You get to retire/move to your Bass fishing dream lake/river.......what lake/river are you picking?

[FryDog62]

9 hours ago, Koz said:

I'm going to let everyone in on a secret. There's a place where you can go and catch a lot of 4, 5, and 6 pound bass every day. There are double digit bass lurking everywhere as well. There are so many bodies of water you couldn't fish them all in your lifetime. You don't need a boat. You don't need a kayak. In fact, on many of these bodies of water they are forbidden.

 

Where is this magical place? The South Carolina Lowcountry! From Hilton Head and Bluffton up to Charleston there are thousands and thousands of lagoons (ponds) all teeming with largemouth bass. It's a bank fisherman's paradise. 

 

When I lived there I fished hundreds of lagoons. When I coached my son in travel baseball and we played up in the Charleston area we would pack some fishing gear and stop at different lagoons along our route and we were never disappointed. I miss fishing in that area.

 

 

I was just in that area a couple weeks ago.  Found a place to build on a private 400 acre lake, 15 minutes from Santee Cooper, an hour from Douglas Lake, and 10-20 minutes from 3 tributaries that go out to the ocean with brackish water and lots of Redfish.  But I'd miss 7 months of winter in Minnesota ?

[TnRiver46]

14 hours ago, Junk Fisherman said:

I plan on getting a place in Northern Michigan and living there from April to November every year.  There's so much water and you can easily get away from fishing pressure.   My wife wants our home base where we live now because of our kids.  Plan to take a 2-week trip to Texas every February or so to help ease the sting of the northern winters.   

My wife’s aunt/uncle live in Illinois and have a small home in Michigan. I wouldn’t imagine they have ever fished so their place is further south in sawyer. Their only complaint is all the sand that they track into the house haha

[Dwight Hottle]

I already did. I retired in Ohio in 2007 & moved to Erie PA to fish for smallies. We built a new home with a boat garage and I enjoyed 11 years of fishing for my favorite species on Lake Erie. My timing was not perfect because I missed the period where the lake peaked for numbers but I still enjoyed some great fishing with lots of quality bass caught. Five pounders became common place & six pounders became the new standard indicating a good outing. I did enjoy lots of company in my boat during the months of prespawn with most guys getting their new PB's & entering the six pound club. No body ever failed to break into the 5lb club. Some of us even broke the 7lb barrier. I did get to fish with several Bass Resource members & they all enjoyed new PB's as well. As one member in particular likes to say "it was a good time". 

The important outcome of picking your favorite dream location or body of water is that selection will make you a better fisherman and can not fail to put a smile on your face.  

[the reel ess]

If not for all the people, I'd probably move to So FL for the combination of big bass, peacocks and invasive species like snakeheads. But Fellsmere and Okeechobee look like fairly jerkwater locations, population-wise.

[N Florida Mike]

12 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

I’ve already got the spot, only problem is I will never be able to retire haha. Oh well I like fishing after work (and during work)

This is exactly my situation…

[Junk Fisherman]

42 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

My wife’s aunt/uncle live in Illinois and have a small home in Michigan. I wouldn’t imagine they have ever fished so their condo is further south in sawyer. Their only complaint is all the sand that they track into the house haha

Headed up to New Buffalo and Red Arrow Roadhouse on Thursday for a 1-night getaway with my wife which is just a few miles south of Sawyer.  We love that area and it's only a little over an hour from our home.  

[gimruis]

Florida would be nice in the winter.  Not in the summer with the prolonged humidity and hurricane season.

 

Somewhere in the Great Lakes region would be ideal from about April - November.

[bigbassin']

11 hours ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Interesting pick.

 

I'm sure you got Peacocks down there in Tampa though.  

No peacocks down in Tampa, couple of hours too far to the north.

 

I’m figuring the weather we had this past week will probably wipe out a good number north of Miami.

[TnRiver46]

19 minutes ago, gimruis said:

Florida would be nice in the winter.  Not in the summer with the prolonged humidity and hurricane season.

