GANGGREEN

I always tell my kids (in their 20s), that they can make their own choices, but they should do so now with an eye to the future. Personally, got really tired of really cold and snowy weather during 3, 4 or 5 months of the year at my home in northern Pennsylvania and I finally did something about it. It wasn't easy and it wasn't cheap, but I made the decision to purchase a seasonal home in South Carolina where I could fish straight through the winter with an eye to the possibility of spending more time down here in the future or potentially even moving here full-time. It's not always warm here and because I'm retired and have a lot of time, I CHOOSE not to fish if the weather's in the 30s or the low 40s, but fortunately for me, we don't get much weather like that and even in the middle of winter, it's typically in the upper 40s/lower 50s here. You'll see the locals walking around like George Costanzo in a gigantic down coat when the weather gets like that, but to a northerner (who did plenty of ice fishing and fishing on lakes in really cold weather), that weather is perfectly comfortable. The other good thing about my area is that the lakes (even the big ones) are relatively protected and you only very rarely have to even consider the wind as a factor when you're deciding whether to fish or not. As I said, it wasn't easy for us and we really had to make some sacrifices, but there ARE options for those who are stuck in the frozen north for months at a time (even a short winter vacation was always welcome to me before we bought the seasonal place).

Like I said, I don't really have much energy for this discussion or argument, but my point was that they're fine IN CERTAIN PORTIONS OF THEIR range and as such, there's likely nothing wrong with hunting them if there needs to be some balance established. I wasn't referring to Elephant populations globally. It's not for me to decide why anyone else would want to do it (I personally have ZERO interest in hunting any African big game), as long as it's legal and sustainable. It should also be noted that big game hunting does do a LOT for local villages in these areas, which is not to say that game populations should suffer so that they can make money.

I'm not really that vested in this argument and admit that I'm not even curious enough to do the research now, but my suspicion is that Elephants are doing fine, populations are stable or growing and the harvest of SOME of these animals is perfectly acceptable from a conservation standpoint throughout much of their range. Just saying.

I think I started a thread on this years ago, but I would dearly love to find ALL of the Jerry Mckinnis "the Fishin' Hole" episodes on DVD. I've looked for them online and you can find some on Youtube, but not anywhere near all. I even tried to contact BASS and ESPN to inquire (didn't get a response from either). Surely I'm not alone and surely a boxed set of ALL of the Fishin' Hole episodes would be popular, at least with my age group and for the life of me, I don't know why they haven't reissued them for sale. Also loved Billy Westmoreland because he did a lot of what I still enjoy to this day (big smallmouth on light line).

I used to be as avid a hunter as there was. I harvested an archery buck each fall and typically a couple of doe for the freezer, harvested spring and fall turkey annually and often did so in several states. I had beagles (and now have bird dogs) so I hunted rabbits. I've also hunted squirrel, duck, hogs and darn near everything else that was available to me. In addition to being an avid hunter, I was also a state game warden for 32 years, so in addition to my legal, in-season harvests, I also had the unenviable job of dispatching countless (truly countless) injured and orphaned wildlife. Because of getting my fill of hunting and being obligated to dispatch thousands of other animals over the years, I've mostly lost my love and desire to hunt. I still hunt game birds over my pointing dog(s), still hunt spring gobbler occasionally and still harvest the odd deer for the freezer with a flintlock rifle, but that's it. I truly don't like killing animals anymore, even though I very much enjoy eating wild game (and fish), so I don't/won't do it much. That said, as long as I'm physically able, I can't imagine ever completely giving up hunting, I'll always do at least a little bit and will continue to enjoy wild game on the table.

Ha ha! I'm down in South Carolina now (purchased a seasonal home where we reside from winter-spring). To be honest, it takes some time to get used to the culture of "catch and keep" because as a northern angler, even many of the panfish guys are catch and release at least part of the time. Down here, they keep everything and I'm not kidding. The good news is that the limit here is 20, so at least they aren't catching and keeping 50 per angler/day. Most of the locals scoff at the idea that targeting and killing Crappie will ever hurt the population and on some of these lakes they're quite literally catching thousands per day. I think the answer is to gradually get folks to accept a moderated harvest, where you keep some small-midsize fish and release most of the big ones (not a day goes by that I don't see photos of 2 pound fish that are harvested), but not sure if that's ever going to play here. Sure is fun to see lots of Crappie and some outsized ones though.

