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Hudson River
Fishermen’s Association
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NEXT GENERAL MEETING
TO BE DETERMINED
Ridgefield Park Elks Lodge
19 Cedar Street, Ridgefield Park, NJ
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For the health & safety of everyone the HRFA will continue to practice "social distancing" during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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The Virtual Hudson River Estuary: Videos and Online...
As schools have shifted to online learning, DEC's Hudson River estuary educators are finding new ways of connecting with students, teachers, and families. Each week, educators are creating opportunities to discover the Hudson River virtually. The ...
Read more
content.govdelivery.com
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Next General Meeting
TO BE DETERMINED
Guest Speaker
CANCELLED
Executive Meeting
1st Tuesday of every month Ridgefield Park Elks at 7:30 pm
HRFA Officers
President
Aram Setian
Vice President
Joseph Albanese
Treasurer
Frank Wisniewski
Secretary
John Malool
Membership Secretary
Arnold Ulrich
Directors
Scholarship
Board Members
Chairman Youth Anglers
Wayne Geider
Hooked on the Hudson
Pete Musse
Environmental
Gil Hawkins
Publicity
Miguel Sardinas
Fishing Contests
Aram Setian
Scott Havner
Outdoors Shows
Dave Mercer
Janice Soto
Outreach
Dan Harrison
Director Emeritus
Tony Evangelista
Trustees
Antony Carbone (2020)
Ivan Garcia (2021)
Marius Bahr (2022)
Nominating Committee:
John Golon
Gil Hawkins
Aram setian
Send Comments to:
Riverviews@hrfanj.org
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Want to help us "Fight for the Hudson"? Click
here or the striped bass image & make a donation today.
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Greetings HRFA Members and Friends,
Another month has gone by and most of us are on the same boat. The seniors, like me, are following the
advice to stay home and stay safe. Those of us that feel adventurous, have gone fishing keeping the safe
social distancing needed to slow the spread, which we fully support and encourage. Of course, also there are the lucky ones that are fishing and entering their catch in the HRFA Fishing Contest. Check out the current leader board on our website and the last 'pages' of every issue of
River Views
. The Trout season has opened, and the Bass season will be shortly for the freshwater enthusiasts.
Most importantly, the 2nd Annual HRFA Striped Bass Catch & Release Derby officially launched on April 17th. Understandably, the pandemic kept many anglers waiting it out on the sidelines. As a result, by the initial April 14th registration deadline only half as many anglers entered as last year. At that point we knew running the Derby would come at a financial loss for the club. None-the-less, the decision was made to proceed in order to give our members something to do together while maintaining social distancing and taking all other precautions to stay safe. Extending the deadline to May 1st only drew-in another couple of anglers. Anyway, now the results of the first two weeks are rolling in. Congratulations to the weekly contest winners shared below.
At this time, all HRFA activities have been suspended or postponed. We are closely following the current advisements on the COVID-19 and reassessing our planned activities. We are still looking into conducting the upcoming HRFA Monthly General Meeting, using WEB based communication media, providing we have a suitable presenter(s). In the meantime, we share some videos etc. in this issue to keep us engaged.
We have just learned that some state parks and boat launch areas are to open early next month. IBSP for example is open as of Saturday May 2nd. Harriman State Park too. That will open the fishing opportunities. Let's hope that charter and party boats will be allowed to operate at some safe capacity soon too. Let’s enjoy any opportunity we get to enjoy the outdoors and fish in a safe and cautious manner.
For the first time the editor of our monthly newsletter added a Table of Contents of sorts under the section heading "What's in this month's issue of
River Views
" which can be read by all members and friends of the HRFA. You will read that, as usual, this month's issue of
River Views
is chock-full of good stuff. The full version of the newsletter is available for members only. Members will receive it soon.
Please click here to join the HRFA in its mission to "Fight for the Hudson".
Be well and stay safe.
Capt. Aram Setian
HRFA President 2020
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Support the HRFA with a $10 donation and you will be entered to win this Mad River Canoe.
NOTE: With apologies to those who already purchased tickets, due to the COVID-19 pandemic we must delay the raffle date. Tickets are still available for purchase.
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To get raffle tickets for a chance to win a beautiful
Mad River Canoe
in outstanding condition donated & autographed by Chris Letts contact Dan Harrison or Joe Albanese to get your raffle ticket(s).
- DHarrison@cdtresources.com
- joealbanese2@gmail.com
To purchase tickets by check make it to "HRFA Canoe Raffle" and mail to P.O. Box 421, Cresskill, NJ 07626.
