SOUTHWEST & MIDWEST I L L I N O I S
7 > CHICAGO The Fox River flows into the
Illinois River northwest of the Windy City and is a solid spring and fall choice for anglers look- ing to hook walleye, northern pike and small- and largemouth bass. Launch from Geneva and paddle upriver to the St. Charles Dam or access the South Elgin pool from Blackhawk Park— both are local favorites. Crank- baits are a good catch-all while flashy spoons are best for trophy pike.
www.chicagolandfishing.com
I N D I A N A
8 > INDIANAPOLIS “Indianapolis has been called the
largest city in the U.S. that is not on a navigable waterway,” says local kayak angler Dan Sutton. But that’s not taking kayaks into account. Broad Ripple and Riv- erside Parks in downtown Indy provide access for motor boats and host bass fishing tourneys, but several dams further down- stream mean that water levels south of the city are reserved for kayaks. Put in at the Raymond Street crossing to chase 18- to 22-inch smallmouth and 10- to 20-pound carp and catfish.
www.indyyaks.com
BASF Waterfront Park—it fea- tures a kayak-only put-in and access to a slow moving backwa- ters. Fish bottom structure like drop-offs and shelves with jigs.
www.michigankayakfishing.com
leading to Lake of Isles. Crank- baits work well for both species. On early summer evenings, catch after work walleye with a fathead minnow rigged beneath a bobber.
www.lunkerlink.com
N E V A D A 11 > LAS VEGAS M I N N E S O T A
10 > MINNEAPOLIS The Land of 10,000 Lakes is
home to some of the best fish- ing in the United States. Of the countless places to wet a line in the Twin Cities, Lake Calhoun in uptown Minneapolis is one of the best for kayak angling. Catch muskie and bass in the narrows
The odds of hooking into great largemouth and striped bass fishing are high on Lake Mead. From February to April, sight cast for trophy largemouth in shallow coves with topwater lures and crankbaits. Striped bass action heats up shortly thereafter with the early summer hatch of finger- ling shad—stripers’ main food source. Cast topwater lures into a frenzied school of feeding strip- ers and get ready for explosive results. There are several good launches near Boulder City and the Hoover Dam, about a half- hour drive from the strip.
www.fishvegas.com
T E X A S
12 > AUSTIN Side-by-side carp hotspots on the
Colorado River highlight the kay- ak fishing scene in Austin, Texas. Austin’s best fishing holes—Lake Austin and Town Lake—are separated by a dam and feature convenient launch sites from the Fritz Hughes Park and Rosebud Isle, respectively. Flyfishing from a kayak adds a new dimension to carping. Local pro Aaron Reed says its possible to land 30-pounders on high floating, bomber-pattern dry flies.
www.austinkayakfishing.com
7–13
13 M I C H I G A N
9 > DETROIT Walleye fishing heats up early in
the Motor City. In April and May, Walleye gather to spawn along the gravel bed of the Detroit River. Launch from Wyandotte’s
Houston
The jetties of Galveston Bay, near Houston, Texas,
have long been a favorite among shore- based anglers. Fishing from a kayak gets you further into this myriad of grassy flats and gives you a better shot at landing tro- phy speckled trout, redfish and flounder. En- tice trout with a croaker dragged along the bottom; it’s possible to catch specks year round. Shrimp, finger mullet and mud min- nows work well for flounder; spring is best. And use flies like clousers for redfish in the summer and fall.
www.snookdudekayak-
fishingcharters.com
www.kayakanglermag.com… 27
PHOTO: MIKE HEROLD PHOTO: RENEE JOHNSON
PHOTO: DAN DALTON
DAN SUTTON
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