I don't have the packable 3 piece rod, but I have a 6'6" trout series UL rod that's supposed to be a fast action and like you, I find it to be a moderate action at best. Initially I was very disappointed because it didn't suit much of the fishing that I do, but in time I learned to like the rod fairly well, although it doesn't work well for any deep-water fishing for medium to larger fish (even panfish). Given that it's a "trout series" rod and given that trout are typically caught in reasonably shallow water in moving water, it's probably a pretty good rod for that pursuit, so perhaps I just chose poorly in purchasing a trout series rod when I intended it primarily for large/deep Yellow perch and for Smallmouth bass.

Good to know on the Lowrance rebates and I agree with you entirely about the 55MPH limit. That's always been my self-imposed limit and I really don't care to ever go faster than that on the water. I've fished some tournaments in the past, but always club or fun tournaments, so believe me I don't need to be ANYWHERE at 70MPH. Thanks for the insight. As I talk myself through all of the issues, I think I'm becoming even more convinced that I'll either keep the rig I've got or possibly go to a similar/new rig that truly is outfitted to the gills.

I don't feel handicapped in my rig out there, but there are a few techniques that would be easier out of a bass boat, not to mention the additional speed if you care about such things. I hit Lake Jocassee today and my rig is really nice there because there are deep trout and it's mostly a trolling thing (some guys fish bait for them). We took 3 rainbows and a Redeye bass in about 3 or 4 hours of fishing.

I'm new to the area and don't know where Sticky Fingers is, but I might try to join you all. Not trying to convince anyone to eat elsewhere, but there IS some good BBQ in this area. Brasstown has really good BBQ, but it's an hour or more from the launch site I think. Smokin' Pig BBQ in Pendleton is much closer and also very good. Black's Smokehouse is further away too in Seneca, but really great BBQ at a hole in the wall type of place. Edit: I see that it's in Greenville, up near the weigh-ins. If anyone's looking for a BBQ place closer to Hartwell, the ones I mentioned are good (Smokin' Pig is pretty close to the launch I think).

I'll go to something, but not sure what yet. Just go to the launch and hang out? Go to weigh-ins? I'll almost definitely go to the convention center for the show, but not sure about weigh-ins. I'm also not sure if it would be enjoyable at all to be on the water just to see the guys fly past.

A little smaller than most of the other 18 foot boats that I've seen. Cute little boat. Would have liked to have seen the rod lockers and cargo set up a bit in the video, but might be worth exploring, thanks. I suspect that when I'm fishing Keowee, Jocassee or Hartwell (or even some of the other lakes down here) that I'll have the same feelings you do. That said, I also fish some more open lakes up north and the freeboard and Deep-V are nice in those situations, not to mention that I still do occasionally troll for walleye, steelhead, etc. and I'm not going to rig up a bass boat with a trolling board or something. For me it's a matter of whether I want to sacrifice some when I'm down south in the winter/spring or up north in the summer/early fall. The truth is that I'll likely fish a LOT more when I'm in South Carolina than I will when I'm in Pennsylvania because I live right on the lake down here and others are within half an hour, whereas I have a 2 hour drive (or more) to get to most of the lakes I fish up north.

I don't flip much but do find that my the high sides on my multi-species rig sometimes get in the way of my fishing style, not to mention that it sits up pretty high (especially the full windshield) and it's like a sail in the wind. As I mentioned, my "home lake" in SC is fairly well protected. Even Hartwell is a huge lake, but still fairly well protected in most areas. That's not true of the lakes I fish up north at all, some of them (Oneida, Erie, even a few of the Finger Lakes) can be a royal ***** in the right wind.

