Big Time City Your Ultimate Guide to the City!
The 2011 Brooklyn Fishing Derby kicked off at midnight on October 1 and will continue until sundown on November 5th. The Derby is a competition in which any entrant with $40 (if you enter the all tackle division) and a fishing rod can enter. Started by the infamous Dr. Claw (aka Ben Sargent) 3 years ago, the winner of the derby has to catch the biggest striped bass or bluefish on the East River which spans from Red Hook to Long Island City.
Instead of hanging the fish at a weight-in station, fisherman are urged take a picture or video of their catch and then release the fish back into the river. You dont have to have a fancy camera, a cell-phone pic will do as long as it’s clear. After you’ve taken the picture, you can send your submission to BKDerby.catch@pikchur.com or their twitter account. There are a number of rules that you must adhere to so if you are thinking of entering the competition you can get more info here.
Last year’s winner was a a 47-inch striped bass caught off of N. 6th Street in Williamsburg.
The New York State Department of Health recommends eating no more than a half-pound of bluefish or striped bass per month from the East River, plus filleting the fish in a way to avoid the skin, dark meat and fat, where toxins like PCBs, DDT and cadmium accumulate.
The best 2 months of fishing in the river are upon us and the waters of the East River are swimming with striped bass and bluefish just waiting to be caught by a New York fishermen.
