Why Are Huge Fish Heading Up The Hudson River To Albany, NOW?
Some people don't believe me when I tell them that 30 and 40 pound fish are being caught in the Hudson River, in the area between Albany and Troy, right now. Each year in the spring, Striped bass or Morone saxatilis, for you fish species experts, can be caught in the Hudson River all the way up to the Troy dam. BIG ONES!
Why are they here? According to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, adults striped bass spend most of their time in coastal waters and return to the fresh water of the Hudson River each spring to spawn before returning back to the Atlantic Ocean. The Hudson River acts as a nursery for the newly hatched young of year bass and in early fall they begin moving out of the estuary into near shore coastal areas. Therefore, with the declining numbers of coastal striped bass, fisherman should do whatever they can to return healthy fish to the water.
Are striped bass difficult to catch? Well, I think I would be lying to you if I told you it was easy but they're not as hard as some fish. From most reports, the largest of striped bass caught in the Hudson River are landed using live herring or herring chunks for bait. Bloodworms, as demonstrated by the Bsprex Fishing expert on their YouTube channel, are very effective.
Striped Bass are an awesome game fish. Returning them to the water, with as little trauma as possible, is crucial for this spring ritual on the Hudson River for generations to come. There was a pretty cool photo on Instagram and I shared it below. WTEN/Fox23 weatherman Rob Lindenmuth landed his biggest fish ever and it is a beauty! Congratulations Rob and tight lines to all of you that get out there for this awesome annual event.