My ideal location would have :

Low(ish) population fairly remote but is in 20th century
Great big game fishing with short boat runs to grounds
cheap fuel prices
party atmosphere
Good deals on real estate (canal property, ie boat behind house) with 5+' mLW depth and no low bridges.
non-hostile (no wars or guys walking around with M16's)
tropical
good electrical access
half way decent Airport
beautiful remote beaches with various surf fishing options (fly, spin, inshore, flats, etc)
any hemisphere but warm year round.
Low taxes
Don't care about government, politics or views towards Americans, just want to fish and work on my tan.


What do you think is the best dream fishermen location

If it was fresh water " I might be moving to Montana soon.. " Sounds lame but I hope to live in Wareham someday .. Town with the most fishing opportunities in this State ..fresh/salt ..

Curacao:uhuh:

Martha's Vineyard

Sandman,

From where I sit you're living there! I lived on MV for about 7 yrs in the '80's. Didn't fish then 'cause I worked too hard. Been going for some part of the summer since '69 and we do plan to retire there. I like the weather, I like the locals and I like the sense of community which does not exist here in CT.

Yea, the $$ is nuts. Real estate, Cronig's, Packer gas all give me the willy's, but not much compares to a casual drive down North Rd. in October, or May for that matter. Whenever I am on the boat headed for WH it feels as though I am leaving home. Filled with melancholy and regret...

Plus the fishing and hunting are good to excellent depending on who you know and where you have access.

Thinking about leaving full-time or just for the winters?

ab

You could look at Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo Mexico. Baja side, good sailfishing there, caught a beauty about 20 years ago on a charter for no money. Warm weather, good beer, friendly locals, beautiful coastline--will need to learn a little espanol though.

ab

Matunuck and winter in FLA

stay in the states and live in the keys

Jim,
I would love to retire here on the Island and snow bird it in the winter down in Fla. Leapfrog the coast to and from the vineyard to Fla.

Great pipe dream. :buds:

Belize, but the window is closing.

Costa Rica

Agree with Karl. A lot of folks looking at Costa Rica. Probably will see some property price increases in the future. Has great tarpon fishing, bill fishing on the west coast, and a fairly stable gov't as far as Central America goes.

Pan Handle

Panama...... I think you can buy a citizenship for 30K. Great fishing, cheap housing and cost of living, Panama City has incredible nightlife too if you still have that in ya.

Ideally would love to stay in New England but at this rate the middle income guy is going to get property taxed out of the state.

Deerfield beach FL

Inland waterway on your new boat.

S.W.Pacific........

Utah LMAO, umm Outer Banks

Block Island
Montauk

20 Acres East Side of the Big Island of Hawaii in the Mountain View Area
Cheap 20 Acres of Land, very secluded, Only $115,000, Mountain View Area on the Big Island of Hawaii.
20 (+/-) Acres
$ 115,000 USD
Mountain View
near Hilo, HI
Hawaii County, USA

SWAP VACATIONS WITH S-Ber's

Medellin Colombia for me. Country has Atlantic and Pacific access which is pretty much equidistant to my house there. Aruba is some 70 miles off the coast. Travel to costa and Panama is fairly easy. Fantastic trout fishing up in the mountains. The negative side are the guerillas.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

Juneau alaska- summer
Costa Rica - Winter

see ya....... :ss:

I went through your list a few times and can't find any reason why Florida is not a viable soluiton?
There are many remote areas and plenty of real estate. nows the time to buy.

Australia,New Zealand,remote Pacific Islands.Christmas I.,Atolls.Ska-roooooo the "Nitelife" usually that breeds trouble.That's my thought.

Most people who retire anywhere in Latin America keep as much of their assets as they can in the U.S. Anything you bring "in country" can be wiped out in the blink of an eye. High on my list would be the Fla Keys or Kona. Kona isn't cheap, but it is paradise. :)

Sandman,
Sounds like you should be bound here to the Outer Banks not sure we could be considered tropical, 30-mile run to the stream. Better yet you can buy my house ;)

Hawaii for sure
but I'd miss stripers so I'd have to come back every year in the spring.

