Tautog Opening Day in RI - April 15th

For the first time since 1999 sportfishermen in Rhode Island will be able to catch and keep Tautog in April. Since 2000 the month of April has been closed to the recreational harvest of Tautog and May 1st has opened the recreational fishery. Historically the traditional RI Tautog run would start in late March/early April in upper bay locations around the Tiverton Basin, Bristol Narrows and Warwick/Cranston. Runs get stronger as April advances with catches in the lower bay regions increasing after the third week. Recreational fishermen should take advantage of this new April 15 season opener as your sacrifices in the past 9 years have helped protect this fishery. Just remember the bag limit is three fish at greater than 16 inches. This new earlier opening season has had little press so make sure your bait shops have bait available.

Good luck.

DZ

DZ.
Good heads up for everyone.
Enjoy, and heed those bag limits!

can you surfcast for tautog? I always thought of them as a boat fish :huh:

Nice, can't wait.

Thanks Dennis :btu:

can you surfcast for tautog? I always thought of them as a boat fish :huh:

You can't, but everyone else can :tooth:

ok thanks John, at least I won't try now.... :rotf2:

I was fishing a small Yozuri swimmer in some wash catching stripers last fall and was surprised by a hard bump and tug-o-war that resulted in a nice tautog, first time that ever happened to me, guess he was hungry...

For 3 fish?