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| These Teeth Were Made For Crunching (Crabs) |
Most people have never heard of a wrasse, even though anyone who has gone snorkeling near a coral reef will have seen hundreds of them. They are the most common type of fish on the reef. Although most wrasse species are tropical, a few are found in more temperate waters. Some of these are sought after by recreational anglers and commercial fishermen.
Here in New England we have two species of wrasse, the Tautog and the Cunner.
Cunner
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| A Cunner caught on Browns Ledge |
Other common names for the Cunner include Bergall in the Mid-Atlantic region, Choggie or Chogsett in Massachusetts, and Blue Perch in Maine. The name Cunner is borrowed from a wrasse of the same name found off the coast of Britain. Chogsett is a Native American name. Bergall is thought to be the name given to the species by Dutch settlers in New York.
Cunners are small fish that are notorious bait stealers. They have a pointy snout, small mouth, and a prominent set sharp teeth, all perfectly designed for stripping bait off a hook. For this reason most anlgers consider them a nuisance. Close to shore they average about 5-6 inches in size. Larger specimens are more common in deep cold water, where they can grow up to over a foot long. These larger fish are quite tasty.
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| An unusually large Cunner from Cape Cod Bay |
Cunners use their sharp teeth to pick small marine invertebrates off rocks and pilings.
I first encountered Cunners as a young kid when my family camped out every summer at Salisbury State Beach Reservation. While fishing for Pollock from a jetty I noticed small reddish fish darting in and out of crevices between the rocks. I used a small piece of seaworm on a single #10 hook to catch a few. Cunners love seaworms but aren’t too picky and will hit other baits like clam, squid or cut fish. They will also hit on Sabiki rigs without bait. Most of the cunners I catch now are a by-catch while targeting Winter Flounder in Cape Cod Bay or Atlantic Cod on Coxes Ledge.
Tautog
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| A decent size Tautog from Westport, Massachusetts |
The other wrasse found locally is the Tautog, also sometimes called a Blackfish. The males can be distinguished from females by their black coloration on the backs and sides, bright white belly, white ventral and anal fins, and white chins. Females have a mottled appearance and dark fins
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| Male Tautog |
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| Female Tautog |
A popular food and gamefish, Tautog are most abundant in the early spring and late fall, just at a time when many other saltwater game fish are scarce. As is typical with wrasse, tautog like to stay close to rocky structure. Here they can find their favorite meal, crabs. Fishermen in boats will try to anchor close to the rock piles. In September through October the fish will be in shallow at depths of 10-30 feet. As the water cools they move to deeper water and we usually are fishing in 50+ feet by mid November.
Two methods commonly used for targeting Tautog are jigging and bottom fishing. Both methods involve live crabs. I like to switch back and forth between jigging with spinning tackle and a double hook bottom rig using conventional gear. A jig rig consists of a brightly colored jig specifically designed for Tautog tied at the end of a 20 inch 80# mono or flourocarbon leader. I attach a 4/0 Octopus or circle hook on a dropper loop about one foot above the jig. A barrel swivel is then tied at the top of the leader. Both the jig and the single hook are baited with crabs. The bottom rig starts with a 3-way snap swivel to which is attached 20 inches of 80# mono or flourocarbon leader material. A 4/0 Octopus or circle hook is tied at the end of the leader and another hook is attached on a dropper loop about one foot above the bottom hook.
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| Bottom Rig |
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| Jig Rig |
Live crabs are the preferred bait for Tautog. Green Crabs are most commonly used since that’s what the bait shops sell. I like to cut these in half, pull off a few legs and put the hook through a leg hole. Tautog are expert bait stealers so expect to go through a lot of crabs.
One thing I almost forgot to mention is that Wrasse actually sleep at night and are late to rise. So no need to get out on the water before sunrise to endure subfreezing temperatures in November. Relax and have another cup of coffee. What the heck have some pancakes because the Tautog won’t be hungry for breakfast until almost noontime!
Another nice thing about Tautog fishing is they are absolutely delicious. The firm white flesh is perfect for chowder. It's also excellent breaded and baked. However you cook them you won’t be disappointed.
For more information on this blog about fishing for Tautog see: Westport Tautog Sunday October 22, 2017
Wrasse Facts:
Wrasses belong to the family Labridae
The name wrasse is derived from the celtic word for old woman, wrath.
There are over 600 species of wrasse, the majority being found on tropical reefs.
Wrasses are distributed world wide.
The Cleaner Fish, of Shark Tale fame, is a small tropical wrasse that feeds by picking parasitic crustaceans off the skin of larger fish.
Wrasse Links:
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| Ornate Wrasse (Azores) |
Tog are the most indestructible of all the fish we catch. Fun to catch. Great tasting!
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