 

Somewhere in the Great Lakes region would be ideal from about April - November.

Sneak peak of my current location……

1 hour ago, Junk Fisherman said:

Headed up to New Buffalo and Red Arrow Roadhouse on Thursday for a 1-night getaway with my wife which is just a few miles south of Sawyer.  We love that area and it's only a little over an hour from our home.  

Awesome! Small world, if you see Steve and Nancy tell them hello haha

[gimruis]

1 hour ago, FryDog62 said:

But I'd miss 7 months of winter in Minnesota 

I think you should take up ice fishing.  I feel like it would be right up your alley.

 

[MN_Bassin24]

13 hours ago, A-Jay said:

Relocated to Northern Michigan

Where were you before, if you don't mind me asking?

 

I don't have a specific lake, but I want to live in the midwest in an area with variety. Multiple lakes with a variety in fish species, because I enjoy panfish, walleye, and pike from time to time as well as bass. The lakes don't have to be huge and the fish don't have to be trophies. Oh, and I would also like to have access to largemouth and smallmouth.

[Darth-Baiter]

15 hours ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

For me it would be New Bullard's Bar in N. CA.   To me the Spotted Bass record is the one that seems the lowest hanging fruit, not to mention it's my favorite sub species.     I'd love to know just the feeling of having your line wet in a body of water that you know has the WR swimming in it.    Even if I didn't catch a WR, 5-8lb Spots are quite common, and that alone sounds like heaven.

 

Runner up would be whatever Mexican lake is in a boom cycle, perhaps that would be Baccarac.    No doubt there is a WR LGM swimming in one of these Mexican lakes, not to mention the outrageous numbers of 10-13lb fish caught every year.

 

Lastly and most topical, Lake O.H. Ivie in Texas.     This lake is entering a peak boom period, and while the WR might not be swimming there, the number of DD fish being caught is likely the most in the country currently.    

 

So friends, give me the lakes you dream about moving to ?

Bullards is on my list this spring.  my wife will be traveling in Paris, so i plan to take full advantage of my hall pass.    i would love even a 4+ spotted bass.  

 

Almanor for a bigger Smallie is another one.

 

but back to your question.  i think my retirement will circle around easy public transporation and GREAT health care first...then great fishing.   any fishing.  even ocean fishing.  i have always wanted to live in a cuteass beach community.  

[Will Ketchum]

I am retired and if I would go anywhere it would be a warm place, but it's a big deal to just pull up stakes and go, cuz it's not just about fishing; it's everything else. But I could dream. Maybe a vacation there would be a good start.

[AlabamaSpothunter]

8 minutes ago, Darth-Baiter said:

Bullards is on my list this spring.  my wife will be traveling in Paris, so i plan to take full advantage of my hall pass.    i would love even a 4+ spotted bass.  

 

Almanor for a bigger Smallie is another one.

 

but back to your question.  i think my retirement will circle around easy public transporation and GREAT health care first...then great fishing.   any fishing.  even ocean fishing.  i have always wanted to live in a cuteass beach community.  

That's awesome, take some pics and give us a report if you remember!   

[ScottW]

I’d have to say right where I am. Maybe an hour or so away from Lake Guntersville and even less from Neely Henry. I’m retired and can’t beat the weather here in Central Alabama. You get all four seasons in one week! If it should snow the state shuts down and plays hooky. ?

[Deleted account]

A lot of places with the best bass fishing suck to live in, discuss:...

[A-Jay]

1 hour ago, MN_Bassin24 said:

Where were you before, if you don't mind me asking?

 

I don't mind at all.

In fact, I'm quite proud to say that I had the privilege to serve our country.

I was floating around the North Atlantic in the US Coast Guard for most of my adult life. 

Was stationed & lived all on the east coast in 19 places in 28 years from Maine to South Carolina.

But none of that had anything to do with where I am now.

I grew up just outside of Boston, MA and there was NO Way I was going back to that deal.