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What's in this month's issue of
River Views
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First up is a wonderful article by Past President Sergio Radossi on the history of the HRFA as captured in the book STRIPER WARS and his own writings found in back issues (July 1984 and January 1985) of our newsletter. Back in the 80's we were one of about a half dozen regional Chapters. Now all those other Chapters are defunct. Before he passed away our founder Bob Boyle gave us all legal rights to become the one and only Hudson River Fishermen's Association.
Following Serge's article you will find a letter from member Sandy Federico that includes a couple of great fishing videos to help you while away the time waiting for things to return to some semblance of normal.
Next we have an informative piece called "Essential Surfcasting Lures" written and submitted by Miguel Sardinas.
For the conservation-minded, we share a scientific study on the impact of damns on tidal marsh development. This seminar was presented at The Hudson River Foundation.
Keep scrolling down to read an update on our Catch, Tag & Release Striper Derby, now in its third week that concludes with a short article replete with photo of an unusual striper caught by Joe Albanese.
Of course we have our regular contributors too. Carl Bruger is giving up some of his favorite haunts in "Lake Ontario Hotspots". Arnie Ulrich welcomes new members, provides our club calendar for May and updates on events. This month club Historian Tony Evangelista's column highlights the many contributions of Wayne Geider. Pete Musse's "From Fish to Dish" column features a recipe for striped bass. Lastly, the HRFA Fishing Contest updates are posted just above our great sponsors. I think that's everything.
We hope you enjoy reading. Please email comments, photos, articles, news and other things of interest to members to care of The Editor.
The Editor
River Views
editorriverviews@thehrfa.org
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The Story of an American Fish and the HRFA
By
Sergio Radossi
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Since the pandemic closures shut down most all shore and boat fishing access, I decided to take a stroll through my library and see what was biting. I found a striper book and some old HRFA newsletters which told the story of an American Fish and the influence of the HRFA.
The book is STRIPER WARS by environmental journalist, Dick Russell, published in 2005. The HRFA newsletters date back to the mid-80’s, when I was writing them on a type writer and using physical “cut and paste” techniques to produce them. (Just for the record, 1985 was pre-internet, word processing and my typewriter did not have spell check…LOL)
If you’ll allow me, I would like to summarize the book and provide a brief history showing how the HRFA fought for both the fish and the river. Whether you know this story or not, read on, it’s a unique tale.
The Book
The book’s 16 chapters provide a third party lens which takes us from an overview of Striped Bass fishing, its life cycle, economic importance, overfishing, loss of habitat and rescue from near extinction. The Bass and River champions are also covered, along with their successes. These include “Spider” Andresen, an associate publisher at the
Salt Water Sportsman
magazine, Bob Pond lure manufacturer (Atom Lures) and founder of Stripers Unlimited, Tom Fote, JCAA President, Robert Bole, HRFA Founder and many others who you may or may not know.
The HRFA Influence
In the mid-80s the HRFA was comprised of individual Chapters ranging from New York City to Cold Springs. These chapters included both commercial and recreational fishermen. The commercial guys were Hudson River gill netters. The recreational groups were
the sportsmen and women. The HRFA N.J. Chapter had one commercial member, Ron Ingold, based out of Edgewater, N.J. I was told that Ron’s family dates back to colonial times. HRFA NJ also had charter boat captains on the membership role.
So what was the HRFA's role covered in the book STRIPER WARS? My book summary will focus on two chapters. However, the HRFA influence is present throughout the tale.
Chapter 2, Storm over the Hudson
The area is the Hudson Highlands which includes Storm King Mountain. Storm King was a favorite subject for the Hudson River School painters in the 1800’s. Storm King looms
1355 ft. over a prime Striped Bass area. The time was the mid-60’s. We had forgotten the importance of the Hudson and its fish and fauna.
As energy demands increased with population growth, Consolidated Edison needed new power plants. One idea was a really big pumped-storage hydroelectric facility. You can guess where they wanted to build it. The plan was to hog out a reservoir at the top of Storm King, pump river water into it and let it flow out thru turbines into the river to provide New York City with electricity. Not to mention all the fish killed during this process and the destruction of a natural resource, all techies will see this as an energy loser. The Hudson’s fishermen woke up and got involved.