My brother has been fishing Belize for the last 3 years. Says you can get a 3 bedroom house Ocean view for $80K. Comes with a maid and a gardener.

Personally, I retired in November and I am going to rent in Florida for 3 months in the Winter and stay here. You can rent a real nice place for $2K a month near Marco Island. Naples, Ft. Myers, Port Charlotte.
$6K a Winter and no upkeep, taxes etc. Get back here for trout and schoolies in April.

KONA !!!!:uhuh:

Stellwagen bank !

My brother has been fishing Belize for the last 3 years. Says you can get a 3 bedroom house Ocean view for $80K. Comes with a maid and a gardener.

Personally, I retired in November and I am going to rent in Florida for 3 months in the Winter and stay here. You can rent a real nice place for $2K a month near Marco Island. Naples, Ft. Myers, Port Charlotte.
$6K a Winter and no upkeep, taxes etc. Get back here for trout and schoolies in April.


What Paul said :uhuh: Stay in the States if you want to relocate. Renting for 3 months sounds pretty good to me and if you want to try the fishing somewhere else next year, just rent somewhere else.

I have been to Costa Rica and the fishing opportunities were outstanding. I know guys who went to Panama before they started having problems and they had a great time, and a guy I worked with had inherited property in the Honduras. One thing everyone had in common, they would not want to live in the fishing areas fulltime. The main reason is that because the fishing tends to be better in the more remote areas, you have property that is noticeable to the poorer people in the region. Most of the nicer homes I saw had gates and utilized armed guards when the owners where not home. I'm sure the lifestyle is different if you are part of a resort or retirement community area, but you have to really know the areas before you buy. I would not casually walk into investing in foreign countries as there are many legal obstacles you will encounter to which residents are not subject. If you decide to look into foreign countries, don't trust the advice of real estate agents until you thoroughly research the legalities with a knowledgable attorney and are very familiar with the area you are interested in.

Ed

sounds like Belize to me

Martha's Vineyard

You missed the part about cheap fuel prices.

Belize, but the window is closing.

Costa Rica

Agreed :btu:

Panama...... I think you can buy a citizenship for 30K. Great fishing, cheap housing and cost of living, Panama City has incredible nightlife too if you still have that in ya.

Ideally would love to stay in New England but at this rate the middle income guy is going to get property taxed out of the state.

Medellin Colombia for me. Country has Atlantic and Pacific access which is pretty much equidistant to my house there. Aruba is some 70 miles off the coast. Travel to costa and Panama is fairly easy. Fantastic trout fishing up in the mountains. The negative side are the guerillas.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

You two guys missed the part about no guys walking around toting M-16s. ;)

Don't know what fuel costs there but Havana is over due to open to US citizens.

I agree with Beamie Panama... both coasts available.

However, Throwing Timber has it right too.
(My wife is from Medellin...)
Chao...

as an fyi, when I was in belize in 2005, they had incentives for American retirees as long as your retirement income is above a certain amount (30,000?). Don't know the specifics exactly, but they were trying to entice American retirees

Hands down the Osa Peninsula, Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica...for all of the above reasons. 28 visitis over the last 10 years have convinced me.

Do some homework and you'll see.

Let me put together a cheap recon trip for ya.

Mike

20 Acres East Side of the Big Island of Hawaii in the Mountain View Area
Cheap 20 Acres of Land, very secluded, Only $115,000, Mountain View Area on the Big Island of Hawaii.
20 (+/-) Acres
$ 115,000 USD
Mountain View
near Hilo, HI
Hawaii County, USA

SWAP VACATIONS WITH S-Ber's


And there is only a 1 in 3 chance that Mauna Loa and Kilauea lava flows will burn your home down in a 10 year period. :)

Beautiful place though!

The Playboy Mansion......'Nuff Said

Belize, But you'd better hurry!