My wife is from Michigan and so there ya go. 

Finally, we each may have our own 'needs' when it comes to choosing a retirement area & home.

For us we needed decent health care reasonably close by, a low cost of living is a plus, super low population of humans per acre and room for our dogs.

The fishing just ended up being a bonus that truthfully, I fell back asswards into. 

Doesn't hurt my feeling any though.

Fish Hard

A-Jay

[AlabamaSpothunter]

Most excellent replies everyone!   Ran out of emotions, but I'm enjoying reading all the replies.

 

Seems to me most people are happy being around a "fishy" area that offers modern amenities except for the cabin in the woods friend.......lol that's me too.   I hear Bullard's Bar is in the middle of nowhere.   Just set up a fishing shack, buy a 100k Skeeter, and live the dream ?

 

Like most tech forums the average age tends to skew older, this one is no different.   Great to see so many of those that have already retired end up where they wanted to be.    Working hard should be rewarded.

 

25 minutes ago, ScottW said:

I’d have to say right where I am. Maybe an hour or so away from Lake Guntersville and even less from Neely Henry. I’m retired and can’t beat the weather here in Central Alabama. You get all four seasons in one week! If it should snow the state shuts down and plays hooky. ?

Brother this last week has me looking south ?

[TnRiver46]

If y’all have ever seen “A river runs through it,” there’s a scene where norm is asking his brother Paul (played by Brad Pitt) to move somewhere with him. Paul looks straight at him, pauses, and says “oh, I’ll never leave Montana brother”

 

that is exactly how I feel but insert East Tennessee instead of Montana. I’m not leaving and I’ve never even considered it 

[Mobasser]

33 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

If y’all have ever seen “A river runs through it,” there’s a scene where norm is asking his brother Paul (played by Brad Pitt) to move somewhere with him. Paul looks straight at him, pauses, and says “oh, I’ll never leave Montana brother”

 

that is exactly how I feel but insert East Tennessee instead of Montana. I’m not leaving and I’ve never even considered it 

This is how I feel about Missouri. I'm a Missouri home boy for life.

[ironbjorn]

13 hours ago, Captain Phil said:

 

This was the dream of many when my wife and I were in real estate.   Unfortunately, this scenario no longer exists in Florida. Even if you found a property like this, it would cost a fortune.   Given that, we believe we live in the perfect retirement spot for bass fishing.  We live in a small town outside of Orlando with 1,000s of lakes all around us.  Most of them have public access. Our City has a long concrete walkway right in downtown where you can fish. Public piers are everywhere.  If you have a boat, there is no end to the fishing.  The people are nice and the traffic is light if you stay off the main roads.

 

One thing people don't think about when picking a retirement spot is access to medical facilities. When you are young, you don't think about this. In retirement you will spend a significant amount of time in a doctor's office.  Living in Florida can be fast paced or laided back depending upon where to choose to live.

That's why it's a dream. Although I do believe I'll be in the woods in my lifetime, and so will other survivors, but that's a different topic.

[Tim Kelly]

On 12/27/2022 at 2:45 AM, AlabamaSpothunter said:

 

 

I'd love to know how healthy the population of these guys are that I caught on a jerkbait.....never stocked, but man I'd eat the heck out of these if I were either a huge Bass or TNRiver46 ?

 

What do you call those fish? They look exactly the same as the roach we have here in the UK.

[Jar11591]

11 minutes ago, Tim Kelly said:

What do you call those fish? They look exactly the same as the roach we have here in the UK.

Looks like a golden shiner. 

[Tim Kelly]

 

Here's a very small version of our roach I caught on Boxing day. We were catching various small silver species, micro fishing with size 22 hooks, a size 6 shot and a 10mm soft plastic. 

[Bankbeater]

I would like to retire somewhere around Springfield, Mo.  I would have a 2 to 2-1/2 hour drive to some very nice reservoirs, and there are a number of conservation areas within that same driving distance.