Underwater Tautog | Bait Test

Underwater bait testing for Tautog (Blackfish). Documenting behavior and a general discussion on Tautog fishing.

[@ckr1011]

As far back as I can remember (1950's) green crab was "the" bait for Tautog. Plenty different times, 5 or 6 of us would get up at 4:30am, stop at the old bait on Wellington Avenue on the way out to Castle Hill. We would fill 3 burlap bags with Tautog, head home around 10am. My father and 2 uncles would be scaling and filleting fish for hours. Put enough aside for dinner and all would freeze their share. God, did my mother know how to cook Tautog. 😋

[@mikeh2520]

Since you like Tautog and have made a cool video, I must tell you about the coolest thing that I have ever seen while spearfishing. I lived in Long Branch, New Jersey and I would spearfish inshore among the many man made boulder structures which held communities of Tautog. One day while swimming around these rocks, I kept hearing a banging and cracking sound. I came around a rock and witnessed a Tautog smashing it's head into a blueclaw crab against a big rock over and over again. The Tautog would wiggle it's side fins to go backwards and then oscillate it's whole body and tail and get it's speed up in reverse very quickly and effortlessly. Then it would charge at full speed into the crab to crack it more. What a show that was. I could have never imagined a fish that could quickly swim backwards like that and then charge forwards. There is a whole lot more than we know about fish and getting things on video shows some of that.

[@anthonydidominico587]

Throughly enjoyed the perspective in this video, definitely will sharpen any fisherman, also use to fish the western sound , south shore out East now, enjoyed your video👌👍👍

[@augustinecampbell7337]

Excellent tutorial and clear footage 👍🏿

[@Gramps55]

Bob great video, you did one last year and i built a stand for camera and painted it camo like bottom. My camera is in transit, left it in canada. Can't wait to put it to use. Yes i can watch for hours also. Thanks for your true passion of fishing. My wife and i really enjoy your videos. Keep up the good work.

[@PeterRanieriII]

amazing part 2 underwater of that camera setup Bob, love watching them all come in from the distance

[@ATREZ0123]

Very cool! I'm all about any Underwater footage/research Always interested in fish sealife Thanks for it

[@ericf1843]

Love the video. Interesting commentary too. Nice work.

[@MrGOINtoHELL]

Could you do a video with sand fleas? ....I seem to do well with them and would love to see a video on how they do

[@kevinsweeney8914]

Fascinating video and commentary. Thanks for sharing and I learned a lot.

[@frrok1]

Dude, so cool to see their behavior.

[@johnmorganjr769]

Thank you for putting in that work! 🐟

[@kevinmicinilio4511]

Awesome concept and great vid!! Very interesting and very helpful Be interesting to see the differences between green crabs vs. asian crabs

[@anthonymarotta9372]

Great video , love this type of content , was wondering what kind of camera are you using quality is fantastic !!!!!! I would love to see some synthetic baits like gulp and fishbites !!!!!

[@andrewxu4581]

Amazing work here brother!

[@FishWithMhei]

Love this video! I’ve always wondered how it looked like down there!!! 😅 Thank you

[@TomyTekOutdoors]

This was pretty cool to see. I'm curious how well green crab works against blue crab and sand fleas. Blue crab is a little easier for me to get locally. It's good to know that frozen green crab still works well.

[@AZ-NY]

Love the new video. Glad you you're doing the underwater videos. A lot of times they are from bank or jetty. Not many from a kayak. I notice, for the squid, they are looking at it sideways.. I wonder if there are squid and octopus that hunts the fish, hency why they are scared.

[@ultfreedom]

Great video, thank you for uploading! Is it possible to do a new one this year with hook, so we can see the hook setting part as well?

[@philpuz3656]

Thank you great video man

[@samschroeder5034]

There are sand fleas in CT. I’m from Milford,CT and we dig them up along the shore. Not quite as many as on the ocean but yeah they are def there.

[@AlleKat]

Porgies usually prefer squid over crabs.

[@goodun2974]

I grew up near the mouth of the CT river and I've never seen "sand fleas" (mole crabs) in the surf on those beaches.

[@foxfai1]

Love this video. Shows some perspective what's happening in the water. What temp / depth is this?

[@KenshiroRyuFishingDojo]

Great Video brother. Its good stuff, i learn a lot of tog behaviors from your videoes :D

[@AZ-NY]

You should do one where each bait on each hook, so this way you can truly test in the same drop location. Also, do you have a remote viewer or only after record footage?

[@johnkeriazesakadoc7271]

Great video!

[@davedeefishing]

Cool footage! I love my tog!

[@mjc1177]

great video

[@luckyandblessedfishing]

wow thats cool! Great video!

