;J; UNIVERSITY OF Gt:ORGIA MAY 1 5 '57 LIBRARIES I t . "' .. ~ .. I i -"1 , ~ ,.. COVER PACES FRONT COVER: Two Anglers Enjoy An Afternoon in Picturesque Okefenokee Swamp Near Waycross. BACK COVER: Lake Burton's vivid Scenery Paints a Beautiful Picture from High Along the Appalachian Trail. Rough Fish ........ . 2 The Okefenokee 3 White Bass 4 Stop Those Pests! .......... ... .. 5 Old Fighter....... ..... . 7 Effective Education . 8 Lake Burton ...... ... .. .... . 9 Pond Growth 10 Mr. Sucker ............... . 11 Kamp Koals 12 Bait Farming 14 Fish Scaling . 16 Hatchery Is Born. 18 I Hunt With Mike . ............ . 19 In Memoriam . .................... 23 l'rout Schedule ....... ....... . .............. . 25 Reaching Outdoors 27 Commission Makes Rapid Progress In War Against Rough Fish Military leaders have long been in agreement on one battle plan. Best way to defeat an enemy, they all say, is to reduce it in number. The same strategy must be worked in the war against rough or undesirable fish. The only way we can improve our stand of game fish is to reduce the rough fish population or, as military men do their enemies, cut off supplies essential to their well-being. For several years, the Georgia Game and Fish Commission has opened up an all-out offensive against those fish which hinder the growth and development of bass, bream, crappie and other game fish. Fish Management biologists work strenuously toward equalizing the population of game and rough fish. Fish baskets have been legalized, making it within the law to trap under the limits set up by the Commission. Still, we are faced with a rough fish problem. Progress has been made toward keeping our streams and lakes more suitable for game fish, but there is more to be done. Intensive study and research have been / done in quest of more suitable methods of combating our ene- FULTON LOVELL mies. Director Game and Fish Commission One_ S?re spot between t~e ' CommissiOn and fishermen 1s the process of population studies where sometimes as many as two acres of fish are chemically poisoned for observation. Many people are under the impression that when fish are poisoned in a certain area, it results in disaster for the entire lake. This is not tr1,1e. To be more specific, chemically poisoning fish in a certain area of a lake does not affect the productivity of the water in the least. The fish are dead, yes; but the information derived from one population study is well worth their lives. For example, last year a population study was conducted at Lake Allatoona. Biologists found by aging fish, a two-year old bass was far smaller than one the same age taken from another lake. The situation was grave; it was time to correct the cause of bass' stunted growth. If the bass were to be saved, something had to be done. Threadfin shad, a small fish that serves as food for bass, were put into the lake. In one year's time the results were amazing. Allatoona bass were as plump and full of pep as those from any other lake. We have learned from our work with farm pond owners that, if rough fish can be controlled, fishing improves immensely. Fishery biologists worked free of charge with pond owners in the study of fish population, showing them the dividends in properly stocking without rough fish. Many ponds furnished first rate fishing in a (Continued from Page 19) FISHING EDITION GEORGIA GAME AND FISH Vol. 6, No. 1 BOB SHORT, Editor GLYNN WORLEY, Photographer Published by th e Georgia Ga me and Fish Commission. 41 2 Stat e Capitol, Atl a n ta , G eo r~;ia , in th e in te rest of Geo rgia wildlife and f or !lsh ermen. hunters, nature lo,ers and conserv a tion of natural r esources. There ls n o subsc rip tion fee- this publication ls fr ee a nd is paid f or by the purchase of !l shln~; and hunting licenses. Pl ease n otify us a t once of any change of a ddress. Cont ents of t his magazin e may be re printed with proper credit. This publication wel comes pictures, drawings, stories a nd articles dealing wlth outd oo r subjects for cons ide rat ion . Xo contributions will be r eturned unless solicited by authorized par ty representing Gam e & Fish Commission a nd accomp a nied by suf!lcient postage. }: nte red as third class postage. . - - - - - - - T H E OKEFENOKEE (Jeorgia 's Water Wonderland In south Georgia, \Vhere the Suwanee River forms amidst the entanglement of cypress trees and spanish moss, lies the Okefenokee Swamp, the Seminole Indians' "Land of the Trembling Earth." This wildlife paradise consists of over seven hundred square miles of charred water and quaking earth. It embraces areas of fresh-water lakes; pure, dark water lakes; forested islands and acres of tangling jungles whose pseudo-earth has swallowed men alive. Before Georgia was discovered, aboriginal Seminoles roamed the swamp, capturing wild animals for food and fishing for bass, bluegill bream, pike, perch. stump knocker and panfish. To the Redman, the swamp was an evil spirit; a weapon against those who sought to disobey the wishes of the gods. It was a Seminole belief that evil-doers who went into the swamp could never return. Their bodies were thought to be swallowed by the Okefenokee's quaking and pregnable sod. The Seminoles named the swamp "Land of the Trembling Earth" because of its shivering motion when a foot is touched down. Actually, there is no soil in the swamp. Areas that appear to be sodded are not sod at all, but clumps of evergreen grasses supported by water. Men who entered the swamp and never returned were