Interested in opinions on best 4 season/moderate climate locations in the US that are excellent for fishing mostly bass - but maybe other fun species too...

Dude, you're living here.

Minnesota and Wisconsin if you can deal with the temps not being moderate and not being four season. Tennessee and Missouri for good bass fishing of both major species of bass and more moderate four season temps; just not sure about other species like pike, muskie, walleye, etc. 

Don't forget Florida. They have a few species of freshwater fish including crappie, blue gill, redear sunfish, blue catfish, gar, warmouth, chain pickerel, bullhead catfish and flathead catfish to name a few. Also you have prime access to canals and saltwater. 

Any of the Ozark lakes Missouri or Arkansas .

I wished my boat had landed on the other side of continental. If you know what I meant.

It's really hard to beat California for climate and bass fishing deversity, especially NoCal, see Bassmaster mag Aptil 2019; lakes Berryessa, New Bullards Bar, Clear lake and the Delta all within 1 days drive. 

The down side is California's high cost of living and crazy politics.

Tom

Mississippi .... great fishing opportunities ... cost of living is highly desirable ... retirement income receives very favorable treatment from the state tax code ...

 

I'm at my fishing destinations in 30 and 45 minutes .... state waters .... potential dd bass exists in these waters ....

 

list of state run lakes that do not allow outboard motors .... many are pristine and somewhat remote .... but lunkers swim in 'em ....

 

this does not include our large reservoirs such as ross barnett, enid, sardis, grenada, pickwick and others for the basser with the big bass boat ready for big time serious bass fishing ... and world class crappie fishing ... 

 

https://www.mdwfp.com/fishing-boating/state-fishing-lakes/

 

https://www.liveoutdoors.com/fishing/242849-top-5-states-for-bass-fishing/

 

good fishing ...

 

3 hours ago, Glaucus said:

Minnesota and Wisconsin if you can deal with the temps not being moderate and not being four season. Tennessee and Missouri for good bass fishing of both major species of bass and more moderate four season temps; just not sure about other species like pike, muskie, walleye, etc. 

Agreed good fishing in Minnesota and Florida - but I’ve lived both places and the weather stinks half the year.  Possible solution is to own/maintain a home in both states to take advantage of opposite extremes... but after doing that once before, prefer one home if poss..

2 hours ago, Gundog said:

Don't forget Florida. They have a few species of freshwater fish including crappie, blue gill, redear sunfish, blue catfish, gar, warmouth, chain pickerel, bullhead catfish and flathead catfish to name a few. Also you have prime access to canals and saltwater. 

Looking for more of a moderate/4 season climate... I know, hard to find.

1 hour ago, WRB said:

It's really hard to beat California for climate and bass fishing deversity, especially NoCal, see Bassmaster mag Aptil 2019; lakes Berryessa, New Bullards Bar, Clear lake and the Delta all within 1 days drive. 

The down side is California's high cost of living and crazy politics.

Tom

Entirely agree Tom, love Cali and lived in NorCal (a very long time ago) but yes the cost of living and

politics would be a bit much for me..

Georgia. 

 

Why you ask? Because we still hold the world record bass. 

 

 

My wife loves Nashville, been there once - is the fishing really that good in Tennessee?  Or do you have to drive quite a ways to get to the better places/variety?  

In all seriousness, North Ga, is to me a great 4 season location. You have Blue ridge mountains as a backdrop and home of some great Fisherys. 

 

Summers don't get ridiculously hot like Fla, and winter's don't get Arctic cold like Minnesota. My wife's and I favorite place is Hiawasee, Ga. We go there regularly and enjoy Lake Chatuge. Long before Bassmaster Elites ever fished there.

 

Hope you do find what your after! ?

31 minutes ago, NittyGrittyBoy said:

Georgia. 

 

Why you ask? Because we still hold the world record bass. 

 

 

Why are you discounting the world record Japanese bass?

For the obvious reasons. 

1 hour ago, greentrout said:

Mississippi .... great fishing opportunities ... cost of living is highly desirable ... retirement income receives very favorable treatment from the state tax code ...

