GANGGREEN

Still strong populations of bass though I'd presume? I remember the first time I ever fished Conesus (it was actually the first time I'd ever laid eyes on the lake), I placed in a club tournament there and I've fished it a couple of times since with good numbers and fair average size on largemouth. I'm more interested in the overall health of the fishery though. Might have to start looking at some DEC survey results and what not. Thanks for the reply J Francho.

I've fished Conesus a couple of times and enjoyed it. I also enjoy Honeoye, Canandaigua, Keuka and Skaneateles, but it's Conesus that's drawn my focus recently. My wife and I have been looking for a lakefront campground where we could set up seasonally and we finally rented a lot for 2020 on Conesus Lake and will be purchasing and delivering the camper this week most likely. Not really looking for any specific spots or even techniques to use there, I'll figure all of that out easily enough on my own, but I'm curious what the thoughts are on the "state of the lake" so to speak. Keep in mind that I prefer brown bass to green most of the time (although I'm flexible and willing to fish for whatever bites seasonally best) and I do enjoy multi-species fishing. I'm aware that there are walleye there, but not really sure that they're caught with any regularity. I also enjoy big bluegill, big crappie and especially big yellow perch. I know that there are also tiger musky and pike there, but honestly, I couldn't care less about the toothies….

Thanks guys. I'd actually like to be in northern Arkansas, but I just don't see any real condo choices in those areas. Might have to expand my search a little bit. I fished Table Rock 30 years ago and visited again this summer and was amazed at how busy it's gotten. That said, I'd spend most of my time down there after Labor Day and before Memorial Day and probably escape most of the foolishness on the lake and in and around Branson. Having recently retired, I can also fish midweek and would avoid weekends like the plague. As I mentioned before, for me finding reasonably priced properties that I like isn't really the issue, it's the fact that my wife still works, so we can't take up full-time residence down there and it's going to be practically impossible to maintain a property (lawn care, snow removal, handyman stuff) without hiring the work out and I'm not sure how available or reasonable those things are.

When smallmouth are active, they bite. They'll take any of the lures mentioned and tons of other stuff that nobody's mentioned. When they're tough though...…..If I presume fish are there, they won't hit anything else and I really need or want to catch them, just to prove something, you downsize.....a lot. Tiny bugs, hair jigs, curltails, tubes....tiny.

I've caught them consistently at 55-60 feet on the bottom and have taken them deeper while trolling, although the trolling fish were likely suspended and who knows.....In certain waters, at certain times of year, they'll go deeper than you'd expect and sometimes they'll likely all deeper than 98% of the guys are fishing, smallies at least, not green bass (don't know that I've ever caught a green fish deeper than 28 or 30 feet).

Thanks Rangerjockey. I found some fairly reasonably priced condos near Fall Creek on Taneycomo that would make it easy enough to purchase, but that would have me concentrating on the lower end of Table Rock and being forced to trailer or keep a slip to fish there. At least I'd be on Taneycomo and I do enjoy fly fishing as well, so there's that. Just not sure what the traffic and activity level would be that close to Branson, even during the off-season. If I purchased a condo that was very reasonably priced, I'd also be inclined to NOT rent it out, although if nothing else, I might try to rent it by the month in June, July and August, since I'm not too keen on being there during those months anyway and you'd only have to deal with 3 renters, rather than 20 or 30. I've also considered the RV thing, but I'd be more inclined to park it, build a deck and make it a semi-permanent camp and since I mostly want to be there from October to April, the camper doesn't really make much sense. We had also considered areas slightly to the south (Arkansas and Tennessee), but the part of Arkansas I like doesn't really have much in the way of condos and I can't be there to handle maintenance. Parts of eastern TN have condos on the lakes, but the price point is much higher than it is in the Branson area. I think I'll continue to look because I might not mind paying a bit more for a place on Table Rock, particularly if it had a slip, but I'm liking this idea more and more.