presumed to have been swallowed up by the "Trembling Earth." It has been said that man could break through the growth and die of suffocation rather than drowning, because the grass is so strong-ly knit that an ordinary person could not break through it from beneath for air. The Okefenokee was once an ocean floor, geologists say, that was brought to the surface when the ocean vacated the area and moved farther south. But despite its history, the swamp is fresh water. And unlike a swamp, all its rivers and streams are continually flowing rhythmically toward the sea. Inside its vast areas of heavy forestation, the Okefenokee suppo rts almost every wild animal known to north Americans. Its deer, raccoon, bears and opossum grow to gigantic dimensions, a compliment to the swamp's ability to carry out 1\iother Nature's plan. Thousands of visitors visit Okefenokee Swamp Park eac h year, leaving the place fully convinced they have seen the real Okefenokee. The truth is that they have seen only a portion of the ramblingwilderness. Only a few people have actually :->Pen (Continued on Page 21) Aquatic growth , both floating and submerged, odds to the beauty of swamp water. r"''~~ 4t/. '.. ' ~l The Okefenokee's narrow channels lead into a mysterylond retarded by nature . Billy's Lake is a popular spot for boss fishermen in th e Okefenok ee swamp. White Bass ON A Sunday afternoon in South Carolii"!a, traffic is as White Boss ore easily identified by their silvery scales ond longitudinal lines . thick as flies on a molasses jar. Nobody seems in a hurry to get anywhere and at first glance it appears they creep along the highways for no reason at all. After yo u have become so an noyed yo u feel like punching a tiger in the nose, you suddenly realize what's taking place. prolific striker of them all-the white bass. Until recently, this "ghostly" creature was sparse in Georgia watets, and anglers had not en.iored the pleasure of tangling with a running sch oo l. Now, since the~' have been stocked in Lakes A ll atoo na , favo rite bait is also included on the white bass' favorite menu. In fact, he probably will fall for any lure available. About the only thing fishermen dislike about the white bass is hi s s ize. \Vhile most members of hi s family r each "whooper Through the traffic jam you Jackson, Blackshear, Blue Ridge, size" during their lifetimes, he can see hundreds of anglers jerk- Nottely, Chatuge, Burton. Ra- never scales more than three or ing white fish out of the water bun Tugalo, Lake \Vorth and four pounds. This is mainly be- as fa~t as they can get their Chestatee River, fis hermen are ca use of his short li fe. F or some hooks wet. They laugh and raise beginning to get the meaning of reason, yet to be exp lained, white sand to such an extent that you feel like you must take out your rod and reel and join the party. You fight your way through the mob, take a seat and put a minnow on your hook. No sooner does your hook hit the water than yo u get a strike. You reel in your prize and stand amazed at its features. It is a bassthat's for sure-but it i~ white. A white bass? Two and two are fo ur aren't they? If it's a bass a teal "white bass part~'" These pa le cousins of the rock bass li ve in dee p, sti ll water and slow moving rivers far removed from the raging currents of a rambling stream. They are voracious feeders and provide fishermen with excitement in spite of their small size. To the cane pole fishermen these are sweet words. It means he, like the mel and reeler, has a chance to come bass seldom live more than four yea rs, but durin g its li fet ime one may brood as many as a million yo ung. White bass differ from the rock, or striped bass, in color only and cha nces of mis-identification is verv remote. Silven white in co lor , the white i.s marked with longitudinal stripes with the lowers broken. Nobody can call him a big mout h, eith et:. Its buccal cavitv nowhete near and white it must be a white home with a stringer caught approaches the size of a large- bass. with reel worms. To the fl y mouth, nor is it as large as a You have discovered the most fisherman, it's a deal. too. His smallmouth bass. Its young is identified on lv bv their white i ~ h ca~t. s ince the lc;ngitudinal lines Fis hery Biologist Wayne Thomaston releases first white boss in lok e Allotoono. do not become characteristic until later life. The thing that makes \\"hite "' ...... ...,. 1- 'C ~ ~.. ~J bass so popular with fishermen is the fact that t hey travel in sc hools. As an~ good angler will tell yo u, yo u have a treat in store when you tangle with a school of running fish, especiall~ wh en food is sca rce. It is th e compe- tition that makes schooling white bass vulnerable. \Vh en four or five of them get excited O\'er a s in g le minnow, the~ ma~' be in a mood to hit eve r~ thing that moves- and a few things that don't move. Like Salmon, \\"hite bass have a peculiar spa\\ning habit. I n eYe ry case, thl'.Y migrate up- (C'o ntinuir newspapers. It has been found that most departments average several hundred articles and news releases per year, with some reporting several thousand. More people are reached at a 10\ver cost through newspapers. Departments indicated the desired results are not being realiz ed, with the newspapers, just as with the conservation magazine. Several states warn against using newspaper releases for propaganda purposes. It is suggested that more features should be of local and sectional rather than state, territorial or provincial