Online registration for spring tautog trips is now open for members of My Fishing Cape Cod! To view available trips and purchase spots onboard, please login to the website with your username and password, or start a MFCC membership.
This spring My Fishing Cape Cod will be offering 9 trips for tautog with our friend captain Cullen Lundholm of Cape Star Charters!
Scroll below to learn more about these exciting opportunities to get on the water this spring and catch fish after a long cold winter!
Dates and Cost
Spots onboard will be $249/person for MFCC members. Members may also purchase spots for their non-member friends and family.
These tautog trip will be 4-5 hours long and will depart between sunrise and 8am, most likely from Taylor Point Marina in Bourne.
About Tautog
The tautog (Tautoga onitis), also known locally as blackfish, is a rugged bottom-dwelling fish species that has long been cherished by anglers up and down the East Coast.
These hardy fish, with their thick lips and powerful jaws designed for crushing shellfish, are particularly abundant around the Cape's numerous boulder fields, jetties, and artificial reefs.
Springtime tautog fishing is often lights out!
Cape Cod's waters provide ideal habitat for tautog, as they feed primarily on blue mussels, crabs, and other crustaceans that thrive in the region's diverse marine ecosystem.
Tautog are delicious and they are amazing fighters! During these trips you will be fishing with light spinning rods and green crabs for bait.
Plus you'll have a great chance of going home with a bag full of delicious tautog fillets! Tautog are really wonderful eating...
Tautog are absolutely delicious! They are considered by many as Cape Cod's best eating inshore fish. Plus their fillets freeze remarkably well.
Meet Captain Cullen
For our late April and early May tautog trips we'll once again be teaming up with my friend captain Cullen Lundholm of Cape Star Charters.
Cullen has been running his own boat for nearly two decades and has built a very successful charter business. He uses top of the line equipment and has an extensive network of contacts to help him stay on the fish.
Our captain for spring tautog trips will be Cullen Lundholm of Cape Star Charters.
Cullen is certified by the United States Coast Guard with his 100 ton Captain's Master license. He grew up commercial fishing for tautog, and has been featured on MFCC, Salty Cape, On the Water, the Local Knowledge Fishing TV Show and many other publications.
Most importantly, since I started working with Cullen nearly a decade ago, he has run literally hundreds of charters for members of My Fishing Cape Cod. He's proven himself as the right man for this job, with a track record of toggin' success we can rely upon!
About The Boat
These springtime tautog trips will be onboard Cullen's custom built 33' Conch, which is equipped with the best in-class electronics, and powered by twin 300hp Yamaha Four-Stroke engines.
The 33' Conch is widely regarded as the finest center console fishing boat in its class.
The Conch provides a steady and safe platform with ample amount of deck space to ensure your trip is both comfortable and exciting.
Trip Details
Zoom Call with Captain Cullen
To learn more about what to expect during these tautog trips, please click play below to watch some of the Zoom call we did with captain Cullen. During the call we go into great detail about tautog and give an overview of what to expect during these trips.
The Zoom Call is only available to members of My Fishing Cape Cod, so just make sure you're logged-in to the site to view. If you need help logging-in, then just contact us by clicking the green bubble in the lower right hand corner of your screen.
How to Register for Trips
As mentioned above, online registration for springtime tautog trips will open this Saturday February 22nd at 9am sharp.
Below is a quick video preview so you know exactly what to expect when registration opens at 9am.
A Member's Experience Onboard a Tog Trip
Several years ago longtime MFCC member Steve Kwietniak wrote a great recap of his experience onboard one of our springtime group fishing trips for tautog.
By reading Steve's report you'll get a nice idea of what it's like to fish for tautog with MFCC. During this trip the guys even managed to catch some sea bass, scup and the first stripers of the season!
Click below to check it out 
What People are Saying
Sometimes the best way to know if a fishing experience is right for you, is by reading about the experiences of others.
Fortunately over the years we've received a lot of feedback about our group trips with captain Cullen. You can scroll below to see what people have been saying about these trips!
Darren Jacobs / Member since 2014
We have caught fish casting plugs, live-lining mackerel, jigging and fishing live eels at night. Captain Cullen is very flexible with his approach and will do everything he can to put you on the fish. I believe Cullen gives me my best chance at catching fish and would recommend him to anyone.
Mike Marcus / Member since March 2017
Ryan - a special note of thanks to you and Cullen for a terrific fishing trip. Everyone got along extremely well and that always matters on a charter. We had to travel to find these big fish and it was great to see everyone catching such beautiful striped bass. I look forward to seeing the photos and/or video you took during the trip. Thanks again for my third successful MFCC fishing trip.
Mario Signore / Member since 2016
Ryan, my thanks to you and Cullen for a great trip. Cullen is a true professional and hard worker, making everything come together for a perfect adventure.I am definitely looking forward to my next group trip. It's the perfect setting to learn, fish and have a good time. Thanks for offering these opportunities.
Marc Dunn / Member since 2020
What a great trip I had with Captain Cullen yesterday. Fishing was awesome and we were able to put a tuna in the boat with another brought boat side. We also had fish on with other missed opportunities. It was my first time hooking up with a tuna, and it was also nice meeting other members-all good guys.
Jacques Morin / Member since 2016
I signed up for a sea bass trip with Ryan and Cullen, and we had an epic day. We launched early from Taylor Point Marina and headed out into the very foggy waters of Buzzards Bay. However it wasn't long before Cullen and Ryan had us into a continuous swath of spawning sea bass. We kept around 25 keeper sea bass, and I would say we released at least another 50. Some stripers were also caught. Overall a very successful trip. If you want to get on the fish then I would highly recommend signing up for one of Ryan's fishing trips. I will definitely be signing up for a tuna trip this fall.
