Hudson River Fishermen’s Association (HRFA) will once again be holding their annual Catch and Release Striper Derby from April 17 through May 15. This is strictly a no-kill derby for striped bass only; stripers must be caught from the legal waters of the Hudson River and its tributaries which means fish caught and released from the Hackensack, Passaic or East Rivers, Meadowlands area, Newark Bay and as far downriver as the Verrazano Bridge are eligible.
All participating anglers must enter the tournament three days before the start date of Saturday, April 17, 2021 (which means no entrants will be accepted after April 14).
Derby participation is open to both HRFA members and non-members who have personal email accounts. The Derby is open to both boat and shore fishermen for the same entry fee. All stripers must be caught by rod & reel and released quickly back into the water to ensure best possible survival rates (tournament tracked by way of catch, photo and release, or catch, tag, photo and release).
Cost for HRFA member entry is $35; non-member entry is $80; and cost for new membership is $60 which includes $35 Derby entry fee and $25 1-year annual membership in the HRFA.
For this year’s contest, HRFA is also offering a special “3R” Calcutta of $20 for the largest striped bass of the contest. Calcutta entries will also receive The Fisherman’s 3R decal based on a $400 donation from HRFA towards the Northeast Striped Bass Study. Sometime in May, The Fisherman Magazine will once again deploy satellite tags in post-spawn Hudson River stripers, an effort supported by HRFA and other contributors to the 3R program.
Cash prizes for the Derby itself will be awarded to the largest striper caught & released (first place through fifth), largest shore caught striper, and largest striper caught, tagged & then released. For the tournament angler with the most stripers caught, tagged and then released there’s a special weekend trip to Montauk being awarded with the American Littoral Society for winning angler and one guest. There will also be weekly prizes for largest striper landed and best Instagram photo showing proper striper release. If you have questions about the event contact Joseph Albanese at 908-456-2968 ([email protected]) or Scott Havner at 845-300-1562 ([email protected]). Register online at thehrfa.org/derby.
