May 14th

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(... continued)

"Lake Ontario Catfish Chaos Coming Up" by Carl Bruger.

We share a recent Instagram post and invitation to send photos etc. to our Social Media Chair Alex Spindelman: a.spindelman@gmail.com.

That's Entertainment

On the Water's Weekly Striper Migration Report from April 12th. Matt Haeffner talks with HRFA President Joe Albanese about Hudson River stripers

The start of three (3) somethings BIG - the Spectrum Fishing Pier, saving the original HRFA patrol boat Riverkeeper, creating a permanent 'home' and museum for the HRFA.

Be sure to also check out the H.R.F.A. Events Calendar below for this month's member birthday notices, holidays and events.

All are invited to join the HRFA's 4th Annual Fly Fishing Derby. The intent of the Derby is to inspire the interest and growth of saltwater fly fishing.

Entry Fee $25.00

EVERYONE will receive a

FREE COMMEMORATIVE HAT at sign-up.

Payment options: 1.) online at Thehrfa.org online registration opens April 1st or, 2.) in person day of the event.

Meet up: Sandy Hook NJ – Lot C – 6:00 AM - Pick up your 3 digit code and quick rundown of rules and answers to questions if you have any. Last minute sign ups.

Categories: Striped Bass & Bluefish

 Derby starts at 7:00AM. Fishing ends at 11:30AM.

 Largest fish in length in each category wins

 A photograph of your catch showing your unique 3- digit code is to be submitted by text to 201-232-5988 - (pick up your code at Sandy Hook lot C from 6am – 645am)

 Please include your first and last name in text

 Time of entry will break any ties.

 Shore/wade fly fishing only. No boats.

 The boundaries are anywhere on Sandy Hook – back bay and ocean side

Awards Ceremony: 11:45AM Lot C: 1st, 2nd and 3rd Place prizes

– Sandwiches and drinks will be provide

If you have any questions or need help with selecting the right gear for the derby, contact

Michael Sardinas

Email: VicePresident@TheHRFA.org

Phone: +1 (201) 232-5988

Carl Bruger is bringing back the popular annual event that was cancelled due to the pandemic. He will supply prizes for the longest catfish caught, photographed with ruler, possibly weighed too, and released. Second place for longest catfish and other species (probably a pike or a carp) also gets one of three rods and reels. Circle hooks for baited enticements are encouraged for easy hookups and releases from the side of the mouth. Lures are also permitted since Chanel cats and pike will strike them. Entry fee is $50 for each angler, just like the Olde Days. ALL of the money will be donated back to the HRFA.

A rental cabin where you can cook and sleep that accommodates 6-persons is available for only $150 per night from a neighbor who live down the road from us. Doing the math, that comes out to only $25 each per night. There are other places to stay nearby as well. Weather permitted.

The Fred Rung Memorial Striped Bass Derby Awards Ceremony will have food/drink, raffles and a 50:50. Winners of Grand Prizes will be drawn too. Oh, and dancing girls. Not really, just seeing if anyone is still reading.

Just contact our Interim Youth Angler Program Chair

(Please note the emphasis on Interim!)

We need to increase participation in our Youth Angler Program! The retirement of Wayne Geider as Chair and aging of our core group of volunteers puts our entire program at risk. We have so much we can do for others IF we only have people available and willing to pitch in whenever they can. We already have a full schedule for next year. More dates will be added too - Riverkeeper's City of Water Day in Hoboken, Waterford Canal Festival, Croton River Day, etc. If we are to succeed, we must make strengthening our team a key objective of 2024.

president@thehrfa.org or (908) 456-2968

To open the online registration page scan the QR code with your smart phone, click on the photo below, or. contact Roxanne.

There will be food/drink, raffles and a 50:50 at the Awards Ceremony. Winners of Grand Prizes will be drawn too. That will be held 6:00 to 8:00PM Wednesday, April 22nd at the Croton Yacht Club.

Everyone who enters the Derby, whether they entered a fish or not, is eligible to win Grand Prizes with participants' names drawn at the conclusion of the contest. Click HERE to register.

