Fishing Man Cave Ideas
When I bought my house in 2003, all I cared about was a garage big enough to hold my boat. I was single and probably would have accepted a house with no bathroom, no kitchen and a leaky roof as long as it could store the BassCat.
I ended up buying one with a garage that I was able to extend out to 32 feet long. That provided adequate room for my ever-expanding tackle collection, but it meant that we had to keep our vehicles outside.
When we retire in a few years, I hope to build or buy a barndominium-style house, or build a house that has an oversized outbuilding for my obsession. Accordingly, I’ve been studying various “man caves” online. It’s easy to find the ones owned by the bass pros – both BASS and Major League Fishing do a good job of documenting those, but I’ve started looking to other sources for inspiration. So far I’ve determined that the ideal home for my stuff should have the following:
Plenty of room for all of my gear -- Ideally, I’d like to be able to drive the boat and truck in and leave them hooked up. It would be even better if there was a second lane for the RV we plan to buy. One thing I’ve learned over 20+ years of home ownership is that if there’s space, you’ll probably fill it.
Temperature Controlled – My current garage has an attic fan, which makes it slightly cooler in the summer, but it’s not great on 90 degree plus days, and it’s still pretty frigid in the winter. With a/c and/or heat I’ll be able to stay out there longer and my gear will remain in better condition.
Character and History – My favorite shops demonstrate the owner’s passions and accomplishments, whether through taxidermy, or art, or tournament trophies. I want something that reflects the places I’ve been. That’s not strictly necessary, of course — function should be of paramount importance — but I like to look around and soak in the memories.
Infotainment – I want the boat cave to be a gathering place, with couches and a TV, definitely a refrigerator, maybe a bar. The only downside with putting a bathroom in it is that I might never leave except to go fishing.
Multimedia Hub – If we really end up getting into the YouTube thing, I’d like to build in a studio space or at least an appropriate background for future videos and podcast appearances.
Below are some of the non-bass fishing oriented boat and tackle spaces that have recently provided inspiration:
Fishcamp
Will and Mary Outdoors
Exodus Outdoor gear