Quoting Dick Russell, “Storm King was the spark which led to a fight to save the striped bass and the region, making it one of the cradles of the modern environmental movement”. The outcome was that Bob Boyle and a bunch of Hudson River fishermen created the HRFA in 1964 along with its chapters including the HRFA-NJ Chapter. Read chapter two of Striper Wars for the full story!
Chapter 5, How the Striped Bass Stopped a Highway and Eluded the Mob
The area is the piers on the West Side of New York City. The time was the 1985-1986. After years of commercial overfishing along the entire Striper coast, ongoing loss of habitat and water quality, Striped Bass numbers were in a steep decline. In 1985 Maryland and Delaware imposed a five year moratorium on Striped Bass fishing with stricter subsequent regulation soon to follow. The Chesapeake Bay was and still is the major Striped Bass spawning area. It was on the verge of collapse. The one bright spot was the Hudson River Estuary. The Hudson commercial striper fishery had been closed due to PCB contamination.
It was at this time that developers in New York City proposed creating a land fill over the piers on NY’s west side, move the West Side Highway underground so as to create new land to develop. This would have had a major change to Hudson’s flow mechanics with unknown consequences to the Hudson Estuary. Additionally the removal of the piers would be a major loss of habitat during a time when the entire east coast fishery was facing membership in the endangered species list. At the beginning of chapter 5, Dick Russell notes that then developer, Donald Trump, confided to HRFA founder, Bob Boyle that the project was a “hustle”. This started a chain of events beginning with to the involvement of Peter Silverstein, a Duke University master’s degree student studying the genetic variation of Hudson River Striped Bass stumbling on project objections from the National Marine Fisheries Service to the filing a suit by Al Butzel (ref; Strom King Team) against the government in Federal District Court on behalf of the HRFA, N.Y.’s Sierra Club and other groups.
Concurrently, Bob Boyle called on the HRFA's expert biostatistician, Ian Fletcher (ref: Storm King Team) to help with the case. Thanks to the volumes of data provided by Hudson River anglers fishing the Hudson. Boyle and company were able to show the importance of the piers to the Hudson Estuary and to the Striper Bass coastal population.
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In the July 1984 HRFA-NJ newsletter I reported that Chapter Director George Graf joined Tom Lake (HRFA-Cold Springs) and Peter Silverstein (HRFA-NYC) at a West Way public hearing. Additional West Way updates included mitigation proposals offered in an effort to get the project approved.
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In the January 1985 HRFA-NJ newsletter I presented an article showing the traditional (1975) relationship be between the two major Striped Bass spawning grounds, the 1985 relationship and the negative impact of losing the Hudson River piers.
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The Rest of the Book
The remaining 14 chapters take the reader from a review of its mystique to a journey from
abundance to near oblivion and back. It is a real life adventure that intertwines natural history, science, turf battles between the commercial and sport sectors, the predator-prey imbalance of the Striped Bass and the Atlantic Menhaden, the California Striper (a NJ transplant), the battle for game status and the creation of River Keepers along with the Water Keeper Alliance. It is a tribute to the Striper Champions, both sung and unsung. It shows the efforts of the HRFA to save a river and a fish through a third party lens.
The book STRIPER WARS is still available via Amazon and other on-line sources. I am putting my copy up for a member’s only auction.
The opening bid is $17 + shipping via USPS estimated at $10 for a total of $27. Or you can pick up the book at the next available meeting and avoid the shipping cost.
All proceeds will go to the HRFA. If interested email your bid to northriver2010@outlook.com with the subject "STRIPER WARS Book Auction". Bidding ends June 1st.
Member Challenge
The HRFA has a unique and marvelous history. Its members have had many adventures with more than their share of good times along the way. Speaking for myself, my adventures and friendships far outweigh the outlay of time and resources, but this is another story. The Challenge is become the champion for the next project, fish or fisheries issue. The returns exceed the investment and you’ll probably catch some fine fish in the process.
If you have any questions or comments, please see me at a future meeting. Thanks for listening.
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Please see the following email from member Sandy Federico in which he shares a couple of fishing videos with us.
Do you have a favorite fishing related video(s) that you would like to share with members? If so, send them to
editorriverviews@thehrfa.org
. PG rated only please. Okay, if you insist, maybe we can accept PG-13 too. But that's it. Okay, maybe ...
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Hi Guys,
I hope this message finds you and your family safe and healthy. We certainly are in challenging times.
