Walter (Wally) Chudkosky
(Hudson River Striper Magnate/Magnet)
www.Striperchum.com
All of us here at striperchum.com were immediately in total agreement that we couldn't
possibly have a website dedicated to the sport of angling for Hudson River stripahs
without reserving a page for the legendary Walter (Wally) Chudkosky. Wally is
unquestionably one of the most experienced and knowledgeable striped
bass fisherman in this neck of the woods -PERIOD!
Wally is well known up and down the Hudson due to the fact that for many consecutive
years he has consistently been in the top ranking for any of the major striped bass
tournaments that he has entered.(and he enters all of the major ones!!!)
Wally grew up in Croton, N.Y. where he used to go out and catch herring just for the fun
of it as a kid. In those days he would sell them or use them as crab bait (again, just to
have fun on the river). As Wally became interested in fishing the river for striped bass,
he carefully studied their habits early on, spending hours on or around the river. He
became so fond of studying the movement, migration, eating habits and of course the
harvesting of the rockfish, that he has gotten to the point where he now eats, sleeps,
drinks,  and lives thinking about this illusive creature.
Ziffy was lucky enough to spend some time with Walter in the off-season to "pick his
brain" about the subject. He immediately found Wally to be a true "striperchum", willing
to share his knowledge, experiences, tactics, pictures and more. They hit it off
straight-away because of their mutual appreciation and respect for stripers. We must
admit that Ziffy (and the rest of us) have become quite obsessed with this creature's
meanderings as well . . . but not quite as hard-core as Walter Chudkosky . . . not yet
anyway!

Walter has been into the big cows for years. He has a knack for knowing where they
may be on a particular day, at a particular tide, under particular conditions, which all
seem to change constantly.  With the years he has on the water, he has garnered what
may appear to some as a sixth sense. He seems to think like a stripah. Wally describes it
as experience. "Experience of paying very close attention to your surroundings and the
conditions around you at all times  . . . even in the dark. The more time you have on the
river, the better your odds of hooking into a really big fish." Wally has learned to look,
listen, feel, and even smell for the tell-tail signs of striper activity. From the minor ripple
in the water caused by bass swimming away from the direction of his boat in shallow
water, to the nuance of a slight nudge of the bait by a striper's nose .  . .  to the distant
slurping sounds of stripers sucking in small baitfish . . . Wally senses it!

Wally has placed in the annual Dutchess County Federation contest at least 12 of the 18
years he has competed. He won the contest at the Marlboro Yacht Club at least four
times, and last year he took first place in the River Basin Sporting Goods Striper contest
(in Catskill, N.Y.) with a 46" hawg! (Picture below!)
However, one of his most memorable moments was when Wally caught the N.Y State
Inland Striped Bass record in 1995. The fish was 48 1/2" in length, weighed 46 lbs. 11
ozs.,  and had a girth of 31 inches! That one hangs in his home along with an honorary  
plaque from the N.Y. Department of Environmental Conservation. (picture below)
He held the record from 1995 - 1998.
Wally relies on his invaluable experience from fishing in Montauk, Long Island. He knows the waters in Montauk
very well also and has brought some of his techniques back here to the Hudson Valley. Wally used to fish
commercially (with hook and line) in Montauk, where he originally proved he could hang with the big boys and
bring home the bacon!
In past years, Wally was sought after to speak at striped bass seminars and to help the various state-run
research initiatives collecting striped bass samples and data (used to better understand striper migration, PCB
contamination, and/or sustainability in the Hudson.) Wally understood the importance of this work in order to
maintain what he personally considers a "world class striped bass fishery" in the Hudson River.
The next few photos are examples of some of the prizes Wally has caught in past years.
45 lbs. Ossining, N.Y.  2002













































































Check out the video link (on Ziffy's Video Links page) entitled 'Hudson River Derby '06 . . . Wally is the
fifth contestant featured in the video . . . Another herringhog!!!
50 lbs. Wappingers Falls
2006







Unfortunately, due to Wally's obvious success at
consistently catching "cows" there are critics
insinuating  that Wally must be catching these
fish by other means than by hook. There are
insinuations floating around that he must be
using a gill net, or he catches fish before a
contest date and holds it in a pen in the river
somewhere until the date of weigh-in.
When Ziffy asked Wally about this, he said. "You
will always have those folks that will doubt the
legitimacy  of consistent winners. But, I know in
my heart of hearts that I pay my dues , I put in
my time, and that's why I find the fish. Folks
have had my fish checked for gaff marks, gill
marks,  . . .you name it . . . but in each case the
respective contest sponsors have found my fish
to be legitimate. I want you to come fishing with
me  . . . I will show you exactly what I do to
catch these monstahs."
Ziffy was apprehensive at first to ask Wally
about this delicate subject, but when the offer
was made to join the master on a fishing trip,
Ziffy was, (and still is) damn glad he brought it
up!!!
> ( ( (((()))) ( ' >   ~ ~ ~
An entire hallway wall  in Wally's house
(above) is entirely covered with past
fishing awards
Wally is showing Ziffy his 150 HP Mercury powered
21 ft. Angler T-Top
Info Links
River Basin Sporting Goods
Striper Champ 2008