Only for those who have fished in multiple states

[roadwarrior]

Lakes have their own personalities, so to speak. The Tennessee River has thirteen dams, but there is only one Guntersville. I'm not sure how many reserviors have been built on the Cumberland, but there is only one Dale Hollow. Man made lakes change a great deal over time, but some of the older reserviors have actually improved over the years.

I am convinced that fishing can be very lake specific, especially man made lakes.

[Fish Chris]

you said > But it was not as hard to catch 20+ fish in a day there then it is here. Plus, out there if I did get into some fish and boated 20 or so several of them would be in the 5lb range or close to it}

.....that sounds so much like my trips to Clear Lk. in the old days, with tiny live dads and micro light gear..... except maybe they would have a ligit average of 5 lbs, with many in the 6 to 7 lb range, and maybe an 8 or 9 lb kicker (hardly ever a 10 plus though, which is why I hardly ever fish for bass there anymore).

In any case, I would SOOOO much rather stick one 10 to 13 lb'er, that I can add to my album, than 20 fish for 100 lbs.

As to your original question, I have fished Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas, and while I'm sure that each of these states have certain lakes, that might produce catches like I used to experience at Clear Lk (although I never found them), I don't believe ANY of them would give me the shot at the really BIG fish, that I find in so many trout-fed Cali lakes, which is all that really does it for me, anymore, anyway.

Peace,

Fish

[Matt Fly]

Fished Texas, Cali, Ms, Fla and other states that didn't make the cut.

All those states offered some very nice bass fishing, each has its own quirks.

When I was in Cali, you pay to fish those So cal lakes every day with ramp fee, park fee, and fishing fee, and can only be on the water from sun-up til sun down on the majority of them and some days they are open only to skiing and not fishing.   Figure out which days.    Great bass fishing overall.

Ms, has some big skeeters, lots of hummidity, good stringer bass fishing.   Lots of soup to fish out of, but off colored water was good for my jig bite.

Fla, I found so many little lakes to fish that offered so many choices on how to fish them.     Took me six months of bank beating to figure out times and habits of those bass.    Always managed to catch some on most trips, but numbers and quality didn't come until I gained some experience.        Good size and numbers if you know what your doing, and I didn't at first.

    I had the opportunity to fish lots of states and countries due to my lengthy career in the military, and I never travelled with out tackle.

I fished Mn, Mo, Ok, Wy,  Ill, La, and ark.      To vote Tx would be biased because its my home, born and raised.

Keith, you know about Texas.

First off, I have seen some scenery across the states, truly god's country all over.

Cali gets my vote, one because Hodges back then was a replica of lake Fork in that it kicked out as many 9lb or larger as did Lake Fork, in the 80's, they were rated #1 and #2.

Cali gets my vote because what I came away with.    I had to put bullet weights up and learn to down size and split shot.      In a nutshell, from 1980-1994, in Cali, I learned to finesse fish.      Didn't like all the fees, didn't like having lakes closed to fishing and open to skiing only on some of the weekends.

When times are tough, I can get bit by going lite-line and spit shotting.

Cali has some great lakes for numbers and size, and some great lakes for quality and less numbers.      Take your pick, numbers or giants?.  

Texas gets the overall nod because of the numbers of lakes in Texas that offer super bassin.     We don't just have 15 lakes that produce teens, we have 50 or more that produce teens on a normal basis.

One time state license fee, public ramps on 95% of the lakes, and fishing at night is legal unlike the majority of cali lakes.     Texas has lots of lake owners which is boat dock city.    Again, the so cal has no lake owners on those lakes, which means no boat docks.

The winter up north kept me off some the lakes, I did experience some of the best fishing up north for other species.   I learned to fish for Coho and Kings, what a blast.

hookem

Matt.

   

[.ghoti.]

Nifty idea for a thread.

I've been around a bit the last few years. I'm from Illinois. Been fishing in Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio, New York, Missouri, Arkansas, Iowa, Ontario, and a few others that I won't comment on because they were either short trips or only a single time. I've gotta say Minnesota has been the best for all around fishing success. Largemouth, smallmouth, muskie, walleye, crappie, and my all time favorite fish, pike. If you like bass fishing, you've gotta love pike fishing.

