Which bodies of water would you rather live near?

[Pat Brown]

I fantasize about retiring on Santee Cooper someday.  It's a magical place.

[TnRiver46]

1 hour ago, king fisher said:

It may look like East TN, but the bass in this lake crush spinnerbaits.

They do that here too……. Just not when I throw them 

[JS Patterson]

On 5/10/2024 at 11:06 AM, FryDog62 said:

I visited Greer last Fall - liked it and my wife and I went to a festival in the park. Also drove by Lake Robinson but didn't fish it. A guy in a kayak at the ramp said he just caught a 6.5 LMB.  A friend has a place on Lake Bowen, and I believe that is also HP restricted.

I live at Robinson and can attest that it is a very healthy fishery. We have been catching a lot of 20 lb limits lately. I don't advertise it too much because it already receives a lot of pressure. Robinson and Cunningham are perfect for kayak fishing. We have been able to keep the Alabama bass out so far, so the largemouth are the predominant species. Bowen has a lot of fish and a lot of boat traffic.  As mentioned, the larger lakes are within reasonable distance and provide a variety of different fishing conditions (except grass).

[FryDog62]

Pretty close comparison so far - 6 for South Carolina, and 4 for Florida. I appreciate all the opinions coming in so far… keep ‘em coming! 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

I only need one lake on that list......Orange Lake!   One of hottest big Bass factories in the country right now.  

 

I would move to that lake in a heartbeat.

 

Oldschool guy I follow who uses black Muskie Jitterbugs, and mainly fishes at night caught two DDs yesterday on Orange.   

 

 

[Woody B]

My opinion is tainted.  I live 1/2 mile from SC in Grover NC.  I've lived in the same county my entire life.  I don't know anything else, but I like it here.    We rarely get Snow.  It's hot during the Summer, but not nearly as hot and humid as Florida.  It's also not that much hotter, and many times less humidity than places further North like Ohio.   

 

Cost of living is going to vary from county to county and city to city.   

 

 

Team9nine for some reason I thought you were further East.  Decades ago I won a BUNCH of races, and dollars at Greer Dragway.   

[Bird]

I did this over 4 years ago when I retired.

Had it narrowed down to lakes in NC and Tenn but the wife crushed my dreams 😭.

I'm 63 and she ain't leaving her business she built for another 6 years. 😳

That puts me at 69 and perhaps a catheter and a nursing home. Ha Ha

 

On a more serious note, I'd consider Texas as well for the serious bass fisherman.

[TnRiver46]

3 hours ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

I only need one lake on that list......Orange Lake!   One of hottest big Bass factories in the country right now.  

 

I would move to that lake in a heartbeat.

 

Oldschool guy I follow who uses black Muskie Jitterbugs, and mainly fishes at night caught two DDs yesterday on Orange.   

 

 

I think I saw that guy on bass after dark? Same fella ? 

[Dwight Hottle]

On 5/10/2024 at 5:06 PM, FryDog62 said:

Is there much temperature difference in the summers between N Georgia and Central Florida?

 

I get it though, we are in Naples - and it’s actually cooler here in the summer than it is much farther north in Orlando. 

That’s because you’re on the coast. Ocean breezes versus middle of the state. 

4 hours ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

I only need one lake on that list......Orange Lake!   One of hottest big Bass factories in the country right now.  

 

I would move to that lake in a heartbeat.

 

Oldschool guy I follow who uses black Muskie Jitterbugs, and mainly fishes at night caught two DDs yesterday on Orange.   

 

 

I like the way you think. 

[geo g]

Being from Florida the last 50 years I like Central Florida because of all the bodies of water within a 30 mile radius.  I get tired fishing the same waters all the time, so with all the possibilities you'll never get bored.  Winters are heaven except for all the snow birds crowding all the ramps.  Summers are clear sailing as long as you can stand the humidity, and an occasional hurricane.  Since retiring I fish 6 days a week and seldom the same place twice in a row.

[Columbia Craw]

Post Falls Idaho. 

[Koz]

On two occasions I lived in the Greenville- Spartanburg area and I loved it. I lived in both Greer and Simpsonville. In those areas you are also in close proximity to a lot of great state parks.

 

I also lived further south in the Hilton Head Island / Bluffton area. There you will find THOUSANDS of stormwater lagoons/ponds that hold big bass including double digits.

 

Before he passed, my father lived in Sun City Hilton Head (which actually is in Bluffton on the mainland) and in that community alone there are over 300 accessible lagoons. You can’t boat or kayak in Sun City, but you can walk, bike, or drive to great fishing spots.

 

Almost all communities in that area have stormwater lagoons teeming with big bass.

[AlabamaSpothunter]

16 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

I think I saw that guy on bass after dark? Same fella ? 

Yeah that's the fellow.  

 

Love how he's continuing the tradition of Pat Cullin and LJ Brasher.  

 

Awesome podcast as well.   That was heater of a show with the guest lineup.  

[Motoboss]

Greenville, SC! No doubt. 
We lived there for three years during a construction contract and it was an absolutely awesome place for fishing. So many opportunities, lakes rivers and ponds that are (were) free access. The weather is great, no sales tax, cost of living is low and easy access to the ocean, State Parks,  even Atlanta or other big city sports and entertainment.

The people are awesome and the country is beautiful. If having the opportunity we would return for sure.

[GetFishorDieTryin]

Both are good options, if you don't mind the heat.  I've never spent time in SC during the summer, but FL is brutal in July and August.  Population growth may be something to consider as well, I don't know how you're going to be able to flush a toilet in some parts of Florida if people keep running there in droves.  