The HRFA's Youth Angler Program ran another successful fishing clinic/derby. This first event of 2024 was by invitation extended to us by Kyle Peterson of the Westchester County Parks Commission. In less than 2-weeks we capped registration for the event at 50 youths. This shared event at Croton Point Park put smiles on many faces.

The weather wasn't the best - overcast skies most of the morning, slight drizzle, winds gusting to 25mph, cold with temps barely reaching the upper 40's. The sun finally broke through the clouds to stay as the event concluded. Despite the weather there was a good turnout and spirits ran high even though the fish were not cooperating. We tried frozen bunker, squid, salted clams, earthworms and even GULP! It didn't matter. Momma said there'd be days like this.

It would have been a total flop if we couldn't muster enough volunteers. Thank you Scott Havner, Jeff Christie, Ed DeLapp, Sandy & Dee Federico, Ivan Garcia and his daughter Isabella, Aram Setian, Dan Harrison, Al White, Carl Bruger, Wayne Geider, and Joe Albanese. Janelle Miller, daughter of the late, great Alvin Miller surprised us and pitched in to help as one way to honor her father's memory. Great job all! You made a lot of people happy.

Special thanks to Art's Tackle & Fly Shop in Nanuet for providing the bait and to Croton Bait and Tackle for the rod & reel combos for the winners.

Nothing like an Elks Lodge meal of with friends to get one's spirits soaring. Some good ol' HRFA Fellowship.

Professors Doug Zemeckis (Rutgers University) and Keith Dunton (Monmouth University) were like "peas & carrots" science" is what we will be doing this month. Listen and learn from Professors Dunton & Zemeckis about their research on offshore turbines (aka windmills) and their impact on the oceans and marine life. Be in the know so that you may draw your own educated conclusions about this aspect of offshore wind energy.

A super-hot topic of discussion and debate has been the offshore wind turbines on New Jersey’s coastline. Old school land based windmills were always popular in Holland because they provided essential performance in the form of water pumping, irrigation, grain grinding and running related machines based on the wind power. They were also picturesque, harmless to birds and vital cogs in the Low Country’s scheme of things. They are as much a part of the Netherlands as wooden shoes and tulips.

Centuries later we must consider the pros and cons of offshore wind turbines that dwarf the old Dutch version and are often twice the size of the iconic Statue of Liberty. The far fringe claims of cancer causation, or the only clean answer to energy needs, alienate the majority middle of us who want honest and sane answers. Thousands of these structures are already

providing electrical energy to hundreds of countries around the world. Far more turbines are land based where construction costs usually are less than sea based structures. The key gauge to all the future building and construction is the cost per megawatt hour.

Our two guest speakers were both highly educated and respected men in their fields. Doug

Zemeckis is a Rutgers professor and welcomed guest before at an HRFA meeting where he shared his expertise on fish spawning, migrations, and population fluctuations. Few know more than Doug about cod, fluke or striped bass in the Atlantic Ocean. Monmouth professor Keith Dunton is a specialized fisheries ecologist who has decades of experience focused on

acoustic telemetry projects focused on endangered Atlantic sturgeon and sharks. These men are the true authorities when it comes to any advanced aspect of fish tagging and tracking.

As a devoted fishing club the HRFA naturally questions the potential damage under water detonations, giant electric cables, base constructions, and potential failures and pollution in the face of catastrophic weather conditions. We questioned the increase in cetacean deaths and wash-ups along the ocean beaches. The BOEM, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management it turns out, runs the show. In dealing with the environmental impact, companies like Orstead must consider ways to 1) avoid, 2) reduce, 3) mitigate, or 4) compensate any potential and eventual damages to the environment. Two locations we learned have been dropped by this company due to inflated costs and other factors.

The effects on multiple fish species is being studied in multifaceted ways. Environmental DNA studies are underway. A single bottle of ocean water sample can yield millions of DNA facts to scientists seeking such detailed information. Fish catches are being monitored. Effects of electric waves on sharks and rays are in progress. RMI is the acronym for Research and

Monitoring Initiative. This is a proactive ecological study with $10,000 per potential megawatt hour already collected! The advanced acoustic telemetry tags can result in a single striped bass sharing millions of data point readings for up to a decade!