The other place that I have to metion is Cancun. Been going there almost every January for about ten years. I love to fish the lagoon. Cancun is an island, shaped like a 7, off the tip of the Yucatan peninsula. The area between the island and the mainland is the lagoon. It averages 5 - 6 feet deep, and covers about 25 square miles, surronded by mangroves. Lots of rock, coral and vegetation to fish. Had a great day every trip except one. I've caught bonefish, tarpon, snook, snapper, pompano, grouper and barracuda. Mostly on topwater baits on light spinning tackle. Light for saltwater that is. Barracuda are awesome when they hit a super spook. They are like a big pike on steroids.

To get back on track, I've never fished Florida, Texas or California, the acknowledged big bass states. ( sorry if I left anybody out ). These are on my list. I will get around to them, sometime. For bass fishing, Minnesota has been the best to me, with Missouri running a close second.

I'm going to agree that it's hard to pick a state when there are so many good lakes, all over the map.

[Bankbeater]

I currently live in St. Louis. That is the LAST place I'd suggest anyone move to for good closeby bass fishing.

Being born and raised in the St. Louis area, you ain't going to get an argument from me on that one.  

[George Welcome]

I've fished in just about every state on the eastern seaboard to include inland to the big Miss. However there is trememdous variety down here in the sunny south.

What are the biggest lakes in Florida?--Answer: Florida has 3 million acres of lakes and 12,000 miles of rivers and streams. There are 7,710 named lakes over 10 acres in size. The biggest are: Lake Okeechobee is the biggest at 448,000 acres, followed by Lake George (46,000), Jim Woodruff Reservoir (37,500), Lake Kissimmee (34,948) and Lake Apopka (30,671). For a complete list of lakes over 1,000 acres, click here.

[GeneinTX]

I have never fished for freshwater in Florida. I have fished in TX, MI, KY, WI, MS, NY CT, GA, KS, CA, TN, MI, OH, and LA. Maybe some more, can't remeber. I recently retired from the Army and chose to live in TX because of the fishing.

With that said, my list for best fishing destinations is:

Texas

Minnesota (Mississippi River around Brainerd)

Kentucky

I lived in CA for a while and fished Castaic. Entirely different stlye for quality fish. I am sure that this would ahve been better if I really figured it out. That said I did live in LA so I'll take smaller fish not to live there agiain LOL.

[SPEEDBEAD.]

Cant click on the link, george...

[senile1]

I wonder if it's a "state" thing or a "Lake" thing.

I think it's an "angler" thing.  Sure, the southern states have a much longer growing season but that doesn't stop a northern lake from handing you one of the best days of your lives.

It's what you take from the experience, as opposed to WHERE you experienced it, that means the most to me.  Great experiences can happen anywhere you toss a line.

Well said, LBH.  I have to agree.  I've fished a number of states but not enough to rate one above another.  Obviously, if you're after the biggest porkers you'll want to fish California, Florida, Texas, etc.  I enjoy fishing just about anywhere.  Once you know a lake well, your success at that lake increases. It's difficult to compare the fishing at a lake that I really don't know well from another state, to the lakes that I love and hold so dear that are near me.  

Quote from RW:

I am convinced that fishing can be very lake specific, especially man made lakes.

I agree.  Any lake that you enjoy fishing has a special quality that diffentiates it from all the others.  This is what makes it great in its own way.  

[The Duke]

A state that doesn't get enough attention from us and myself included is New York. I've been to this state a couple of times, but not enough. Lake Erie, Oneida, Chautauqua to mention a couple, have some of the best LM & SM fishing I've ever experienced.

I've fished IN, MI, OH, NY, SC, Alabama, & TN

Duke

[Keithscatch]

Cant click on the link, george...

Here it is: http://floridafisheries.com/docum/lakes.html Although I don't see the Stick Marsh/Farm 13 on this list. It is definitely over 1,000 acres. Also, I am not sure what Conservation lake 1, 2 and 3 are. I assume they are areas in the Everglades as they are listed quite large.

[Siebert Outdoors]

I currently live in St. Louis. That is the LAST place I'd suggest anyone move to for good closeby bass fishing.

Being born and raised in the St. Louis area, you ain't going to get an argument from me on that one.

Me either

[George Welcome]

SFWMD Conservations areas 1,2, and 3.

Yep, in the glades, sort of: 1 & 2 are fishable - 3 is good for froggin.