Best Fishing Town?

[Valley fisher]

I love to fish and can never get enough of it. I have read all of the "best fishing towns" on the internet, but those types of reports usually list the obvious choices. I am mostly an inshore salt water fisherman and I both flyfish and spinfish (usually with artificials). I have my favorite town which I will describe below. What is yours and why? I would especially like to hear from the western stream/river fishermen. I need to find a place to go in the summer where it isn't as hot as florida.

Mine:
Boca Grande, Florida
Pros: Beautiful laid back little town that doesn't get crowded even at the height of the season (Jan-Mar). Not a single traffic light. A few great resaurants (who needs more?). Almost no crime. Great weather Oct. - May. Good sight fishing in crystal clear water for Redfish, Snook, Trout, and Tarpon (spring/summer).

Cons: Expensive. Some properties on the island are 2-3x the price on the mainland just a few miles away. Fairly high property tax, but no state income tax. Fishing can get crowded, but you can get away from the other boats if your boat floats in 5-6" or less. Blazing hot in the summer thru September.

 

[naggz]

I'm not a fisherman, but apparently the Bow River through & south of Calgary, Alberta offers some great trout fishing.

 

[molly312]

I have to to weigh in on this topic. Though we now live in Columbia, MO - until recently, we spent 28 years living in Slidell, LA and fishing the coast. On a good morning, you could easily fill a 48 qt cooler with Redfish, Speckled Trout, and Flounder (doormat size). From there you can also go offshore and fish the rigs. A quick drive to New Orleans for fun or a quick run to the Biloxi area for a totally different experience.

Can't comment too much on the heat as hot is hot and I am originally from Michigan. However, we got use to it and were happy. It gets hotter here in Missouri than it did along the Coast! The difference is that it stays hot for a lot longer in the South.

 

[Free To Canoe]

When DW got her 1st teaching job, the interview consisted of one question: "Do you like to fish?" "We have the 2nd best bass fishing in the country".
Moncks Corner, SC is in the middle of Santee Cooper lake country. They have land locked striped bass among other things. Ocean fishing is 30 miles away.


Home


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santee_Cooper

 

[48Fire]

We are trying to find our best place in Florida, so interested in the ideas here. My wife just told me that the full moon is September 25th, so she is ready to go For now, we have focused on the intercoastal waterways on near Cape Canaveral.

 

[hurricane harry]

Chokoloskee

 

[Bamaman]

We're very fortunate to have the Tennessee River in our front yard with a 6 mile sunset view from our screen porch. We're 6 miles from the famous Pickwick Lake and 10 miles from Wheeler Dam. The holy grail of bass fishing is Guntersville Lake--40 mi. SE of Huntsville and 2 hrs. from home.

Our lake is #1 in large smallmouth and #1 in big catfish in the U.S.

With extremely low house prices and property taxes, our Shangri-La is a great place to live. Those from the far North and California have no idea that us ole southern boys (that didn't wear shoes as kids) have a much higher quality of life than 99.99% of them have.

 

[haha]

Saltwater rules. The bag limits are generous or don't even exist. The fish are bigger, usually meatier and also easier to catch. If you area fish consumer, and not just a pleasure fisherman, go salt and likely south. I hate gear and boats, and many places you are going to need both, but over the years I have had great fun going very simple. Living very close to whatever you are going after is a big plus.

I've done a lot of stream fishing, but usually you are going to spend more time and energy and often money per pound of fish than just going down to a pier or jetty, or a bay where you can launch a little inflatable. Or you cannot beat someplace where your boat is by your house and already in the water.

Ha

 

[48Fire]

Mine:
Boca Grande, Florida
Pros: Beautiful laid back little town that doesn't get crowded even at the height of the season (Jan-Mar). Not a single traffic light. A few great resaurants (who needs more?). Almost no crime. Great weather Oct. - May. Good sight fishing in crystal clear water for Redfish, Snook, Trout, and Tarpon (spring/summer).

