Challenge To All..help
 

I spent several years in LA (DeRidder area) as a kid and relocated to SoCal where I spent all my adult life. Getting close to retirement and miss the pace, culture and fishing in LA. After 22 years in law enforcement near Los Angeles I'm ready to drown some worms and relax a bit. Wife and I are looking to retire in LA so where is the BEST place to relocate for freshwater fishing, close to lakes, good people, BBQ's and close to an area with good night life..I'm sure this will spurn some lively debate so have at it..

Lake Charles area has the best mix of salt and fresh water fishing. Not a too bad of a drive to Toledo bend. Has a good live music scene.

There are a few of us that live in DeRider. As far as you wanting good BBQ places, there are a handful, everything else you mentioned with the exception of the good night life is here.

Thanks LCD..I looked at houses in Baton Rouge but not Lake Charles..Jordan, I still have family in DeRidder and would not mind going back but after living near L.A. for all these years not sure the wife would like the lack of nighttime activities.

LC is just big enough to have things to do but not so big it is a pain in the butt. about an hour drive to deridder

Check out the Slidell area. Plenty of rivers to fish and a short ride to saltwater. Far enough from New Orleans to relax, but close enough drive 30 minutes to the city.

whats the last name ?? Might know of them.

From Lake Charles, Baton Rouge is 2hrs away, Houston is 2.5hrs away and New Orleans is about 3.5hrs away. Plenty close to drive considering it can take 1 to 2 hrs to get from 1 side of LA to the other. :D

+1

Lafayette is the only place to be!! Right smack in the middle of South Louisiana and The Heart of Cajun Country.............Sorry Lake Charles, but ya'll got nuthin!!

We got big lake! Lol

I got the ban key! :p

You can talk good about your area but don't talk down someone elses area.

drop the hammer paul!!!!! Lol!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just trying to keep the thread going in a positive direction. There are enough pros to every area that we don't need to be negative about someone's location.

+1

Didnt mean to push ya button......Just stating facts.....As far as fishing goes....The Atchafalaya is 20 minutes away. And I can be in saltwater in 30minutes. actually I can be in ANY saltwater in the state in 3 hours! From Venice and Grand Isle all the way to the Texas line!!

X2 plus Lafayette has a great night life and tons of places to eat... If not Lafayette, Slidell would be another place that meets your criteria

No button pushed. Just trying to keep the thread positive. I agree Lafayette and Slidel would both be great places to live.

+1

Sulphur/Carlyss area has access to Big Lake and the Prien Area with access to the freshwater byways and is about an hour and some change to Toledo. In the Sulphur/Carlyss area you or in driving distance of everything you need without all the traffic congestion and it is a very tight knit community.


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My point of veiw would be come on down to this La. and send time in all area's and then decide were u wanna stay.

If Big Lake was a little closer to Lafayette, it would be the greatest city on Earth. Food, nightlife, women, music. Has it all.

Big thanks to all of you..gives me a good starting point to start searching..Will as soon as my last kid is out of High School we plan on traveling the area a bit..

If you choose Lake Charles, I'd opt for Moss Bluff, being your right there on Freshwater, and 5 minutes from Salt.

Basically anywhere along the I-10 corridor and you can't go wrong.

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X2


Minus the god awful traffic.

I couldn't agree more! I live about 5 minutes from town but far enough in the country I can do basically anything I want in my own yard. I would never dream of living anywhere else, but if I would have to move Lake Charles would be next on my list.

Check out Moss Bluff which is just a few minutes north of Lake Charles. You can be on the river in just a few minutes, Toledo Bend in 1hr45min or a number of small lakes between Moss Bluff and Anacoco plus some of if not the best saltwater fishing you can find. We have all you need to live on or run to Lake Charles for anything you need in a bigger city.

Really depends on what you want to do.

I live in Carlyss, suburb of Sulphur/Lake Charles. I have a camp at Toledo Bend, 2 hours and I am there. I can be in Big Lake in 20 minutes. The Calcasieu and Sabine Rivers are 30 minutes away, Sam Rayburn is 2 hours away, Atchafalaya is 1.5 hours away (Lafayette). Sabine Lake is 45 minutes away.

