Delaware's Record Tautog, Days Before the Closure

Delaware’s tautog record is a fish that came off a wreck east of Indian River Inlet in May 2023, shortly before the spring closure.

The story

On May 6, 2023, James Milano of North Babylon, New York, was fishing on the charter boat No Limit with Capt. Jon Azato. Over a wreck east of Indian River Inlet, he landed a tautog 34 inches long that weighed 22 pounds 14.4 ounces. DNREC confirmed it as the second state record of 2023.

It beat the previous record, caught in May 2022 by Brent Wiest, by 1 pound 6.7 ounces. A local report noted that the catch came just before the seasonal closure. The 2026 tautog season closes May 16 through June 30, so check the current dates before you plan a trip.

Why it’s remarkable

Tautog grow slowly, and this record came one year after the one it replaced. That suggests the offshore structure holds big fish, but that is our reading and not something the agency says. We have not confirmed a typical size range for Delaware tautog, so we do not give one.

The structure behind the record

Delaware’s offshore structure fishery includes artificial reefs and wrecks. DNREC counts 14 permitted reef sites in Delaware Bay and the Atlantic, 12 with deployed material, and the reef fish include tautog, black sea bass, scup, spadefish and triggerfish. DNREC advises anglers to use GPS and a fathometer to find structure, and to expect lost rigs on hard bottom.

Tautog rules are strict. Current Delaware limits are a 16-inch minimum size and four fish per day, with the season closed from May 16 through June 30. A fish like Milano’s, caught on May 6, was landed in the last weeks before that closure. Black sea bass and flounder are fished over the same structure under their own size and bag limits, so the rules for each species apply to whatever you bring up.

A charter-boat record

Milano fished from the charter boat No Limit with Capt. Jon Azato. For anglers who do not own a boat, a charter is a common way to reach wrecks east of the inlet, and this record was set by a visiting angler from New York fishing on one.

Tog beyond the wrecks

Tautog are not only an offshore fish. At Indian River Inlet, anglers fishing the jetties use green crabs or sand fleas for tog, and an October 2026 report named tog and sheepshead taking sand fleas and crab baits there.

Fishing the water

The wreck is part of Delaware’s offshore structure fishery. The Delaware artificial reefs guide covers the reefs and wrecks, rules and tackle. Size limits, bag limits and the closure all apply, so read the current rules first.

For the full records list and the other stories, see the Delaware Dock Tales index.