So, I've been back and forth about what to do in retirement, second home, condo, timeshare, rent, camp, etc.. I'm retiring in 2 weeks, but my wife intends to continue working for at least 3 more years, so we can't just up and leave home for a month or more at a time. By way of background, I live in northern Pennsylvania, the winters suck and I'd really like to escape in the wintertime, at least for a few weeks here and there. I don't need Florida warmth to make me happy, but I'd like to be able to fish during the winter months and had considered Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee and North Carolina. I also have bird dogs and a lot of other hobbies, but admit that my list for a retirement home involves fishing, good dining and shopping and entertainment and natural beauty, probably far more than a place to hunt. Because of my wife's work situation, we really can't consider something that involves home maintenance, yard maintenance, snow removal, etc. and we're considering finding a condo that will take care of all of that and which we could rent out during the periods that we're not there to help with the mortgage, taxes, condo fees, etc.. So, to that end, can anyone give me some advice about areas on or near Table Rock to search? I'd like to avoid the tourist trap that is Branson, but admit that during the off-season, I actually like being close to grocery stores, restaurants, entertainment, etc. and presume that Branson would be fine during the time period that I'd typically use the condo (October-April), so maybe 8-15 miles out wouldn't be bad. Obviously I understand that there are tons of factors, busy areas on the lake (I'd prefer to avoid lots of activity), better fishing areas on the lake, real estate values, proximity to the amenities, etc.. Because we're keeping our farm up north and because we're not independently wealthy, cost is always a factor, but I'm hopeful that between what I can scrape up and what we can realize through summer rentals that I could probably manage the average 2BR condo in that area if the cost and fees are what I think they'll be. Thanks in advance for any knowledge or tips you can give.

Thanks guys, yes, I finally made it. I'm thrilled that at least that part of the plan is turning out exactly as I had hoped. Now finding the time, finding the way and finding the money to enjoy some living in the mid-south is the next part.

Have to admit that I haven't visited this topic even though I created it. I did post an inquiry about campgrounds on Douglas Lake and general info, but I'm still searching. As it happens, I'll likely be retiring in September of this year. Sadly, my wife will probably continue to work for several years, so outside of a vacation rental or a condo, I'm not sure it makes a ton of sense for us to purchase a home in the area. That Douglas/Cherokee Lake area is still pretty high on my list though. I just returned from a trip to the Norfork/Bull Shoals area in northern Arkansas. I liked it reasonably well, but my wife wasn't super impressed. The Taneycomo/Table Rock areas might make more sense for us since there are more rental units, condos and vacation rental management agencies, but I'm not sure I could put up with the traffic and commotion in that area, even during the wintertime when I'd be most likely to use visit. Because we're now leaning towards keeping our farm in northern PA, our budget for a vacation/seasonal home, cottage, camper is somewhat limited, but it's still definitely a consideration and I greatly appreciate everyone's input on the topic. After living there for a while, what are your thoughts about Morristown? We drove through/around it on a previous trip down and I wouldn't completely rule it out, although you're right, I'd probably prefer a bit more privacy. Like I said in my previous post, we're probably not ready to spend a ton of time down that way because my wife will continue to work for a few more years, so I'm trying to decide what makes the most sense, purchasing a rental and using it a few times a year myself, staying in a campground for a week or two at a time or just renting once or twice a year until we're both completely retired.

So, I've made it....I'll be retiring in September most likely. I live in northern Pennsylvania, but the older I get, the more I dislike our northern winters. Unfortunately, my wife has to continue to work for at least a few years, so we're not really in a position to purchase a seasonal home further south (not convinced that we would anyway, we need to investigate the situation a bit more before I'd be comfortable doing so). What I think I could manage would be a nicer 4-season travel trailer that I could set up on a campground on one of the eastern TN lakes (I'm leaning towards Douglas, Cherokee or possibly Norris). Does anyone have an opinion about whether the local climate is suitable to camping weeks at a time in a travel trailer during December, January and February (I'd try to get the best built, most heavily insulated unit that I could) and whether the fishing is worthwhile at that time? Also, if the answer to those questions is, "sure", then does anyone have a recommendation for a campground that allows annual lot rentals with full hookup? Ideally I'd like to build a deck for the trailer and probably hire someone to mow grass or keep an eye on the place during the summer months. For what it's worth, I also like fly fishing and wouldn't mind figuring out the tailwater trout fisheries down there and I also like spring turkey hunting, so I might hang around later into the spring or arrive earlier in the fall if we liked it there.

I can't help because I don't live down that way and have done precious little fishing there, but I find perspective to be a funny thing. I'd love to have southern Kentucky wintertime weather.

I've been strongly considering leaving the great white north when I retire and moving, at least seasonally, to northern Arkansas, eastern TN or western NC. The closer that I get, the more that I chicken out because I really love my farm here in PA and love the great fishing that I have nearby or within several hours in NY state. I'd still like to be able to escape the nasty weather from late fall to early spring though and now I'm thinking about possibly a park model trailer in a campground in one of these areas. Do most of the campgrounds in eastern TN stay open all year long? Does anyone have a recommendation for a nice, clean, somewhat private campground on Douglas Lake or another nearby lake?

I've fished for smallies a bit on the Raystown Branch of the Juniata and some trout streams where bass also reside, but I'm far from an expert. I'm using a 9' Sage 6-weight now and typically use a popper or something like a wooly bugger, but they'll bite most anything at the right time. Streamers are obviously an option too.