I can't believe our governor closed the state parks just as the shad run is getting underway. Last week when I went to the Delaware I was the only person on the river for miles. I had an awesome 2 1/2 hours hooking 10 and landing 8. Two of them were exceptionally large roes. Very foolish move since we need to preserve our sanity and fisherman can practice safe distancing.
I have attached two videos for your viewing pleasure. The first one features an 8 year old boy, Jo Jo Andrade, who is an absolutely remarkable fisherman. At age six he landed a 42 lb striper in the canal. You will see in the video that he does it all himself. I fished three times with him and his mom and dad and I watched him land a 35 lber by himself at full tide. Remarkable!! He has several other videos on you tube. He is being sponsored now by Shimano and Eagle Claw. I will forward some photos of Dee and me with him in a separate email. Incidentally, the portion of the video with the railroad bridge in the background is the precise spot where I caught my 38 lber.
The second video is of a young man from Jersey who has a huge following on you tube. He is a friend of a young man that I have been taking fishing and hunting since he was 12 years old. He still hunts and fishes with me to this day. I thought you might enjoy this to see how he fly fishes from the beach should you ever decide to do it yourself.
I miss you guys and hope to see in the foreseeable future; just don't when that might be. Stay healthy and God bless you.
Sandy
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Essential Surfcasting Lures
M. Sardinas
Long gone are the days of carrying a suitcase of plugs on to the beach for me. Overloading a plug bag is something that plagues most surf casters, especially those just getting started in casting artificial lures in the suds. If you are new to the game or been playing in the drink for a while, but still not sure what plugs to keep in your bag, continue reading. Below is a list of time tested lures that will help you catch more stripers and blues this season.
Poppers
- A Pencil Popper is a great surface plug. Its' purpose is to cause commotion on the surface to attract predators both near and from afar—good lure to get the fish feeding when they are not. Good distance lure. How to use: Make your cast; once the lure hits the water, place the rod butt between your legs, then Point the rod tip straight up and begin to reel in the pencil popper (slow) while whipping the rod tip back and forth. The trick here is to get the pencil popper thrashing side to side without moving the lure forward all that much; this keeps the bait in the strike zone longer.
- A Little Neck Popper is another productive popper that causes "noise calling" commotion but can be used as a swimmer as well. How to use: Make your cast; once the lure hits the water, place the rod butt between your legs, then point the rod tip straight up and begin to reel in the little neck popper. This time we are giving the rod tip a pop or quick jerk. This will cause the popper to thrash forward. Repeat the pop every three to four turns of the reel handle. To make the little neck popper swim reel in nice and steady with no jerks or pops. The lure should swim right below the surface. Favorite brands of poppers: Super Strikes, Guppys, and Gibbs
Swimming plugs
- The Daiwa Sp Minnow is a thin 6" lure that swims about two to three feet below the surface of the water. sp minnow comes with a Weight transfer System making it one of the best casting minnow plugs on the market. This minnow design is so effective that some fishermen go as far as saying that using the sp minnow is cheating. How to use: Fast and steady retrieve seems to work best. It's a good idea to replace the hardware on the sp minnow. The split rings with Rasco rings and the treble hook with a 2/0 VMC (the stock hardware does not hold up well)
- The Cotton Cordell Red Fin 7" is a time tested bait for big cows, and one word can describe this minnow style lure . . . "Legendary!". Season after season the 7" red fin is responsible for helping anglers catch that fish of a lifetime. How to use: a slow retrieve is where the red fin does its best work. Will swim right on the surface leaving an irresistible V-wake
Jigs
- Bucktail & Swim shad jigs are a must for the surf casters bag. Jigs are the go-to lure when you need to present a bait in a deep channel, fast-moving water, or fishing the white water in the suds. How to use: There is no need to plow the bottom with your jigs. The goal is to have the jig a foot or two off the bottom. You will have to experiment with retrieves and weights of the jigs to get it right. Jig weights from ¾ - 1 ½ oz should cover most situations.
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Lure Colors
With so many lure colors available today, it could be a little tricky even confusing to select the right hue. If I had to recommend one or two colors to use, it would be a white or yellow lures.
Conclusion
Surfcasting with lures is a never-ending game of learning. Learn to fish these lures, fish them hard and more fish at your feet will be the reward.
Tight lines and see you in the suds.