interest. Again, if effectiveness is to be increased. there is a need for more and better writers and editors, wider circulation, greater use of pictures and for more effective liason between conservation paon"e and newsnaner editors Editors must be made aware of the conservationists point of view. Need for more accuracy of factual information is stressed by all departments. Some of our states issue special bulletins, whose distribution is more selective than that of their magazines. These bulletins usually present detai eel information on a single subject and are distributed through game clubs, libraries. newspapers and interested individuals upon request. Some feel that specia1bulletins can play a more effective role in adult education and conservation by utilizing more and better talent in the preparation of the bulletins. Also. there is a need for more bulletins of interest to the 1ay reader, with a broader and m"ore consistent program of distribution. Most of the State Game ami Fish Departments in the U. S. use films in their education program. These movies are used with speeches before various groups, with the idea of using them to create enough interest to hold and ans\ver session after the film. For this phase of aud iovisual program to be more effective, it has been suggested by the departments that we recognize the great need for more films and adequate personnel to present them. Television has stepped into the limelight as an important part of the wildlife educational program. More and more denartments use it as a method of broadening the view of wildlife conservation among- the citizens of our country. This method, like the mag-azit,es and bulletins. can be imnroved by more aualified persm111el and a more varied and interesting subject matter. It is very encouraging to find that excellPnt resn'ts have been reachPcl throu2:h the various chm1nels of information and ed- ur::Jtional ideas emploved bv our wilcllife branches. If adequate fm,ds werP immediatelv avail- able. the gram of eafcfPlnclttiveednuecsas toi of nt h ew onur o1c-l he increased and the hones for imn1ovenwnt i,1 the futur<=> conlcl b~ vi e,,ed with more ontimism. Bnt hofore such f1111ds b<=>come available. the citizens of our statPs. tPnitoriPs and provinces must fullv reali7e the JlPPd for the restoration. consenation and preservation of onr natural re- sources. For our citizens to real- ize this. they must be educated to the needs, the hope of e\'e t-r state's Education and Informa- tion department. LAKE BUR TON b--lMilE=rl Wins Many Friends With Rainbow Trout, Unmatched Scenery N TO T ALLUL AH FALLS T OURISTS ca ll Lake Burton the most picturesque body of water in America. Its calmness creates an eerie feeling to those who do not know its staggered points a nd hidden coves. Yet, it beckons to them with the friendliness of a young child. This lake, cradled in a valley among Georgia's towering mountain ranges, has been called the Granddadcl.v of th em all. Its still, blue water feeds two other lakes First iu a series of stories 011 Georgia Lakes and tur ns the turbines that generates electricity for thousaPds of homes. But above all. the water of this mountain paradise provid es fish that keen a steady flow of anglers from all parts of the south. Once known as a mecca for bass fish ermen, Lake Btnton is one of the few lakes in Georg-ia where a fisherman can land a big trout. By bi!l. it i~ meant a nine or ten nouPder. More than one lucky fish erman has nlanted his lurP for a bass a11d surn ri scd to the Nth cleg-ree by the jarringtug of fl Rainbm'' near the mouth of the Timpson River. Nearbv Laln is here. SNAPSHOTS Mr. and Mrs. B. L. Pern el l of Columbus landed this str inger of boss and bream on Goat's Rock Lake. J. C. Mortm s:1ows off h.s trout token from Lake Burton, two Ra inbows , one Brown trout. 13 Bait Farming Is Big Business To Thousands of eorg1a Ranchers l iKE the Stanley Steamer, The Charleston and the antics of Je~n LaFitte, digging your own fish bait has gone out of style. In these days of two-car families, color TV and prosperity everywhere it is much easier to buy it from a Worm Rancher and eliminate all that futile scratching in the ground. With the spread of fishingitis (the incurable disease first introduced to us Americans at Plymouth Rock in the days of Captain John Smith and Pocahontas) red worms, spring lizP.rds, Catalpa worms and other forms of fish food have become a standard item on the shelves of sporting goods stores. Used to be a fellow could step into his back yard, clear out a good sized spot and dig all the fishing worms he could use. That was before someone discovered a good market for red wigglers. Nowadays, it is much easier and more practical to pick up a can of worms at a local store. It's even reached the point where some fishermen have thrown away their shovels. It took just a few worms, plenty of imagination and seven acres of land for W. S. Rainey of Eatonton to build the largest worm ranch in the South. Rainey begun his farm strictly as a hobby, with only a few scattered beds, but soon the unlimited future had developed his ranch into seven full acres, shipping half a million worms a day. You, Rainey says, can do the same thing if you get started correctly and keep your mind on your business. The recipe, according to Rainey, is plenty of elbow grease and enough funds to set up several beds, from which you can expand slowly into a large moneymaking plant. With new ideas cropping up almost daily, ranchers are