Hot Spots
Bright Lights, Big Fish
You don’t have to go to the backcountry “hinterlands” to find great fishing. In fact, some of the best angling action to be found anywhere in the country can be had in the skyscraper-shaded waters of some of America’s largest cities, from Seattle (where you can catch salmon in Puget Sound) to Minnesota’s Twin Cities (some of the best walleye water on the Mississippi River is a stone’s throw downstream from St. Paul) to Miami (where you can hook tarpon in Governor’s Cut, within sight of South Beach).
Chicago Fishing
One of the best examples of urban angling allure is the “Windy City” of Chicago, which could legitimately be ranked among the best all-around fishing-city destinations in the world. Ask any professional Lake Michigan salmon fisherman, and they’ll tell you the cohos gravitate toward the lake bottom structures around Chicago. From even a small boat, an angler can troll spoons from April through October, and land silvers within sight of the Hancock Building. A dedicated angler can also catch these salmon (and the occasional Chinook, lake trout, or hefty brown trout) from the beach or the piers throughout the Chicago area.
Bass enthusiasts can also enjoy fishing from Chicago’s shoreline, especially from the Navy Pier and around the Shedd Aquarium downtown (usually with crankbaits). Casting from these spots offers legitimate shots at hooking 3-5-pound smallmouth bass throughout the spring, summer and fall. There are largemouth bass and panfish in these near-shore waters also.
Find more great information about fishing in Illinois on TakeMeFishing.org.
Fishing in NYC
In New York City, the striped bass begin their annual migration out of the Hudson River in April. Anglers can catch stripers by surf-casting live baits and lures from the downtown Manhattan shoreline (Battery Park) through June.
Other hotspots include the Coney Island Rips, and with a boat, Raritan Bay, where the large population of bunker will attract more stripers. By the end of April, try using cut bait to land some of the larger striped bass that make their way into the bay.
Visit the New York boating and fishing section on TakeMeFishing.org for more information.
Largemouth Bass in San Diego
Spring in San Diego is the prime season to chase double-digit-weighing largemouth bass in many of the area’s water supply reservoirs. Lake Murray , near La Mesa, is one of the best bass fisheries in the nation - swimbaits and soft plastics will be your best bet to land a hog in the spring.
When in San Diego, be sure to take advantage of some of the best near-shore saltwater fishing for calico bass and halibut. The kelp patties off Mission Bay and La Jolla are legendary surfboard fishing spots.
To learn more about fishing in California, be sure to visit the California boating and fishing section on TakeMeFishing.org.
The lesson is this: Smart anglers go where the action is. And recently, more and more, that means finding fish right in town. Sure, it’s great to plan a backwoods fishing trip, but in the meantime, don’t be afraid to dabble in the waters closest to home. The fish you find there might just surprise you.