Cons: Expensive. Some properties on the island are 2-3x the price on the mainland just a few miles away. Fairly high property tax, but no state income tax. Fishing can get crowded, but you can get away from the other boats if your boat floats in 5-6" or less. Blazing hot in the summer thru September.

Looks great, but like you say, a little pricey. Is there any reasonably priced places near here?

 

[RAE]

I love to fish also. Fishing near home (Michigan) is good from spring thru fall, but in the winter, we go to Rockport, Texas for 2-3 months. I love the fishing there...........mostly seatrout, redfish, and black drum. I can fish out of my kayak (which is great), and we rent a house right on a saltwater bay, so I can be fishing in 10 minutes after walking out the door. I catch enough fish there that I release most of them, as we can only eat so many fish (and it's nice to eat shrimp, crab, oysters, and other stuff, rather than fish all the time). It did take me a couple years to figure out the fishing down there, but now that I know where to go and how to fish, I have no problems catching the 3 species mentioned above.

 

[Tekward]

I'll start with two disclaimers, I'm not a fisherman and it is a bit far from Florida; but Kodiak is amazing. I went fishing last Saturday for the first time (city boy) and I mistakenly offered to help a 90 year old woman pull in what turned out to be a fish bigger than me - a halibut 71.75 inches and 190 pounds. Did I not learn what NAVY stands for? (Never Again Volunteer Yourself). The next day we went out with some newbies (as we were the experienced ones now) and I only caught one fish - an 80 pound halibut. Pictures available upon request, including a full freezer. Damn, being retired is hard work....

 

[Free To Canoe]

I'll start with two disclaimers, I'm not a fisherman and it is a bit far from Florida; but Kodiak is amazing. I went fishing last Saturday for the first time (city boy) and I mistakenly offered to help a 90 year old woman pull in what turned out to be a fish bigger than me - a halibut 71.75 inches and 190 pounds. Did I not learn what NAVY stands for? (Never Again Volunteer Yourself). The next day we went out with some newbies (as we were the experienced ones now) and I only caught one fish - an 80 pound halibut. Pictures available upon request, including a full freezer. Damn, being retired is hard work....

Halibut of my dreams....yum.

 

[Del Q]

In 2016 I'm going to move to our ER home just outside Ely, MN. Hundreds of clear water lakes and dozens of rivers within an hour drive and just over an hour to Lake Superior.

 

[Valley fisher]

48Fire - Yes, there are cheaper places near Boca Grande, some on the water, some not. Placida, Rotunda, Englewood beach and Venice are all nice and much cheaper, but you lose some of the very laid back island feel. If you don't mind living on a real island (no bridge - boat/ferry access only), check out Little Gasparilla Island, Dom Pedro Island and Palm Island.

 

[fishnfool]

I've been fishing here in California all my life. Mostly saltwater from shore, boat and kayak. Monterey Bay is my playground and always something biting. Cod, Halibut, Salmon and Seabass just to name a few.

 

[youbet]

Northome, Minnesota.

 

[Donzo]

I have done well up here in NorCal, foothills of the Sierra - lots of lakes and rivers, streams etc. While kayaking last week with a spoon lure out about 75 feet I caught 3 rainbows. It was fun, a workout .... and dinner. My favorite is stream fishing. Finding the right spot takes time and experience.....or, having a good buddy that knows all the hot spots

 

[scrinch]

My brother is fishing in Sitka, Alaska this week. His catch for Monday: 3 king salmon, 8 silver salmon, 5 pink salmon, 6 halibut. The biggest king was 30 lbs.

 

[Rick_Head]

La Ronge, Sk. No saltwater fish near here though.

Summer, northern pike, walleye and lake trout if you want to try. Spring, those and rainbow and brookies if you are really good. Winter (thru the ice) lake trout and whitefish, occasionally the others.

While La Ronge is on the shores of Lac La Ronge, a lot of the best fishing is on other rivers and lakes within a 50-100 mile radius. If you want superb fishing, just get your friendly local bush pilot to drop you at a lake no one has fished for a several years. You could canoe to one if you are able to navigate unknown (to you) wilderness.