finding easy answers to the questions that once had them stymied. Rainey's biggest problem, for example, was shipping. He tried all sorts and shapes of containers before he decided to have them made to his specification. Now he's able to fill mail orders anywhere, and Left: Work e rs harvest wi ggl er crop on W . S. Ra iney's farm nea r Ea t on ton . Georg ia wiggl ers' popula ri ty a s ba it ha s reached a s far sou t h a s South Am e rica and a s does. Orders come in from as far as South America and as far north as Alaska. It won't be long until you can buy Georgia wigglers in Japan or China. Successful ranchers agree that the most important step for the '' " "dude" is the choice of the proper site. They suggest a spot that will provide enough natural shade to protect your product from Old Sol. However, if you're going to raise worms in large quantities for export, it is practical to build your own awnings. Be sure there is enough water free material n to egaerbt yy.o1uWsthailreteMd ointhheer rNeaatruthreermn abyr prov east, ide the plenty of moisture in the sod will not be sufficient to supply your beds with the proper amount of water. Be sure, too, your beds are not located near any unnatural noises, such as passing trains or automobiles which will cause your worms to look for another home. Worms reproduce fast. Under ideal weather conditions, in which the temperature lies between 50 and 55 degrees fahrenheit, each worm will lay an egg approximately every 10 days. From this egg between five and twenty worms will hatch. Since worms are bisexual, it is possible for every one in your bed to reproduce. You must remember this, the experts warn, so your beds will not be overloaded. An overloaded bed makes for undernourished worms. One of the biggest setbacks suffered by a dude rancher is his haste in striving for t he top r ung on t he business ladder. Don't crowd your luck-or yo ur business. One rancher passes along this tip : "It is easy to become discouraged from t he outset if you make big plans and are unable to fill them. Establishing a big mail order business makes plenty of time-and work." It has been found that one acre of beds require the attention of two men. Unless you are able to bear the financial burden of two helpers per acre, it is best to work your way into a bigger ranch. In other words, start from the bottom. (Continued on Page 22) Right : These photos show prope r awning s, wa ter supply and beds for good ranch ing . Sup er markets have noth ing on ba it ranche rs-th ey have se lf service, t oo . Fish Scales Tell Many Tales By GLYNN v. \VORLEY "Don't come back unless you flave a good story." With those words ringing in my ears, I set out for Greensboro to interview Game and Fish biologist Wayne Thomaston for a story for the Georgia Game and Fish magazine. I am the departmental photographer and writing stories is a little out of my line, but since the editor of the magazine asked me to do it just this once, I decided to give it a try. When I reached Thomaston's laboratory, he was waiting for me and immediately took me into a darkroom where his apparatus was set up. \Vith all the eagerness of a cub reporter, I took out my notebook and began jotting down notes. "Believe it or not," Thomaston said, "a plain fish scale plays an important role in the development and improvement of Geor- gia's many lakes and streams." "We determine - from this minute scale, mind you-how old a fish is-how much he has grown in a year-condition of the water in which he lives- what can be done to improve his habitat-and how fishing can be improved." Thomaston picked several scales from an envelope contain- ing perhaps a hundred. He placed one on his microscope and adjusted the screen so I could see what he was doing. On the screen, the scale looked like a large thumb print. Its features were easy to see. "This bass is three years old," Thomaston told me. "If you will look closely, you can see three 'year rings' (annuli) stemming from the center of the scale. That's how we age a fish-by those rings." I jotted that clown in my note- book. Dr. S. F. Sniesko, a noted authority on fish diseases, studies scale of Georgia trout. Bob Carnes weighs trout and gets ready to pluck sca:es for reading. "Now this is just the first step in the process," he said as he began rambling through his files. "Next step is to find when this fish was hatched and how much it has grown since we released it in Lake Allatoona." Thomaston placed his file on the table and thumbed through it until he came to a section marked Richmond Hill Hatchery. "This bass came from our Richmond Hatchery," he told me. "If you will notice, the tag we took from the fish when we captured it was a Richmond Hill tag. This particular fish was re- leased in January it was about a yoefa1r95o5l~l when and weighed a little o~er a pound." That, too, went in mv note- book. He weighed the fish when it was taken from Allatoona, he said, and found it weighed four pounds-above the average compared to a fish its age taken from Lake Jackson. "The reason this bass is larger than an average one its age from Lake Jackson," he said, ''is because there is more food in Allatoona. Last fall we placed threadfin shad, a small fish suitable for food for bass, into Alla- (Continued on Page 20) iOOD FISHIN' . ---- This string of fine boss were token from Lake Rabun . Robert West (R) and friend admire Iorg e catch of sea boss. GEORGIA STYLE ; > ) ) ' 1' ' .