLY!!
    But, some of the whitest, firmest, sweetest fish you'll ever taste!
    
       Want more?  Send me mail.
    					B.C.

I recall we used to go fishing in the area of Rocky Point in Warwick.
If you have a boat that can get in salt water this is a good area.
The boats in that area are not all that large.

                 Mike

    Tautog? The decription in .1 sounds like a Monkfish. Are they the same?
    
    Ed
    

 Monkfish and wolffish are not the same! Monkfish have a very large head in
proportion to the body; wolffish look like an uglier cusk with big teeth
and a nasty disposition. They have an eel-like body, only fatter. Wolffish are 
NOT anglerfish; they inhabit rocky bottoms and eat crustaceans, small fish, 
and bivalves. They are extremely tasty.

 The Doctah
 

    Tautog is one of my favorite fish and I miss "em now that I reside on
    the West Coast.  My first catch was in Buzzards Bay from a rented
    skiff, aplace called Mako's I believe right near 24 near the Sagamore
    bridge as I can recollect.  Again, caught while drifting with slack
    tide being better.  Subsequent, catches were mostly spearfishing off
    Noank Conn, Block Island, and Fishers Island.  Most jetties will hold
    Tautog if the current and temperature is right.  Also piers are a good
    bet.  The tactic while spearfishing is to quietly drift without motion
    up to and over large rocks annd piers.  The blacks will be out of the
    currrent waiting for food to come by.  If they see you first the game
    is over, they are gone.  But if you surprise 'em and get off a shot
    that hits the mark you will in for some great eating.
    
    By the way if you happen to catch an eel while fishing for Tautog do
    not cut the line or otherwise throw the slimey critter away.  The food
    value IMHO is equal if not greater than the Tautog.  The best way to
    cook either is slow smoke/barbecue on an outdoor grille.  Put the coals
    off to one side and cover with Mesquite or hardwood chips that have
    been soaked in water.  Would you believe I would rather have a
    blackfish or an eel than a salmon. 
    
    It helps gut 'em while leaving their tough skin on, then  soak each with 
    half cup salt, half cup soy sauce, additional spices and just enuf
    water to bring solids into solution. Do this for 3 -4 hours and you are 
    ready to smoke/barbecue.  Stop when the skin starts peel and the meat
    is flakey. 
    
    This summer I hope to do the same with fish caught or speared in the 
    San Juans or elsewhwere in Puget Sound.  

    
    
                       They all sound good!
    
    

    The eels of which I derscribed in .7 are Atlantic EELS that migrate
    down the tributeries of the Conn river and other coastal freshwaters 
    to the Sargasso Sea which is mid Atlantic I believe.  Interestingly,
    there is a European version that does ditto and then migrates back 
    to European rivers from the same Sargosso sea.  These critters are 
    somewhat startling when hooked and brought ashore, they are more
    startling when viewed under water since they are magnified and quite
    snake like in their appearance.  They are fast swimmers and will 
    disappear when surprised by a diver.  Apperarances aside, eels are
    fish not reptiles and not sea snakes which inhabit more tropical
    waters.
    	In the salt water most I've seen, caught or speared run from 3
    to maybe five feet.  The big ones are fAT and thicker than your arm
    in mass.  Its best to go for a head shot with a spear because they
    swirl around the spear and your arm sometimes causing quite a tangle.
    Thankfully they don't bite and are much less dangerous than a Blufish.
    
    The trick once in a gloved hand is to get 'em into the dive bag.  They 
    are very strong, very slimey and in no mood to cooperate.  I hear from 
    the locals in Puget Sound that the Pacific variety has larger teeth
    and more like a Moray eel in temperment.  By the way Morays are
    poisonous since they eat reef fish with high levels of ciguatera toxins
    so I gi ve them wide berth.  You won't see Morays around New England, 
    but I mention them because I wouldn't want anyone trying one on my
    accord.
           