The future is uncertain with states like Maine planning floating offshore turbines reportedly capable of withstanding major hurricanes. Every state has their own set of rules with billions of investment bucks on the line. As citizens, our best bet is to stay educated and devoted

to speaking out for the causes we believe in.

The Chart House fishing trip in Weehawken, NJ was free for all HRFA members. 7am to noon.

The Chart House is an excellent location to wet a line, and every year this area produces outstanding-sized striped bass.

Kids love fishing! So bring them along too. The HRFA will have some extra rods and reels, bait and terminal tackle to help newbies get started.

The law in NJ requires anglers to use non-offset circle hooks when fishing with bait for striped bass. This is mostly the time and place on the Hudson River to fish with blood worms. So, if you can bring your own - great! Also, we will have a pier net. Gaffing a striper in NJ is illegal.

The HRFA will also have snacks and soft drinks at 11:30 when the winners are announced.

Adults: There will be a mystery prize for the largest striper landed in length.

Kids: There will be 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place prizes for kids.

We returned to Cornetta's, Piermont, NY. A beautiful marina and restaurant right on the western shoreline of the Hudson River, just south of the Tappan Zee Bridge. The food, as always, was GREAT - Chilean Sea Bass, Short Ribs or Chicken Parmesan, oh my! We had 58 people join us.

We were honored to have with us key members of the HRFA's Spectrum for Living fishing pier initiative. Namely, Raymond Cywinski (Veolia Water Co., retired) and Calisto Bertin, PE. Bertin Engineering, Inc. generously volunteered to review the site and plans pro bono. We're always happy to see Capt. Bill Sheehan, Hackensack Riverkeeper and Maryellen too. Also, joining us were Tim Dillingham, Executive Director and Emily McGuckin, Tagging Director of the American Littoral Society. Mr. Dan Cordano, General Manager of Liberty Landing Marina was here too. Thanks to his good graces, our Riverkeeper vessel is being kept safe at the marina while we come up with a plan and funding necessary to preserve her for posterity. She is more than just a part of the HRFA's proud history. Her legacy is shared by all Riverkeeper organizations.

It is always wonderful when everyone comes together to make great things happen. Special thanks go to our Awards Dinner Chair Dan Harrison and his wife Eileen. We sorely missed seeing Arnie Ulrich at the dinner but he transferred everything needed to run successful raffles, collect tickets at the door, etc. Mona Mak and Eileen did a great job running the 50:50 and raffles. Thanks also go to everyone who donated things to raffle:

Time to start planning for next year. Danny.

Pete Barrett was the founder of the NJ Chapter of the HRFA. The many contributions he has made to the angling community in his lifetime, have gone above and beyond the many ways he has directly benefited our fishing club. He is a well-known author of fishing books (he donated two autographed copies to our raffle), many articles for The Fisherman, and he still writes a monthly column "On the Fly" for On the Water magazine. To be brief, without Pete's meeting Robert Boyle in the late 1960's and believing in the cause of restoring the vitality of the Hudson River there would be no HRFA today. Thank you Pete for everything you did for the river, and continue to do, for recreational anglers.

PS. The only previous winner of the award was Arnie Ulrich who won in 2023.

The HRFA's Annual Fishing Contest Co-Chair Scott Havner and VP Micheal Sardinas teamed uo to present the awards and gift certificates to the winners.

Ivan Garcia joins an elite group, the past winners of the prestigeous Pete Barrett Award.

From L to R: Pete Musse, Dan Harrison, Wayne Geider, Pete Orenzo, Scott Havner,

Michael Sardinas, Capt. Aram H. Setian, Ivan Garcia, Janice Soto, Dave Mercer,

and Gil Hawkins. In front is Tony DiModugno and Joe Albanese.