The blacktop ends at La Ronge. The air or water highway begins.

 

[RobLJ]

I love to fish and can never get enough of it. I have read all of the "best fishing towns" on the internet, but those types of reports usually list the obvious choices. I am mostly an inshore salt water fisherman and I both flyfish and spinfish (usually with artificials). I have my favorite town which I will describe below. What is yours and why? I would especially like to hear from the western stream/river fishermen. I need to find a place to go in the summer where it isn't as hot as florida.

Mine:
Boca Grande, Florida
Pros: Beautiful laid back little town that doesn't get crowded even at the height of the season (Jan-Mar). Not a single traffic light. A few great resaurants (who needs more?). Almost no crime. Great weather Oct. - May. Good sight fishing in crystal clear water for Redfish, Snook, Trout, and Tarpon (spring/summer).

I relocated to Reno to flyfish for trout and avoid the Houston heat. Because of the drought, I'm having to drive 6 miles to the Cal border and a little further or hike a little to the high mountain lakes but it's good. Tahoe is less than an hour away and the hiking around Reno is great.

We had a cabin up above Canon City, CO above the Royal Gorge (7500 feet at the cabin) or you could look or something around Salida--beautiful little town close to the Continental Divide about an hour from Canon City. We sold the cabin along with the Houston home to move to Reno, but I had pangs of some regret. Reno is a great year-round location; I'm not sure I could deal with the cabin when I hit 70 or so.

Also love Glenwood Springs area; Oklahoma granddad built his cabin near Basalt and Carbondale but since they're below Aspen, they've become pricey and pricier over the last 30 years.

I should note my childhood was a lot like River Runs Through It, if 40-50 years later, so I love the mountains and fly-fishing for trout. Even if I don't catch anything, I love casting on the river, particularly in the evening or early morning.

 

[RobLJ]

I love to fish and can never get enough of it. I have read all of the "best fishing towns" on the internet, but those types of reports usually list the obvious choices. I am mostly an inshore salt water fisherman and I both flyfish and spinfish (usually with artificials). I have my favorite town which I will describe below. What is yours and why? I would especially like to hear from the western stream/river fishermen. I need to find a place to go in the summer where it isn't as hot as florida.

Mine:
Boca Grande, Florida
Pros: Beautiful laid back little town that doesn't get crowded even at the height of the season (Jan-Mar). Not a single traffic light. A few great resaurants (who needs more?). Almost no crime. Great weather Oct. - May. Good sight fishing in crystal clear water for Redfish, Snook, Trout, and Tarpon (spring/summer).

I relocated to Reno to flyfish for trout and avoid the Houston heat. Because of the drought, I'm having to drive 6 miles to the Cal border and a little further or hike a little to the high mountain lakes but it's good. Tahoe is less than an hour away and the hiking around Reno is great.

We had a cabin up above Canon City, CO above the Royal Gorge (7500 feet at the cabin) or you could look or something around Salida--beautiful little town close to the Continental Divide about an hour from Canon City. We sold the cabin along with the Houston home to move to Reno, but I had pangs of some regret. Reno is a great year-round location; I'm not sure I could deal with the cabin when I hit 70 or so.

Also love Glenwood Springs area; Oklahoma granddad built his cabin near Basalt and Carbondale in the mid '60s, but since those areas are below Aspen, they've become pricey and pricier over the last 30 years. God's country, though.

I should note my childhood was a lot like River Runs Through It, if 40-50 years later, so I love the mountains and fly-fishing for trout. Even if I don't catch anything, I love casting on the river, particularly in the evening or early morning.

 

[Fly Fisher]

I would highly recommend the Missoula, MT area as a Summer fishing destination. We lived in MT ~ 20 years and, like you, I love to fish. Missoula has five excellent streams nearby (Clark Fork, Bitterroot, Blackfoot, Rock Creek and Lochsa in ID) and numerous tributaries plus many activities in town when not fishing. Glacier Park and Whitefish are two hours north and Yellowstone/Tetons are ~ four hours south. I believe you would not be disappointed.