Kayak anglers who actually live in cities are a rare breed. I often get a strange look when someone asks me, “Where do you live?” and my response is, “In New York City.” The second question is usually, “Where do you keep your kayaks?” That’s a really good question, and one of several unique challenges faced by big city anglers in their pursuit of kayak fishing.
The Challenges of Big City Kayak Fishing
Searching for Space in the Big Apple
At one point, I was actually thinking about getting a bass boat, but where would I keep it? I had just recently found garage space within easy walking distance of my apartment. The garage only offered a foot of space on either side of my car, so no room to store anything else.
That led me down a rabbit hole, researching porta boats, inflatables, folding kayaks and any other type of vessel that would work for someone with limited storage space. Porta boats are really cool, but I really didn’t want to deal with the necessary setup and takedown, or bother with pumping up an inflatable.
My wife must have known I was obsessing over it. She informed me that her company was offering a choice of gifts for being a 15-year employee, and one choice was a kayak. She didn’t have to tell me twice! Right away I started researching, but the challenge arose once again: Where was I going to keep a kayak in the city?
Big City Kayak Storage Options
As far as putting a 12-foot kayak in my apartment, that wasn’t going to happen. I live on the fifth floor and it’s not going to fit in the elevator, plus someone would have a heart attack every time I took it through the lobby. My search for storage space began in earnest.
I found the boat basin downtown, but it had two snags: It was super expensive, and I would have to drive in hellish traffic each time I wanted to use it. Next, I found a club very close to my apartment. They had a wait list for storage and a lot of requirements to be a member, and also an extensive probation period. I just wanted to fish, not paddle in circles on the Hudson with a sightseeing club. Back to the drawing board.
I finally struck gold with a kayak club located outside the city, 12 miles from my apartment. Access was easy, with very minimal traffic and storage was affordable at a quarter of the price compared to downtown. I called them up for a meeting and soon signed up for storage, joining the club as a member to secure a better price. Check the membership requirements first to make sure you’re not signing up for any other obligations along with your storage space.
These days, I keep three boats at the kayak club and I’ll leave one on top of my car in the parking garage when I plan to fish a lot.
How to Avoid Tiresome Traffic
What other challenges do urban-based kayak anglers face? Traffic! I live in a neighborhood with easy highway access, so I don’t have to deal with downtown traffic. I don’t necessarily need to be on the water at 6 a.m. sharp, but if I don’t leave early that 20-mile drive to the launch balloons to a two-hour drive during morning rush hour. With two kids I have limited time to fish, but hitting the water early and not dealing with traffic is a big plus to maximize my time fishing.
On the other end of the trip, heavy afternoon traffic can make it challenging to get home in time to pick my kids up from school. I can cut down on wasted time and plan the best route by using traffic apps. Waze, for example, relies on user-generated traffic information to put you on the best route at any time of day.
Traffic and lack of space are two unique challenges of big city kayak fishing. | Feature photo: Alex Azabache/Pexels