    Cunners are an interesting fish.  I've heard others say that the small
    ones are great bait stealers.  Your note on their favoring green
    urchins has probably something to do with their coloration which as
    I can recall is brownish/green as opposed to Tautogs which are black on
    top and whitish on the bottom.
    
    It seems small cunners stick close to shore I cant remember catching
    any big cunners greater than a lb. or so.  Whereas I've caught all
    sizes of Tautog from 7'' to 8/9 lbs.  The one time I saw and
    spearfished what I thought were really big Tautog turned out to be
    in fact cunner in the 3 to 6 lb. range.  A few years ago I scuba dove on
    a wreck called the DIXIE SWORD off of Chatam in the sound.  In about 60
    feet during slack tide I spooked 15 or 20 what I then thought were
    cunner from the chimney of the wreck. After spearing 7 or 8 I could
    feel the tide start ripping and I began to see some blufish start to
    circle probably from the blood/chum in the water. I FIGURED the
    spearfishing is great but air was running low and Mr. Mako or Mr.
    Blue shark would be by. So to make a long story short, I climed up the 
    buoy rope horizontally because of the tide and was surprised to see the
    "blacks" were really brownish/green at topside in the light of day.  At
    60 feet colors become grayish/dark and besides the dive Capt. says you
    gonna eat those cunner which He volunteered were as good as Tautog.
    
    Back at the cottage we baked them and they were superb.  BTW has anyone 
    out there tried the green sea urchins. Ive had some sea urchin eggs in
    the local sushi bars and wonder how to prepare 'em.  I do see quite a
    few in the Atlantic?

       FWIW here's what I looked up about the two:
    
    Cunners:  Tautogolabrus Adspersus.  Found from Newfoundland to
    	      Chesapeake Bay, mostly north of New Jersey.  Generally a
    	      small species ussually only ~10 in. and occasionally up to
    	      ~15 in./2.5 lbs. (.13 found some jumbos!).  The head is more
    	      pointed than a Tautog with protruding canine teeth and the
    	      gill cover is scaled.  The gill cover is the easiest key to
    	      identification.
    
    Tautog:   Tautoga Onitsis.  Found from Nova Scotia to South Carolina
    	      most from Cape Cod to Delaware Bay.  Average size is ~3 lbs.
    	      and ranging up to ~25 lbs.  Very rounded, blunt profile and
    	      the gill covers are NOT scaled.  I've also noticed that the
    	      larger specimens get a large lump or knot on their forehead.
    
    	Both fish are members of the Wrasse family and both are delicious!
    
    	While I was in the book I looked up Anglerfish.  It is indeed
    listed as another name for the Goosefish, which is also known as
    Monkfish, Bellyfish, Frogfish, and Sea Devil!
    
       Mr. Levesque properly described the Wolffish, and I can vouch for
    the fact that they are indeed ugly, nasty, and delicious!
    
    					B.C.

    
    I've seen big eels at the viewing window at the Holyoke dam fish lift
    on the Conn. River.  They were considerably outnumbered by shad/herring
    and elicit screams of fearful delight from the schoolchildren at the
    window.
    
    My grandfather used to enjoy a delicacy called eel pie.  I never tried
    it and probably still wouldn't.  Does anyone remember a foreign film
    (Tin Drum ?) with a scene of fishing for eels with a horses head on
    rope?  The head is tossed out and the eels enter to feed; in time it is
    pulled to shore and the eels dumped out.  Pretty gruesome scene.
    
    -SSS-

    When I was in Newport some years back you there were guys catching
    taug off the break waters around brant point. The cape cod cannal is
    another shore spot for taug. I would say almost any rocky strech of
    shore line will have some from the cape to conn.
    
    Many of the head boats from hyannis to conn catch taug regularly.
    
    Bruce

    I tried to call Maco's over the weekend to get some info on whats
    happening with tautog, boat rentals, etc...
    