I'm not saying that I've never shot at a preserve or wouldn't do so again, but it's just not my cup of tea. When my dogs were pups, I occasionally took them to these places just to get some action and because I thought it was the thing to do. I suppose it was fun, but it was expensive and the benefits for wild grouse dogs were probably pretty limited. Since then I've hunted only wild grouse and woodcock with the dogs and it's been a joy. We still have a fair population of wild grouse and flight woodcock and I will miss them I'm sure. I'm sorry to hear that the wild quail are all but gone in Arkansas and hope that maybe they'll be able to make a comeback some day. Thanks for the responses guys.

I'm actually quite satisfied with the politics in the area I presently live (lots of good old boys and Trump bumper stickers), so that wouldn't be far off. Lots of coon hounds here as well. I used to run beagles, but now have just the bird dogs.

Thanks. For me it's more than just the climate or the fishing that draws me to that area. Based on what I know of people in nearby states (Tennessee and the Missouri Ozarks), the people there are kind, easy going and tend to be aligned with me politically. I don't need everyone to agree with me necessarily, but I'd hate to be in the extreme minority and have to live around people and politics that I disagree with. Not trying to start any sort of political discussion on a bass fishing board, just explaining some of the reasons why I'm drawn to the area. I have bird dogs too (English setters) and I'm curious if there are still any/many wild quail there. My dogs are getting fairly elderly, but I can see a pup in my future, particularly if there are still quail or other game birds around.

I'm following this topic. I'm getting pretty close to retirement in cold, snowy, northern Pennsylvania and I'd like to have a place, at least seasonally, somewhere that I could fish and feel human in the wintertime. I'm concentrating on the Mountain Home area personally, but like you, I haven't really been there to do a lot of exploring yet. The closest that I've previously been is in the Missouri Ozarks, which I liked quite a lot. Thankfully, you can find a lot of information online these days and really maximize your time when you are finally able to take a few days or a week to go explore.

My wife and I honeymooned at Big Cedar Lodge 26 years ago. At that time, Big Cedar and rentals on Table Rock were already pretty pricey, but we fished Taneycomo one day in a small rental boat and as I recall, the price was pretty reasonable. I don't remember the name of the business, but it was a small boat livery on the lake. We rented the boat and went out with Powerbait and light line set ups and caught a bunch of trout, it really wasn't hard work or difficult to figure out at all.

Nice work jtharris3....

Right. I think that Ranger boats may have been a sponsor because if I'm not mistaken, weren't they made in Flippin Arkansas where Jerry lived? I also noticed that he tended to use Eagle Claw rods a lot (or some other yellow, glass rods), but he used the baits that he wanted and he wasn't always trying to sell something.

I can't even begin to imagine why they wouldn't run it in syndication. I'm clearly not the average fishing show viewer because I don't watch too many of them, but I suspect a whole new generation of anglers would love to see the old Fishin' Show episodes. I feel badly for you Short Fish if you never saw them. There are some episodes up on YouTube and you can get an idea what they were like, but I can't find my favorites.

Been away for a week and just saw the responses. I'm with you guys. Just loved the show as a teenager. It was almost better than Christmas morning to wake up on Saturday and watch Jerry fishing somewhere new, typically with light tackle for species that we all like to catch. His episode on Flaming Gorge may have been my all-time favorite episode of any TV show ever. Since that time, I've fished in a lot of different waters and I've caught a few zillion fish, but as a teenager, the thought that I might some day get to fish those areas and catch those numbers of fish was unimaginable. He was also just a really laid back gentleman, not to mention his love for sports (I even put up with "the coach" on his show. In fact, the coach was also good entertainment). And now that you mention it, I remember his dog too. It was a little Jack Russell, right? Can't remember his name (right on the tip of my tongue), but you're right, it was a man's name.

Yeah, it played for 27 years, so even if there were only 8 or 10 episodes a year, that's a bunch of them. Geez, I'd really like to find a library of the old shows. I've watched a couple of them this morning and it's been a joy. Jerry McKinnis was knowledgeable and he was also just a really likeable sort of guy, not to mention that he enjoyed light tackle fishing and most of the species and places that are also attractive to me.

Nope, no luck on Amazon or Ebay. I think this program was ended before you began seeing boxed sets of DVDs available, and as pointed out, ESPN (which aired the show), won't sell or release the archives. It's too bad because it was a GREAT show and I'd gladly watch those old episodes over anything that's on TV today.

Thanks Luke. No, not me, not a techy at all, but I'll check it out. For what it's worth, I did send an email to ESPN asking if they sell the old episodes and I got a canned response that they never make old programs available to the public. Nice. I Googled and found kodi, but it appears that you need to download the software before really searching for programming. Maybe I'll inquire with one of my sons to see if they feel it's worth downloading or having for future viewing.