New York’s 2021 Bass Fishing Season Opens
Published: Tuesday, August 10, 2021
The harvest season for largemouth and smallmouth bass opened Saturday, June 19.
Largemouth bass and smallmouth bass are New York's top sportfish and for good reason. You can find them across the state, they are relatively easy to catch, and they are a ton of fun to land when you hook into one! Not to mention, several waters in the state are home to trophy-size fish, drawing anglers from across the country seeking out the catch of a lifetime.
Fishing Regulations
Largemouth and smallmouth bass are referred to collectively as "black bass" in the NYS Fishing Regulations Guide.
Black Bass Statewide Fishing Regulations*
Season Dates: 3rd Saturday in June-November 30
Limitations: 12" Minimum Length, Daily Limit of five
From December 1 through the Friday preceding the 3rd Saturday in June, black bass are catch and release only, artificial lures only.
*If the water you plan on fishing doesn't have a special regulation for black bass (see Special Regulations section of the Fishing Regulations Guide) the statewide fishing regulation applies.
Note: Some counties in NYS do not have a catch and release season for bass. Be sure to check the regulations before you head out.
Record Bass
Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides)
State Record: 11 lbs. 4 oz., Buckhorn Lake (Otsego Co.), 9/11/87
Where: Shallow, weedy areas of lakes, ponds and rivers. They also prefer cover, such as logs, docks and stumps.
Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus dolomieu)
State Record (tie): 8 lbs. 4 oz., Lake Erie (Chautauqua Co.) 6/4/95 and St. Lawrence River (Jefferson Co.) 8/28/16
Where: Rocky or sandy areas of lakes; drop offs. They also prefer the cover of boulders or logs.
Techniques to Try
For early season bass, start along the shoreline or inside weed edges and then work your way out deeper if you’re not seeing or catching fish. Good baits to try are stickworms, either wacky-rigged or Texas-rigged, spinnerbaits, chatterbaits (vibrating jigs), or top-water lures like a buzzbait or frog.
If you’re fishing deeper water, try crankbaits, tube jigs, a Ned-rig, or drop-shot rigs. A Ned-rig is a short 3-4” tail section of a stickworm threaded on a jig head. Round jig heads will work but a mushroom style jig head is more commonly used.
If you prefer using live bait, try a crayfish fished on the bottom or a 3-4” minnow fished under a bobber.
A version of this article appeared in the Summer Issue (July/August) 2021 of Great Lakes Scuttlebutt magazine.
tags: Dept of Natural Resources, Fishing, Law & Politics
