Retirement Suggestions Please

[Bankc]

34 minutes ago, Luke Barnes said:

My brother in laws aunt and uncle had a place on Grand Lake here in Oklahoma. Close to the water and 2 minute drive to the marina where they kept their boat. They were cruising type folks and not anglers but I would LOVE to retire there. 10 minutes from a decent town and a lake that's hosted the BassMaster Classic its a no brainer for me!

Grand lake gets super crowded during the summer, especially on the weekends, with party boats.  It's got good fishing, is a beautiful lake, and checks off all of the boxes.  But every time I've been there, it's been a absolute mess to navigate through with all of the drunk boaters.  It's easily the most crowded lake I've ever been on.  

 

It's a large lake, and I certainly haven't explored all of it.  So it might be different as you get further away from Tulsa.  But my experiences with that lake left a bad impression on me.

 

I'd recommend checking the average wind speed for any area you choose before you make your final decision.  I'll fish in freezing weather, rain, and 100+ degree heat, but high winds ruin about half of the days out of the year for me.  

[Darth-Baiter]

Lake County California?  
 

lower costs relative to the rest of CA.  Houses have big lots, plenty of marinas, and. Ckearlake!!

[WRB]

Now that the climate can be controlled the entire country will have California’s climate and politics so stay put. 

99% of California’s sportsman and women bail out to increase the fixed income about 25%  and 10% lower cost of living. The only thing that keeps me here is the health system, climate and life long net work of friends. 

As soon as we the climate is changed country wide we are out of here!

Tom

[TnRiver46]

On 1/24/2021 at 11:26 AM, OkobojiEagle said:

SW Tennessee intrigues me.  I'm more apt to want smaller lakes as I retire.

 

oe

Ironically I’ve never heard of SW Tennessee haha. I have been there though! (They just call it all west TN)

On 1/24/2021 at 8:49 AM, Bass24-7 said:

Looking for my Bass Fishing retirement home suggestions.  Here is the vision. Please don’t judge. Trying to provide info that may help in suggestions.

 

1). Would like to have boat kept in a marina with lift / 24 hour access on LARGE freshwater lake / river.  I’ve done enough trailering,  I’m ready to significantly reduce trailering / ramp trips

 

2) We would  like to live close to the Marina but no requirement  to be on water, actually prefer a little acreage , scenery, privacy.  As long as we have healthcare, groceries within 30-40 minutes we are good
 

3) We  also like to travel in a smaller sprinter van , so we’ll be looking for a location that allows us to head off on multiple / diverse trips.  Southern Florida is a bit to isolated for easily exploring the rest of the US on shorter trips, so Central / south Florida is out

 

4) Bass Fishing is our primary recreation, we also like travel and bicycling 

 

Any Southern Town / Lake / Marina Suggestions that we can research further would be much appreciated!  We aren’t afraid to do the research but some starter location / suggestions much appreciated ! 

You described several paces in East TN. I live near downtown Knoxville and biking appears to be the #1 recreational activity. My home value has doubled because of Proximity to several miles of mountain biking trails, who knew?? I just bought it because it was close to my favorite boat ramp 

[Catt]

19 hours ago, Bass24-7 said:

Any suggestions further south in Louisiana ?

 

I live in southwest Louisiana, about 30 minutes from the Gulf of Mexico, offshore & inland saltwater fishing is as good as any. Hunting is phenomenal for just about anything. Freshwater fishing is different with most being rivers, bayous, & marshes. The Elite series will be on the Sabine River in April.

 

All that being said Toledo & Rayburn are a couple hours away. 

 

What would you prefer urban or rural?

19 hours ago, Bass24-7 said:

Any suggestions further south in Louisiana ?

 

I live in southwest Louisiana, about 30 minutes from the Gulf of Mexico, offshore & inland saltwater fishing is as good as any. Hunting is phenomenal for just about anything. Freshwater fishing is different with most being rivers, bayous, & marshes. The Elite series will be on the Sabine River in April.

 

All that being said Toledo & Rayburn are a couple hours away. 

 

What would you prefer urban or rural?

[bigfishnfreak]

my vote is California as well. rural areas aren't that pricey, southern California has DVL, the San diego lakes, all a few miles apart. trips to clear lake in the van , would make a nice vacation, theres a casino for the wife. trips to the redwoods aren't  far, and there are rivers for salmon and steelhead. 

trips to the sierras during summer for a mountain get away, it has it all. 

what others pay for heating and cooling equals the differents in property costs.

[YakingBass]

Grand is good, some main lake issues in the summer with pleasure boating crowds, but lots of nice coves that you can fish and get away from the main lake crowds, also easy travel to a ton of lakes in Oklahoma, Southern Missouri, Northern Arkansas and not too terribly distant to some of those Texas monster bass lakes.  

[moguy1973]

The problem with California is it's really not a place to live on a fixed retirement income unless you did yourself well with your retirement accounts.  It's kind of an expensive place to live.

[Luke Barnes]

3 hours ago, YakingBass said:

Grand is good, some main lake issues in the summer with pleasure boating crowds, but lots of nice coves that you can fish and get away from the main lake crowds, also easy travel to a ton of lakes in Oklahoma, Southern Missouri, Northern Arkansas and not too terribly distant to some of those Texas monster bass lakes.  

Yeah didn't think about vicinity to other lakes. Hudson is close, Oologah isn't far, Skiatook isnt that far and is a really good smallmouth fishery.

[Darth-Baiter]

3 hours ago, moguy1973 said:

The problem with California is it's really not a place to live on a fixed retirement income unless you did yourself well with your retirement accounts.  It's kind of an expensive place to live.

