Kentucky, Tennessee Or ?

[tatertester]

I live in frigid Minnesota and will be moving  further south ASAP.....I am thinking Kentucky, Tennessee, or possibly another area. I'm retired so fishing and everyday living are my main concerns.....Any advice would be appreciated as to just where, what lakes or areas....I've never fished these places, so I need some pointers.....I'm a country boy , so rural small town living is my preference.....Decent bass fishing needed, of course......Thanks      

[00 mod]

Keep going further south my friend!!!!

 

Jeff

[Oregon Native]

If you like the seasons east tennessee is pretty awesome. Yeah we get some muggy weather in late summer but not much. And winters get cool but no hard water and the smallies bite well thru winter. I like in Knoxville area and have more water to fish within an hour than I can fish well.

Tight Lines

[rhinojoe2014]

If you have the choice.. land between the lakes area is pretty nice.. TONS of fishing water.. we have all the seasons.. you might see a snow or two but we never really ice over..

[Waterlogged]

If you have the choice.. land between the lakes area is pretty nice.. TONS of fishing water.. we have all the seasons.. you might see a snow or two but we never really ice over..

Land Between the Lakes is a beautiful part of Kentucky and like rhino joe said, there is more available fishing waters then a single man could ever hope to cover. A large portion around LBL is not greatly developed so buying property will not cost you an arm and a leg.

[0119]

Don't come too far south like so many folks do.  7am this morning it was 72 with 100% humidity.  84 by 9am. High of 90 yesterday will be the same today. Summer is much worse and its only fishable before 9am each day.  Even then you are soaked to the bone with sweat.  At least you guys can put more clothes on, I cant take more off without going to jail!  West Tn. is my wish, maybe north Al.

[oldgolf4]

Central or East TN if you are looking at TN.  I live in the Memphis area and have to drive about a 100 miles to get to Pickwick Lake, which is where I like to fish.  Personally, I would rather put up with the hot weather in FL than the cool or cold, depending on your perspective, in TN.  We may not get -70 chill factors in the winter like MN, but if there is a chill factor of 40 or less these old bones don't like it!

 

Hey Charlie Brown, maybe we can swap homes!

[Brian Needham]

come on down, mississippi or alabama will give you what you want.

 

winters maybe cold to us, they wont be to you.

 

water is open all year.

[SirSnookalot]

Florida, lots of freshwater and salt water is never far away.  Weather has been beautiful here, hi 70's to low 80's, it does get cooler in Jan and Feb which is not to my liking.

[0119]

Miami must be cooler than the s.w. coast is, its 240pm and 89 degrees. This is the hottest Dec in memory each year it gets hotter. They are catching bonefish here and in 55 years here they had never been north of the keys/biscayne bay.

[0119]

In summer when the water hits the upper 80s the bass are add hard to catch as they are up in those frozen lakes. and our summers are 8 months long.

[Brian Needham]

the problem with Florida nowadays is it is basicly a suburb of new york.

[0119]

Amen

[tnriverluver]

Don't come too far south like so many folks do.  7am this morning it was 72 with 100% humidity.  84 by 9am. High of 90 yesterday will be the same today. Summer is much worse and its only fishable before 9am each day.  Even then you are soaked to the bone with sweat.  At least you guys can put more clothes on, I cant take more off without going to jail!  West Tn. is my wish, maybe north Al.

You are pretty much describing West Tenn weather 5-6 months a year.  It gets hot 90-100+ and very humid here from May-sometimes Oct.  Winter is hit or miss.  One day 10 degrees and the next it may be 75.  I had some of my best fishing ever last winter after 52 years living here. 

[michael68w]

You could always try Missouri lol. Table rock really comes to mind but you wouldnt be far from bullshoals lake. We do have every kind of season though. Summers can get blistering hot and winters equally cold. But fishing can still bet done fairly comfortably up into mid November. Like a lot of lakes around the midwest area the best bass fishing is usually February to May but you can really have good fishing anytime of the year on the rock. 

[tatertester]

Thanks for all the suggestions.... Now I'm lookin at all my maps....Hmmmm!

[Long Mike]

I live in Tulsa, so I am unbiased.  My recommendation would be to look at the TVA chain of lakes.  Probably the best all round weather, all year.  My first choice would be in the Pickwick, Wheeler, or Wilson Lakes area.  It may get a little chilly in the winter, but there are few mosquitoes to worry about in the summer.

[KyakR]

Maine is a paradise except for the ice on the lakes.......I'd summer here and winter in Northern CA, or even Canada (Vancouver Is. if they'd let me in!) I love wilderness, but wilderness often comes with harsh winters. As SirSnookalot says, old bones don't like that!      But I do remember how mild Tennessee was!

[0119]

You are pretty much describing West Tenn weather 5-6 months a year.  It gets hot 90-100+ and very humid here from May-sometimes Oct.  Winter is hit or miss.  One day 10 degrees and the next it may be 75.  I had some of my best fishing ever last winter after 52 years living here. 

 

I've been visiting the area just east of you looking for a new home.  Went last July/August and the humidity wasn't nothing like home.  By 6pm it was pleasant, here its still in the 80's through the whole night and windows don't get opened till January.  They close by the end of March.

[retiredbosn]

I moved to SC from WV, much better climate for me. I'm an hour from Murray, and an hour and half from Clarks Hill and the Santee chain. I would look hard at Texas. Drier climate in areas, bigger bass. I don't know what u call rural, the County my Mom lives in (WV) doesn't have a red light.

[SirSnookalot]

the problem with Florida nowadays is it is basicly a suburb of new york.

Big difference between New York state and NYC, the state is beautiful with lots of outdoor recreation and there just isn't any place just like NYC, it's a wonderful place.  South Florida fits me well, coming from an urban area I appreciate a lot of the NY influence here, food, entertainment, Broadway and cultural activities, a bonus for me is the diverse ethnic population.  I just love Miami Beach, had a second home just north since the 80's before being here full time.  I'm in Delray only because of gr children, further south would have been more to my liking.  But it isn't for everyone, I'm a city boy at heart.

[tnriverluver]

I've been visiting the area just east of you looking for a new home.  Went last July/August and the humidity wasn't nothing like home.  By 6pm it was pleasant, here its still in the 80's through the whole night and windows don't get opened till January.  They close by the end of March.

Last summer was abnormally cool with less humidity than I have ever experienced.  If it's climate change I hope it stays like that.  It was not a typical West Tn summer by any means.

[0119]

Big difference between New York state and NYC, the state is beautiful with lots of outdoor recreation and there just isn't any place just like NYC, it's a wonderful place.  South Florida fits me well, coming from an urban area I appreciate a lot of the NY influence here, food, entertainment, Broadway and cultural activities, a bonus for me is the diverse ethnic population.  I just love Miami Beach, had a second home just north since the 80's before being here full time.  I'm in Delray only because of gr children, further south would have been more to my liking.  But it isn't for everyone, I'm a city boy at heart.

You can have it.

[Brian Needham]

Snook I get that.

 

I only posted my comment because OP was looking for more a small town living.

Florida while great for many styles of fishing might not be to his liking lifestyle wise.

 

Give me a cabin on the TN River.

[RoLo]

This fall we traveled from Florida to Lake Superior. In our opinion at least,
the two most beautiful states we traversed were Wisconsin followed by Kentucky.

As for Florida, it has a charm all its own that compares to no other state.
To avoid urbanity, high prices and congestion, get away from both coasts (Gulf & Atlantic)

and head to Florida's interior peninsula, (plenty of podunk towns).

You say you like fishing? Pick your poison, freshwater or saltwater.

 

Roger