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.
Hot Spots
The New England fishing forecast: Hot.
The forecast for saltwater fishing in New England this spring and summer looks good. While migratory habits of staple fish like striped bass and false albacore have been finicky at best in recent years (especially in the northern waters of the New England coast), anglers can take heart in knowing that the fishing action has traditionally been hot in summers following “El Nino” winters. Consider these options as you plan a New England fishing trip in the months ahead.
Bluefish from the Beach:
Blues might still be considered a “by-catch” species for many saltwater anglers in search of table fare, but the sport fisherman in the know has grown to respect these “choppers” and “gators” for what they really are—pound for pound, probably the toughest, scrappiest fighters on the Atlantic Coast. There is almost nothing as exciting for the surf-casting angler as throwing pencil-poppers from the beach (with a wire leader, of course) into a school of thrashing blues. You cast, rip the retrieve and wait for the attack…then hang on. Predicted hotspot for 2010: all along the shorelines of Cape Cod.
Tuna Rolls:
If you’re looking for some fast-action deep sea fishing, consider an offshore tuna trip. Follow the diving birds; they’ll tell you where the tuna are rolling and crashing through schools of bunker and other baitfish. To get lucky enough to find schools of bluefin tuna—the heaviest (up to 1,800 pounds), toughest-fighting (they swim 60 miles an hour), and best-tasting tuna species (Japanese sushi buyers wait at the docks during bluefin season)—you’ll likely have to fish well offshore. But there’s also something to be said for casting at “football” sized juvenile yellowfins (especially on the fly) a few miles from the beach. Predicted hotspot for 2010: off Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket.
Stripers from the Jetty:
Striped bass typically don’t show up en masse in northern New England waters until June and July. But when they do, it’s usually a lights-out angling affair. Fishing from jetties and river inlets with live baits like eels will often produce stripers in the 15-pound-plus range. The trick is to concentrate on moving water and work the tides. Cast and let your live bait roll along the bottom with the current. Or you can throw swimbaits—even flies like Deceivers and Puglisi Peanut Butter patterns—to emulate the baitfish stripers chase near shore. Predicted hotspot for 2010: the mouth of Maine’s Kennebec River, near Popham Beach.
To find more great places to fish in the Northeast, be sure to check out TakeMeFishing.org’s hotspot map.
Tips and Tidbits
Get Your Boat Ready For Spring
As warm spring weather arrives, we all want to get our boats out on the water as soon as possible. But it pays dividends (in terms of safety and the long-term maintenance of your boat) to take the time to properly prepare your vessel for the season ahead. Follow these eight easy steps, and you’ll have your boat shipshape and ready to go:
- Inspect for safety. Visually check all plugs and seals. Then check your hull for cracks or blisters. Also check the condition of your prop. Be sure your safety equipment—your fire extinguisher, life jackets, horn or signaling device, etc.—are in good working order.
- Clean the interior of your boat. Vacuum out any dust, debris, or cobwebs. Wipe down your windshields. Use a trusted vinyl cleaning product to protect and clean the vinyl on your seats and throughout the boat.
- Clean your hull. Spray and scrub with a cleaning agent, then, if you have a fiberglass hull, apply a gelcoat wax to help protect it.
- Clean and protect any wood trim. Use soapy water to clean the wood. Rinse, let dry, then apply teak oil to keep it protected from the effects of sun and water. Polish all metals also.
- Check your electrical system. That starts with the battery; make sure it’s properly charged, its water level is correct, and terminals are clean of any corrosion or buildup. Check all your wires for cracks or abrasions. Then test all your gauges and the blower to make sure they function properly.
- Make sure your bilge is empty. If you find any oil or fuel in the bilge, check for its source and fix the problem. Check your pumps, air vents and limber holes to be sure they have no obstructions.
- Ready your engine. If you stored it with antifreeze, flush it with fresh water, and replace with coolant (unless you have a raw water cooled engine). Change your oil and filters. Also change spark plugs on outboard and some inboard motors, and zincs on most inboards. Test the tension on all belts. Ensure your transmission fluid is clean and at the proper level.
- Check your lines. Make sure your anchor line, throw rope, and tie lines aren’t knotted or chafed.
If you spend just one day doing these things, you’ll assure yourself of many good boating days in the season ahead. For more details, check out the spring checklist.
Tips and Tidbits
Fishing Tips from the Team
Frank P
I reeled in this largemouth in Alabama, home to some of the best bass fishing in the country. With the outside temperatures getting warmer in February, I knew we would find the bass in shallower water because that is where the bass move to feed and spawn when the weather (and water) start to warm up. We moved our fishing boat to the perfect spot: close to the shoreline, in a spot where we could see a sunken log. The key to landing this fish was finding structure near the shore, like the sunken tree, because it helps warm up the water and attracts plenty of prey to the area. If you do that, you may land a big one.
Stephanie W
I landed this beautiful dolphinfish (Mahi Mahi) in the Florida Keys, trolling with ballyhoo. While out fishing, we spotted a floating weedline, a popular spot for school of dolphinfish, so we decided to work our boat around that area. We also saw another sure sign of fish when we noticed a flock of frigate circling the weedline. When big predators, like the dolphinfish, are around, smaller fish tend to swim closer to the surface and attract a variety of sea birds looking for an easy meal.
>>Find me on Fishington, you never know when I'll post some more saltwater fishing tips.
Helena B
I caught this striped bass while fishing in the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland last summer. I was fishing with a favorite food of the striped bass, cut bait (spot in this case). Since we were fishing in the summer, we knew the stripers would be in deeper waters, so we positioned our boat near drop-offs. The season/temperature is a great starting point when looking for stripers, just remember, fish in shallower water in the fall and spring.
Find me on Fishington and you may just pick up some more helpful fishing hints.
