What do you love about your state's bass fishing? You may do more than one state if you've lived hither and yon.

 

For example, I lived in Wisconsin on the Wisconsin River. So, there were smallmouth in my backyard. Then there was Chequamegon Bay, chock full of big smallmouth, and Lake Michigan too. On the western border, there was the magnificent Mississippi, which grows big bass and everything else. 

Missouri has some great small rivers with great Smallie fishing. Not to mention LOZ ,Truman and Stockton and Taney Como 

Americas Dairyland isn’t far from me and has a lot of the same type of habitat as Minnesota does. There’s so many lakes plus miles of river here to fish and they vary in size from small to medium to large. My state is pretty strict about seasons, number of lines, and bag limits but I believe that the conservative approach has kept fishery populations at a high level. Bear in mind that this thing called winter inhibits growth for several months, so it takes longer for fish to grow here.

 

I also only pay $13.50 for a resident conservation license which I consider to be an absolute steal.

 

Some of the smaller lakes less than an hour away have virtually no bass fishing pressure too. That’s probably a by-product of having 10,000 lakes.

OH isn't exactly a hotbed of world class bass fishing, but I'm blessed to live in one of the best parts of the state for it. The MWCD reservoirs are all within an hour of me. One is just down the street, and my favorite just 15 minutes away. There's also the Tuscarawas river 30min away and the OH river is an hours drive. I haven't fished the big river yet but probably will next summer. 

PA Baby, where the best Bass fisherman in the world can muster a 3 day total of 12-15 in the Classic. Way to represent Pennsylvania. Brian.

P.S.; It hasn't improved.

I like where I live for many reasons.  Fishing is decent, I doubt many people move or travel to NC for bass fishing but I'd say the bass fishing is better than average.  The state record Largemouth is 15 pounds, the state record Smallmouth is 10, and the state record Spot is 6.   I live right on the NC/SC state line and fish both states.   Lake Wylie and Lake Norman are both super lakes for bass fishing.  I'm less than an hour from each.  I usually go to Lake Wylie.   So far in 2022 I've caught 10 bass over 5 pounds.  I consider 5 pounds and over to be "big", at least around here.   The biggest so far was 7 pounds 13 ounces.  (in Lake Wylie)    My wife has caught 1 that was 5 pounds even.    I caught a 4 pound 4 ounce Spot last December in Moss Lake (1500 acre lake 10 miles from my house)   I normally only target bass, but don't mind when something else finds my line.   I caught a 50+ pound catfish (too heavy for my 50 pound scale) back in April on a squarebill crankbait, and 12 pound test line.   

 

I've always lived in the same county and don't intend to move.  The bass fishing is good enough for me to be a bass fisherman.   

 

@AlabamaSpothunter  a few weeks ago the winning boat in a tournament on Lake Wylie had a 24+ pound bag that was all Spots.   

St. Lawrence River, Lake Erie and Ontario, Lake Champlain, the Finger Lakes. Some of the countries top bass waters are in NYS. I can catch largemouth bass in urban ponds in the state’s Capitol, or go to the Adirondack mountains and chase smallmouth in ultra clear water with some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. Or I can float a river and catch both kinds of bass. There is fertile bass water all over this state. Haven’t been skunked since at least 2016. NYS is without a doubt one of the top states for bass fishing. And bass arent even the most targeted species. More for me  

44 minutes ago, bowhunter63 said:

Missouri has some great small rivers with great Smallie fishing. Not to mention LOZ ,Truman and Stockton and Taney Como 

This is true. Missouri's Ozarks have some excellent fishing.

Quote

Haven’t been skunked since at least 2016.

Whoa! That's a stat. It makes DiMaggio's streak look as long as an inchworm. 

Well, if the 'way back machine' was working, I would post this without explanation, but it's not, soooooo. . . . . Back when Pterodactyls freely roamed our smog filled skies. . . .

18 minutes ago, Mobasser said:

This is true. Missouri's Ozarks have some excellent fishing.

From the little bit I've been able to see, I completely agree! Excellent smallie river fishing with good largemouth opportunities also, and LOZ is famous. 

 

NC Raleigh area you have big bass bonanza on Shearon Harris, Jordan, Falls, etc. Any small pond or lake can sometimes hold giants.

 

Where I was in NY, there were ponds that hardly anybody touched that held some of the most fun bass fishing I've had the pleasure of experiencing. No giants, but lots of decent fish. And upstate NY... good grief. Finger lakes, Oneida, St Lawrence, and on and on. 

 

Lots of opportunities where I've been!

 

Thank you for this post; I feel blessed

36 minutes ago, Woody B said:

I like where I live for many reasons.  Fishing is decent, I doubt many people move or travel to NC for bass fishing but I'd say the bass fishing is better than average.  The state record Largemouth is 15 pounds, the state record Smallmouth is 10, and the state record Spot is 6.   I live right on the NC/SC state line and fish both states.   Lake Wylie and Lake Norman are both super lakes for bass fishing.  I'm less than an hour from each.  I usually go to Lake Wylie.   So far in 2022 I've caught 10 bass over 5 pounds.  I consider 5 pounds and over to be "big", at least around here.   The biggest so far was 7 pounds 13 ounces.  (in Lake Wylie)    My wife has caught 1 that was 5 pounds even.    I caught a 4 pound 4 ounce Spot last December in Moss Lake (1500 acre lake 10 miles from my house)   I normally only target bass, but don't mind when something else finds my line.   I caught a 50+ pound catfish (too heavy for my 50 pound scale) back in April on a squarebill crankbait, and 12 pound test line.   

