It smelled like low tide and rotting green crab, the wind was howling at 30 knots out of the southwest, and my line was fouled with seaweed on nearly every cast.
I was having a blast.
30-knot winds out of the southwest made for challenging conditions on Buzzards Bay, May 4th.
I arrived at the jetty at 1:45pm on May 4th with one thing on my mind: tautog.
This is not a spot I’d send a beginner to. The rocks demand respect, the current runs hard, and during an incoming tide there are sections that will have you wading through sketchy water up to your knees. I fish it now because I know there will come a day when I can’t.
Mung was relentless all afternoon — which along with the wind made it really difficult to detect bites.
For the first hour the fish were ghosts. The wind made bite detection nearly impossible — any long cast created a massive bow in the braided line, which acted like a net, scooping up curtains of mung before the jig ever touched bottom.
I kept my casts short and the jig close, working a 3oz orange Joe Baggs Togzilla tipped with green crab right on the bottom.
The setup that would eventually get the job done: a 3oz orange Togzilla jig tipped with green crab.
The wind whipped my face raw. The terns called overhead — one of the few welcoming sounds above the roar. My nose and cheeks are still red today. But it would end up being worth it!
Then, about an hour before low tide at around 3pm, the jetty came alive.
The first thump was unmistakable. I set the hook and felt that signature tautog weight — pure muscle, instantly diving for the rocks. I kept the drag tight and cranked hard to lift her head. A solid 17-inch keeper, a female likely here to spawn.
The wind whipped my face raw. The terns called overhead — one of the few welcoming sounds above the roar. My nose and cheeks are still red today. But it would end up being worth it!
Then, about an hour before low tide at around 3pm, the jetty came alive.
The first thump was unmistakable. I set the hook and felt that signature tautog weight — pure muscle, instantly diving for the rocks. I kept the drag tight and cranked hard to lift her head. A solid 17-inch keeper, a female likely here to spawn.
Want to know what happened next?
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