How Far Down South

[BadContrakt]

Do you have to go to have "year round" bass fishing seasons. The wife and I are not wanting to stay in Minnesota for long (maybe a couple years at most) and no state in particular has us 100% convinced. Texas is very high on the list of places to live, but there are other states on the radar.

 

Just curious, if a guy were to choose a state with a great bass population, size, and year round fishing, which state would that be?

 

(Florida is out, we've lived there).

[Tennessee Boy]

I've lived in Kentucky,  Tennessee,  and Alabama.  In all three states,  the bass are willing year round.  The question is how willing is the angler.  I'm willing to fish down to about 40 degrees,  the average high in January in middle Tennessee is 47.  Around half of the days in January are acceptable fishing days to me.  I prefer January fishing to July fishing.  The further south you go the more comfortable it is in January and the more miserable it is in July and August.  I would recommend that you take a look at North Alabama. You have a nice selection of largemouth lakes like Guntersville, and smallmouth lakes like Wilson and Pickwick.  In a couple of hours you can be on one of the Coosa river lakes and the meanest spotted bass in the country.

[Sam]

South Louisiana.

 

A lot to do other than freshwater fish.

 

Check it out.

 

Are you retired so you don't have to worry about your career?

[Alec McMillan]

West Georgia

[greentrout]

Mississippi Gulf Coast salt and freshwater ... deep sea ... inshore ... fishing rodeos ...

 

bass fishing ... marsh locations on mississippi/louisiana border ... pearl river swamp basin and north... pascagoula river basin ...drive north potential for dd bass in state lakes ...

 

laid back southern culture ... great food ... great people ...

 

good fishing ...

 

[813basstard]

South Carolina is a Native American word for Heaven. 

Go there. 

[Bluebasser86]

I fish year round in NE Kansas thanks to power plant lakes. Our open water season usually runs into December and they open back up in late February or early March. I'd go further south though. Arkansas has open water year round usually and lots of nice lakes with a variety of fish species.

[geo g]

I would definitely go to southern Louisiana, don't ever come to Florida.  We are getting too many here! 

[soflabasser]

Florida is full. On average we get +900 people a day moving to Florida. Go to Southern California, you can catch lots of big bass there. Texas is also a great place for big bass. 

[jbsoonerfan]

I live in OK and find it great for year round fishing. That being said, I would seriously consider TX, TN, GA and AL. If you can move anywhere you want, you will surely find a good landing spot.

[Deleted account]

When a guy says "don't come here" That's the first place I want to check out. 

[Catt]

Southwest Louisiana/Southeast Texas economy is booming right now.

 

Bass fishing aint bad ?

 

[Hook2Jaw]

I would advise against South East Georgia.

 

I gotta drive two hours to get to a lake. 

[Oregon Native]

Moved to Tn from Oregon ten years ago....sometimes wish I would have been born here....so many places to fish in such a short time!!

[ohboyitsrobby]

We fish year round here in west Arkansas. There's no less than 7 lakes within an hour of hot springs. All kinds of different fish too. 

[Troy85]

13 hours ago, Sam said:

South Louisiana.

 

A lot to do other than freshwater fish.

 

Check it out.

 

Are you retired so you don't have to worry about your career?

Sam makes a good point.  Many times I catch bass and inshore salt water fish at the same spot.  There is so much marshland available that you couldn't fish it all in a lifetime, it also gives boats plenty of room to spread out.  I launched on Saturday at a launch that must have 200 trailers in the parking lot, and I saw 1 other boat fishing all day. 

 

[fishingram24]

North/central Alabama would be a great spot for fishing and hunting. Love my Ms. gulf coast, lived here 50+ years, but it's just to hot and humid for me from June through Sept. 

[Koz]

In most areas of the southeastern US there will be a trade off - the winter weather is mild enough to get out there and fish, but the summers can be brutally hot and humid.

 

It also depends upon whether you prefer to fish from the bank or the boat. For example, here in SC if you like to bank fish then you want to be in the Bluffton / Hilton Head area where there are THOUSANDS of stormwater retention ponds that hold big bass. But if you have a bass boat it's just about useless there and you need to move further north and west to find bigger bodies of water with boat ramps.

[BadContrakt]

Thanks for all the responses y'all.

 

I feel for that poor guy with no lakes within a 2 hour drive up a few posts from here ^^^^ OUCH!

 

Texas is strongly on my list. Like North Texas, Dallas surrounding area. Saltwater fishing is kinda cool but mehhhh... Lived in Florida and far preferred to fish the freshwater for the largies. I hear North texas gets absolutely brutally ridiculously hot during the summer. Like way hotter than Florida even. I'm hesitant... Haha! I'm glad I posted this though because it's given me a few areas to check out.

 

By the way, I'm in the car business. I'm not too worried about finding work but obviously wouldn't move somewhere without lining up work first. That's the least of my worries though. Finding big bass is my main concern!

[Jleebesaw]

4 hours ago, Catt said:

Southwest Louisiana/Southeast Texas economy is booming right now.

 

Bass fishing aint bad ?

 

That's a great picture!

[Sam]

1 hour ago, Koz said:

In most areas of the southeastern US there will be a trade off - the winter weather is mild enough to get out there and fish, but the summers can be brutally hot and humid.

 

It also depends upon whether you prefer to fish from the bank or the boat. For example, here in SC if you like to bank fish then you want to be in the Bluffton / Hilton Head area where there are THOUSANDS of stormwater retention ponds that hold big bass. But if you have a bass boat it's just about useless there and you need to move further north and west to find bigger bodies of water with boat ramps.

...there are THOUSANDS of stormwater retention ponds that hold big bass AND LOTS OF ALLIGATORS, TOO.  

[GReb]

Louisiana is sportsman’s paradise. 

 

Took a buddy of mine from south GA into Louisiana one day and he was so jacked. “I can catch a fish and shoot a duck on every corner!”  And it’s basically true 

[TnRiver46]

4 hours ago, Hook2Jaw said:

I would advise against South East Georgia.

 

I gotta drive two hours to get to a lake. 

You are going to need a for sale sign out front. Pronto. My girlfriend wanted me to move into a farm house she used to rent, I told her she’s was crazy because it was about 12-13 miles from the nearest boat ramp. Might as well have been in a desert with no water!!!!!

[Koz]

1 hour ago, Sam said:

...there are THOUSANDS of stormwater retention ponds that hold big bass AND LOTS OF ALLIGATORS, TOO.  

Yep, and that's why you need to be very careful, approach any foliage or cover with caution, and keep your head on a swivel when fishing. I've been chased and surprised by alligators more times than I can count.

 

But with so many lagoons and retention ponds even if you get chased off by a gator on one lagoon there are plenty more to choose from. There was one lagoon that I fished for a number of years and at most I could get in 10 casts before having a big gator camp out by my feet. But this year that gator moved on it it was by far the most productive lagoon this year.

[EGbassing]

11 minutes ago, Koz said:

Yep, and that's why you need to be very careful, approach any foliage or cover with caution, and keep your head on a swivel when fishing. I've been chased and surprised by alligators more times than I can count.

 

But with so many lagoons and retention ponds even if you get chased off by a gator on one lagoon there are plenty more to choose from. There was one lagoon that I fished for a number of years and at most I could get in 10 casts before having a big gator camp out by my feet. But this year that gator moved on it it was by far the most productive lagoon this year.

Are gators that prevalent in all of SC or is it just the area you live in? We were thinking about moving to Greenville soon..