Spring Run Stripers and Herring on the Hudson River

Garett Deacon’s garage in the foothills of New York’s Adirondack Mountains is practically a museum of East Coast striped bass fishing. Custom surf rods, hand-carved plugs, and tackle bags briny from saltwater exposure fill every nook and cranny. Between the hand-painted bunker spoons, welding tools, and coyote-hunting gear lies a workbench of sorts with enough hand-snelled circle hooks to last an angler multiple lifetimes.

Becoming a fanatical striped bass angler was not something Garett or his son, Sam, had a say in. They were simply born into the pastime. The Deacon family hails from southern New Jersey, where the patriarch of the family, Tom Deacon, made a name for himself on multiple East Coast freshwater bass-fishing circuits. However, his true passion was prowling the ever-dangerous Barnegat Bay. A quick flip through the family scrapbook shows three generations of striped bass excellence with plenty of tuna, gator bluefish, and massive tiderunners. These guys don’t mess around.

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A few years ago, the Deacon clan relocated from south Jersey to Fort Plain, New York, not far from the Troy Dam, the upper range of the yearly Hudson River striped bass run. There, between mid-April and Memorial Day, schools of mature stripers swarm the waterway to spawn before leaving the river and heading north to their traditional summer haunts. With a backdrop of traffic-choked bridges, suburban neighborhoods, and industrial infrastructure, lies some of the hottest fishing of the spring migration.

spring run stripers on the Hudson — Fanatical striped-bass anglers, Sam and Garett Deacon moved from South Jersey to Fort Plain, New York, and quickly discovered the great striper fishing near their new home. *(Photo by Kade Gewanter)*

Being so far inland, this is a terrific opportunity for otherwise “striper starved” anglers to get their fill of the action. Boat ramps become clogged and just about every type of vessel imaginable is quickly made water-ready in preparation for the season.

Striped bass travel from New York City past Albany on their spring migration up the Hudson.

Coinciding with this annual striped bass pilgrimage is the spawning run of anadromous river herring. This mixture of predator and prey creates a powder keg of easily accessible action where, unlike other large river systems along the East Coast, anglers can use circle-hook-rigged river herring for bait.

Last May, I joined the Deacons for a few days on the river near the peak of the season. Sam Deacon was a teammate of mine during my time playing football at Castleton State University in Vermont. He was a seasoned veteran when I entered the program and we immediately bonded over our love of fishing. This trip was the result of two long seasons spent carrying Sam’s shoulder pads and helmet to and from the practice field in an effort to gain the coveted Hudson River invite.

As we pulled away from the ramp, the 21-foot Grizzly Tracker center console plotted a slow course along a stretch of riprap a mile or so downriver. With the use of a side-scanning sonar unit, we quickly found a large school of herring. The trolling motor was deployed and with expert boat control, Garett kept us on top of the school. Periodically, the tranquility of the morning was shattered by large stripers blowing up on bait near the surface.

The best way to catch river herring is using a Sabiki rig. I begin an outing with multiple colors and sizes of Sabikis rigged up to find the best presentation for the herring on a given day. Hudson River herring are most easily caught when the sun is high in the sky because the river runs extremely dirty, and if the sun is not out, herring have a tough time locating the Sabiki flies.

Because the Hudson River tends to run dirty, schools of herring can more easily find Sabiki flies when the sun is shining. *(Photo by Adam Eldridge)*

As the young guy aboard, I was designated chief bait officer. This meant that anytime Sam or Garett hooked up, I was responsible for dropping down a Sabiki to try and score some bonus bait. When a school of stripers moves in, they’re usually in hot pursuit of a herring school. With any luck, the bait will hold under the boat and give me a chance to catch a few.

The upper section of the Hudson River has been altered by navigational dredging to accommodate the large cargo boats moving to and from the Port of Albany, creating a well-defined channel in the middle of the river. To stabilize the river’s edge, miles of riprap and concrete reinforcements line the banks. This creates shallow flats running parallel to the banks brimming with underwater current breaks and cover—ideal places for herring schools to congregate. This section of the river is still tidal-influenced, with 4- to 5-foot swings expected. During high tide, schools of herring move close to shore, causing stripers to cruise the lip between the flat and the channel in pursuit of an easy meal.