I like it fine right here. I've already lived in a lot of different places and if there's one thing I've learned, it's that visiting or vacationing in an area is a hell of a lot different than living there. People tend to get all fired up about what a certain area has to offer without thinking about what it doesn't offer. After the novelty wears off, the negatives will wear you down. Southern New England has the best quality of life of any place I can think of, not to mention great fishing. If I want to catch a tarpon, Logan Airport's only two hours away. Another plus is that Connecticut cockroaches are smaller than Volkswagens, which is more than I can say for some of the places I've lived.

Hands down the Osa Peninsula, Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica...for all of the above reasons. 28 visitis over the last 10 years have convinced me.

Do some homework and you'll see.

Let me put together a cheap recon trip for ya.

Mike

i was (looking ...perusing ) some craig's list ads last night
and saw some incredibly fantastic deals in costa rica

but the wife informed me ...that we are wood's people
not islanders. what tdf said minus the bunnies

I'm staying in Wareham 4 ever , Tagger come on down . Fishing ,shellfishing, warm water . It's a town that has access to all highways ,your 20 min from everything.
I like all the seasonal changes .
I'd like to get a chance to go to Ireland B-4 I croak.
Ml sr.

what tdf said minus the bunnies



Minus?????? Then why the hell go there

Grotto Groping!:jump1:

I'd like to get a chance to go to Ireland B-4 I croak.
Ml sr.

I'm going to spot burn (in Ireland) only to warn you to either have 1000yds of line spooled to reach the water or watch out for that 1st step..........nothing like going down the cliffs around NE!

The Guinness is really, really good:gu:

The Playboy Mansion......'Nuff Said




Wrong kind of fish !

The Vineyard..I try to keep my dream with in my reach

Well, while going up a chair lift at Alta this past week (ski trip with kids) my cell phone rings... it's one of my fishing friends

Jim?...

me: yeah

did you get my text message?

me: no, I have a crappy phone only my kids text.

what are you doing next week?

me: uhhhh not sure right now I have to check my calendar...hey, I am am kind of tided up at the moment, can I call you back?. (holding on with one hand and holding the phone with the other, over a deep rock gorge and 7 deg F)

My boss keeps a boat in Costa Rica (with full time capt and mate) and said we could use it for 3 days next week. You interested?

me: Really? Is this a joke?

No, it is for real. It is an awesome 62' custom sportfish, really nice. He keeps it in Puerto Jimenez, we will be staying at the Parrot Bay Lodge, it is not the greatest place but it is fine for fishermen. Can you go?

me: uhhhhhhhhh, pause, are you kidding? it sounds unbelievable, yeah! I think I can, I will need to juggle a few things but yeah.

We leave Wed, return Sunday, should be fun, I will email you the details.

me: Hey man...I really gotta go but I will talk to you when I get back home. bye

------------------

I will take a few photos and let you know how it goes, should be fun. From winter to summer in a few days.:fishin::jump1:

sounds like a good chance to have a blast Jim.
you hung up without saying thanks :huh:
you're gonna owe that friend bigtime.
Hope you get some nice fish and have fun.
Catch me a rooster will ya if you can. we want to see pics

Well, while going up a chair lift at Alta this past week (ski trip with kids) my cell phone rings... it's one of my fishing friends

Jim?...

me: yeah

did you get my text message?

me: no, I have a crappy phone only my kids text.

what are you doing next week?

me: uhhhh not sure right now I have to check my calendar...hey, I am am kind of tided up at the moment, can I call you back?. (holding on with one hand and holding the phone with the other, over a deep rock gorge and 7 deg F)

My boss keeps a boat in Costa Rica (with full time capt and mate) and said we could use it for 3 days next week. You interested?

me: Really? Is this a joke?

No, it is for real. It is an awesome 62' custom sportfish, really nice. He keeps it in Puerto Jimenez, we will be staying at the Parrot Bay Lodge, it is not the greatest place but it is fine for fishermen. Can you go?

me: uhhhhhhhhh, pause, are you kidding? it sounds unbelievable, yeah! I think I can, I will need to juggle a few things but yeah.

