Here’s the deal: I get a call from B.A.S.S. and another from Toyota one day. There’s this thing going on in Central Park in New York City called Adventures NYC. Basically, the city is going to showcase a bunch of outdoor stuff.
Outdoor stuff includes the things you might expect in New York. There’ll be kayaking, rock climbing, wheelchair basketball and fitness classes. You’re thinking the usual, right? Maybe, but they’re also demonstrating log rolling, fishing and tons of outdoor equipment. I don’t know exactly what, but you can bet it’ll be cool and top of the line.
Back to the phone calls — B.A.S.S. and Toyota asked me if I’d go and represent bass fishing. They’re sponsors and supporters of the event. I couldn’t say yes fast enough. I really appreciate the fact that they thought of me for this deal. Promoting fishing in metropolitan areas is something I’ve done my whole career.
I’m a city boy. I didn’t grow up in a culture where everyone fished, where it was a way of life. That’s why I was so excited last year to see huge crowds in Philadelphia when we fished the Delaware River. I bet you’d see the same thing in New York City if we held a weigh-in there. You don’t have to come from the Deep South or out West to appreciate fishing.
Another reason I was so excited to receive an invite was that bass fishing in Central Park is not new to me. I’ve fished the ponds and lakes there several times over the years. Some of them are around 10 acres, but others are more like 100. That’s my guess, anyway. (In case you’re wondering, Central Park is bigger than a lot of people think. It covers over 800 acres.)
There are bass everywhere in that place, right in the middle of all that concrete, skyscrapers and traffic. I’ve fished all over the world. I’d say it rates a score of 8 on a 10 point scale. I’ve personally caught bass up to 5 pounds — and more 3-pounders than I can count — in some of the smaller ponds. And I’ve heard about guys getting some real giants.
The big thing is that it’s not fished that much. The bass are not conditioned to any of our usual lures or presentations. There are a few locals who know the truth, and know how to fish the place, but for the most part anglers look at the city and go somewhere else.
It’s strictly catch and release and it’s barbless so you have to smash down your barbs or file them off before you fish but, hey, that’s a small price to pay for that kind of fishing.
Another great thing about Central Park is that you can fish it even if you don’t own tackle or if you just want to try bass fishing to see what it’s like. They rent tackle out of little huts around some of the lakes. It’s pretty decent tackle, too.
Advetures NYC is scheduled for next Saturday, June 20. That’s the day before Father’s Day.The hours are 11 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. I’ll get there early and stay late. This is a rare opportunity to bring fishing to one of the biggest cities in the world.
Mike Iaconelli’s column appears weekly on Bassmaster.com. You can also find him on Facebook and Twitter or visit his website, mikeiaconelli.com.
