Michael Satterfield
TGR Staff – 11/25/2020
The Southern half of the United States is full of unique and memorable fishing experiences. In this article, we will pick our top 5 fishing trip experiences for both freshwater and saltwater angling.
Florida Tarpon Fishing
Tarpon is one of the most sought after fish in the southern saltwater and for good reason. They grow big, are incredibly strong and powerful, and are incredibly beautiful. When you hook a tarpon you begin a ballet of acrobatics that is also the angling equivalent of a knife fight, if you need more reasons to persuade you to try tarpon fishing you might need a new hobby, like skydiving or something. You can find Tarpon fishing all along the west coast of Florida, but Punta Gorda has become one of the top spots in Florida.
Bass Fishing at Lake Fork
Lake Fork in the eastern part of Texas is a lake that is held with reverence in the bass fishing world. The lake comes in at 27,000 acres of quality trophy bass holding habitat. Everything from grass beds to vast sections of underwater trees and stumps, bass have more than needed to grow large and numerous. The number of 5 lb. class fish is pretty substantial and catching a fish in the 7 to 10-pound range is not unheard of, making this lake arguably the best bass fishery in Texas.
Venice Redfish
Located in the marshes at the mouth of the Mississippi River, the Venice area is full of canals, flats, and marshes that are home to some of the best redfish angling on the planet. Fishing for redfish in many ways can feel like fishing for largemouth bass and has become increasingly popular for saltwater anglers over the last couple of decades. Due to the type of water fished it’s easily fished using bass rigs which also increase its popularity with anglers that typically stay inland. For an all-inclusive luxury fishing experience, we recommend Salt Grass Lodge which allows you to arrive and fish, you just need a valid Louisiana Fishing License.
Santee Cooper Crappies
The Santee Cooper system, also known as South Carolina’s great lakes, comprises 110,000 acres of water between Lake Marion and Lake Moultrie with a 6-mile channel connecting the two lakes. Crappie can be found everywhere and grow incredibly large. Vertical jigging crappie in the spring around the vast amounts of vegetation is the most popular tactic and season to get them. Fish in the 2-pound range are fairly common and at some tournaments, 7 fish stringers can weigh in at over 13 pounds.
Melton Hill Musky
When most anglers think of world-class musky waters it conjures up the image of pristine lakes in places like northern Wisconsin, Minnesota, or the Canadian Shield, with loon calls echoing in the distance and black bears wandering the shoreline. Melton Hill Lake in Tennessee is a southern gem for musky fishing, with 192 miles of shoreline and 5,470 acres of total area. This body of water has stocks and manages the great lakes spotted strain of musky, these fish grow incredibly stock and long and Melton Hill holds great numbers of them with a great number of trophy fish growing over 50 inches in length, allowing people to go after the elusive and voracious musky without having to travel to the north country.