We leave Wed, return Sunday, should be fun, I will email you the details.

me: Hey man...I really gotta go but I will talk to you when I get back home. bye

------------------

I will take a few photos and let you know how it goes, should be fun. From winter to summer in a few days.:fishin::jump1:



Been looking at Crocodile resort (Costa Rica) for a vacation next year. (cant go this year). The misses wants to buy there... Hey,,,,,,, shes got the money so I say GO FOR IT !!!!!!!!!!!
I might even stay there for a while "in the winter" !!!:rotf2:

I got a couple of DVDs from the resort, jungle tours, waterfalls, etc. AND OF COURSE world class fishing.

As for retirment you could go to Florida but that's GOD'S WAITING ROOM". No way can you stay in the US and fulfill even 3 of those criteria you listed. Taxachusetts !!! NO FRIGGIN WAY !!!!!!!!

I see you in C.R. :uhuh::uhuh:

Sandman and Van,

PM me, I've made 27 trips to that area over the past 10 years and know most of the captains, places to go etc. I can point you in the right directions if you're interested.

Mike

Sandman and Van,

PM me, I've made 27 trips to that area over the past 10 years and know most of the captains, places to go etc. I can point you in the right directions if you're interested.

Mike


Sweetwater and I are going to be consulting you soon, if you don't mind.:fishin:

Sweetwater and I are going to be consulting you soon, if you don't mind.:fishin:

When do we leave?

When do we leave?

Soon as I scrape up about 8k spending money.

Winter: Marathon

Summer: There is no place like Cape Ann!!!

May: one week around Sannibel Florida fishing for Tarpon.

This is my last year in the Bahamas, fishing has always s@#ked, next year the Keys

Thanks for the advice/info Mike...talk to you upon my return.
Looking forward to the trip.

Great trip! Lots of fish...very warm. I don't know if I would retire there but I will return to fish it that is for sure!!!

11 different species (lots of each).

Offshore: There are a lot of big mahi down there (dorado)..all over 25# and we had one that was like 50#. Sail fish, Marlin (blue and black), yf tuna, bonito. Ocean temp is warm baby...it hit 91 deg at one point. (water depth was in the 4K-6K range), lots of sea life, dolphins, turtles, rays, birds, you name it it is out there. The sun is intense. Sea conditions: very gentle long swell, not like the east coast at all, very comfortable. They say they get a handful of days when they can't get out/year, if that. very light winds.

Inshore: Big snappers, roosters, jacks and 3-4' needle fish that look like a gar, loaded with teeth...and some fish that just went into their hole at the bottom in an unstoppable manner and could not be removed. We drifted live goggle eyes over reef structures about a mile off the beach. Gentle long swell, very comfortable.

Medellin Colombia for me. Country has Atlantic and Pacific access which is pretty much equidistant to my house there. Aruba is some 70 miles off the coast. Travel to costa and Panama is fairly easy. Fantastic trout fishing up in the mountains. The negative side are the guerillas.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device


What you afraid of a couple of monkeys for. Throw them some Bananas. :spin:

Sandman,
I'm crying with envy.:drool:

:fishin:Awesome! you caught a rooster for me:uhuh:
sounds like you had a real good time Jim:btu:

it would be cool if someone set up a S-B travel lodge there... :grins:

aint no shortage of fish....that's for sure... wow

Awesome pics Jim, I will be heading there at some point in the next few years. A Rooster is up at the top of my "must catch" list.

I love being able to say, "I told you so!"

I love being able to say, "I told you so!"

:uhuh: yeah you did. It's the real deal.

I saw a few fishing lodges down there that can hook you up with local knowledge for inshore or offshore trips. (but I didn't see another boat on the water fishing, only ships headed for the canal) Fish-eye knows the place (and people) down there intimately, talk to him before you go. Figure a full day of travel each way.
If you guys see me at one of the SB or MV fishing events, ask me about my trip...you will not believe me but I will tell you anyway.:)