Brian Fitzgibbon /
Just wanted to say I had a great time 🎣 with Captain Cullen. We caught a lot of stripers that day and the weather was perfect! I’d have to say that was the best fishing charter I’ve even been on. The captain and the rest of the other patrons on board were great and friendly people and hopefully get to fish with them again. I’ve learned a lot from fishing that day and hopefully become a better fishermen.
Ben Mahanna / Member since January 2018
Ryan and Captain Cullen had us on fish within minutes. The group and I caught our bag limit early on, but the trip did not end there. Captain Cullen brought us around Buzzards Bay as we casted for Stripers and Blues. I can’t wait for the next time I am able to hop aboard a MFCC group trip - I’d recommend these trips to anyone!
Dave Baxley / Member since March 2018
I've taken three trips with him this year and took limits of Tautog on an early season trip, and over 30 keeper size Stripers on my next two trips. The thing to know about Cullen, is he wants to make you happy- even if it means recommending a different date or location. Trust him, he puts you on fish, period.
Paul Dunn /
Just the experience of being out there early in the morning with the minke and humpback whales around us, the many types of seagoing birds birds hovering and diving everywhere and a great bunch of guys was phenomenal. Catching two bluefin tuna was the icing on the cake, and that was delicious indeed. Captain Cullen put us in the right spot, using the right jigs to get those beauties. What a day.
Frequently Asked Questions
What about the other trips for flounder, fluke, stripers, tuna etc.?
This Saturday's registration will be for the tautog trips. Registration for the other trips will start this winter and continue into spring. In previous communications I may have mentioned that registration for fluke and flounder would also happen on February 22nd, but to keep things simple I decided to just focus on the tautog trips for this Saturday.
How will online registration work?
This Saturday Feb. 22nd at 9am sharp all members of My Fishing Cape Cod will receive an email with a link to register for the trips. Members will be able to click on specific trips and submit payment for spots onboard. Spots are available on a first-come-first-serve basis and they often sell out pretty quick, so just make sure you're ready to go at 9am on Saturday.
If for some reason you don't receive the email, then you can access the trips by visiting myfishingcapecod.com, logging-in with your username and password, and then clicking the "Trips" link in the main navigation menu.
Can members purchase spots for non-member friends and family?
Yes! Members can purchase spots for their non-member friends and family. Members will be able to click on specific trips and submit payment for as many spots as they'd like.
Where are trips departing from and what time?
The tautog trips will depart in the morning, most likely between sunrise and 8am, depending on tide, weather, and where the best fishing is. Cullen trailers his boat, so the port of departure could vary based on conditions and where the fish are.
With that said the vast majority of our tautog trips depart from Taylor Point Marina in Bourne. I will confirm the exact time and place with you via email in the days leading up to the trip.
Odds are these trips will depart from Taylor Point Marina in Bourne. You'll park for free in the visitor lot (red arrow), and then walk over to the boat ramp to meet Cullen and your crew from MFCC (yellow arrow).
How long are the trips?
These tautog trips will be 4-5 hours from the time you depart, to the time you return.
Is there a bathroom onboard?
Cullen does not have a bathroom on his boat, but it's generally not a problem. If you have to go, then typically you go over the side at the stern. If needed, you can use a bucket and then dump the bucket over the side.
Later this spring and summer we will be offering trips on boats that do have a bathroom. Our winter flounder, fluke and offshore canyons trips will have bathrooms onboard.
How many people will be onboard?
For these tautog trips, there will be anywhere from 4-6 anglers onboard. Cullen's 33' Conch center console boat has a ton of elbow room, so there will be plenty of space for everyone to comfortably fish.
Should I tip Cullen?
Tipping is completely optional but it is a nice gesture and is pretty commonplace in the charter fishing industry. A sufficient cash tip for the tautog trips would be around $35/person (or more if you feel inclined).
Can I bring my own gear?
Sure! However you don't have to. Cullen uses top of the line rods and reels. He's happy to supply you with all gear, tackle and bait.
Each angler will be able to use Cullen's top of the line rods and reels from Shimano and Zack's Custom Rods. Everyone will have their own setup.
What else should I bring?
Dress warm and bring sunglasses. A rain jacket is always a good idea too. Waterproof fishing boots are best but sneakers will be fine. A light snack and some water is smart. We like to focus on the fishing so please leave the booze for afterward. Cullen has a big ice box on his boat so there's no need to bring a cooler onboard, but it is a good idea to have one in your vehicle for transporting fish home.
Is it OK to bring kids?
Definitely! Cullen has kids of his own so he's used to having kids onboard. If your kids are under the age of 14 please email me a heads up so I can let Cullen know.
What's the refund/cancellation policy?
We never sail if the weather is unsafe or if there simply aren't any fish around. If the trip is cancelled by captain Cullen due to bad weather, or for any other reason, then you will receive a full refund.
If you need to cancel your reservation and give us at least 14 days notice, then you'll receive a full refund with no questions asked. Due to the logistics of organizing these trips, if you cancel with less than 14 days notice, we can't guarantee you a refund - but we will try our best to find a replacement for your spot. If we're able to find someone to take your spot, then you'll receive a refund.
Will the captain fillet the fish for me?
Of course! Cullen does a great job filleting and he's happy to fillet and bag your fish for you. Cullen has a big ice box on his boat so there's no need to bring a cooler onboard, but it is a good idea to have one in your vehicle for transporting fish home.
An added bonus to these trips is that your captain will fillet your fish for you! Tautog are a great eating fish that your family and friends will likely very much appreciate.
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