~~. : . / ~. ' " '> Sora Woodall of Atlanta land ed th is wol ~eye pike, ...eighi ng 234 pounds, from Lak e Rabun . This 11 34 pound beaut y come from Lake Rabun , too. 17 II BJITCBEB'Jl IS BOBN Governor Marvin Griffin dedicates Steve Cocke Hatchery near Dawson . One of the Steve Cocke ponds after work had started . Th1 s crystal clear pool 1s one of t he 17 ponds at th e hatchery . STEVE COCKE MEMORIAL RUNS GEORGIA'S TOTAL TO 6 For many years Representative Steve Cocke and the people of Terrell County wanted a warm water fish hatchery to supply bluegills and bass to the people of Southwest Georgia. So intense was their desire that they donated 40 acres of Terrell County soil, fee simple, to the State for a hatchery site. On December 12, 195G, their dream came true. Governor Marvin Griffin, together \Vith Game and Fish Director Fulton Lovell and officials of the Game and Fish Commission, officially dedicated Georgia's newest and most modern fishrearing plant, The Steve Cocke Hatchery. It was named for Representative Cocke, whose untiring efforts and cooperation brought it to Terrell County. The new hatchery is one of the most modern warm water hatcheries in the nation. Its fifteen surface acres of water break into seventeen ponds, where bream and bass abound in harmony. Two modern residences for the superintendant and his assistant are part of the plant, and a utility building, which how:;es a tool shop, carpenter shop, garage for trucks and tractors and a fertilizer storage room gives workmen a modern place to carry out their jobs. Upstairs in the utility building are sleeping quarters for visiting rangers and personnel who are called to the hatchery. A model fish holding house was constructed to store fish safely until they are delivered to pond owners. A wayside park will be constructed for the convenience of visitors who stop at the hatchery with their picnic lunches. Steve Cocke Hatchery was built at a total cost of $159,000. ltf:; value to pond owners and fishermen, however, can not be measured in dollars and cents. In the future, Steve Cocke will produce over a million and a half bream and eighteen thousand bass yearly, which, combined with other hatcheries in the State, will supply enough fi::;h to fill the demand of Georgia pondowners. Too, the addition of Steve Cocke Hatchery to our ::;~stem of warm water hat cheri es will relieve ::;orne of the pressure on some of the other hatcheries in south Georgia. Southwest Georgia bass fishermen are already slurping over the possible increase of catches in ponds and re::;ervoirs in th eir ::;ection. For several years bass fishing in the :o;outhwest corner of Georgia has been climbing rapidly. With the Steve Cocke Hatchery to provide more fish for ponds and lakes in the area, more catches are anticipated than ever before. I Hunt With a Mike BY CARLTON MORRISON I am a hunter, but unlike most outdoorsmen my favorite weapon is a microphone and not a gun. I hunt for sounds of deer, turkey and other animals rather than the animals themselves. I am producer of the Game and Fish Comission's weekly radio program, "Georgia Outdoors," and one of my favorite projects is to give the program realism by recording sounds of the outdoors. One of my most successful attempts at wildlife recording was during a quail hunt in South Georgia. Using a shoebox sized battery-operated tape recorder, I went with a group of hunters into the fields, my trusty mike on my shoulder. As the hunt progressed, I picked up the conversation between the hunters, their commands to the clogs, the beat of wings when a covey of birds were flushed, the blast of shotguns when they were fired, and even the rustling of foliage when the dogs retrieved the kill. After we had processed the tape and broadcast the program on our 40-station hookup in Georgia, the National Broadcasting Company honored us by using it again on "Monitor," their weekend radio program. Lake Blackshear was the scene of one of our most interesting fishing programs. The portable recorder "carried" our listeners out onto the lake where thev heard the fisherman' s exclam<~ tions when a big bass grabbed his plug and the spla sh ing and flapping of the fish a s it was hauled into the boat. One particularly appealing sound which was captured was the plop, plop of a topwater lure as it was reeled slowly across the water. It is "hunting" like this that makes the task of producing a radio show full of fun. But sometimes it can draw vou into a ticklish situation anci leave you with a pair of knocking knees. That is what happened when I recorded a rattlesnake's warning for one of our shows. Before I get too far along with the story I wish to say that the snake was not in the wilds but in captivity and on display in Okefenokee Swamp Park near \Vaycross. That was of little comfort to me, however. because I had to hold the mike frightfull\ close to the deadlv rattler to receive a good pickup. I shoved it nearer and nearer the snake until I had picked up all the "rattling" I needed for the show. The rattler never made a move to strike me, thank goodness, but it was still an unnerving experience. Maybe the reason I didn't get snake bit was the same reason I didn't fall out of an airplane on another one of my experiences. I was flying with a load of para troopers to do a radio pickup of a practiec jump (this, of course, was not for the Game and Fish program). The jumpmaster asked me if I would like to look out of the door through which the troopers would jump. I must have bePn a little hesi- (Continued on Pag<' 21) Bough Fish (Continmd