So a big bulldog probably hits like a Mack truck, right? Well, maybe, but not always.

"I notice that when I get whacked by a big 'tog, it feels like a soft hit, even almost feeling like a bergall bite. It's because the mouths on the older 'togs are huge and they suck in that bait in one inhale, where the smaller 'togs have to pick and punch at it a few times, then you feel the hits there. Big 'togs feel like soft hitters, though one time I did dead stick a rod out with a clam bait for cod and it doubled over the side to the water when a 12-pound 'tog hammered it," Capt. Rescigno said.

WHERE TO FIND THEM
Cape May Reef -- GPS -- 38'53.75 / 74'39.98
This 4.5-square-mile reef site is an easy nine-mile southeast ride out of the Cape May Inlet. Seventeen wrecks and the sprawling concrete rubble from the Ben Franklin Bridge make this a winter tautog hotspot for limit catches of 2- to 6-pounders with 15-pound-plus bruisers mixed in.

28 Mile Wreck -- GPS -- 39'00.45 / 74'04.97
Also known as the Varanger Wreck, the 28 Mile Wreck attracts large blackfish. In its 95- to 130-foot depths, the jumbled structure is fabled for having produced Anthony Monica's world record.

Shrewsbury Rocks -- GPS -- 40'20.29 / 73'57.50
The Shrewsbury Rocks are a vast underwater mountain range. This well-known area is just a short jaunt from Shark River Inlet or Sandy Hook. The Shrewsbury Rocks hold some bumpy real estate that 'tog flock to.

Shark River Reef -- GPS -- 40'06.80 / 73'41.40
The newest addition to New Jersey's Artificial Reef Program, the Shark River Reef was finally completed in 2005; this brand-spanking new structure will no doubt be a treasure chest for blackfish seekers in the coming years.

Takanassee Rocks -- GPS -- 40'16.50 / 73'57.50
A spread-out arena of shale, mussels and big boulders, which stretch about 2.5 square miles some five miles north of Shark River Inlet, the Takanassee Rocks hold blackfish tight to the beach, easily within reach of all types of boating vessels.

TAUTOG ARE OLD-TIMERS
Though you may love and fawn over the delicious taste of the tautog, know that tautogs are one of the slowest growing fish in the ocean. To put the sluggish growth rate of 'tog into perspective, a keeper-size blackfish at 14 inches is already a sage age of 6 years old, a 19-inch 'tog is 10 years old and a 22-inch 'tog is 20 years old (info from www.njscuba.com).

A whopper 28-inch 'tog can be in the 40- to 60-year-old class! That being said, understand that the 'tog you do pull up is most likely older than you are, and the resource should be respected and protected. Personally, I recommend releasing the largest 'tog you may catch, many of which are the big breeders. If you hit it right, a day out blackfishing is a test of will, mettle and moxie. It's guaranteed that a tautog of any size will give you a run for your money. And there is no better place than New Jersey to test your skills against these fine fighters.