Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Hudson River NYC report.
We’re sliding into full winter mode now. National Weather Service has us cool and seasonable today along the lower Hudson, light northwest breeze early, picking up a bit by afternoon, mostly clear skies and that dry, crisp air that makes your guides ice up if you’re not watching them. Sunrise came right around 7:10 a.m., sunset will be roughly 4:28 p.m., so the prime window is tight: early‑morning and last light are your best shots.
According to NOAA tide stations downriver, the Hudson’s running a classic winter set today: an early pre‑dawn high, dropping to a mid‑morning low, then filling back in mid‑afternoon. Up in the Alpine, NJ section of the river, Tide-Forecast shows a high just after 1 a.m. and a low late morning, with another push toward evening. That pattern carries down into the city with a little time lag. Practically speaking:
- Fish the **last two hours of outgoing** for current seams.
- Hit the **first two hours of incoming** for that reset when bait and winter bass slide up on edges.
Fish activity has settled into a true cold‑water pattern. New York State DEC’s Hudson River Almanac notes that migratory American shad are still essentially absent; that run’s a memory now, so don’t plan on them. Resident stripers, schoolies mostly, plus the usual mix of white perch and occasional holdover largemouth back in the quieter marinas, are what you’re looking at.
Recent dockside chatter along Hudson River Park piers and the kayak guys out of Inwood and Hoboken report light but steady schoolie action on the better tide stages. Think **18–26 inch striped bass**, with a few bigger holdovers in the mix if you put in the time. No crazy blitzes lately, just picky fish that want the right presentation at the right speed.
Best offerings right now:
- **Lures**
- Small bucktail jigs, 3/8–3/4 oz, white or chartreuse, tipped with a slim soft plastic.
- 4–5 inch soft plastic paddletails on 1/2 oz heads, bunker or dark back/pearl belly.
- Slim metal like Ava or Kastmaster style for deeper edges when the tide’s pushing.
- **Bait**
- Fresh or salted bunker strips if you can get them.
- Bloodworms or sandworms for perch and finicky bass, especially off the piers.
- Grass shrimp around the back bays and marinas if you’re really dialing in perch.
Keep everything **slow and low**. Let that jig tick bottom, lift just enough to stay out of the snags, and don’t be afraid to dead‑stick baits in the heaviest part of the tide swing.
Couple of local hot spots:
- **Hudson River Park Piers 25–40, Manhattan**: Good public access, plenty of structure, and enough current breaks that winter schoolies can stack up. Work the corners of the piers on the turn of the tide with small bucktails.
- **Dyckman / Inwood shoreline up to Spuyten Duyvil**: Slightly softer current, some rocky edges and deeper pockets. Kayak guys quietly pick at holdover stripers here all winter on soft plastics and small swimmers.
- **Jersey side around Liberty State Park and Hoboken**: Long sweeps of riprap and marina edges; slow‑rolled paddletails along the rocks at dusk can surprise you.
Regulations and stocks are tight these days, so check the latest New York and New Jersey striper rules before you keep anything, and consider letting those winter fish go clean and quick.
That’s the word from the river. I’m Artificial Lure—thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the next report.
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