from Page 2) short time. In others, where the rough fish had not been elim inated, it took several years for the fish to grow large enough to give the fisherman a good fight. As extra aid, Georgia operates five warm water hatcheries to provide pond owners bream and bass for their waters. In return, the State receives the pleasure of knowing its lakes and ponds are continually improving in game fish. Someone once asked why the State did not operate private fishing ponds to compete with commercial farm pond owners. The answer to that question is a simple one. \Ve are not interested in commercial fishing ... it's our job to improve fishing and we are doing it through work with the reservoirs and farm pond owners. Some states, particularl y Florida, use a shock-type treatment against rough fish. From a boat, a Florida Wildlife Ranger dips an electrical apparatus into the water and electrocutes the fish. The electricitv takes cotnrol of the fish's muscles and leads him in to a death trap. Each four-hour operation yields up to 1500 pounds of rough fish. Floridians report. Florida has been successful with this method. Several states have not. Georgia has not used this weapon. Chances are we won't. Fishermen are a vital allv in our war against rough fish. \Vithout them we would be lost. Regular fishermen, who a s k nothing more than an afternoon on a good lake, can be useful simpb' by occasionally fishing for, and keeping, rough fish. Many anglers throw fish they do not wish to keep back into the water. By doing so, they increase the rough population b~ several thousand a \ear. That's the speed with \~hich many rough species reproduce. Geon.da 's best answer to the rough fish problem so far has been the commercial fishermen. who are super\'ised b~ Game and Fish Commission Rangers. By using gill or commercial nets and catching rough species when they are spawning, these fishermen remove a large number of streams. 1~ WEED GROWTH (Continued from Page 10) alarm, but the bottom of Brown's p o n d w a s co v e r e d with s u bmerged aquatic growth. Warming of the water had caused the weeds to decay, which caused chemical reactions to tie up the free oxygen in the formation of hydrogen sulfide and sulphur dioxide. Without oxygen Brown's fish had no chance to survive. Brown and I returned to the office and began steps to restock his pond later in the year. Since his pond had been wiped out complete'y, it was necessary for him to start all over. Some owners have been more fortunate. though, and saved their fish with a suggestion given by the Game and Fish Commission personnel. Technicians advise owners whose fish have begun to die from suffocation to apply 50 to 75 pounds of super phosphate per surface acre of water to increase the free oxygen in the water. The above case was hypothetical, of course, but is happening right now to owners who have failed to properly develop and manage their ponds. Control of weeds is one of the major problems today's pond owner faces. if he has not properly ferti ized his poncl. By using recommended fertilization process. an owner can prevent and eliminate excessive weed gro\Yth. Some people are under the impression that fish eat fertilizer, which is as far from the truth as a belief that a stalk of corn directly devours the fertilizer in a field. \Vhat actually happens is this: ferti.izer is put into a pond to aid growth of microscopic plant life (algae) whic:t serves as food for insects in the worm stage; fish, in tu rn , devour the insects. Fertilization aids the curbing of weed growth, too. As long as the a lgae is in the '''ater, it is impossible for the sun to reach the bottom of the pond, leaving aquatic plants \Vithout sun light -and element vital'v necessarv to growth and repr~duction. If a plant cannot grow and renroduce, then ow1wrs will havp little fear of fish kills from \H'<'ds. Technical advice is tssPntial 2() to conquer and control weeds, p:us a knowledge of the suitable chemicals to use. Few pond owners know how to correct their weed problems without the advice of a trained biologist. That is why the Game and Fish Commission keeps a force of specia lists working, free of charge, to improve fishing in farm ponds in Georgia. Tad Lane, Howard Zeller. and Alex Montgomery, three farm pond specialists. work hand and hand with pond owners in a research program designed to elimsome of the problems connected with deve'opment and management of farm ponds. In the case of weeds, they have offered several ways to prevent their spread a nd how to eliminate them. Submerged weeds, or the ones found on or near the bottom of a pond are easily killed with Sodium Arsenite, particularly during the spring and summe1:. Sodium Arsenite should be used by experienced personnel. Their counterpart . floating weeds. mav be controll ed with ester forms o'f 2, 4-D. Results from experiment- al treatment of this type of plant indicate that from ~ne to three applications are necessarv for comp lete control. \Vater lilies and cattails, two weeds commonlv found in south Georgia, can be controlled with ester forms of 2, 4-D and 2, 4-5-T using fuel oil-chemical mixtures. In most experiments, fuel oil proved more satisfactory than water as a carrier. In most cases, a second or third application was needed to completely wipe out the weeds. Several plants belonging to the emergent group have not responded satisfactorily to normal chemical treatment. Manna Grass and summer type algal scums are particularly tough to control. Zeller a nd