[@kriskulczynski8957]

Thank you

[@seagullyellow5972]

Nice video. Can you make a video try to use Clam, snail, blue crab and stone crab. Thank You

[@cristovieneprontocuidatede9531]

Woow nice , where in Long Island?

[@derrickferguson3298]

Their a little shy of the camera, you think. I dont where to get sand flees in the sound. I usually plan a trip to Jersey the day before fishing for stripers while collecting them.

[@Zeketon]

Just wondering how would they do on conch being it's a tougher meat?

[@gothembadboy1]

Do you have any underwater footage of a live eel for bait?

[@WhitePerch]

Sand fleas are in RI. Don’t know about CT

[@samschroeder5034]

They’re here. I get ‘em and I’m in western sound.

[@Piantini]

Thanks for the video. Area / State?

[@AZ-NY]

Can you also do raw shrimp instead of cooked shrimp. I think the raw works way better.

[@sayajinmamuang]

Was this filmed in newyork as well?

[@alexyipfishing372]

Not a really fair test. Squid turned pink which is gone bad already, shrimp should be raw and fresh instead of cooked…. Crabs was live so of course everything went crazy for it

[@TTTTT5050]

yea agree need green vs Asian shore crab vs rock crab

[@JeffSmith-eq3kc]

Doesn't matter. Crab wins either way.

[@npeters165]

Haha ya honestly who fishes with cooked bait? That is completely retarded. When would a Tautog ever come in contact with cocktail shrimp naturally?! Or fried calamari?! 😅

[@Winyandtheboys]

Shut up its pretty fair when you thinks about it because it gets that way form fride

[@PokeDJnyc]

Interesting. How about blood worms, sand fleas Or white crab vs green

[@mrxracing]

Awesome! Thank you

[@soungeun111]

Great job!!! Can you try artificial crabs from glup next time??? Thank you so much!!

[@jc-tackle]

Could you try clams and sand worms?

[@misterbig7874]

That green crab is the ticket!

[@fishin2fit753]

Why would you use cooked shrimp vs fresh shrimp?

[@michaelbedrossian3875]

is this Rhode Island

[@ralphzaccaria7420]

I use mostly sand fleas. I’d like to watch them munching down on some of those! I would guess it doesn’t matter if sand fleas are not naturally in the area arguing that all the bloodworms come from New England and all fish love them.

[@toddbruno4916]

What kind of camera is that? Thanks

[@grandwonder5858]

Why you used cooked shrimp? You saw them cook their shrimp being eating it?

[@davidshriqui8815]

Bloodworm vs Sandworm test?

[@jiggajayp]

Bait test crickets please!!

[@waynehosang2414]

How about trying Asian vs Green crabs?

[@jessicuhh017]

I thought the squid drop was interesting. it almost makes me feel like the fish know squid move out, so it's not normal for them to be here, while crabs and muscles become more prominent and available as a food source. maybe I'm giving fish too much credit, but it's interesting, to say the least.

[@LBINICK]

Gotta try squid first, same with shrimp. Once fish get crab scent, they hone in on that & ignore other baits.

[@Winyandtheboys]

Perfect this proves my my dad theory’s that squid is the best bait I swrong

[@wjstewdog]

Asian crab and sand fleas and green crabs would be interesting

[@ddd6705]

You should try a complete small fiddler crab, small bunker, medium bunker or any other lager bait. By the way, why zero Sheepshead were attracted to your diced crabs? I thought sheepsheads love crabs too.

[@samschroeder5034]

Not sheepshead. Porgy (scup)

[@georgebrooks1077]

Oysters work as well

[@Captain-Seasick]

I use raw shrimp instead of cooked shrimps and raw ones work much better

[@AltusPlateau82]

Thats the fish i wanna go for and taste!

[@JamesP29]

I'm pretty sure I know the outcome of this.. lol Cooked supermarket shrimp are total crap loaded with chemicals. I would try raw shrimp if anything.

[@gm1937]

Add ribeye steak next time and see what happens

[@dimitrim7463]

try some crawfish...

[@michaellicitra7632]

Take the shrimp raw and marinate it in Dr. Pepper - you may be surprised....

[@ddd6705]

Do you think Dr Pepper makes any difference? The raw shrimp is good as is

[@NorthShore2]

Is there any artificial baits that work on Tog like Gulp or Fishbites?

[@AltusPlateau82]

Great question

[@goodun2974]

I grew up near the mouth of the CT river and I've never seen "sand fleas" (mole crabs) in the surf on those beaches.

[@goodun2974]

I grew up near the mouth of the CT river and I've never seen "sand fleas" (mole crabs) in the surf on those beaches.