Edgewater    ¶¶¶

   Our next location for you is a good one. This location rates three stars as one of our better "Catching" places to fish on the lower Hudson.  It gets this rating because of the interviews with anglers of the Hudson River Fishermen's Association, reports sent in to our web site, and personal knowledge.   Three Stars!   It's one of the best.  And you can go in for some refreshment when you’re done!

   This information comes from the Booklet of the HRFA NJ “Fishing the Hudson, Shoreline Access Points” by Charles Stamm.   The Booklet is available at the HRFA NJ Meetings.

The Crab House is located in Edgewater, New Jersey, on River Road, in the Barnes & Noble shopping center. Fishing is good on both sides of this pier which juts out 1200 feet into the River. It is an excellent example of how the Hudson River Walkway Project should be continued.

   Running water and fish cleaning stations are available on the end of the pier. Currents are strong so bring heavy sinkers. Low tide is a problem in close to the shoreline. The end of the pier gives you a 10 foot depth at low tide.

   You can fish and crab right to the end of the pier. Catfish show up at the location starting in early April. Schoolie stripers are also high on the list beginning in mid April. The spring spawning run is when you want to be here.  You can catch them on their way up and their way down from the spawning grounds.  Big stripers are taken here during both north and south runs of bass.  

   You have to use a lot of weight.   Sinkers of 8 to 10 ounces are not uncommon, but...you don't have to cast that far.   Some of the biggest striped bass are caught in close to the pilings.  Most anglers cast out as far as they can and pass most of the fish.  The end of the pier is just off the ledge to the channel.   Cast one rod out to the drop off and drop one straight down.  All baits work well here.  Cut bunker, sandworms and eels are probably what I would use.  You need a "Pier Net" or something similar.   It is a long way down to the water to lift up a big fish. You have to be prepared in case you hook that large fish.   Glenn Blank of the HRFA makes his own pier nets out of an old bicycle rim and a rope. Loosing a big fish because you can't lift him up the pier is something I don't even want to think about.

Try fishing the north side of the pier out at the end by the Restaurant on an incoming tide.

   Be careful slinging bait on the north side.   The north side of the pier is very close to patrons dining at this place.  I can't imagine a bunker being slung over my plate but the north side fishing area is that close to some of the restaurant tables.

   Sandworms with a sinker equal to the speed of the current, fished on the bottom will produce plenty of excitement for you and the customers of the restaurant.

   Plenty of parking is available in the shopping center.     If you are fishing, do not take the parking spaces that are on the pier.   They are for the restaurant customers. 

   Coves, north and south of the pier are completely silted so there is no need to bother fishing there.  At low tide there is no water.   The pier extends out far enough into the river beyond the silt.

   Keep this area clean! Don’t ruin a good thing. This is a place of business. Crabbing is popular on the south side of the pier. Be aware of the shellfish advisories.

See you on the Pier!

Chas   <’////><