If I can pull it off.....:)

[roadwarrior]

Florence, AL

https://florenceal.org/

 

Pickwick Lake, Wilson Lake and the Tennessee River. Relatively close

to Kentucky Lake and Guntersville. 

[jimmyjoe]

   I've been retired for 5 years. I remember that when my wife and I were looking for places to retire, we decided that there were only 3 that interested us:

 

   1) Texas,

   2) Texas, and

   3) Texas.

 

   I can't remember why we decided to stay here.   ???          jj

[Sir Shamsalot]

On 1/24/2021 at 8:06 PM, LCG said:

I am Canadian, so I can't help you much. But, I just wanted to say that you sir are living the dream. My hats off to you and yours, sounds like an awesome retirement. 

I'd retire on the Trent River system in a heart beat.

[Alex from GA]

I lived in So Cal for over 50 years and moved to N GA in '99.  I keep a boat in the water on Lake Lanier but don't fish on weekends during the summer when the crazies are out.  There are small rivers within 30 minutes of me that hold lots of bass.  I'm old and can't fish in winter there, too cold most days, so we have a small place in central FL, on the Tsala Apopka chain, for the winter.  I'm from 5 to 40 minutes from several lakes and rivers and 40 minutes from the gulf for salt water fish.  

[GRiver]

I know you’ve ruled out central Fl, I live on Lake George, it’s part of the St. John’s River system. 45 minutes plus I’m at a bigger town for Lowe’s, Home Depot, and bigger stores. 
Now we travel more than an hour for health care, not saying they aren’t  any closer, just not one we like. 
But the St. John’s River and everything else that’s attached is amazing to me. You’ll run stretches will nothing but nature, then a small town like Welaka. It will have marina for fuel, a restaurant for lunch and dinner. There is a big condo, with slips and lifts if you in to the condo life. 
That is the good, there is always “ not so good”. 
Going to town your day is pretty much shot, if you do have to get work done on anything, be prepared to take it to them, them coming to you can be expensive. I don’t worry about getting mugged, but when we go traveling, we make sure it locked down good and tight. 
But I guess it’s all what you really want out of life..
 

[Catt]

East Texas known big bass lakes

Bob Sandlin 

Conroe 

Fork (G.O.A.T. Lake)

Lake O' the Pines

Livingston

Naconiche

Pinkston

Sam Rayburn 

Toledo Bend 

Welsh

 

Even Tyler is kicking out double digits this years!

 

[Mobasser]

The Missouri Ozark area can be a nice place, as long as you do some research on where to go. The fishing doesn't rival Texas or Louisiana, but can be good.                      I like Table Rock and Pomme Dr Tarre. Lake of the Ozarks is good too, but gets over run with the party crowd much of the summer.

[FishinBuck07]

If I ever get the chance later in life it will most likely be Eastern Tennessee for me, so many lakes around that area!

[TnRiver46]

19 hours ago, FishinBuck07 said:

If I ever get the chance later in life it will most likely be Eastern Tennessee for me, so many lakes around that area!

Just remember: we have lots of water because ....... it rains A LOT..... without the TVA dams and flood control we would all have to live on ridge tops haha

[gim]

I have seen a lot of people post suggestions about living somewhere along the gulf coast or Florida, etc.  What they conveniently leave out is that those areas are right in Hurricane Alley.  And recently we've had more numerous and more powerful hurricanes than we've had before.  If you're willing to wonder if the next one forming in the Atlantic Ocean is heading your direction to flood you or blow your house down, then so be it but there is absolutely no way I could tolerate it.  I'd be a nervous wreck for months at a time.  I know that some members on here have personally dealt with hurricanes very recently too.  You'd be a fool to think that the next one simply "isn't coming your way."  A guy can't control the weather but he can control where he builds his house.

[jimmyjoe]

19 minutes ago, gimruis said:

A guy can't control the weather but he can control where he builds his house.

 

   I'd amend that to, "A guy can't control the weather but he can control what kind of house he builds."                jj

[FishinBuck07]

1 hour ago, TnRiver46 said:

Just remember: we have lots of water because ....... it rains A LOT..... without the TVA dams and flood control we would all have to live on ridge tops haha

Still better than lots of cold and snow and ice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[TnRiver46]

2 hours ago, FishinBuck07 said:

Still better than lots of cold and snow and ice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Absolutely. Fish love water and I love driving a boat 

2 hours ago, gimruis said:

I have seen a lot of people post suggestions about living somewhere along the gulf coast or Florida, etc.  What they conveniently leave out is that those areas are right in Hurricane Alley.  And recently we've had more numerous and more powerful hurricanes than we've had before.  If you're willing to wonder if the next one forming in the Atlantic Ocean is heading your direction to flood you or blow your house down, then so be it but there is absolutely no way I could tolerate it.  I'd be a nervous wreck for months at a time.  I know that some members on here have personally dealt with hurricanes very recently too.  You'd be a fool to think that the next one simply "isn't coming your way."  A guy can't control the weather but he can control where he builds his house.

Well it hasn’t blown them away yet. I think there’s like 12 million people In the 3 counties near Miami. the entire state of Tennessee is like half that . Hurricanes don’t really scare people too much, they make new 2x4s and sheet rock everyday 

[Hawkeye21]

If you want to be central then I recommend Southern Missouri or Northern Arkansas.

[Catt]

2 hours ago, gimruis said:

A guy can't control the weather but he can control where he builds his house.

 

No matter where ya gonna deal with hurricanes, or tornadoes, or wildfires, or ice storms & blizzards, or mud slides, or flooding rain.

 

Pick one! ?

 

My bucket list consists of every where listed above!