After securing enough bait to get the day started, we set out to one of the Deacon’s perennial hot spots. The first round of baits to hit the water were fan-casted in an effort to find exactly where the stripers were stationed along the flat-to-channel transition. It took all of five minutes for the first run of the day to come on our shallowest bait. For the next five hours, we were unable to keep more than two rods in the water at one time. Often, two anglers were doubled up, with the third feverishly trying to replenish the barren livewell amid the chaos.

While other boats around us were catching fish, I observed many were on a smaller size-class of fish. Our boat did not see a striper under 40 inches until right around the end of the day. Garett explained that while anywhere in the river can be productive, the flats function as highways, with schools of stripers moving up and down without needing to battle heavy currents.

Essential Gear for Spring Run Stripers

I quickly learned that fishing the Upper Hudson for spring run stripers does not require very specialized or expensive tackle systems. For anglers who prefer spinning tackle, they use reels in the 5000- to 7000-size since they can hold enough braid to allow for sustained downriver runs. For conventional reels, models with a smooth drag system that are large enough to handle over 200 yards of 50- to 60-pound braid are best.

Regardless of the type of reel, a bait-clicker or bait-runner feature is essential because it allows the fish to move freely with the bait. It is far easier to get a good hookset with a circle hook if the fish is actively swimming away. Another plus of a bait clicker is that it alerts anglers to a bite—which can come in handy during mid-afternoon naps after action-packed mornings.

The Penn Spinfisher VII Live Liner in the 4500 or 6500 size provides enough power to tame big Hudson stripers, and the live liner feature acts as a secondary drag, allowing a striper to take line freely to ensure a quality hook set upon engaging the fish.

For rods, models with medium-heavy actions that are shorter than seven feet in total length are ideal. The shorter stature gives additional leverage to navigate fish out of heavy currents.

Rigging Up

For rigging, stick to the bare-bone basics. Opt for a high-quality braided line in the 50- to 60-pound range to help ward off abrasion from drifting debris or submerged rebar and concrete chunks. The zero-stretch property of the braid further helps ensure secure hooksets.

When anchored, a simple fish-finder rig is a great option because an angler can simply open the bail to let the bait drift further downstream, which is important as large herring can be tricky to cast long distances. Bank-style sinkers in the 1- to 2-ounce range are optimal since they don’t roll very easily in the current.

A 6/0 to 8/0 circle hook is perfect for accommodating the size of herring typically found in the river. I strongly suggest taking the time to master the snell knot as it gives a more direct pull to the fish and limits the hook swinging during the cast and burying into the bait.

When fishing live herring, the author prefers an Eagle Claw L2004 Inline Circle Sea Hook.

Fish Care

The Hudson River, like Chesapeake Bay, is a vital spawning ground for the East Coast population of migratory striped bass. It is up to us as anglers to make sure any spring run stripers caught during the spawning migration can help create the next generation. Have a plan in place to ensure fish are released as quickly as possible. On the Deacon’s boat, the number-one rule is that no fish is brought out of the water without using a fish gripper. The reason for this are that striped bass in the 40-inch range are very powerful and can easily thrash out of an angler’s grasp. Additionally, grippers help an angler safely support the head and body weight of the fish.

With aching forearms and fish-torn hands, I pulled the last fish of the day boatside. As I snapped the fish grips closed and hoisted it out of the water for a quick picture, it occurred to me just how lucky I was to be invited on this trip. Never in my life had I been in the presence of anglers quite as passionate as the Deacon crew. I was especially envious of the intensity I had seen on the water that day when every hookup was treated as a life-or-death situation. More than anything else, I realized that striped bass have a funny way of latching on to my soul and not letting go, no matter where I may roam.

I held the striper for a moment as water passed into its mouth and through the gills. It gave a quick kick and swam back toward the channel, heading on its way to help create the next generation of striped bass.