Spring on the Hudson River

by Captain Peter Kane

New York States Hudson River offers so much to those of us that live here as well as those that visit that one could write a book about it and many books have been written. Documentation about the history of the river and the valley surrounding it from the Hudson River school of art to the revolutionary war. Traveling north from Manhattan Island breathtaking views of the Palisade Cliffs, West Point, Bannermans' Island and the Hudson Highlands present a historical panorama. Farther up river lighthouses dot the shoreline at Esopus, Kingston and Catskill while stately mansions of a time past can be seen high on the hills overlooking the water.

This too, is a water way famous for its role in commerce as a deep channel allows for the movement of large vessels headed north to the Port of Albany. In years past the canal system linked commerce to the western reaches of the state and was the only means of water transportation across New York.

But, this is also a river, or perhaps more correctly an estuary that is well known by the Atlantic stock of striped bass. The Hudson and tributaries to the Chesapeake Bay are the primary breeding grounds for this magnificent game fish and every spring the Hudson stock moves northward in the water of the Hudson River to accomplish this biological necessity to maintain the species. They begin around the first part of March and continue northward as the spring progresses in huge numbers. The population of stripers has steadily increased since halting commercial harvest in 1976 due to the PCB contamination along with management policies established by the State of New York and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Association.

Stories abound of fish finders going black with fish as one passes over one of the numerous schools moving north and every year about this time the Hudson angler starts to prepare for the active, although short season about to begin. The lower river starts to see fish first and the Tappan Zee and Haverstraw Bays become the first areas to be actively fished. The seasonal demarcation point for the inland season is the George Washington Bridge and as the river opens wider just north of Hastings mud flats become a predominant bottom feature. Water temperatures tend to be a bit warmer on these flats that may be as shallow as two of three feet at low water and they are productive areas for catching fish.

Upstream the season is a bit later and it is well into April that sets the stage for some very exciting fishing. From Cornwall to Saugerties the physical features of river beckon the large females preparing to release their eggs. Smaller males tend to arrive first with the large gravid females following. Catches of fish up to forty pounds is not an uncommon occurrence.

Methods of fishing for the stripers vary. Those anglers arriving from upstate New York tend to use techniques that are common on Lake Ontario for salmon and trout. Down riggers trolling artificial lures or flat lining a deep runner are an effective means of boating fish. Those of us that fish saltwater find that using live bait such as herring or eels is very productive as well.

Personally I find that bigger fish are caught using live bait or even fresh herring chunks.

Concentrating on areas that are known to harbor fish will increase your catch. Like fishing anywhere else it is important to know the water - or should I say what is under the water. Fish tend to accumulate in structures that vary from the surrounding bottom environment. That may be a wreck, a reef, rocky ledges or a bottom contour that creates a rip. The reason for this is the food chain develops here. Beginning with algae on a wreck or baitfish caught up in the current, it is this that brings the larger predators.

Hudson River fishing for stripers is different. Remember they are there for the purpose of spawning and this is very temperature dependent. The shallow mud flats that frequent the river will warm sooner than the channel. They are also the predominant areas that these fish return to each year to spawn. I believe that the larger females will remain in these areas until the water temperature is right. For me, fishing these flats is productive.

Popular areas include the flats south and north of Piermont on the west side of the river, the flats around Croton Point and Haverstraw Bay, the east side of the river from Cornwall north beyond Newburgh-Beacon Bridge up to the mouth of the Wappingers Creek and the Esopus and Kingston flats. Striper fishing is active as far north as the Federal Dam at Troy and many huge fish are caught each year in the Albany area.

As the season moves into late May and the water temperature rises into the high 50's and lower 60's the spawn begins and as fast as the fish made their appearance in early April they are gone. Their biological task complete they now head down river to become the Atlantic fishery for the remainder of the year.

The Hudson River, well known for its' history and beauty now is being regarded as a world class striped bass fishery. Controversial issues have arisen over recent years surrounding this wonderful resource that are worth watching. Dredging the river for a forty mile stretch north of Troy, opening the lower river to commercial fishing for striped bass, PCB contamination of stripers as well as other fish found in the river are of major concern for all of us that live and fish here.

Many of these issues a destined to be resolved in the near future; let us hope that this resolution will have a positive impact on these magnificent fish that give us, as fisherman, such a thrill in catching them.