[FryDog62]

2 hours ago, GetFishorDieTryin said:

Both are good options, if you don't mind the heat.  I've never spent time in SC during the summer, but FL is brutal in July and August.  Population growth may be something to consider as well, I don't know how you're going to be able to flush a toilet in some parts of Florida if people keep running there in droves.  

We left Florida 2 days ago with a heat index of 105 and it’s only mid May. We’re spending the weekend in SC and it’s beautiful (79 degrees today).
 

Yeah, Florida has experienced too much growth in recent years, but SC has a hyper-building issue here too. Just isn’t as filled in as FLA yet.  The roads aren’t up to the bursting growth here.
 

I don’t know how to say this without sounding political, but there are reasons why people are moving this way and it’s not going to let up. 

[Buzzbaiter]

There’s really great fishing to be had in Florida, with fisheries you can’t find elsewhere in the country. That being said, there’s not much human habitat there. Too many people, too much construction, and too much heat, among other things. It’s a shame, since Florida is so beautiful.
 

Once I graduate, I’m packing my bags and heading back north. I can’t stand to be away from the brown bass long-term 😁

[Neil McCauley]

Lake George or Champlain. By coincidence, I live by both. 

[GetFishorDieTryin]

On 5/19/2024 at 5:48 PM, FryDog62 said:

We left Florida 2 days ago with a heat index of 105 and it’s only mid May. We’re spending the weekend in SC and it’s beautiful (79 degrees today).
 

Yeah, Florida has experienced too much growth in recent years, but SC has a hyper-building issue here too. Just isn’t as filled in as FLA yet.  The roads aren’t up to the bursting growth here.
 

I don’t know how to say this without sounding political, but there are reasons why people are moving this way and it’s not going to let up. 

 

I had family with properties in and around Cocoa Beach as a kid.  It was a paradise in the winter, but the summer was a different story.  I mean it gets nasty everywhere in August, but FL is a different animal.   The one saving grace is after the daily thunderstorms it feels much better outside.  

Unfortunately, politics is exactly why people are pouring into TX, TN, FL, VA and the Carolinas.  It wont end unless state government takes a hard look at what outrageous taxes and cost of living is doing to their respective states.  

[N Florida Mike]

N. Central Florida is still a nice place to live, but it is rapidly changing. It is getting developed to death. IMHO the fishing isn’t near what it once was. I could break down the water bodies you mentioned but won’t for sake of time. I will mention Sante Fe for an example.

We fished there recently and caught 1 bass in 6 hours of fishing. It is one of the most bassy looking water bodies you will ever see. It has everything . I personally did not get 1 bite in 6 hours. And I grew up here. My conclusion: Heavy pressure. The other popular water bodies are the same. If you can find unpressured water , then you will have success.  Don’t get me wrong- I am very blessed and content to live here, and even more so, to live on a small lake. That being said , my lake now has probably more pressure than ever since Covid. The saltwater fishing here is very good , but you have to deal with lots and lots of people at the ramps and on the water. It’s frustrating for someone like me who , when I was younger, had wide open fishing opportunities with relatively few people around.

 

As for the Greenville area, I have had this strange desire to live in upstate SC for many years now. And not just for the fishing. I’d like a quiet place back in the hill country. I doubt if it will ever happen, but it’s fun to dream…

 

[Swamp Girl]

Home inventory in Florida is rising, which means there are more people looking to sell than buy. This is likely due to rising property insurance and some Floridians are choosing to "self-insure," which means no insurance. With evermore Florida homes uninsured, the next hurricane will scar Florida, as some damaged, uninsured homes will be abandoned and their new residents will be rats, mold, and drug addicts. 

 

In short, I would not buy in Florida. The state cannot solve insurance unaffordability with its Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, not without raising taxes...and raising taxes...and raising taxes as the water rises and rises and rises. 

 

I know my outlook is bleak, but the situation is bleak. Florida's pool table flat with an average elevation of 100'. Only Delaware is lower at 60'. 

[N Florida Mike]

Katy , I agree that insurance is a big problem. Infrastructure is another one, trying to keep up with all the people coming here. The traffic is becoming a nightmare. Respectfully though, our coastline is no different than it was when I was a kid in the sixties. Oh we have the occasional storm that floods some houses, but we’ve always had that. I can go surf fishing and stand in front of the same dunes that were there when I was a kid. 
Like I said though, N Central Florida is still nice( not the crowded coast).

[gim]

7 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

which means no insurance

 

That's down right foolish.  You'd have to be pretty naïve to think you could risk daily life without some kind of home insurance in a state where a hurricane could show up any summer/fall.  A home is often times the biggest investment a person makes in their lifetime.  Flood insurance wouldn't be a bad idea either.

 

If a person can afford the house, they can afford the insurance.  Protect your investment and your home and if no one will, leave.  Let someone else make a terrible decision instead.

[Swamp Girl]

@gimruis: "According to the Miami Herald, the Insurance Information Institute estimated that 13% of all Florida homeowners are going without property insurance, almost double the national average of 7%."

 

@N Florida Mike: It's rising at a rate that we can't notice without measuring, but the rate is accelerating and the effects can seen in Miami, where streets that flooded once a year now flood several times a year (Yes, Miami is pushing back with infrastructure, but when it comes to water, water always wins.): "In the last 80 years, sea level rise has risen about a foot, with 8 inches of that total in the last 30 years, said Brian McNoldy, a senior research associate at the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric and Earth Science."

 

 

[Swamp Girl]

7 minutes ago, N Florida Mike said:

The traffic is becoming a nightmare.

 

I agree, Mike. I fly to Florida most years and it reminds me of southern California now with its 10-lane highways that are busy 24 hours a day. As it was with California, one can love a place to death.