From L to R: Joe Albanese (President HRFA), Gil Hawkins (Past President & Current Environment Director, HRFA), Tim Dillingham (Executive Director, American Littoral Society), and Captain Bill Sheehan (Hackensack Riverkeeper)

Jodi Jamieson of Hackensack Riverkeeper invited Joe Albanese to join the full-day of training she provides annually for the young college graduates that will become the current year's Urban 'Watershed Ambassadors'. This impressive group of young people are all Americorps volunteers. In the selfie is Liz Jackson (L), Jodi (Center) and Joe (R). Liz leads the NJ DEP's "Hooked on Fishing - Not on Drugs" program.

The morning's classroom instruction covered habitat, ecology, conservation, impacts of global climate change and pollution from combined sewer overflow (CSO) and more. It even had students measure turbidity, Dissolved Oxygen, pH, temperature, nitrates & phosphates with water chemistry field test kits.

When Jodi cautioned the group about the things from the Hackensack River system that should never be eaten (American eel, white perch and blue claw crab) Joe learned that the main concern about consuming blue claws was not PCBs. (Which is the case for the Hudson River.) Rather, it is primarily dioxins in the water that remain from Diamond Alkali Company's production of Agent Orange for use in the Vietnam War. The area surrounding the former manufacturing facility in Newark, the lower Passaic River and Newark Bay are all part of an EPA Superfund site.

The afternoon's fishing activity gave everyone a chance to bait a hook with an earthworm, cast it out with a bobber, to properly catch and release at least one trout from the holding pond at the hatchery. For many it was the first fish they ever caught.

Essentially, the day gives these Ambassadors the skill set needed to introduce middle schoolers to the watershed in their respective neighborhoods. The HRFA's Youth Angler Program volunteers are proud to be associated with the UWEP.

The HRFA's Annual Hooked on the Hudson took place at Ross Dock in the Palisades Interstate Park, by the GWB. Same as always, for the last 37 years.

As tradition would have it, a core group assembled the night before to start setting up the scene. They enjoyed each other's company and some good ol' burgers & dogs. Around the grill are Tony Stellato, Dan Marfino, Bill Kuhl (who has been a key contributor at HOH for many years) and Pete Musse.

There are more photos from HOH in the Photo Gallery Section below. Just keep on scrolling.

Carl Bruger has been a writer for this newsletter educating and entertaining us who read River Views for a long time. Here is (are) his latest gem(s).

She’s still there waiting to be captured again!

I’m writing about the New York state record channel catfish that tipped the scales at 35 lbs. 12 oz. A young man named Baily Williams of Watertown landed the monster within sight of our home on Black River Bay. Also still in the mix for tournament members coming up this middle of May is the new HRFA record 27.2 pounder that this scribe caught, weighed, measured and released last year just in front of the “Chaos Headquarters”.

We recently set up housekeeping in mid-April to prepare for our half year of living at the Lake. Our grandsons Miles, aged 14 and Harry, now 12, joined us for the “home opener”. They were using their spring vacation week to do some exhilarating fishing, hiking and biking. Using worms to catch perch we then cast out chunks of fresh cut bait along with frozen cans of cat food to entice the just ready to spawn channel cats.

Angling was slow in the icy water but each boy landed early channels with Miles top fish weighing @ 9 pounds and Harry hauling in a 33” almost 17 pound whopper. There were a few bullheads in the mix to keep things interesting and it was obvious that the majority of

trophy sized cats were waiting for the Catfish Chaos Tournament anglers to arrive in mid-May.

Any member can still show up to fish during any or all of the four day tournament. From Thursday, May 16th through Sunday. May 19th . The $50 entry fee will be fully devoted to an equal division between the Youth Angler Program funds and the HRFA scholarships. I will supply all three prizes for the First and Second place channel cats and also the longest pike, pickerel, or carp. All winners will be determined by a photo with ruler to determine fish length prior to release back into the bay.