 

I'm at my fishing destinations in 30 and 45 minutes .... state waters .... potential dd bass exists in these waters ....

 

list of state run lakes that do not allow outboard motors .... many are pristine and somewhat remote .... but lunkers swim in 'em ....

 

this does not include our large reservoirs such as ross barnett, enid, sardis, grenada, pickwick and others for the basser with the big bass boat ready for big time serious bass fishing ... and world class crappie fishing ... 

 

https://www.mdwfp.com/fishing-boating/state-fishing-lakes/

 

good fishing ...

 

Biloxi MS, AF basic training where mosquitos are so big they need landing clearance unless a tornado is comming.....

Tom

4 hours ago, FryDog62 said:

 

Looking for more of a moderate/4 season climate... I know, hard to find.

 

Technically Florida has 4 seasons. Spring, summer, fall and tourist. ?

6 hours ago, greentrout said:

Mississippi .... great fishing opportunities ... cost of living is highly desirable ... retirement income receives very favorable treatment from the state tax code ...

 

I'm at my fishing destinations in 30 and 45 minutes .... state waters .... potential dd bass exists in these waters ....

 

list of state run lakes that do not allow outboard motors .... many are pristine and somewhat remote .... but lunkers swim in 'em ....

 

this does not include our large reservoirs such as ross barnett, enid, sardis, grenada, pickwick and others for the basser with the big bass boat ready for big time serious bass fishing ... and world class crappie fishing ... 

 

https://www.mdwfp.com/fishing-boating/state-fishing-lakes/

 

good fishing ...

 

Plus you have a lake named after Elvis! Ain't nothin' cooler than that. 

How bout, North Carolina? My sister in-law lives there and it seems to be moderate temps at least for a Northerener like me.

 

If they get an inch of snow they shut the city down. I would use that free time to go fishing. ?

Within 30 minutes of my place I can fish for bass (our state record smallmouth is over 9lbs) I have caught a spot, a largemouth and a smallmouth all around 2lbs on consecutive casts in a lake 10 minutes a way. I have caught a couple of crappie over 2lbs many over 1lb in same lake. My pb walleye is over 14lbs., we have musky up to 50" - we have lots of streams and tailwaters for trout fishing we can fish 12 months out of the year. Our lakes rarely freeze.

All of this within 30 minutes of home.

I live in "almost heaven" West Virginia

- lots of fishing for different species but not a place for a realistic shot at a dd bass

1 hour ago, NYWayfarer said:

How bout, North Carolina? My sister in-law lives there and it seems to be moderate temps at least for a Northerener like me.

 

If they get an inch of snow they shut the city down. I would use that free time to go fishing. ?

Are there parts of NC more oriented to where the better fishing waters are located?

2 hours ago, FryDog62 said:

Are there parts of NC more oriented to where the better fishing waters are located?

Not that I know of. The family is in Charlotte. Their are nice lakes to either the west or east of there and of course way to the east is the ocean.

Florida has the best overall fishing of all the states. The more north you go in Florida the more cold weather you will see during the winter. It snows in northern Florida every once in a while and it snowed in Tallahassee and surrounding areas on several occasions. With that said few people like the snow/bitter cold winters so it is a good thing it rarely snows in Florida and instead we have beautiful, warm weather most of the year. As for multi species fishing Florida cannot be beaten by any other state! We have fish from many continents in South Florida (peacock bass, clown knifefish, bullseye snakehead, various tilapia species, Midas cichlids, jaguar guapotes, lionfish to name a few) and the whole state has plenty of big largemouth bass to keep you busy for a lifetime of big bass fishing if you want.

On 4/14/2019 at 4:05 AM, Gundog said:

Technically Florida has 4 seasons. Spring, summer, fall and tourist. ?

LOL!

 

The older I get the more I think I could by with 2 seasons. 

Don't laugh, but we have 4 seasons up here in the NW.  Very diverse fisheries including largemouth, smallmouth, steelhead, salmon, trout, etc.  Rivers, lakes, saltwater, the Puget Sound.  It is all here.  Ocean, mountains and desert all within an hour or two.

I would vote North Florida or Tennessee. We vacation in Seaside Florida every year and it's a really nice area.