I need some advice.

[AceArcher]

Most of the gulf states are going to be on similar footing for all of your interests

1) Offshore fishing edge will go to florida & louisiana (area around New orleans & out into the barrier islands).

2) Inshore / brackish.... Louisiana by far with texas a distant second.

3) Freshwater Louisiana...

4) Migratory Bird hunting. Lousiana with either mississippi or texas in second place.

5) Big Game Hunting. Texas by far but your gonna pay big $$ to shoot any big game. There are many public hunting area's but public big game hunting is a different animal here compared to other places in the country. With that said there are little pockets around where you can find incredibly good whitetail hunting as long as your willing to join a hunt club (some of the hunt clubs along the mississippi river in both LA & MS come to mind, Alabama's black belt...etc) IMO save all your money on this stuff in the south, and once every year or other year take a trip somewhere and do it right.. (JUST IMO)

6) Concealed carry, dont think you will have a problem with this anywhere but Florida and possibly some of the BIG Metropolitan areas (houston, dallas, new orleans.. etc)

7) cost of living is about as cheap as it can get in LA, MS, & AL .... texas and florida not so much.

side work is gonna be a tossup on where you are, what your willing to do... etc... someone with good fabrication / welding skills will always be able to make some good stuff happen.

good luck to you, Catch a couple Ling off Catalina for all us cajuns!