City Bites

When I travel I always keep my eyes open for fishing opportunities.  Even in urban areas. If there is water, there is a fishing opportunity.

For urban fishing, I usually start targeting “tougher” fish such as carp and catfish.  But watch the locals. There may be some other fishing opportunities closer than you think.

Here are just a few urban fishing areas:
 

• Tulsa, Oklahoma.  The Arkansas River skirts downtown Tulsa. A popular fish location is below the Zink Dam where white bass, striped bass, and channel catfish bite can be outstanding.

• Little Rock, Arkansas. Several hours downstream from Tulsa, the Arkansas River goes through Little Rock, Arkansas.  In 2011, an Elite Bassmaster tournament was held there, where Denny Brauer weighed in 20 largemouth bass over the 4 day event for a total of 52 pounds.
  

• Grand River, Michigan. As this river passes through the cities of Lansing and Grand Rapids, depending on the time of year, there is an opportunity for smallmouth bass, rock bass, huge carp, or steelhead.

• Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania has held catfish tournaments in the Ohio River. Flathead catfish weighing over 20 pounds are frequently caught by river anglers who have “done their homework.”

• On the Lunkerville TV show, Michael de Avila even proved there are some nice largemouth bass in Central Park in downtown New York City.

• Delaware River, Philadelphia will be on display for the bass fishing world as it hosts a Bassmaster event August 7-10.

Have you fished in or around a city? What did you catch there?

Andy Whitcomb

Andy is an outdoor writer (http://www.justkeepreeling.com/) and stressed-out Dad has contributed over 380 blogs to takemefishing.org since 2011. Born in Florida, but raised on banks of Oklahoma farm ponds, he now chases pike, smallmouth bass, and steelhead in Pennsylvania. After earning a B.S. in Zoology from OSU, he worked in fish hatcheries and as a fisheries research technician at OSU, Iowa State, and Michigan State.