greenhornet73

Those big breeders are very few and far between the last few years unless you’re fishing “the canal”. It’s hard enough just to find a pod of schoolies. I have never fished the Hudson run and it sounds like it’s a good opportunity to catch good numbers of fish. It’s a shame the fishery has declined so much but it’s time something is done to try to build the population back up. I get that baitfish have an impact but too many times I have found bays thick with baitfish without a single fish crashing the surface for them and it’s evident the gamefish just aren’t there.

I’m all for the slot limit imo. I’ve been fishing the fall run for stripers from CT to ME since 2008 and have seen the rapid drop in numbers since probably 2010. I used to have trips where I’d land 40 stripers in a 3 day stretch with my fly rod and the next year be lucky if I got 20 over a 3 day trip to now only a handful throughout the course of a week is now “good”. Those charter boats really put the hurt on those schools and multiple boats ran 2 or 3 times daily. I get DEC updates whenever each state that I have fished has had a change in regs and strict regulations are in effect this year at least from North Carolina all the way to Mass. Hopefully in 5 years or so we’ll start seeing good “runs” again and they can loosen up the regs a little.

Definitely would be out of the way up there and from a 7’ height and only 4’ of bow to clear in front of it should hopefully avoid glare off the boat. I may have a buddy hold a handheld spotlight from the position at night to test it before I install anything. Thanks guys for all of your input

Great advice, I was concerned about glare but didn’t trust my theory without actually testing it out. Now have to find a mounting position without it being in the way since I don’t have a pulpit or a railing at the bow and don’t want to block my navigation lights from other boaters

With this mild weather I have been adding additions to my boat and stuck on where to mount a spotlight for navigation. I often return back to the launch at night and want to have a permanent light mounted in the most effective spot. I plan to have my T Top installed that already has a stern light but wondering if an overhead bow light would hinder more than help rather than a light placed below eye level? Any thoughts on this?