Fishing buddy Rudy Vallet of Goshen, NY  with a nice
 Rondout Reservoir Brown Trout taken on a "Phoebe"
Caught while casting from boat to shore.    

 Published - 4/24/02
 Written by Frank Carbone Jr.

Spring Hunting and Fishing for Turkeys, Stripers, Trout and Shad

Hunting and fishing opportunities in April and May, in our region, are plentiful at this time of the year. With trout season in full swing, most area streams are fishable even though rain levels are below normal. Rondout Reservoir in Ulster and Sullivan County is almost at full capacity. But that isn’t the case with some of the other NYC Reservoirs. I recently spent a few days fishing a few streams in the Catskills, in Orange County and the Rondout Reservoir. Opening week weather in some parts of the Catskills was pretty rough with snow, freezing and windy conditions. But that changed quickly with the temperatures soaring as high as 90 in some regions. The unusually warm weather has turned off many anglers.

While fishing the Rondout Reservoir area recently I observed a mature Bald eagle sitting on the shoreline, probably looking for something to eat. They can be identified at a long distance very easily by their white feathered head and tail. At the western end of the reservoir there is a newly posted sign that states the area is an Eagle Observation Area. This particular area is on the road that connects Routes #55 and #55A in Sullivan County near Grahamsville.

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Hudson River Striped Bass fisher folks are getting ready for another great year of fishing. I don’t have any reports of Striped Bass being caught in the Newburgh area but I’m sure that the heavy action is not too far away. Fishing boats will start gathering in the Beacon, Newburgh, New Windsor and Cornwall Bay areas. Many different techniques are used by successful fishers. Trolling with down riggers, using myriad lures and baits, Rapalas, Bombers, Buck tails, blood worms, herring (both chunk and whole) live eels, the list goes on. I once caught a 25 pound Striper near the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge using a 6 inch Floating Rapala and just flat lining the lure about 125 feet behind the boat.

For those folks who can’t get out in a boat, shore fishing can be just as much fun. Access to the River can be difficult but one place to access the Hudson is at the public boat launch on the City of Newburgh’s waterfront near Gully’s. And a good spot for shore fishing would be at the Kowaese Unique area in New Windsor. You can also launch canoes or small car-top boats at Kowaese but motors aren’t allowed. This launch gets one closer to the Cornwall Bay area.

Shad and Herring also run up the Hudson River to spawn. But the Delaware River is used by anglers for Shad fishing. There are other salt water fishes that use the Hudson river for spawning including Smelt.

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Turkey season opens on May 1st and if last year was any kind of an indicator this year should be another record year. The past winter was very easy on wildlife and humans alike. If the weather continues like it is -- hot and dry -- then both turkeys and hunters will be affected. Hunting near water seeps would be good -- Turkeys need water and so do hunters. The May Turkey season lasts throughout the month of May and only a bearded Turkey may be taken. Hunting is only for the first half of the day.

Before venturing out for this amazing and elusive game bird be sure to check the Hunting Regulations Guide for the safety tips, rules and regulations regarding Turkey Hunting. It would also be a good idea to pattern your shotgun at the range to be sure that it puts a good percentage of shot in the killing zone of the wild turkey -- which is the head.

Depending how far one may travel from home you may want to carry a cooler with some packaged ice. If you’re lucky and do bag a turkey you may want to stuff some ice packs into the bird after field dressing. This is a tough animal to hunt and in most hunters opinion is much harder to hunt than White-tailed Deer.

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There are at least two Striped Bass Fishing Contests on the Hudson River this year. One is the 9th Annual Hudson River Striped Bass Tournament, sponsored by the Wallkill Rod and Gun Club, the Marlborough Yacht Club and numerous businesses. This tournament will be held on May 18th and 19th. Entry forms and other information is available on line at http://www.wallkillrodandgun.com , at your favorite Sporting Goods store, or call Tom Forstner at 845-744-5232 for more information.

The other contest is The Annual Hudson River Striped Bass Derby. It will be held on May 11th and 12th. It is sponsored by the Federation of Dutchess County Fish and Game Clubs Inc., the Poughkeepsie South Rotary Club, the Catskill Rotary Club and numerous businesses. Entry forms are available at most area Sporting Goods stores or Call Bill Emslie (845-297-9308) for more info.

Each contest has many great prizes to offer, including cash and a vehicle. Entries can also be turned in at Ceely’s Bait Bucket in Cornwall (845-534-3495) -- located on Shore Rd. just off Route 9W. Karol at Ceely’s Bait Bucket also reports that stripers in the 22 - 26 inch range are now “hitting anything that moves” in certain parts of the River.

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The Stewart Park and Reserve Coalition (SPARC) is sponsoring a benefit Trail Ride (with Horses) on the Stewart Buffer Lands on Sunday, May 5th. Last year’s popular Trail Ride attracted many horse-folks from the region. A two hour wagon ride of the Buffer Lands, by draft horses, is available again this year. Donations are tax deductible. For more information call Linda at 845-895-3409 or contact Anne at agaler@warwick.net

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Monday April 22 was Earth Day. It’s still not too late to do something good in defense of our earth‘s land, water, air and all of it‘s inhabitants and creatures. Do it for future generations.

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Bob Ewald of Pine bush is looking for volunteers again this year for the Pine Bush High School Firearm Safety and Air Rifle Marksmanship Programs. This program is scheduled for the week of May 13th. The field day to Eldred Preserve for Fly Fishing and Trap Shooting is scheduled for Tuesday, May 28th. Bob can be contacted at 845-361-5069.

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Discarding fishing line along the water’s edge spells a death sentence for unsuspecting birds and waterfowl if they get tangled in it. And it only adds to the other man made debris that litters our waterways and roadsides. If you are a responsible fisher -- “if you carry it in you must carry it back out.” It may be a good idea to also pick-up what others have left behind. Litter that is left at public fishing areas creates a bad image of all fisher-folks and is one of those things that will close down private properties that are open to fishing.

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Outdoor Liaisons appears every other week in the Times - Frank can be reached at the Times or email forthebirds39@earthlink.net or 845-562-0941.