 

I've always lived in the same county and don't intend to move.  The bass fishing is good enough for me to be a bass fisherman.   

 

@AlabamaSpothunter  a few weeks ago the winning boat in a tournament on Lake Wylie had a 24+ pound bag that was all Spots.   

That's incredible, what a fishery that could produce such a bag.     Only had one day that could have matched that, and it was with former Bassmaster Classic runner up, Dalton Bobo on Lay Lake. 

Georgia has 10 species of black bass and the WR. We also get to fish year round.

To quote all my buddies, “there ain’t no fish in that river”

9 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

Whoa! That's a stat. It makes DiMaggio's streak look as long as an inchworm. 

Haha! I’ve had to bust out the wacky rig as a skunkbuster a few times, but it’s a streak I’d like to keep going!

4 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

To quote all my buddies, “there ain’t no fish in that river”

One could make the case Alabama got the best part of that fishless river ?

 

Then again Alabama could have bought the entire panhandle for $1mil in the early 1900s ?

I am not in a hot bed for bass fishing, at least in my area Some lakes farther away are pretty good.

 

I remember back in the mid 90s B.A.S.S. sent 16 pros in here to fish three lakes in three days. I went to one the weigh ins. After seeing what they did I didn't feel bad about my fishing at all. One of them even said if he had to fish this part of the country on the pro tour he would quit.

https://www.google.com/search?q=picture+of+world+record+smallmouth+bass&rlz=1CAOJUW_enUS1022&sxsrf=ALiCzsaZl-9VANtzdgpr3WMSv2_MoHJGLg%3A1665619320898&ei=eFVHY82vNuPsxgGN4JqgDw&oq=world+record+smallmouth+bass&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnC4AQEqAggEMg0QABhHGNYEGLADGMkDMgoQABhHGNYEGLADMgoQABhHGNYEGLADMgoQABhHGNYEGLADMgoQABhHGNYEGLADMgoQABhHGNYEGLADMgoQABhHGNYEGLADMgoQABhHGNYEGLADMggQABiSAxiwAzIHEAAYsAMYQ5AGCkiTzwJQAFgAcAF4AcgBAJABAJgBAKABAKoBAOIDBCBBGADiAwQgRhgAiAYB&sclient=gws-wiz-serp

20 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

One could make the case Alabama got the best part of that fishless river ?

 

Then again Alabama could have bought the entire panhandle for $1mil in the early 1900s ?

We have TN river fish just like they do in Alabama……… only smaller 

I really respect the folks who chase largemouth up north, it really is all relative to your region and the records.  

 

A 5lb LGM in many states is equivalent to me catching a 10lb in Alabama.   Both require the same skillset, luck, and preparation on the angler's part.   

 

20 of the 25 biggest Large Mouth Bass ever caught...

Lake St. Clair.  The best part is, it's a 15 minute ride from my house :D

I've only lived up here in northern lower MI since 2007.

Am very fortunate to be surrounded by quite a few lakes; of various sizes.

Many of these pristine waters have a very healthy population of smallmouth bass.

I have a few favorites but Lake Menderchuck is easily the best.

So many plus size fish.

I don't always catch them but am addicted to trying.

Looks like I'll be starting the fish pics in this one . . . 

(if you're into that sort of thing)

 

 

Fish Hard

A-Jay

 

Well, it’s not a state, but the great province of Ontario is where I’ve been my entire life, and am certain to be for the rest of it too. Between all the Great Lakes ( can anyone say jumbo smallmouth), the many large and small rivers, southern Ontario warm water largemouth fisheries ( Kawarthas ), and the thousands of small to large natural lakes all around, we have many lifetimes worth of excellent fishing for multiple species. Granted, we have that terrible “winter” for a few months, but  the fact that I can drop my boat into one of hundreds of waterbodies within 1/2hour of my house all summer, I’m not gonna complain too much. 

1 hour ago, LrgmouthShad said:

From the little bit I've been able to see, I completely agree! Excellent smallie river fishing with good largemouth opportunities also, and LOZ is famous. 

 

NC Raleigh area you have big bass bonanza on Shearon Harris, Jordan, Falls, etc. Any small pond or lake can sometimes hold giants.

 

Where I was in NY, there were ponds that hardly anybody touched that held some of the most fun bass fishing I've had the pleasure of experiencing. No giants, but lots of decent fish. And upstate NY... good grief. Finger lakes, Oneida, St Lawrence, and on and on. 

 

Lots of opportunities where I've been!

 

Thank you for this post; I feel blessed

You're welcome! I try to live a grateful life and it's clear that you do too.

14 minutes ago, Way north bass guy said:

Well, it’s not a state, but the great province of Ontario is where I’ve been my entire life, and am certain to be for the rest of it too. Between all the Great Lakes ( can anyone say jumbo smallmouth), the many large and small rivers, southern Ontario warm water largemouth fisheries ( Kawarthas ), and the thousands of small to large natural lakes all around, we have many lifetimes worth of excellent fishing for multiple species. Granted, we have that terrible “winter” for a few months, but  the fact that I can drop my boat into one of hundreds of waterbodies within 1/2hour of my house all summer, I’m not gonna complain too much. 

Agreed. Ontario is Heaven on Earth.