| It wasn't that long ago that the idea of | | | | fish are following the herring and feeding on |
| fishing the Hudson River was laughable. Now, | | | | them with a pre-spawning hunger, it stands to |
| striped bass fishing on the Hudson is | | | | reason that herring makes good bait. You can |
| definitely a go. | | | | use live herring presented in a natural |
| | | | manner or use cut chunks of herring. Either |
| The stripped bass is an ocean going fish that | | | | method is equally successful. |
| comes into coastal rivers to spawn. Each | | | | |
| spring, large schools of this hard fighting | | | | Another thing that makes Hudson River |
| game fish head up the Hudson River in New | | | | stripped bass fishing such a good deal for |
| York turning that river into one of the most | | | | the Northeast angler is that you can have |
| exciting game fisheries in the United States. | | | | just about as much luck right from the banks |
| From the Tappan Zee Bridge outside of New | | | | of the river as you can from a boat. It might |
| York City up river into the heart of the | | | | take a little looking around, but generally |
| state, the fish move toward spawning grounds | | | | shallow areas by the banks and areas where |
| feeding on shad and herring. It is their | | | | small streams run into the river are |
| schooling and heavy feeding tendencies during | | | | gathering spots for the stripped bass. The |
| their spawning run that makes them both an | | | | main advantage of a boat is the ability to |
| easy and a challenging fish to pursue. | | | | follow the schools of fish around the river. |
| | | | Most locals suggest eels as the ideal bait |
| The season on the Hudson River for stripped | | | | when fishing from the boat, although shad can |
| bass fishing runs from March 16 to November | | | | be used as well. |
| 30. No license is needed to fish on the | | | | |
| river, but one is needed to fish on any of | | | | Trolling is a good way to locate the schools |
| the tributaries leading into the Hudson. So, | | | | on the river. Many different spoons and |
| it is wise to be careful if you do not have a | | | | spinner baits can draw fish when trolled |
| license and stay on the main river. Any fish | | | | behind the boat. Once one fish is hooked, you |
| under 18 inches long must be returned to the | | | | are usually assured of a lot of action |
| river and there is a limit of one fish per | | | | because of the schooling nature of the fish. |
| day per angler. This limit makes stripped | | | | Remember that this fishing is for sport. Most |
| bass fishing on the Hudson River an ideal | | | | of the Hudson has been closed to commercial |
| catch and release area. | | | | fishing because of high levels of PCBs found |
| | | | in the fish. Over the years, a great deal of |
| One of the things that will amaze you about | | | | effort has been made to clean up the river, |
| this fish is that they grow very, very large. | | | | and there is already talk of opening sections |
| It is not unknown for an angler to snare a 40 | | | | of the river for commercial fishing again. |
| pound stripped bass during the spawning run. | | | | Although this is good news from an |
| There are a lot of different types of fishing | | | | environmental standpoint, there is a lot of |
| and lures that can be successful on your | | | | opposition from sport fishermen who want to |
| quest for a stripped bass. Since the spawning | | | | protect this amazing sport resource. |