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“Rapid Tidal Marsh Development on the Hudson during Period of
Tributary Damming and Shoreline Modification”
Speaker: Brian Yellen, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, UMass Amherst
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Thousands of legacy dams impound streams within the Hudson River watershed. These dams are being removed at an increasing pace to improve aquatic connectivity and public safety, yet the impacts of remobilizing impounded sediments behind these dams on downstream tidal environments remain unclear. Here we present results from surveys of sediments behind small impoundments in three tributary catchments along the Hudson River estuary. We pair results from tributary impoundments with observations of tidal marsh sediments at the mouth of each of the catchments. To generalize the potential impacts of dam removals on sediment dynamics in the estuary, we classify three types of dams:
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(1) active sediment traps with accommodation space at present; (2) run-of-river dams that contain sediment, but are presently filled; (3) impounded natural lakes where dam removal would not increase downstream sediment transport.
In some tidal marshes, we find that anthropogenic alterations to the estuarine bathymetry or shoreline (e.g. railroad trestles, dredge spoils emplacement) have dramatically increased deposition of fine-grained marsh muds. Marshes have vertically accreted at 1-2 cm/yr, much faster than relative sea level rise, despite the onset of these marshes during the period of peak dam building and potential reduction in sediment supply. This suggests that marsh-building sediment originates predominantly from the main stem of the river, not local tributaries, and that this supply is sufficient to maintain accretion rates much greater than sea level rise. Any increase in sediment supply due to dam removal on these tributaries would have little impact on tidal wetlands along the main channel of the Hudson.
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2020 Catch, Tag & Release Striper Derby
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Registration closed May 1st. Rather than the hoped for boost in participation, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, only half as many anglers are competing as last year. The good news is that as a result of the Derby we welcome seven (8) new HRFA members. The best news is that we're out there fishing.
The Derby is now halfway through. So far only two stripers are doing their bit for science by proudly wearing an American Littoral Society tag. With two more weeks of fierce competition ahead here are the standings (top 5 only) identifying anglers only by their unique 3-digit derby number. You know who you are.
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Award winning movie short.
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LEADER BOARD
- Angler# 648 - 42.5" (boat)
- Angler# 315 - 37.4" (boat)
- Angler# 182 - 34.2" (boat)
- Angler# 171 - 34.0" (shore)
- Angler# 182 - 33.0" (boat)
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In Week-2 Angler# 415 captured this winning photo of his son releasing a striper back into the Hudson. It's actually a snap shot from a brief video post also on Instagram. Mr. 415 will receive a $25 gift card. (There was no entry for Week-1.)
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Fish on! Ed DeLapp hooks up.
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Success! With encouragement from the photographer Ed shows off for the camera as Feby Philip & Scott Havner looks on.
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Go on - get outta here! Scott Havner with the release.
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There are weekly prizes valued at or about $25 too. Here are the winners so far:
Week-1 Winners
Biggest striper (boat): Angler# 648 at 42.5”
Biggest striper (shore): Angler# 171 at 34.0”
Best Instagram photo of release: no entries
Week-2 Winners
Biggest striper (boat): Angler# 182 at 34.2”
Biggest striper (shore): Angler# 737 at 23.5”
Best Instagram photo of release: Angler# 415
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So far there have been only two (2) tagged stripers accepted by the judges. One each for Angler# 415 (29.0”) and Angler# 960 (21.7”).
The American Littoral Society
is still supporting the Derby by offering passage for two persons on their annual fluke fishing trip out of Atlantic Highlands for the
largest
tagged striper. Unfortunately, as things stand right now, the HRFA and the American Littoral Society can no longer afford to offer a weekend trip for two to Montauk for the
most
tagged stripers.
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Please patronize our Derby sponsors with your business. Shop online or call ahead for curbside pickup of bait, etc. They are:
- Ramsey Outdoor Store (https://ramseyoutdoor.com), 835 NJ-17, Ramsey, NJ 07446, Call: 201-327-8141 and 281 Route 10, Succasunna, NJ 07876, Call: 973-584-7798
- Art’s Tackle & Fly (https://www.artstacklenfly.com), 161 Main St, Nanuet, NY 10954, Call: 845-215-5470
- Tackle World (https://www.tackleworld.com), 174 Route 17 North, Rochelle Park, NJ 07662, Call: 201-587-0011
- Lee’s Sporting Goods, 238 So. Rt. 9W, Haverstraw, NY 10927, Call: 845-429-3254
- The American Littoral Society
- The Fisherman Magazine
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The Word for Today Boys and Girls is "
Lordosis
"
By Joseph Albanese
I hooked into the hard-fighting little striper seen in the photograph. When I hauled it up out of the water the curvature of its spine was immediately apparent. I had seen photos of pug-nosed bass but what's this? Was it a birth defect or the result of some encounter with a predator? Inquiring minds would want to know. I suspected scoliosis. However, according to an article from the
Maryland Department of Natural Resources' page
scoliosis is a birth defect resulting in a side-to-side curvature of the spine. The specific abnormality seen in 'my' striper with an arched curvy backbone is a condition scientists call
lordosis
. Let's use it in a sentence, shall we?