Thanks, that's good to know. What outboard to you have on it and do you have a clue what top speed is or what speed you're travelling at when at "cruising speed"?

Really good information. I'm leaning towards an 18 footer (most of which are 18+) with a 175 and dual axel trailer if I really do decide to do this. My home lake is really rather calm most of the time and wouldn't require a deep-V or even a larger bass boat. My home lake is rather large 15,000+ acres, but I'm just down the road from Hartwell at 50,000 acres, so while I wouldn't typically care about running at WOT, it is nice to have good range and to know that I can get from point A to point B in less than half an hour. Thanks, might have to look into that. I usually carry 5 or 6 rods in my locker, but I'm less inclined to get them out or re-store them again later because it's a hassle. If I ever upgrade my rig to another aluminum rig, I'm really look at the Crestliners because while I think the boats are comparable otherwise, I think Crestliner DOES have a nicer rod locker set up in their newer boats.

I'm curious what mods you're referring to in order to carry a large number of rods. I don't even get to use all of the available slots in the current rod locker because the reels don't fit, rods with larger guides won't fit into the sleeves, etc.. That said, like you I really like the boat in general. When I'm in PA and fishing upstate New York, I find it to be almost perfect, occasionally even troll for walleye/salmon, etc. with downriggers, but I can see that perhaps a bass rig might be slightly more beneficial when I'm down south. Like I said, I probably won't do anything, just thinking out loud and exploring my options.

Yes, referring to the glass boats. 7' is the longest rod that I typically carry, so if the rod boxes are as deep and wide (or very nearly so), I'd think they'll be fine for my needs. I do tend to carry 12 or 15 rods on the water and big rod boxes are definitely a plus for me though.

OK, let me preface this post by saying that I'm considering possibly "upgrading" or updating my present boat, but it's probably not very likely that I'll do so because I like my present Smokercraft 182 ProMag (Deep V, multi-species aluminum rig) quite a bit and it suits much/most of what I do very well. That said, I did recently purchase a small home on Lake Keowee in South Carolina and I'll likely be doing more crappie and bass fishing these days and less walleye, perch, trout, etc. fishing, so a bass boat might be worth considering. Aside from the fact that I can't really afford a 70, 80 or 100K bass boat, I'm also not sure that I really need or want a fully decked out 20 or 21 foot bass boat (added weight for towing, no real need for that sort of speed or size, gas prices, etc.), so I'm looking at the 18 and 19 footers. Just went to a smallish boat show that had Falcon, Ranger and Phoenix, among others. So, my question in general is, do the smaller boats meet the same quality standards as the larger boats or are they typically built a little less carefully or with lesser components? Is there adequate room in the rod and tackle lockers in these smaller rigs? What can I expect for speed from an 18-19 foot rig with 94-96" beam and a 150 4-stroke? A 175? I'm thinking 50-55MPH, but I'm not really sure. Finally, given that I rarely tournament fish and when I do, it's going to be a casual affair, do I need any more than 55MPH or so (and that's mostly a rhetorical question)? Finally, of the 18 and 19 footers out there, is there a very valid and clear reason to consider one or several manufacturers or models more so than the others and if so, what make/model would you all recommend?

Yes. We're only here seasonally, but we're down in South Carolina now and should be here about 90% of the time until the end of April at least. Feels good to fish in the winter and not freeze your butt off......

I catch tons of non-targeted species when I bass fish. Admittedly, a lot of the fisheries that I spend the most time on are really good as multi-species fisheries and many of the techniques that I use involve light line, small lures and other finesse type presentations that lend to it. I'm not a huge fan of "toothy critters" like pickerel, pike and musky, but I'm thrilled to catch big crappie, yellow perch, walleye or other fish when they weren't necessarily the target species. I've been fishing Lake Keowee in South Carolina for the last few weeks and admit that there are far fewer non-target catches here, although I have caught a handful of Black crappie while fishing for Spotted bass and Largemouth. I know guys also catch the odd catfish as well, but my northern waters are MUCH better for multi-species stuff.

