Best States To Live In For Bass Fishing

[Brnnoser6983]

What states are known for most lakes, best producing lakes, and best year round fishing in general? I live in CT and plan on moving in the next 3-5 years. I'm 31, ticked about these draconian gun laws and (just filed my taxes) sick of paying $0.60 on the dollar in taxes. Off of the above reasons I prefer Texas off the bat but would like to know the fishing scene too. Articles in magazines and websites only share so much info. Any responses to this are appreciated.

Well if you can deal with the weather changes that range from the -20's (Down to -40's in some spots) in the winter to over 100 in the summer come up to Minnesota. You can find several great lakes to fish on, and a lot of them can be found within the Twin Cities alone. If you want to take a 2-4 hr trip up north you will find great deep cold water lakes for bass, Walleye, northern, and musky.

 

If you want to fish in the winter knock yourself out. Ice fishing can be "Fun" Personally not my idea of fun when you sit on the ice jigging, but hey some others love it,

 

Plus you can include the northern (or southern) part of the state for hunting. Great Deer, and bear hunting. Duck hunting is starting to migrate to the east towards the Dakotas. We also have wolf hunting here as well.

[BassObsessed]

You can never beat Florida....so much water, so little time. 

I agree. I'm on vacation down here and have caught 2 bass over 10lbs in less than 5 days. I would have to put Florida at or very close to the top.

[jkroosz]

The focus on cost of living has effected replies to the topic. As I see it, my opinion on just fishing would be a state where multi species can be targeted. I live in ny and accessing Lake George and Champlain within an hours drive is the best.

The cost of being an outdoorsman is unrelenting, but will not interfere with enjoying the beauty of the area I live in. I rarely think about taxes whilst reeling in a slounch.

The government will get their percentage, just add it to the unit cost of fish caught.

[Catt]

Since 2011 40% of all jobs created in America wasin the state of Texas.

[bighed]

For cost of living comparison, my new, decked out 2600 sq ft home on an acre in a very nice area on the outskirts of Dallas, 2 miles from a boat ramp was $245k last year.  Property taxes are 5k a year, electric averages $175 a month, trash is $15 a month, $60 for each car a year, $50 for a boat every other year, no state income tax.  Many, many good lakes within a 90 mile drive including Fork, Texoma, Ray Roberts, Lavon, Hubbard, etc. The gulf is 5 hours away with great snapper and tuna fishing.  I love it here but think I might feel the same in the Carolinas or GA.  I'd love the hills and trees since we don't have much of either in my area.  Would love Florida I think since I'd enjoy the sw stuff so much but not sure I'd fit in with the population to well.  I doubt I'll ever leave since all my family is here but I think about it sometimes.   

[Taylor Peterson]

Minnesota if you're up for the cold/ icefishing in the winter. Not the biggest bass here but you're never more than 5 minutes from a lake!

[Catt]

Dean Rojas

Gary Klein

Denny Brauer

Jay Yelas

Takahiro Omori

Shin Fukae

Gary Yamamoto

Ben Matsubu

Wanna guess what these Pros have in common?

Yelp they all moved to Texas!

[Nitrofreak]

I don't know if the tax's outweigh the fishing here in Va. we too have a lake the pro circuit uses as one of their many stops which is Smith Mountain Lake also we have the Potomac River which is also one of their stops .

 

Although we seem to be taxed for everything , it's a manageable taxation , I myself am close to being centrally located to any large body of water with a TON of areas that are centrally located , ie, river systems , creeks , ponds , and other smaller but fun fisheries , stocked with all kinds of fishing , bass , trout , basically all the fun one could ask for .

 

I love the idea of being secluded from society , but I also love being closer to waters that I would like to frequent , Va. has a lot to offer in the way of fishing , no doubt we are not a world record setting state by any means , yet it does offer a lot of really great fishing , and in a lot of cases , year round fishing .

[starcraft1]

Being from California I should say here, but my option would be Texas. Reason is they don't have a bunch of democrats trying to get rid of bass, they encourage the sport!

[FD.]

83 degrees today. Just sayin

[joeyfishes]

Just like they say, everything is bigger in Texas! The finest bass fishing lake in my opinion in the state is Lake Austin, about 30 minutes away from me. In fact, I have a tournament there this Saturday. A ShareLunker was pulled out today, weighed 13.8

About a month ago, a tournament was held there and the winning stringer was 41 pounds. 

[SirSnookalot]

Taxes and politics aside and not employed by the chamber or commerce I'd suggest not coming to Florida.  We have heat, humidity and bugs, with lots of people in congested areas.  A good portion of the population lives within 15 miles of a coast the bigger emphasis is saltwater fishing.  We do have some excellent urban fishing, not a lot of places you can walk 100 yds to your backyard canal with the opportunity of an 8# bass.  Quite honestly if one is hardcore bass fisherman from the heartland of the country, there are better places to go than s/e Florida.

[plumworm]

Not a single vote for Wisconsin. Lets see, Minn. make their claim of 10,000 lakes, We have 14,000 named lakes. We have Lake Superior, great smallmouth fishing and trout and walleye and perch. The Mississippi, (the best multi species fishing hole in the US) Elites here the last two years. Green Bay, smallies and walleye and perch and musky, Elites here two years ago. We have 1000s of miles of trout streams, Super salmon fishing on Lake Michigan. Super walleye runs on many rivers. Spring run rainbow trout fishing on about 25 rivers. Sturgeon fishing. Fantastic runs of white bass. Oh, did I mention that we have 14,000 lakes that provide all the panfish you can eat. Oh, again, did I mention that Wisconsin is the Musky fishing capital of the world. Yes, the winters can be long, but we have deer and grouse and turkey and bear and pheasant and wolf and coyote and woodcock and rabbit and dove and wild boar and goose and ducks to hunt. And a whole lot of folks really love to ice fish. Did I mention we also make beer and cheese here. No, I am not a paid lobbyist. Peace.