"In every other way this spunky little bass with
lordosis
seemed healthy enough."
So, back it went ASAP and swam off strong to carry on its life.
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Click
here
or the image to read more.
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APRIL 17 to MAY 15:
Second Annual Catch, Tag & Release Striper Derby on the Hudson River & its tributaries. Registration now closed.
MAY 21, 7:00-8:30 PM:
Doug Zemeckis invited all to attend a free webinar that is part of the Marine Extension Program Seminar Series (MEPSS) with Rutgers Cooperative Extension (RCE). Dr. Josh Kohut (Rutgers University) will present "A Unique Corner of Our Global Ocean: The Oceanography of the Mid-Atlantic Bight". Please register by May 19 by contacting Kelly Jurgensen (kjurgensen@co.ocean.nj.us | (732-349-1152), and provide your name, mailing and email addresses, and phone number.
AUGUST (DATE TBD):
Third Annual Catfish Chaos on the Hudson. For info contact Scott Havner at (845) 300-1562 or fishon7231@verizon.net.
SEPTEMBER 8:
HRFA Member Tony DiLemia of Rocket Charters is working with NY State to liaise with recreational anglers to explain and gather input regarding offshore windmills.
SEPTEMBER 18:
The new date for the annual trek to Ogunquit, Maine for deep-sea fishing aboard the Bunny Clark. See Arnie Ulrich or email him at kavester@aol.com.
OCTOBER 18:
Travel to Rhode Island to target blackfish aboard Sound Bound Charters. Lead by Peter Musse petemusse@gmail.com.
OCTOBER 25:
29th Annual Governor's Cup Surf-Fishing Tournament, Island Beach State Park
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Coming in August. Ask Scott Havner for details. fishon7231@verizon.net
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Coming in September. Check with Arnie Ulrich at kavester@aol.com.
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Be sure to check out the H.R.F.A.
Events Calendar
below f
or this month's member birthday notices, holidays and events.
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From our Membership Chair
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HRFA Members stuff
NOTE!: Trip to Maine moved to September 18th. Spots open!
HRFA free money (split 50/50) and the HRFA meeting.
Currently there is $34.00 HRFA free dollars sitting in the jar for the next HRFA Meeting,
whenever that will be.
The HRFA Welcomes the following new members
Fighting for the Hudson
> Welcome aboard, Lachlan Cooleen,Briarcliff Manor, NY, Matthew Cooleen, Briarcliff Manor, NY, Douglas Dean, Sleepy Hollow, NY, Shane Dean, Sleepy Hollow, NY, Christopher R. Palmer, New Hampton, NY, Brian McPartland, Chester, NY, Matthew Yox, Sleepy Hollow, NY,
Fight for the Hudson.
Here is the 2020 Nw Jersey Freshwater Digest.
Arnie Ulrich
Membership Chair
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HRFA Membership Information
If you are one of the folks who still have not yet renewed your HRFA membership the 90 day grace period is over, however due to the coronavirus circumstance we will still be sending the
River Views
to our 2020 still unpaid members
until we meet again.
HRFA expenses to operate STILL go on!
Please renew your dues for 2020 if you have not done so.
Many thanks to those HRFA members who have already renewed their membership for 2020. This helps tremendously. The membership list and the information you fill out on the membership form is completely private.
The HRFA does not make its membership list available to anyone.
You need a
current card
(or life time membership card) in order to take advantage of the great local area discounts at local tackle shops and stores that are HRFA members themselves, and HRFA member benefits.
Membership dues are renewed annually at the beginning of each year.
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 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.
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Fishing Licenses and Saltwater Registry for NJ & NY, Hudson River Regulations, etc.
