Even though we are in the middle of one of the winters worst cold spells the fishing outlook for striped bass in the Hudson River this spring looks as good as ever. Granted there are a lot of factors that must be taken into consideration as the opening day approaches but the stock size determined last year by the New York D.E.C. is very large.

Water temperature and weather conditions throughout the spawn last season were favorable to survival of fertilized eggs and the larva that follows. Reports from fisherman and tackle shops in the lower Hudson River during the summer and fall also indicate a relatively large juvenile population in the "nursery" areas of the lower river. Many small striped bass were being caught and released during these months.

Another sign indicating the size of the spawning population in the river is the numbers of fish caught during the summer months in Long Island Sound and the Atlantic coastal waters. Reports during the summer and fall all indicated a large number of bass in these areas and from personal experience I have never had a better season for stripers on the Sound in the Connecticut area. Big fish were caught on a regular basis with sizes in the 40" plus range not uncommon. Live bait was the key to these large catches with hickory shad during the day and eels at dusk or at night. There is no guarantee all these fish are Hudson River stock but the numbers indicate an abundance of fish that are destined to spawn in the Hudson this spring once again.