    	'the number you are trying to reach has been disconnected.'
    
    				bummer.
    
    						Robert.
    
    P.S. - I did call a place in Buzzards Bay - Bud's Bait & Tackle - they
    	said tautog were biting now and that there are spots on the canal
    	where you can get them from shore - Maybe I'll get a chance to find
    	out next weekend.

      Re Newport..
      I've seen guys catching them right below the Cliff Walk by the
    mansions.. Standing on the rocks and surf-casting..
    
      Re. Goosefish.. I've seen these hauled out of the Cape Cod Canal up
    near the Coast Guard station... If you ever DO catch a Goose...be VERY
    careful not to get your hand too close to that nasty mouth..they can
    crush oysters, so the bones in your mitt would be nothing to them...
    
       (Don't they also call tautog "Blackfish" around Rhode Island???)
    
    
 John McD

re Tautogs and charters

I chartered at boat two or three times called "Hylines" out of the Falmouth
area that goes out for Tautogs, black sea bass, and scup.  I don't have an
old brochure around, but check it out if you can.  The tautogs and black sea
bass are good game fish.  The scup, however, are a small fish with a very light
nibble.  They are also bony as hell, but some people catch them by the dozens
and love them.

Mike_L

    re: .last
    
    	Thats something I hadn't considered! A charter wouldn't be a bad
    way to go at all... Anyone know of any others that got for tautog?
    My only worry about a charter is that the captain will decide to go
    for scup instead of the fish I want to catch in order to please the
    people on the boat who just want to catch a fish (any fish!)
    
    
    re: .all
    	Does anyone have any information on the state of the tautog
    fishery? I understand fluke,flounder, and weakfish are in really
    bad shape; are tautog being overfished too?
    
    
    			Thanks to all,
    				Robert.

    Well, I managed to get out sunday and learned a few things about 'tog :
    
    1) 10 lb. test line just won't do! I lost a good fish ~8 lbs. right by
    	the boat. He (she?) made one last lunge for the bottom and snapped
    	the line.
    
    2) 1 quart of crabs is enough for 2 people - we got 2 quarts - ended up
    	dumping at least 1 qt. of 'em.
    
    3) Maco's is EXPENSIVE and the motors suck. It wasn't much fun crossing
    	the canal channel in a 14' open boat with an unreliable 9.9 hp OB.
    	(I've got to find the other place that rents down there!)
    
    4) Tautog seem to hit best on the incoming tide. We got about 2.5 hrs
    	while the bite was on, then nothing through the outgoing tide.
    
    all in all a good time though - We ended up with 3 tautog and 2
    flounder in the boat. I may try again next weekend.
    
    				Robert.

    Since I believe I'm the guy that "recommended?" Maco's perhaps I should
    have mentioned the added anxiety of being out in the ship canal with
    wakes, barges and stuff whipping by while trying to land the big one.
    I seem to have forgotten that part of the outing, but its been many a
    season since Ive fished Buzzards BAy.  FWIW, I would bring bring a
    landing net and retie your hook after each hookup or snag.  Be sure to
    test the knot by pulling hard even if you go to 20lb test.  I don't
    recall Togs being leader shy.
    
    Back here in Seattle, in Lake Washington I also lost a #2 Cuttthroat or
    so at the boat when my bud missed the first netting attempt that scared
    the trout into breaking off the 4lb leader and chartreuse needlefish.
    I have found that when they see the boat fish will make that last run
    and one needs to let'em or else a breakoff occurs.  In any case it was
    fun ragging on the bud more than landing the fish.
    
    The outing netted a 7 or 8 pound squawfish, a 21" cutt, and four cutts 
    about a lb or lb and half.  We also saw a bald eagle, blue heron and
    lots of small coho jumping at the surface. I now have a 19 ft. with
    small cuddy cabin with 125 hp Force, but I remember when those rented
    craft added to the excitement??!