Click on the buttons below for the:
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NOTE: To order your NY State Fishing License by phone call 866-933-2257
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NOTE: To get the New York Saltwater Registry you must first register for a free Citizen Access account, then log in and Buy Sporting License(s) (the Saltwater license is free)
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Carl Bruger has been a writer for this newsletter educating and entertaining us who read
River Views for a long time. Here is his latest gem. Perfectly timed to get you through these trying times of "social distancing" necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
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LAKE ONTARIO’S HOT SPOTS
By Carl Bruger
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As the entire year of 2020 has been discombobulated by the COVID-19 virus this writer dug deeper into his files to find exciting fishing destination reading material. Stuff that would prove valuable to avid anglers looking to go fishing for some real trophies as soon as the pandemic restrictions are looser and travel, boarding, eating out and other “taken for granted’ activities, again allow a citizen to travel to a distant locale to wet a line.
Books have been written on Lake Ontario’s plethora of piscine pulchritude not to mention the myriad sites where fisherpersons can readily connect with their target species. My goal here is to provide you with a thumbnail sketch of the four best US based launch sites for success. I can personally swear by each of these places as sources of some of the greatest angling memories in my entire lifetime!
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Spot number one by far has to be the
NIAGARA BAR
. This is the mouth of the Niagara River flowing into Lake Ontario with water flowing out of Lake Erie. This immense 3 mile long crescent-shaped shoal rises from deeper depths made up of sand, gravel and detritus, to attract hordes of baitfish and predators. It is the greatest fish magnet on the entire Great Lakes system! At various times of the year you can battle trophy Coho, Chinook, brown trout, steel head, small mouth, pike, muskie, large mouth, lake trout and walleye just to list the best sport fish on the menu! This scribe has all his trophy mounts from the bar with a 32lb 11oz. laker and 14lb.12oz. walleye caught on the same K-9 “grinch” lure two years apart (imitation emerald shiner). Water depths vary from 18 to 80 feet in depth and you never know what will strike next! You will want to launch you own boat at the Youngstown launch near Fort Niagara State Park, or the Lewistown launch further up the river near the Art Park exit on the Robert Moses part of the Thruway.
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Check out the video
"Fishing the Niagara Bar for Chinook Salmon "
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Spot number two is the fastest to reach from the Metro area.
FAIR HAVEN and SODUS BAY
is on the south shore of the lake and at the east end of it. There is a Tackle shop called Screwy Louie’s in the vicinity that always connected us with what was happening and who to charter so if they are still active I’d look them up first. The late HRFA member Rudy Padro trolled up a steelhead @24 lbs. here and the old Hiltsley gang of HRFAers Al White and Al Sternbergand C. Bruger still survive. We all remember old 5 fish limit catches of Chinooks from the feeder streams during the fall runs in the 80s. Huge brown trout are often caught in the early spring as well. The greatest all-around lure to use proved to be a glow Cleo spoon. You could troll it, cast it and retrieve, jig up and down over a redd, or use a smaller version along the shore for the browns in spring.
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Spot number three is
OSWEGO
. The Oswego wall along the river walkway is legendary as a madman’s “shooting gallery” during the insane peak of the salmon run with lunatics hooking each other as well as the fish, but it is calmer at other times of the year when that aforementioned list of sport fish all are readily available to those who put in the time and effort. You can also wade the river in spots and be extremely productive especially with a well-directed eight weight fly rod and reel set up for king salmon. My nurple flies are lethal as are natural egg sacks, imitation eggs, other flies and vinyl eggs. Off shore the legendary small mouth rocks harbor scads of bronze backs from two to six pounds that launch out of the water when hooked like Poseidon missiles.
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Spot number four is right around my own back yard on the lake.
HENDERSON HARBOR
is full of rocky shoals and islands that hold more lake trout than any other area of Lake Ontario. The amount of smallmouth bass off places like Stony and Galloo Island is of local legend and the fish are only fatter yet on the new diet of invasive gobies added to the already plentiful crayfish found amidst all the billions of rocks on the bottom.
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In all four hot spots be sure you are one step ahead of the weather because the wind and waves will kill you in a small craft. The Lake does not forgive in any of these places. It behaves like the ocean without the salt! Please remember that when you head out and you get distracted by the awesome angling. Have the NOAA Weather channel on in the boat. We want you back alive to share your great fish stories! Best of luck when you go!
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Have a photograph and/or fishing story you would like to share with the club? If so, we'd love to hear from you. After all, no one wants to see the same members over and over again. Email it to editorriverviews@thehrfa.org
and we will do our very best to squeeze it into an upcoming issue of
River Views
.
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Sandy Federico (center) and his wife posing with the stars from the video he shared.
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Striper Derby Organizer with his 'social distancing' stick as he contemplates affixing a bayonet if these people get any closer.
