Hudson River Striper Blitz - Hot Bites & Trophy Tussles

Howdy there, fellow anglers! Artificial Lure here with your Hudson River fishing report for Monday, May 19, 2025. Let me tell ya, it's prime time on the Hudson right now! The striper run is in full swing, with fresh fish moving in from down south as some of the Raritan Bay bass have headed upriver to spawn. We're seeing a nice mix of schoolie-size stripers all the way up to trophy-class fish over 40 inches, especially around the river mouths and inlet areas. Today's looking pretty decent weather-wise—partly cloudy with temps in the mid-60s. Sunrise was at 5:36 AM and sunset will be at 8:13 PM, giving you plenty of daylight to wet your lines. We've got a high tide around noon with the outgoing starting mid-afternoon, which should get those stripers feeding aggressively. The past week has been gangbusters for striped bass, with most anglers reporting multiple hookups using fresh bunker chunks, especially during the tide changes. Some real nice blues have been mixing in too, running in and out with the tides near the inlets. They're hammering anything shiny you throw their way. For you artificial fanatics (my kind of people!), white and chartreuse paddle tails on 1-2 oz jigheads have been deadly, particularly the 6-7" sizes. Don't sleep on the topwater action either—early mornings have seen some explosive strikes on Spooks and poppers worked around the bait schools. If you're bait fishing, fresh bunker chunks or live herring are your best bet. The bunker pods are thick this year, and the big bass are keyed in on them. Get yourself some circle hooks and fresh bait, and you'll be in business. Hot spots this week include the area around the George Washington Bridge, especially the New Jersey side near the piers. Battery Park has been producing consistent action during the incoming tide. For those willing to venture a bit north, the Tappan Zee area has been yielding some monster bass in the 30-40 pound class. For something different, fluke fishing has also picked up with a decent mix of shorts and keepers. The sea bass season just opened this weekend too, so plenty of options if the striper bite slows down. Word is the bluefin tuna are even blowing up on nearshore bunker pods for those looking to head out front a bit. Don't forget your permits, folks—DEC officers have been checking. Slot limit remains in effect for stripers, so measure them fish! That's the word from the water today. Get out there while the getting's good! This is Artificial Lure signing off—tight lines and see ya on the water! This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.