Montgomer~ are busy with experiments to find a cure for spread of th ese weeds at the present time. John Brown had problems-so will any othe r pond owner who fails to realize the importance of proper ferti lization and con- trol of weed growth in his pond. FISH SCALES . . . (Continued from Page 16) toona to improve our bass there. \Ve are happy to see t hat t hev are doing 'em some good." With t hat he closed his file, placed it back in the cabinet and turned back to me. "Each year," he said, "we con- duct population studies in connection with this project. \Ve find out exactly what types of fish are in our lakes and what we can do to improve condit ions for game fish. \Vhen we know what needs to be done, we do it." "I have a question for you," I told him. "How do you age a catfish? They don't have scales." He grinned a11d said. "Somebody always asks that question. But we are able to tell the age of a cat even though he doesn't have scales. \Ve do it bv reading a section of his backbone just like we do the scale of anv other fish." . "A cat is no different from anv other fish when it comes to 'year marks,' except that his backbone is the givPawav. A eat's snine has rings almost like tl1ose of a tree and we determine his age from those." That answered my questim1, but I had another one. "How does all this improve fis"hing?" I asked. Thomaston drew on his pipe for a second then answered: "An:vtime we can increase food mate rial for game fish in an~r lake or stream," he said. "we are improv ing fishing. Every fisherman wants to catch large fish. Bv providing more food. we make 'em bigger. \Ve al~o r educe the number of rough fish. wl,en nossible. to leave the game fish better pickings." I closed my notebook. bade adieu to Thomaston and set out for home-with my first story. Whether or not I could sit down and punch out a good story on the importance of this phase of fish management was, and is still, problematical. But I was convinced that it is a might,\' important process. The Okefenokee (Continued from Page 3) the center of the swamp and these have lived their lives in and around the swamp. It is possible to visit the swamp's heart by boat. Narrow passageways of water leads into open lakes and rivers on the journey into the center of the swamp. In these natural, clear lakes bass and bream fill any fisherman's lust for adventure. Sometimes it is possible to cast near the base of a cypress tree and land a prize gar or grindle, or even a native stump knocker. from beneath the coat of water lilies, iris and maiden cane the water wears as a mask. As you wind your way down the open water paths, a water turkey swoops down, then heads aimlessly toward a tall c:vnress. Looking around in astonishment at the incredible swamp, you may hear a wi ld turkey sending a vocal note to its mate or an al}iQ"ator grunting his satisfaction after devouring a meal of fish. Another sharn twist of the head might fipd a deer running from the sound of your motor. Over 180 species of birds hover in the skies around the swamp and on a clear, warm day a n observer miQ"ht see at least half of the different types that make their homes there. In addition to its vast assortment of birds, the swamp is also a home for twenty-eight different breeds of snakes. twelve species of water turtles and fortv different mammals. All this is in addition to the thirty species of fish that are found in the bdack Okefenokee water. Since it has been taken by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service and protected from hunters, the swamn's ever-Q"rowing population of animals is at its peak. It has been estimated that a person cou'd live over 100 vears on th e animal al,d nlant lif~ of the Okefenoke e. if he had knowledrC'd tht> mosquito, the most eommon of all summer pests in the southern half of Georgia. ThL'SC' notorious ntrmints are known more widely fo r tlwir night r aids, L11t do make consid- 22 GEORGIA GAME A ND FISH COMMISSION 412 State Capitol Atlanta, Georgia S. l\IARVIN GRIFFIN~ Coveruor The Commission is a constitutional body, responsible only to the Legislature and the Governor. Eleven in number-one from each Congressional District-the members of the Commission are appointed by the Governor for staggered terms of seven years and the Commission in turn appoints the director. The present Commissioners are: COMl\IISSIONERS ALVA J. HOPKINS, JR. , 8th Dist., Chairman J. T. TRAPNELL, 1st Dist. l'ice-Clwirnwn RICHARD TIFT, 2nd Dist. MAYO P. DAVIS, 3rd Dist. J. D. PoPE, 4th Dist. J. 0. BOWEN, 5th Dist., GEORGE EAST, 6th Dist. W. B. (BILL) AUSTIN, 7th Dist. Secretary FRED C..JoNES, JR., 9th Dist. LUKE L. COUCH, lOth Di st. JAMES GOETHE, Coastal ADl\IINISTRATIVE FULTON LOVELL, Director W. H. HODGES, Enforcement TAD LANE, D&J Coordinator GEORGE C. MooRE, Game Management JACK CROCKFORD, P & R Coordinator ToM SANDERS, License Div. DAVID GoULD, Coastal Fisheries FRED DICKSON, Fisheries The heads of the various departments and all employees are appointed by the Director on the approval of the Commission. The Director is a bonded state official and directs the entire program, which is established, and ways and means approved for its operation, by the Board of Commissioners at regular meetings. erable nuisances of themselves in broad daylight. Like the chigge1 bite, little can be clone to relieve the itching after mosquito has made a tast~' mon;el out of you. Again, preventative medicine does the best job. Several mosquito preparations are on the market and may be purchased