[fish365]

I think you have a lock on brownies. We ocassionally might catch a bigger

smallmouth down here, but your numbers and average size is unbeatable.

As a comparison, my best day ever was 15 smalljaws including 8 over 5lbs.

Dwight and his friends often have 50-100 fish days that i would hazard to

guess average weights of 4-6lbs. I would take those numbers any day!

 

 

 

Our smallies are catchable all winter. Besides Dale Hollow, most of the Tennessee River chain and TVA Lakes Douglas, Cherokee, South Holston typically take 20-25 lbs to win a tournament in the dead of winter

[NWBassGuy]

Being from So Cal and fishing Casitas...kinda cool but not a lot of lakes in the area....limited. I'm in WA now and love it. So many small bodies of water that hold bass within an hours drive...incredible. I have a hard time choosing. I love the attraction of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Alabama, and Florida for largemouth. Fishing in Arizona in the Phoenix area at the end of this month. Keep getting told how great it is to live there. I have my doubts. Can't deny some of the Northern states for smallies as well as largemouth. I've fished Alabama and love the state. I could live there. I've fished Oklahoma and Arkansas, fished Wisconsin. Fishing was awesome. I have a place to live in Wisconsin if I want. From a fishing standpoint...can't go wrong with just about anywhere depending on what you target. A lot of people have put out facts of living  i.e. taxes, cost of living, employment. That makes a HUGE difference. Vacationing and fishing in a place is one thing...living there...is all together different. No real answer but good luck on your decision

[hatrix]

I'm surprised someone hasn't mentioned Tennessee. That maybe the only state where you would have a shot at a double digit Largemouth and Smallmouth (though, a very very remote chance, but a chance none-the-less).

I am going to have to say Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York would have a better chance at catching a double digit in both colors. The Great Lakes are to good especially Erie.

[J Francho]

Not double digit big. Yet. The biggest green fish I've heard of being caught in the last 15 years, from a reputable source, is a little over 9 lbs. and I believe that was in CT. You can check the records for brown fish. Most are around 8.

[everythingthatswims]

 

I can't believe no one has mentioned Utah yet. Sure, you can talk unemployment, tax, cost of living and other stats but this is about bass. If you don't want to catch a world record bass or even have a reasonable chance of a double digit bucket mouth, then this is the place! Here are our state record bass

 

Species         Year     Weight          Length

 

Largemouth   1974   10 lb 2 oz     24 1/4

 

Smallmouth   1996    7 lb 6 oz      22

 

Sarcasm aside, We have many good smallie and LM waters within 2 hours or less from Salt Lake City. And Lake Powell and Mead about 6 hours away, with good striper fishing too. Considering Utah is known for 'the greatest snow on earth' the fishing here is pretty good.

 

 

 

 

If I lived in Utah I would scoff at bass and become a fly fishing purist haha

[everythingthatswims]

I don't know if the tax's outweigh the fishing here in Va. we too have a lake the pro circuit uses as one of their many stops which is Smith Mountain Lake also we have the Potomac River which is also one of their stops .

 

Although we seem to be taxed for everything , it's a manageable taxation , I myself am close to being centrally located to any large body of water with a TON of areas that are centrally located , ie, river systems , creeks , ponds , and other smaller but fun fisheries , stocked with all kinds of fishing , bass , trout , basically all the fun one could ask for .

 

I love the idea of being secluded from society , but I also love being closer to waters that I would like to frequent , Va. has a lot to offer in the way of fishing , no doubt we are not a world record setting state by any means , yet it does offer a lot of really great fishing , and in a lot of cases , year round fishing .

I agree with you completely, while we may not have any world renowned fisheries (except for chesapeake stripers), there are a TON of options when you look at species to target and the bodies of water to target them in

[bigbill]

Well if you can deal with the weather changes that range from the -20's (Down to -40's in some spots) in the winter to over 100 in the summer come up to Minnesota. You can find several great lakes to fish on, and a lot of them can be found within the Twin Cities alone. If you want to take a 2-4 hr trip up north you will find great deep cold water lakes for bass, Walleye, northern, and musky.

If you want to fish in the winter knock yourself out. Ice fishing can be "Fun" Personally not my idea of fun when you sit on the ice jigging, but hey some others love it,

Plus you can include the northern (or southern) part of the state for hunting. Great Deer, and bear hunting. Duck hunting is starting to migrate to the east towards the Dakotas. We also have wolf hunting here as well.

I been told the ice fisherman don't fish they go ice fishing to eat and drink.

[RipSomeLips]

Let me just settle this question right now. The best state to fish in is the one you currently in! Sure Okeechobee (SP) is hot right now and lake fork is a rockin place to be, but I live in Kansas by golly and so Im happy to fish here because it's home! Now the second I move to florida some day Kansas will be dead to me...haha..but for now the best state for me is Kansas.

[CDMeyer]

Wisconsin is a really diverse state to fish, I know you cannot fish all year therefore that is  its only down fall.  Yet, it can really help own our skills.

But I would say that most states are the same I would say Texas.....

[DelfiBoyz_One_and_Only]

Virginia is for lovers and fisherman!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! VA ALL THE WAY! :}

 

J-

[ToledoMard928]

Louisiana, then you could drive to either TX or FL

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[ToledoMard928]

Louisiana, then you could drive to either TX or FL

+1