I will have one rod rigged and ready for any entrant who wants it with the additional fact that two other rods may be legally used by any participant according to NY State angling laws. I advise using fresh caught white or yellow perch chunks with 2-3” pieces impaled on #6 or #7 circle hooks the best way to hook and then release all you catch. Worms also work and will be your best bet for gathering perch for bait or a future fish fry. Jefferson County is the only place around that has an unlimited limit on their ubiquitous perch population. You may fish from the shoreline in front of our home, the Lamon property and also the places you rent abutting the water. There will be rowboats available as well for no charge. Each loaner rod will be rigged with a sliding sinker rig and circle hook on the leader. This setup has proven to be the most effective catfish catcher out of many options.

Look over the suggestions and rules lists or call me at 973-704-4845 if you have any questions. You can pay me cash or a check made out to the HRFA for the $50 entry fee. Enjoy your stay, fishing, friendships and fun. I look forward to seeing many of you at the eagerly anticipated renewal of this popular event.

Clean Ocean Action on Instagram: "COA'S CINDY ZIPF ANNOUNCED AS NEW JERSEY'S WOMAN OF THE YEAR 2024" READ MORE

Most importantly, the striped bass stock is currently below mandated thresholds. Increasingly strict regulations are necessary to not only ensure survival of the spawning stock biomass but rebuilding of the stock. As I wrote in my last blog, data from the ASMFC reveals that recreational mortality increased by 32 percent in 2022 from the previous year. The increased mortality rates on declining populations of striped bass restricts stock rebuilding goals and reduces the likelihood of achieving threshold levels of the spawning stock biomass as mandated by ASMFC. In 2023, Hudson River striped bass experienced their worst spawning season since 1995. News from Chesapeake Bay has been grim as well, with data showing below average recruitment of juvenile striped bass for the past five years. So while anecdotal fishing reports certainly have value for managing an exploited population, accurate stock assessment and fisheries management must be based upon scientific methodology using probability-based sampling methods from which mathematical estimates of sampling bias, statistical error, sampling error, and confidence intervals can be determined. Surveys not utilizing probability-based statistical methods will fail to accurately capture the true stock structure and health of a managed fish population. The absolute worst outcome for the striped bass and recreational anglers is for stocks to collapse, which is precisely why highly trained experts must manage our fisheries.

What?? We still have 43 HRFA members that haven’t paid 2024 Dues? Do you have your 2024 membership card?

Pay your dues. Get your 2024 membership card.

The generous grace period ends renewals on March 31st. Those not renewed are on the stale list and are removed from the membership rolls. Note , If you do not have a 2024 or life time membership card , you are not a HRFA member.

For those people who join(ed) the HRFA in October (or later) of a given year, their new or renewal membership also is covered for the following new year. There is also a generous grace period (3 months) for those who are unable to update their membership in January, however paying your dues late puts a strain on the records maintenance and consequently the ability of the executive board’s planning of activities and events.

If you have any questions, suggestions, or want to help (time, skills, or financially) on any particular club projects or events, feel free to email me, Arnie Ulrich (kavester@aol.com) or call me at 1-201-304-4691.

Hudson River Fishing and Boating Public Access <--- click here

So how old is your fish? <--- click here

Become a committee member for one our more our Special Projects. We now have three (3) big ticket ($$$) projects. The first two have been discussed for years already and we hope to make some headway on each in the coming years. To offer your time and talents contact Dan Harrison at dharrison@cdtresources.com. Here are the BIG three:

Please make your selection from the list below and make a reservation by emailing Michael Sardinas at Vicepresident@thehrfa.org  If the title is available, you will receive a confirmation and book will be ready for pickup at the following General Meeting. 

The HRFA hosts an annual fishing contest which runs from January through December and is open to all HRFA members. You have 30 days from the day you catch a fish to send in your entries. So, the deadline for submissions is January. As a member of the HRFA you and your immediate family are eligible to enter fish in any of our categories. Various divisions are available for prizes presented at our Annual Awards Dinner in March of the following year. River Views newsletter updates below are done around the first the month. Website updated daily https://thehrfa.org/fishing-contest/.

To be posted on Instagram, photos of your catch should be emailed or texted to Alex Spindelman: (845) 548-0003, a.spindelman@gmail.com