Freedom to fish whenever and wherever

[Arcs&sparks]

3 hours ago, jbmaine said:

Minipi region

??

[12poundbass]

11 hours ago, slonezp said:

We were to meet under the darkness of night an hour from the ramp. My father and I were to don burlap sacks over our heads while A-Jay drove us to the ramp. We were to fish until dark and repeat the process in reverse. Unfortunately, this series of events never transpired and I went to Sturgeon Bay instead.

Ahhh that makes perfect sense. I knew something wasn't quite adding up, and there had to be a detail missing. ?

[GrumpyOlPhartte]

At my age such a trip would revolve around where the “roadside rests” are located along the highway!! I may have set the bar too low, but I now enjoy just using a kayak to explore local lakes (and there are a number of small lakes and ponds around here) that I could never thoroughly enjoy when limited to bank fishing. Every bass from a heretofore unknown location is a revelation to me.  Still ... when I hit the lottery ... 

[TOXIC]

Great topic!!  I'll let you know in June!!  That's when I retire and will begin the search for my lake house.  My wife wants to continue to work for a few years so I plan to hook up the boat and go to all of the lakes on my possible retirement list.  Likewise, I am lucky enough to be in a "group" of fishing friends who enjoy traveling to lakes all over the country to fish.  I will say, after my first trip to St Clair in Michigan, that place is special.  I've been going back for 16 years.  We are looking at possibly having a couple of retirement places since I do not want to deal with winter ever again!!  I just love the Northern lakes with their clear water and multiple species......especially Smallmouth.  I can do without the winters though.  So, my retirement lake may be North but I foresee a condo or something down South for the winters.  The fun is going to be in the search!!  That's why I am retiring with, hopefully a good chunk of time left to pursue my fishing goals.  I can't wait!!  

 

 

[the reel ess]

I'd like to catch all the "black bass" species that I can and make a trip to a Mexico trophy bass lake. I've never caught a smallie, trout, pike, muskie or any of the northern species, really. I like to kayak fish and I want to retire early enough to still enjoy it.

[TnRiver46]

3 minutes ago, the reel ess said:

I'd like to catch all the "black bass" species that I can and make a trip to a Mexico trophy bass lake. I've never caught a smallie, trout, pike, muskie or any of the northern species, really. I like to kayak fish and I want to retire early enough to still enjoy it.

You can catch all those except Pike about 4 hrs north 

[the reel ess]

6 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

You can catch all those except Pike about 4 hrs north 

I could probably manage a pickerel around here. We have 2 species in SC, but nowhere that I currently fish that I'm aware of. I can catch smallies about an hour from here in the Broad River basin. And there is a state record for muskie but it was ages ago and in a mountain river. There are trout in the NW corner of the state.

[everythingthatswims]

On ‎11‎/‎30‎/‎2018 at 4:14 PM, Scott F said:

I've been wanting to do something like that for several years. I just wanted to do it fishing rivers for smallmouth. Now that I'm retired, I could do it, but I don't think it would be much fun to do it alone and I haven't found anyone who'd like to do it with me.

I'll go, but only on one condition... We long arm the smallmouth in photos

[soflabasser]

I think anyone who loves bass fishing as much as we do should try to catch as many species of black bass species as they can. So far I have caught the following species of black bass;

1. Florida largemouth bass

2. Northern largemouth bass

3. Smallmouth bass

4. Suwannee bass

5. Bartram's bass

6. Bartram's bass x Alabama spotted bass hybrid

7. Spotted bass

8. Shoal bass

9. Altamaha bass

I plan on catching more species of black bass in my future vacations and hopefully catch other species of fish besides black bass.

 

Added Altamaha bass. Have caught other species that are also called bass such as striped bass, barred sand bass, calico bass, black Sea bass, and many others.

[Elkins45]

I retired last November and thought I would have a lot more time to do stuff like that, but in the year since I retired I have taken only four weeklong trips. Twice to Eufaula, once to Seminole and once to Rodman. I didn’t even get to do much in-State fishing because the weather was either freeezing or boiling almost all year.

 

I’m hoping maybe next year will be better, but I wanted to go somewhere south this week and now I’m babysitting a sick pet instead. Life gets in the way.