Thanks for the info. I'll definitely fish Chatuge and Burton occasionally. The good news is that I'll be there from December 1-April 30 most years, so fishing pressure won't be bad at all (at least not until March and April and even then I'll have the option of fishing mornings and midweek, so won't have any issues with pressure). I agree about lake prices. It's utterly ridiculous in most of these areas and Keowee is on another level regarding pricing. We weren't able to purchase lakefront property, just don't have that sort of money, but I'm really hopeful that there may be some sort of adjustment at some point and if we decide that we really like the area, I could see a scenario where it might be possible. I actually like the area around Chatuge at least as much as the Keowee area, but there seem to be better services/amenities around Keowee. I'll be close to the mountains and close enough to fish 7 or 8 different lakes without travelling too far, so I'm very excited to get down there later this fall.

I hope that you'll post reports of your trip, good or bad. I just purchased a place on Lake Keowee over in South Carolina and while I'd have Keowee, Jocassee and Hartwell in my backyard, I can definitely see travelling an hour at times to fish Burton as well. Looks like a really nice fishery, clear water, multi-species, just the type of fishery that I've always enjoyed. Good luck.

By the way, I won't be down there for any substantial length of time until most likely December or possibly even January, but at that point I'll have my boat and would be thrilled to take out anyone that knows the lake fairly well and especially the wintertime patterns for Spots or Crappie. My boat's an 18 foot Smokercraft, well equipped, so while not a 70MPH bass boat, it's more than safe, comfortable and efficient for this style of fishing and for two or three guys. Honestly, I've always considered finding fish and learning their patterns to be my strong suit, so I don't really anticipate too much trouble figuring things out, but a little bit of local knowledge never hurt either. I'll probably at least occasionally venture over to Hartwell for Stripers, Hybrids and Crappie (bass too I guess) and will surely venture to Jocassee for Smallmouth and trout as well.

Thanks guys. Remarkably, I've never actually fished on Keowee yet. I've walked the shoreline in multiple places, seen a bunch of Spotted bass and panfish, I've been out on a boat on the lake, but I have yet to actually fish it. We close on the house in a few weeks and an acquaintance has offered to take me fishing for a few hours one morning. Since I won't tow my boat down there (only staying for several days and have too much work to do), I'll take him up on it and appreciate it greatly. I have fished Lake Hartwell (once and it was a good day) and I've fished one of the local trout streams a couple of times, but I'm very much looking forward to this new chapter.

So, over the last 5 years or so, I've posted several times requesting people's opinions and advice about potential retirement areas in the mid-south for my wife and I. I recently retired young from law enforcement and my wife will retire in the next several years from business. I love the farm where we live now and love fishing in PA and NY for some outstanding walleye, perch, smallmouth, etc., BUT I get more and more frustrated and tired with winter weather here and I'd like to fish 12 months of the year. After having investigated possibilities in Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina, we decided that the upstate region of South Carolina checked the most boxes for us and we just purchased a home with lake access on Keowee, to be used mostly from December to April, at least initially. The real estate market is out of control in that area presently, but I think we found a place that was somewhat underpriced and while we couldn't afford lakefront in any reality there, we did get lake access in a quiet neighborhood, about mid-lake on the west side. I love to fish and will surely fish Keowee a lot, but I'll also hit Jocassee and Hartwell at times and might occasionally sneak over towards Chatuge or Lanier. I'll also fish the trout streams in South Carolina and North Carolina and try to take advantage of all of the other cool things that happen in that area (plus the climate). I'll hike, hunt for mushrooms, maybe occasionally hunt deer, turkey or hogs or even try to find some wild quail somewhere in SC or Georgia. I'll spend more time with my camera and will do things just because it pleases me to do them. So, I'd like to sincerely thank all of you who occasionally participate in the "what lake should I retire to" types of conversations here. I don't doubt that SOME northerners can be a pain in the ass and that the locals in many of these states dread to see them coming, but I think we're going to fit in very well in the area and can't wait to start this new adventure. Thank you.