NY River:Hudson River - Striped Bass Fishing
It was not that long since that the thought of fishing the Hudson River was absurd. Now, striped bass fishing on the Hudson NY river is definitely a go.
The stripped bass is an ocean going fish that descends into coastal rivers to spawn. Each spring, large schools of this arduous fighting game fish head up the Hudson Ny river turning it into one of the most arousing game fisheries in the United States. From the Tappan Zee Bridge outside of New York City up river into the heart of the state, the fish move toward spawning grounds feeding on shad and herring. It is their schooling and heavy feeding inclinations during their spawning run that makes them both an easy and a intriguing fish to pursue.
The season on the Hudson NY river for stripped bass fishing endures from March 16 to November 30. No license is necessitated to fish on the NY river, but one is needed to fish on any of the feeders leading into the Hudson. So, it is advisable to be careful if you do not have a license and stay on the main NY river. Any fish below 18 inches long must be returned to the river and there is a limit of one fish per day per angler. This limit causes stripped bass fishing on the Hudson NY rivers an idealistic catch and release area.
One of the things that will astonish you about this fish is that they grow very, very large. It is not strange for an angler to snare a 40 pound stripped bass during the spawning run. There are a bunch of different types of fishing and lures that can be successful on your quest for a stripped bass. Since the spawning fish are following the herring and feeding on them with a pre-spawning hunger, it stands to reason that herring makes effective bait. You can use live herring delivered in a natural manner or use cut chunks of herring. Either method is equally productive.
Another thing that makes Hudson NY river stripped bass fishing such a good bargain for the Northeast angler is that you can have just about as much luck right from the banks of the river as you can from a boat. It might take a little searching around, but in general shallow areas by the banks and areas where small streams run into the NY river are gathering spots for the stripped bass. The chief advantage of a boat is the ability to follow the schools of fish around the NY river. Most locals advise eels as the ideal bait when fishing from the boat, although shad can be used as well.
Trolling is a beneficial way to turn up the schools on NY river. Many assorted spoons and spinner baits can attract fish when trolled behind the boat. Once one fish is hooked, you are generally guaranteed of a lot of action because of the schooling nature of the fish. Remember that this fishing is for sport. Most of the Hudson NY river has been closed to commercialized fishing because of high levels of PCBs found in the fish. Over the years, a great deal of effort has been made to clean up the river, and there is already talk of opening sections of the river for commercial fishing again. Although this is good news from an environmental point of view, there is a lot of resistance from sport fishermen who want to protect this astonishing sport resource.