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Herb and Lemon Roasted Striped Bass
By Pete Musse
Fresh herbs give mild-tasting bass vibrant flavor. Make an elegant roasted fish recipe for dinner. Pair with a green salad and a side of rice.
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INGREDIENTS
- 4 (6-ounce) striped bass fillets
- 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
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PREPARATION
- Preheat oven to 425°.
- Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
- Place fish on pan.
- Grate lemon rind to measure 1 teaspoon
- Juice lemon to measure 1 tablespoon.
- Combine rind, juice, oil, thyme, oregano, salt, and black pepper
- Drizzle mixture over fish.
- Bake at 425° for 13 minutes or until desired degree of doneness.
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Calendar | Hudson River Fishermen's Association
Our calendar system is currently being developed. Please check out the most recent River Views newsletter for for our upcoming events.
Read more
thehrfa.org
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H.R.F.A. Youth Angler Program
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Youth Angler Program
By
Wayne Geider
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Want to volunteer?
Just call Youth Angler Program Chair
Wayne Geider
at
(201) 384-8046.
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HRFA History
LOOKING BACK IN TIME
By
Tony Evangelista
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Wayne Geider continues to serve on the HRFA Board of Directors for at least 20 years now. He is the longtime Chair of our Youth Angler Program. Wayne and his band of volunteers have been running shoreline trips all along the Hudson River as far north as the Catskill, NY area teaching young children of all ages how to fish.
Thank goodness we always had a group of mostly retired HRFA guys to help out with the kids. If anyone is interested, retired or not, give Wayne a call.
Want to volunteer?
Just call Youth Angler Program Chair Mr. Wayne Geider at
(201) 384-8046.
Back when the HRFA was running party boat trips on the Atlantic Princess out of Staten Island, NY. Wayne was one of the main guys along with other originals John Ponticorvo and Glen Blank on board.
We always had about 60 kids from Jersey City and Ridgefield Park schools. Unfortunately, the Atlantic Princess sank at the dock because of Hurricane Sandy.
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Photo: Wayne Geider 2005 Penfield Reef, HRFA Trip Fairfield, Ct
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Wayne is also a past Pete Barrett award winner. This is the HRFA's highest award given in appreciation only to members who have made significant contributions to our club.
Wayne has fished in many places around the world. He is still fishing today in the lower Hudson and nearby lakes. He also loves ice fishing anywhere he sees ice. He even travels up to Minnesota with a few HRFA members to compete in the Brainerd Jaycees Ice Fishing Extravaganza.
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H.R.F.A. Merchandise
Newly redesigned HRFA baseball caps are now available. Pick one up at the next monthly meeting. Or, click on the photo to order yours today. Wear it proudly!
Other apparel with our logo are also available. Like this handsomely designed and practical UPF shirt. Wear it proudly when fishing and save a little on the sunscreen too. For members only. Ask Ivan Garcia for one.
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The Pride of the H.R.F.A.
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Project to Save our Historical Heritage
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Beginning in the Spring of 2020 volunteers will start working to refurbish her to her former days of glory when she was
the world's first and only r
iverkeeper vessel. To offer your time and talents contact Dan Harrison at dharrison@cdtresources.com.
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2020 Fishing Contest Leader Boards
(only listing 1st, 2nd & 3rd place)
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The HRFA NJ hosts an annual fishing contest which runs from January through December and is open to all HRFA NJ 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. Website updated daily.
River Views
newsletter updates below are done around the first the month.
*
indicates a new club record.
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Striped Bass Released
Caught From Boat
(leaders determined by length)
No Entries
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Striped Bass Kept
Caught From Boat
(leaders determined by weight)
No Entries
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Striped Bass Released
Caught From Shoreline
(leaders determined by length)
John Francesconi 29 inches
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Striped Bass Kept
Caught From Shoreline
(leaders determined by weight)
Howard Pawson 10lbs 14oz
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Blackfish
Dan Harrison 2lbs 13oz
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Black Sea Bass
No Entries
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Open Category
Salt Water
No Entries
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Catfish
Carl Hartmann 12lbs 8oz
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Trout - Local
Scott Havner 3lbs 14oz
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Trout - Great Lakes
No Entries
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Smallmouth Bass
No Entries
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Largemouth Bass
No Entries
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YOUTH ANGLER DIVISION
No Entries
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Open Category
Fresh Water
No Entries
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Partial list of Friends & Supporters of the HRFA
(
Click on any image below to visit their website.
)
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