weird tautog behavior - a few monsters
 

put the boat in this morning in a light rain, water was dead calm. Had my kids with me. as I was putting along in the harbor, saw what looked to be a large ray surfacing and finning on the water right in the harbor. When we got close, we drifted up, I thought it might be a seal. I saw two of the largest tautog I have seen in my life, massive fish that where easily over 15lbs, maybe 20. Freikin monsters. Im not exaggerating. It looked like they where mouthing each other, not agressively, just mulling around on the surface. I figured it may be males competing or perhaps a couple breeding. I have no clue. I cant get over how huge these fish were. Anyone ever see this behavior? Not anywhere near rocks or deep water.

I just googled "world record tautog" and came on this.
NJ Record Tautog

Im not $hitting you guys, these fish I saw where this big! I never saw anything like it. what I thought was a ray, was the huge dorsal fin skimming the surface.

It's spawning behavior. Years past, it was a surefire thing to catch good sized tog from the spring from the beach in just a few feet of water. Ah, the good old days :buds:.

Cut the poor guy some slack, it's obviously been a while :devil2: :hihi:

-spence

few years ago while lookin for pog's I threw the cast net over two tog that where lip locked on the surface. They where about 4-5#'s... well inside the bay well away from structure. Wanna say it was 3rd week of may and i guessed it to be something to do with breeding too. I only seen a 15 & 14# Togs in a fall weigh in tourney, (inshore) that was freak... and its tail and head folded on both sides of a tote. 20#??? tell me more

A few years ago close to the beaches (but still in the rocks) I spotted a pair going at it. Had the same initial reaction the first time I saw it - I thought it was a seal. I guessed 20 pounds each as well once I was able to ID what I was looking at.

There was a post a few years ago discussing this; and a few experienced tog men chimed in, but I just searched and couldn't find it.

Jimmy ;

it usually happens when its calm & 99% of the time its slack tide or very close to it ;;


I,ve watched yahoo,s cast @ them with plugs /etc .. thinking they could catch them ........ never happen on a rod ......... net/ speargun / or gaff ,,, no problem . they are preoccupied ;;:love:

in the late 70's (when there were a lot more tautog) we would see hundreds of them spawning while bass fishing near Rumstick/Allens Ledge.....usually late May.....

If they're rolling, finning and porpoising it's spawning behavior

Yeah, sort of sounds to me like they were doing the dirty blackfish boogie...:humpty:

Goose is right on with the timing, too - toward the end of May - which would make it pretty early but on the other hand it might be due to our above average water temps so far this Spring

FAC at slack is right on, Mike...:uhuh:

One year I witnessed the spawning and watched the eggs and milt form a slick on the surface - I was there wading in the middle of it, a few minutes later, BAM!...nice 10.6 chinner on a sandworm

I was with Uncle Zeke when he caught a 10.4 a year to the day before, same MO

Could we please get a little privacy during our intimate time

it was interesting explaining "spawning" to a 5 and 7 year old.....

jmac ;

have you done a schoolie trip yet ????

You're absolutely right, George - the happy honeymooners need a little time to themselves...:)

I know it has been a long winter when you guys get all tuned up by a couple of lip-locked leatherlips. It's simply two big bulls vying for the right to spawn...it's usually followed by a round of head butting...think Dall sheep.

You can hear the sound for quite a distance underwater. The male that wins the battle will usually pry loose a clump of mussels and offer them to the female as a sort of victory gesture.

Not yet, Mike...usually wait till beginning of May; but I think Friday might be splash-in;was gonna do Stellwagon-but too much work, if you get my drift; Billy did good there last week.....

So its male lip locking like Siamese fighting fish, followed by underwater head butting with the lady in waiting very cool.

Did you ever get it on film?

No striperman36, I never got the head butting, the mussel offering, or the other incredible behavior one only sees in May on video. When the moon is full and the females are ripe with roe, the male togs will often dance around the maypole in an ancient fertility rite and as an offering to Neptune to keep the likes of Crafty Angler away from their rocky domiciles.

Every now and then you can't take me seriously -- this would be one of those times.

And I thought Crafty was the odd one. thankfully most humans don't rut either

Everyone had better take this behavior seriously as I recently read somewhere tautog can breathe air and will be walking on land within 50 years...

They drive motorcycles in RI, with the no helmet law they are really easy to pick out.

A mating ritual not unlike that of my Azorean ancestors, Mike - tried it at the Bon Zoo when I tended bar there but it never worked all that well for me...:hihi:

Life's waaay too short to be normal

As long as the Bluefish don't start walking among us that's okay...

Yes, that's why workin in RI helps balance out my normalcy

thAT'S TRUE! I didn't grasp that chance last year! =/

If you want big tog in shallow sprintime waters -- think eelgrass beds.