Biology of the Hudson River Striped Bass

As a charter boat captain I frequently focus on my tackle and boat in regards to the trips I plan. Certainly an important aspect of any type of fishing and perhaps the basis of this focus is the species pursued. Quite obviously, I am not going to present a lure or live bait that is of no interest whatsoever to the fish! By the same token, my tackle had better be able to handle the size in a reasonable manner. There is, however, another aspect of fishing that some of us tend to overlook, the biological characteristics of the species.

I cannot help being reminded of my first years of fishing in ponds and small streams of upstate New York. I would look for fish in their habitat by lurking in the shadows of the trees along the stream - where are they? There, under the log along the waters edge or perhaps just below the rock in the still water.

It is no different today when fishing for stripers during the spring spawning migration on the Hudson River. The importance of knowing the fish is paramount to my success as a fisherman.

Stripers, as they are known in New England or rockfish in the Chesapeake Bay belong to the Genus Morone which also includes white perch and white bass. The striped bass is distinguished from its relatives by the species name, saxatilis. Morone saxatilis is the scientific name for the striped bass or M. saxatilis for short.

They are an anadromous fish, born in fresh water and spending most of their life in the sea only to return to fresh water to spawn. The Atlantic coastal stock for striped bass rely on the Hudson estuary and the tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay as their spawning grounds. Fish spawning in the Hudson will always return to the Hudson; not only just the river (more correctly an estuary), but specific sites in the river. This has been documented by the Hudson River Fisheries Unit of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation using radio transmitters to track the fish. The masses of fish that move upriver tend to segregate by sex. It is thought that the smaller males move ahead of the females, but that is not necessarily the case. As they reach their specific region they will remain until conditions favor spawning activity. In the lower Hudson, south of Peekskill, the fish tend to favor areas of a natural habitat which primarily exist on the western shore. The shallow waters around Piermont is a favorite location. As they move upriver areas that meet similar environmental conditions include the waters around Croton Point, Haverstraw Bay, the Newburgh/Beacon area both north and south of the bridge and Kingston north to Saugerties. These are favorite sites for the angler as anyone can tell by the large number of boats that congregate there.

Spawning will not occur until conditions are favorable. Temperature is critical. As the waters warm upwards toward 15 degrees Celsius spawning activity will begin. The large females discharge their eggs as a number of males circle and brush her sides. One female may lay several million eggs with only some being discharged at one time. As the eggs are released, the sperm from the male will fertilize them. If you are fortunate enough to view this event it is a site to behold as it takes place near the surface of the water. There are dozens upon dozens of fish splashing the surface for hundreds of yards.

For the spawning to be successful and produce a stock of recruitment a number of factors must be considered. If, for example, just after the spawn a cold front moves through and with it precipitation that lowers the water temperature a high mortality within the fertile egg population may ensue. A drop of a few degrees can be critical. Most eggs will not survive a temperature of less than 12 degrees (C). Striped bass eggs are semi-dimersal and require movement of water to keep them suspended. Because of this they are closer to the surface where water temperature is effected most by atmospheric changes. Development is highly dependent upon water temperature as well. In ideal conditions eggs will hatch in two to six days and become free swimming larvae which in turn develop into juveniles exhibiting all morphological characteristics of the striper. As they grow and move down river the population will become established in the lower Hudson. Recently, some juveniles have been found in the western end of Long Island Sound. This had not been the case over the years and it is thought perhaps the cleaner water of New York Harbor is related to this movement. Within a year most of these fish will attain a size of ten to twelve inches.

Males reach maturity in about two years, females in three to four. These then become breeding stock to return to the river to spawn. Females are much larger than the males reaching upwards to sixty pounds or more and attaining an age of twenty years plus. They are opportunistic, piscivorous feeders and once in the river will utilize the abundant herring as a primary food source. Anglers often find live herring and chunk herring a very effective bait due to the natural presence but often vary the menu with assorted worms and eels.

Each years spawn success is unpredictable. Ideal conditions can recruit a large number of young to the nursery stock. From July through November the Department of Environmental Conservation monitors twenty five sites every other week from Haverstraw Bay to Hastings. Using a 200' beach seine, a sampling of all invertebrates and vertebrates is collected, sorted and counted. Striped bass are included in this sampling. Data collected included the size of the fish, water quality, pH, salinity, dissolved oxygen and atmospheric conditions. This sampling is used to establish a relative abundance index which can be related to returning adult fish and used to indicate future year class strength.

After spawning the adult fish leave the river. There may be some holdover stock but it is extremely small compared to the spawning stock. These fish are generally one to two years old. There is a small population that winters in the brackish water as far north as the Tappan Zee and Haverstraw Bays. These are not necessarily Hudson fish and will leave sometime prior to spring.

Studies of Morone saxatilis can be found dating as far back as the 1920's. Since 1970 definitive research relating to the bass in the Hudson is documented in studies done by the State of New York, various educational institutions and power companies that have their generating plants along the river. During the 1970's a low but sustainable population existed in the Hudson while at the same time the Chesapeake stock was being over harvested which led to its collapse.

This resulted in the formation of the interstate striped bass plan currently administered by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Association. Management of the species is accomplished by data collected and agreements reached from each of the states.

Morone saxatilis, linesider, striper or rockfish is a marvelous game fish for the recreational angler and the Hudson River of New York provides some of the best fishing for this species on the east coast. With proper management and an awareness by all involved in fishing it will continue to be for many years to come.