Reel in the Fall Bounty: Stripers, Blackfish Abound in Hudson River and NYC Waters

As of November 21, 2024, the Hudson River and New York City waters are offering some exciting fishing opportunities despite the late fall season. ### Weather and Tides Today, you can expect partly cloudy skies with a high of around 58°F and a low of 45°F. The winds will be moderate, blowing at about 10 mph from the northwest. Tides for the Hudson River are as follows: high tide at 9:47 AM and low tide at 3:47 PM. ### Sunrise and Sunset Sunrise is at 6:43 AM, and sunset will be at 4:28 PM, giving you ample daylight to get out on the water. ### Fish Activity The striped bass fishing in the Hudson River has been excellent, with many schoolies and some larger fish up to 48 inches being caught. These bass are feeding aggressively on schools of bunker and sand eels. Blackfish (tautog) are also a good bet, particularly around structure and wrecks in the river and NY Harbor. Green crabs have been the key to success for blackfish, using both jigs and rigs[1][2][4]. ### Best Lures and Bait For striped bass, live-lining bunker and casting artificial baits such as metal lures and topwater plugs have been effective. For blackfish, green crabs are the go-to bait. If you're targeting stripers in the surf, sand eels and bunker have been making for epic days with lots of topwater action[1][2]. ### Hot Spots - **Raritan Bay**: This area has seen a surge in striped bass activity, with many bass caught using bunker and artificial baits. - **NY Harbor and around structure**: These areas are great for blackfish, with green crabs being the preferred bait. - **Sandy Hook**: Offshore from Sandy Hook has also produced good bass action, especially with the presence of bunker schools[1]. Overall, it's been a fantastic November for fishing in the Hudson River and NYC waters, so make sure to get out there and take advantage of the active fish populations. This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.