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Only a few years from retirement and starting to look for retirement destinations. I was headed to KY Lake, but the Asian Carp situation has made me reconsider. Looking for good crappie and other species adds a lot to the equation. Trying to stay away from the next place to run over by the dreaded Asian Carp. Looking at Dale Hollow/Cumberland in TN/KY, Truman/Stockton in MO or Norfork/Bull Shoals in AR/MO. Thoughts? Suggestions?
Might depend on whether you want to live in a big city, small city, country town, or out in the sticks. In KY, our major lakes are scattered all over the state and not all of them are close to metropolitan areas. You mentioned Dale & Cumberland, but in that general region are Green River Lake, Barren River Lake, Nolin Lake, & Rough River Lake, all of which are different & unique. None of them are subject to the Asian Carp invasion, due to the fact that they do not have locks. All of them offer a diverse number of species for which to fish.
I live in Lexington, so it's a bit of a drive for me to visit most of the lakes in my area, but many can be reached within 1.5hrs drive time or less ... specifically Taylorsville Lake (1.5hr), Green River Lake (2hr), Cumberland (1.5-2hrs), Cave Run Lake (1.5hrs). Where you plan on relocating should also take into account the drive time to lakes in that area. :twocents
I guess I was unaware that Kentucky?Barkley had "locks"? Where specifically?
Does anyone know if the other mentioned lakes in the original post have locks?
Truman is a great fishery right now and you have LOZ right there as well then Smithville a couple hours out. All very good crappie and bass lakes. LOZ lots of docks to shoot you I know many pull cranks in the summer. Truman more trees to dip and spider rig around. Some docks to shoot and I'm sure you can find places to pull cranks I plan on trying my hand at it this summer. Smithville I have never fished but do see good pics of the fish caught. If you a all about crappie the big 3 are some nice places to be in Mississippi.
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KY/Barkley have locks at their respective dams. Cumberland Lake & Dale Hollow do not (nor do any of the other lakes I mentioned). KY Lake is connected to the Ohio River by way of the Tenn. River ... Barkley is connected by way of the Cumberland River. Barge traffic is the main reason for the locks, I believe.Quote:
Originally Posted by fishincrazy
3 great states to choose from. Don't think you can go wrong with any
Good luck in your search. When I retire I hope to live one mile from Richard Gene.
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The Truman/Stockton area is pretty much in the middle of nowhere. Springfield around an hour to the south, Kansas City a little farther north. May be what you want, may not be.
Bull shoals is much closer to Springfield and Branson, if you're into bigger cities.
I moved around some while on active duty. My last base was here in Arkansas. As an outdoors man I liked it enough that I stayed here. The only state I would leave it for is back to Alaska. I'm in central AR but if I had a chance I'd move somewhere near lake Ouachita.
I lived in middle TN for 10 years and there is no shortage of fish or good living there. If not for the grandkids I would be there now. I lived in Manchester and there are many lakes in the area with Dale to the north. Guntersville about an hour and Percy Priest near Nashville about that too. Nickajack and Chickamauga just a little further. River fishing too if you’re into that. I’ve been around a bit and like MO too, but the winters there are very different than where I speak of. Good luck in your search, hope you find your Valhalla.
I will tell you this. If you really truly like to fish. Even if you want to be on a flood control reservoir....make sure there is some good fishing lakes near that are not flood control. A few years of major flooding and no place to go and it will get aggravating.
I can tell you I won't live there because of the politics and taxes. But Southern Illinois has a lot of non flood control lakes with good fishing.
I use to nearly live at Kentucky Lake. But over the years I am spending more and more time in Southern Illinois. Some years it's about the only place I go. Lots of fish,record fish or near record fish caught all the time. And even during periods of heavy rain they get turbid and fishing can slow....but at least you can get on them.
Even though I live in Missouri it's much closer to go to Kentucky,Illinois,Arkansas,and Tennessee as most of the major lakes in Missouri.
Personally, I would have to do a few road trips. I love to fish, but I would have to have other amenities as well.:twocents
You can catch fish in any of those states, but TN has no income tax.
Just sayin'.
Sent you a pm
Truman is the next Grenada Lake. Seeing some really good crappie coming from there and I bet traffic there is about to take off.
Personally if I were you, I'd quit looking at the big lakes and find a small residential lake with good crappie fishing.
I would move to Bolivar or Clinton Mo. Bolivar is 30min from Stockton and a little over an hour from Truman. Both have a Hospital a walmart Bolivar is 40 min. from Springfield Clinton is 1 hour from the KC suburbs and 15mins from Truman. I have lived near Springfield for nearly 58 years and I am thinking about moving to Clinton.
What he saidQuote:
Originally Posted by ET Fish
I’ll just tell you at Dale Hollow....Lake Cumberland.....you are close to nothing. Dale Hollow in the summer for fishing is not that great.....unless you fish at night or do deep water trolling. Both of those lakes are full of recreational boaters in the summer...I mean chock full. Good luck in your search.
Regards
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I'm a redear man and that brought me to Lake Barkley. Of course we're now run over by AC which has me concerned about not only the fishing, but property values in the area.
If they're not proactive, every single lock and dam impoundment on the Cumberland and Tennessee River will be FULL of AC.
I truly believe the one sure fire way to rid them, is by utilizing the Herpes virus. People have to be intelligent enough to not eat the AC once that's administered. Apparently there's a virus ready to go but they will not release it because of the worry that people will eat the AC. A park ranger here at Eureka Campground actually told me that, so there's that.
Not on your list but check out Hot Springs Arkansas. You have a handful of lakes that all offer great fishing. We spend a couple weeks over there a year and most the time I can find something to catch and no Asian carp.
X2 on Clinton, Mo.
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Toledo Bend, fish year round
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First thing I’d check would be your tax situation. No income tax in tn. Arkansas will find 50 ways to get tax dollars out of you. Don’t know about Mo. Nashville is a great area to live in and some pretty good lakes around there. Skeetbum could fill you in on that area.
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