Lafayette is a good area. Got a friend that moved there from Carlyss. HATES the traffic and I agree with him.

North Louisiana, Shreveport, is close to several good lakes.

I recently sold a condo in Calsbad ......good ridence!!! That's a topic for another day.

Lafayette also was voted "Tastiest city" in America 2011 and is trcently voted Southern Livings Tastiest southern town.


Housing wise. What y'all pay out there is outrageous!!! For an average CONDO in Cali, you can get a 4000sqft house here

Mandeville . . . . . I love Lake Charles but i had family that lived in madeville and man i like it there as well, and right around the corner from New Orleans.

Oh yeh DINK your greatest city on the earth has a bunch of dumas's on the roads and traffic for ever, take you an hour to leave the house to go to McDonalds. you can have laffy it wouldnt bother me to never go back to that place again

I would say if you want fresh water fishing and nightlife Shreveport is probably your best bet. It has tons of nightlife and casinos. Plus Toledo Bend is 30 minutes away and caddo lake is right outside of town.

However I have to say once you go saltwater it is easy to get hooked.

I'd definitely check out Houma. You can actually fish freshwater and saltwater with just a 15 to 20 minute boat ride. We have a good bbq joint named Big Mikes. We also have some good duck hunting. I'm not saying its the best place for everyone but its home to me and would definitely put it on the list of places to check out.

Parts of Houma are nice but that place is confusing lol

And we're not in incorporated! :rotfl:

But we got a better FD:grinpimp:

Quote:
Originally Posted by specktator
if big lake was a little closer to lafayette, it would be the greatest city on earth. Food, nightlife, women, music. Has it all.
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i walk down city streets on the unsuspecting human world



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Or abbiville..... Kinda closer to fresher fish an 10 min. To Lafayette

Got blacks or shucks oyster city every corner

Cooler downtown old stuff vermillion ride to bay.

Da ****.

Good luck on da place. Lots huntin for house now.
:work:

Like he said..."y'all got nuthin".

Gonzales...enough said!

Bogalusa.

:puke:

:shaking:

Boogerlusa....Retirement village/nursing home...

X2 on Houma, I had a couple of big clients over there when I practiced in Louisiana. Great people and lots of things to do Outdoors.

That's for sure. Went there a couple of weekends ago. Nice, but it was hard to find my way around.

I love living around Lake Charles, but I think Lafayette is a nicer town.

I'd look for the more rural areas around the big cities like Baton Rouge. If you look at my location, I am in Brittany, La and have been here since I was born. Freshwater is not far away from me but saltwater is about an hour-hour 1/2 away to where we like to fish. Nightlife is something to be desired but Baton Rouge is 25 minutes away. As for restaurants, there are some pretty good ones around like family owned places that have good food and good service as well as some national chains. Cabela's and Bass Pro is not far either.

What kind of night life are you looking for?

Dink..You are right housing out here is the worst. I payed 460,000 for my place and its only 2800 sq feet but I have 5 acres which is a rare find in Socal.

Big Thanks again to everyone who posted..Gives me a good starting point.. Truly a Sportsmans Paradise

The Northshore above Lake Ponchartrain is nice. You could fish Lake P, fish the marshes near Hopedale and have all the night life you could want in New Orleans.

Bossier is a nice place with lots of freshwater opportunities. Caddo lake, lake bisteneaux, red river, grand bayou resevoir, and Toledo all less than an hour away. Lived tere for 3 years. Loved it but it was too far from the gulf.

Mandeville/covington good place to retire. Fishing, golf, nightlife all very good. Im from hammond which is close by but never liked the fact its a 2 hr drive for saltwater.

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If I left Lake Charles area I would head toward Bossier, very nice area with great hunting and fishing close by and if you want a big city with a variety of things to do Bossier and Shrevport have a good selection.

Would never live in BR,left Laffy 4 yrs ago and only miss it at lunch time. Bought a house here that would have cost double in Laf. 10 min from boat launch and have met some great folks here in the chuck. It ain't mayberry anymo!!