[SWVABass]

8 hours ago, soflabasser said:

I think anyone who loves bass fishing as much as we do should try to catch as many species of black bass species as they can. So far I have caught the following species of black bass;

1. Florida largemouth bass

2. Northern largemouth bass

3. Smallmouth bass

4. Suwannee bass

5. Bartram's bass

6. Bartram's bass x Alabama spotted bass hybrid

7. Spotted bass

8. Shoal bass

I plan on catching more species of black bass in my future vacations and hopefully catch other species of fish besides black bass.

What about the Guadalupe bass?

[soflabasser]

10 hours ago, Swbass15 said:

Guadalupe bass

Already did my research on Guadalupe bass and they are one of the easiest black bass species to catch from land. I will be targeting them in a future vacation along with other rare species of redeye bass.

On 12/3/2018 at 9:04 AM, the reel ess said:

 I've never caught a smallie, trout, pike, muskie or any of the northern species, really. 

Have caught smallmouth bass, trout, and Bartam's bass in South Carolina where you live so you do not have to leave your state to catch those species. Have also caught trout, pike, muskie, walleye, and other northern species near the Great Lakes. I strongly reccomend you consider traveling if your goal is to catch these fish. Make sure to do research for a couple months before you travel to make your trip better. Beats going to Disney World or other common tourist destinations.

[the reel ess]

2 hours ago, soflabasser said:

Already did my research on Guadalupe bass and they are one of the easiest black bass species to catch from land. I will be targeting them in a future vacation along with other rare species of redeye bass.

Have caught smallmouth bass, trout, and Bartam's bass in South Carolina where you live so you do not have to leave your state to catch those species. Have also caught trout, pike, muskie, walleye, and other northern species near the Great Lakes. I strongly reccomend you consider traveling if your goal is to catch these fish. Make sure to do research for a couple months before you travel to make your trip better. Beats going to Disney World or other common tourist destinations.

There are smallies in the Broad R at least an hour away. I'd have to drive 3 plus hours for the others.

Well, DNR stocks trout in the Lower Saluda below the Lake Murray dam during winter, but most don't make it to the spring. Stripers eat them. That's about an hour away.

[soflabasser]

I often drive one to three hours to reach my favorite fishing places so only driving 1 hour is not far. The drive will be worth it since it means you might catch fish to add to your bucket list. I caught smallmouth bass in the Broad River watershed and I caught Bartram's bass in the Savannah River watershed.

2 hours ago, the reel ess said:

There are smallies in the Broad R at least an hour away. I'd have to drive 3 plus hours for the others.

Well, DNR stocks trout in the Lower Saluda below the Lake Murray dam during winter, but most don't make it to the spring. Stripers eat them. That's about an hour away.

 

[TnRiver46]

20 hours ago, soflabasser said:

Already did my research on Guadalupe bass and they are one of the easiest black bass species to catch from land. I will be targeting them in a future vacation along with other rare species of redeye bass.

Have caught smallmouth bass, trout, and Bartam's bass in South Carolina where you live so you do not have to leave your state to catch those species. Have also caught trout, pike, muskie, walleye, and other northern species near the Great Lakes. I strongly reccomend you consider traveling if your goal is to catch these fish. Make sure to do research for a couple months before you travel to make your trip better. Beats going to Disney World or other common tourist destinations.

I know a spot or 3 where you can catch the redeye bass (micropterus coosae)

[CrankFate]

On 11/30/2018 at 4:14 PM, Scott F said:

I've been wanting to do something like that for several years. I just wanted to do it fishing rivers for smallmouth. Now that I'm retired, I could do it, but I don't think it would be much fun to do it alone and I haven't found anyone who'd like to do it with me.

Everyone loves fishing, until it’s time to actually go.

 

I hear everyone talking about some big adventure, far away for some giant fish. I have done that a couple times, but I don’t like it. And I couldn’t even think of being on a boat for a few days straight. I’d rather be in some shallow water catching regular fish whenever I want. And whenever I can, that’s what I do.

[Oregon Native]

Traveling.....fishing....day after day....watching sunrise's on the water....feeling the tug....don't have to be big....love it all.

But I've had to slow down...three or four days in a row is all I seem to get now....wallet has to refill and body has to recharge.....