Okay To Move for Fishing or Not??

Okay after 10 years off/on in the Rockies chasing Trout, this Georgia boy is debating moving to Florida in the Tampa area this Spring. Very tough decision seeing how I love the Rockies but my true addiction is Saltwater for sure!

Family and a few fishing buddies live in the area and trying to coax me so we’ll see. Would you do it? No kids, no commitments and self employed so as long as I can get a job I may do it. Anybody have any tips on helping on my decision or anyone in that area tips on living in Central Florida. Yep I know it gets Hot, but Denver gets chilly so it all evens out~

Thanks

This

or This

Stay in Denver, you’ll be glad you did!

Man, the FL pic looks good…is there a way to keep the CO place and get a place in FL ? That’s what I’d do if’n I could.

Cheers,

MontanaMoose

Do it.

  1. More trout for the rest of us remaining in Colorado S
  2. There is a higher proportion of scantily clad potential significant others in Florida. Well, unless you lived in Boulder, maybe.
  3. It doesn’t snow in Florida, nor does it get to -15 like it does in Denver.

Seriously, though, if your work is where you are, then there is no reason to not BE where you enjoy life the most. You work to live, not the other way around. Or at least that is the way I think it should be.

Before you make up your mind, go to Florida in August for a couple weeks and head out to the lakes for some fresh water fishing.

It’s HOT, HUMID, and there are mosquitoes the size of small aircraft (not to mention rattle snakes, water moccisans, alligators, and any number of non-native creepie crawlies that can ruin your day.

My mom and dad live in Floridaz in the winter and love it but they’re always ready to come back to Kentucky about the first of June.

Jeff

I made a move in 2001 to an area that I had hopes of retiring to someday so I could fish and hunt. I’ve never been unhappy with my decision, even during the loooooooong winters and the droughts we’ve seen 3 of the last 5 years that kept me from flyfishing for trout as much as I would like.

I figured that I can work anywhere, I might as well live somewhere I love.

The only thing I can’t wrap my mind around in your case is why the he!! would you want to move somewhere that doesn’t have trout fishing and is so miserably hot 11 and a half months a year? I know it’s personal preference, but 6-8 months of cold, nasty weather is better than 1 day of humidity and heat in the south.

DO WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY.

From the pics you’ve posted, I’d guess your mind is already made up. :slight_smile: I’ve been in both places and I will always take the mountains over the beaches. :o:o:o

I was sitting in Prison one day, my partner of the day and I were having a conversation about life, some of our coworkers etc. He made the comment
“this is not my life, this is what I do so I can have a life” Where is your life the fullest, decide then stay or go.

Eric

Snow or Hurricanes? Your choice dude. I lived in Northern NM for a number of years and came to the desert in So Cal for a visit in '81. Still here. Jim

Thanks and yeah there’s no defininitve answer I guess! Ideally live in both but not sure if doable! Heat vs Cold, Hurricanes vs Blizzards, trout/mtns/beauty vs beaches, clear water and a ton of species to chase…I guess only my therapist can help now!!

I’ll give you the “conservative” reply. If ALL your priorities and ducks are “in a row” and you feel confident enough to follow your dream, GO FOR IT.

Mark

Follow your heart,
because
you only live once.

Kind regards,
UB

If as you say, your true addiction is the salt, you are not tied down, and you all ready have friends in the area…then I say go for it. I just wish I could make such a choice.

As stated you only live once, hopefully maybe more.

If it doesn’t work out, then make another choice. You appear to be a relatively young man.

Best wishes for either option!

Bob :cool:

Jeff,

While I have to agree with you that it’s hot in Florida in the summer, but that’s like saying dogs have bad breath. I mean what do you expect? The tradeoff is that we have absolutely great weather nine months out of the year. June and July are tolerable. Only August and September are bad for those who can’t tolerate the heat and humidity.

I rarely encounter mosquitoes (I’m not sure where you go when you’re in Florida?). Rattlesnakes? Yeah, we got 'em, but I’ve yet to see one outside of a zoo. Water mocassins? Ditto.

Us Floridians don’t come on here speaking badly about Kentucky. Why do you want to bash Florida?

If Florida had rainbows, browns, brookies and dolly varden, it would be perfect. Saltwater fly fishing is great. I like to do both, so Florida is good for me. Largemouth bass, bluegill, speckled perch, oscar, Mayan cichlid and tilapia help sooth the time when redfish, snook, seatrout and tarpon aren’t cooperating.

Good luck!

CO if you got the Mtn man in you, or if you really long for Pirate day you had better head to Tampa for good.

No one here can make that call for you. Only you can. Here is what I recommend for you to do:

If you can afford it, I would recommend that you take some time and go visit the area you are considering. Don’t just go for a week or two. Go and stay and really feel the area out and see how you feel about it. It would be a shame, and a lot of wasted money, to make the big move and then decide it was not what you thought it would be. No matter how young and independent you are, you are settled where you are and have ties with your friends and the area. Don’t let other friends and family make this decision for you. This is a big step and you need to make sure it is the right step in the right direction. Make a visit to the area and look it over real good and get a feel for it. Now this next part will be hard to do, but, if you do make the visit to check out the area, don’t go fishing! Fishing is what you want to do and you will feel more like you are on vacation and the excitement of the fishing trip will override the true reason for the visit. You already know the fishing will be great. What you want to find out is if the area is somewhere you want to live. I have made 2 moves to Florida in my life and the fishing was great! You can fish for saltwater species and freshwater species and both will be great! I guess I needed more space around me and less people and Florida is getting crowded and just was not for me. The heat and humidity is there, but, I do not mind heat. I hate being cold. So, for me, the fishing and weather was great, but, there were just too many people for me.

Make a visit to the area and really check it out before making the big move.

Good luck with whatever you decide and please let us know what you decide.

I could use some warmwater wading right now, was on the Blue in 15’ weather fishing all day on Sat,fingers still frozen

I moved to Montana because a friend of mine passed away and was buried out there in a hilltop cemetery overlooking the famous springs creeks of Paradise Valley. Figured it was as good a place as any to end up and I just might get in some great fly fishing in the interim. :slight_smile: