Tackle is another essential aspect.

I recommend using a 7-foot, medium-stout rod for monofilament line, and a lighter, more parabolic rod for braided line.

I predominantly fish with 65-pound-test Power Pro braid with a 20- to 30-foot, 50-pound monofilament leader.

My reason for using such a long leader is that monofilament is thicker in diameter and also has more buoyancy than the Power Pro, so it creates a belly in the braid. 

Fishing with a belly in your line causes you to fish with slack in your line. 

While slack line probably goes against everything you’ve read that says “fish with tight lines,” my experience has shown that a belly in the line means less resistance in the line, so the fish bite harder.

Obviously, a harder biting fish increases your chances for a hook up. 

On certain days, blackfish shy away from resistance in the line, and the bite is touchy.

Both a good friend and the person I consider to be the best blackfishermen on the East Coast, Geoff from the Ocean Eagle, taught me another excellent trick of the trade when dealing with a touchy bite.

On those days when fish seem to be backing off the bait rather than diving on it, you may want to consider the non-obvious: your sinker selection.

First, I would try using a lighter sinker.  For example, if you’re using a 10-ounce sinker, try an 8 or 6.  

The reason behind this trick again falls back to resistance. Unless the fish are really growling, they might feel the heavy lead and back off the bite. 

Tandem-rigged 4/0 Gamakatsu Octopus hooks are the hooks we use aboard the Outcast.  We prefer these hooks for their strength and sharpness for fast penetration. Years ago, we used 5/0 Gamakatsu hooks when the fish were larger or averaged 5 pounds and up.

For novice blackfisher anglers, anchoring will be the most difficult task.

The Outcast typically utilizes a two-anchor system.  While using one anchor is possible, it fails to give the boat critical wreck position, because of swinging or swaying in the wind and/or current.

Anchoring with two anchors usually requires two people, although I’ve done it in the past by myself. One boater maneuvers the vessel while the other deploys the anchors.

For example, when deploying two anchors, if the boat is going to lay due north, the starboard anchor would be deployed first at a 40- to 45-degree compass heading.  The second anchor would be deployed at a 315- to 320-degree compass heading.  In essence, an 80- to 90-degree spread.

Anchoring is one of the more complicated aspects of blackfishing, and an in-depth article could specifically be about the techniques of anchoring. I also couldn’t possibly sum up my 30  years of experience in one article, so I hope to follow-up this article with more in-depth tips and advice.

Blackfishing is one of the most challenging and most rewarding sports. 

I continue to enjoy my trips each year and look forward to those cold days at sea, when the tautog are feisty.

I hope you can take some of this information and use it on a trip in the near future, leading you to enjoy blackfishing as much as I do. 

I would like to thank the many excellent anglers I have fished with and learned from over the years, including, but not limited to, John Vescera, mate aboard the Outcast; Geoff and Greg from the Ocean Eagle; Rob Skonieczny, my brother and co-owner of the Outcast; writer and angler E.C. Newellman; and my dad, John Skonieczny, who started it all.