at most drug stores. Most common one is called 6-12. A good soaking of exposed parts before and after your trip into the woods will give you several hours of protection. Remember what Ben Franklin said. An ounce of prevention is really worth a pound or two of cure. If vou don't believe it, take on a chfgger bite-and scratch yo urself half to death. "Gee. I'm tired. I only slept 2$11 hours last winter." BAIT FARMING . . . (Continued from Page 15) The easiest and most economical wav to enter the bu~dness, Raine~; contends, is by purchasing an entire bed, complete with bedding, material, worms, eggs and food. Anvtime bet\Yecn December to Ap~il is a good time to do it for best results. when worms are at their peak of reproduction. Some youngsters at the game have bought a bed and spread its contents in four or five beds, fattening the worms so the~' would be in more demand when fishing season opened. IN MEMORIAM CLEVE E. HARPER 1913-1957 "Let us pass ova the river and rest in the shade of the trees." -STONEWALL .JACKSON Death is always sad and unexpected, but it must eventually come to every living thing. It is tragic to have the young taken from us before they have lived their lives and had their chance in the world. It is equally saddening for one to die, even after scores of years on this earth, although we know they have had their chance, completed their tasks and can rest on their laurels. But should we not rejoice that they have been with us for so long'? This partly expressed the thoughts and feelings of Georgia sportsmen toward their departed friend, Ranger Cleve E. Harper, who passed away February 2 at his home on Lake Burton. \Ve are sure he would wish us to carry on the work in which he had so much interest-conservation. Ranger Harper joined the Gemgia Game and Fish Commission in July, 1948 and became one of the most respected law enforcers in history. He was a faithful and untiring worker, devoting his life to the conservation and preservation of wildlife. His record as a Ranger is flawless; his unselfish efforts carried him far beyond the call of duty. Ranger Harper was a friend to the sportsman and a friend to the wild animal. He was a pioneer conservationist with a mighty love for his work an dcollected his r eward from the satisfaction of knowing he was doing his part to conserve wildlife and to help sportsmen. Ranger Harper was born in the mountains and died in the mountains, but not before he had accomplished his mission on earth. During the nine years with tlw Department, he came in contact with over 12,000 sportsmen and every one that knew him had a deep respeet for his sineerP effort to earry out his duti es. As appreciatio 1 for his work in the refuges of North Georgia, the Toccoa Deer Hunters Club gave him their special award last year for his work in ( 'o nservation. Time will pass and we will grow oldlr with our memories of the past, but those of us \\'ho love and appreeiatP \Yildlife and its conservation will ahntys remember CleYe Haqwr. LAKE BURTON . . . (Continued from Pa g e ~I) adventure-seeking tr o ut wind their way down mountain pathways into the lake where they become residents until some fisherman interrupts their life. Although Burton is primarily known for its abundance of trout, it has also provided fishermen with several record bass catches. Ten-pounders have been pulled from areas surrounding the fusion of Timpson River and the lake proper several times. Alton "Smitty" Smith, the corner druggist in nearby Clayton and a local expert on the lake, says it cannot be surpassed for either bass or trout. During a certain period of its 33 year life, Burton's bass population was a far cry from what it is today. Corrective procedures, however, and addition of shad for the bass to nibble on between meals of bream aided the rebirth of bass. Now, it's nothing to spend an afternoon yanking out bass, if you know the spots. Not too long ago, abundance of bream and yellow perch in Burton had fishermen worried. That is when the Rainbows made their appearance on the scene, feeding on the perch and whittling down the population. Bream fishing, too, is a pleasant pastime in Burton. Local anglers find them a shady s pot, rig up their cane poles and sit, sometimes for a whole afternoon , indulging in the sport from the bank. Occasionally, one hauls in a large crappie from around the fallen trees on the edge of the la k e. Though th ey w e r e not abundant in Burton a f ew years ago, Crappie has definitely become a wide-spread inha bitant of the lake. To the south of Lake Burton is La ke N a coochee, or Seed a s it is know n to the people of Rabun Co un ty. This small lake, sandwiched betwee n Burton and Lake Rabun, is a continuation of its originator. Rainbow trout wait like vultures to nau a piece of lJait during- cLrtain parts of the year. Brool; : (;o t) Cla r kt>;villc, take Highway 197 to the end of pavement, turn left and travel pa st LaPrade's Camp and pass fir st creek to top of first hill, turn left on dirt road wh ich will lead to Wildcat Creek where permits may be purchased from Wildlife Rang- er. OI'EN DATES April- Saturdays and Sundays, 2021, 27-28. :\1ay- Saturdays and Sundays, 4-5, 11-12, 18-19, 25-2G. .JuneWedn esdays and Thurs day s , 5-G, 1213, 19 -20, 2G-27. Julv-SatUJdavs and Sundays, G-7, 13-14; 20-21, 27-28, 3 1. Augu s t- \Vednesday and Thursdays, 1, 7-8, 14-15, 21-22, 28-29. l\IOCCASIN CHEEK Directions: Go to Cla rkesville, take Highway 197 to end of pavement, tum left and follow main road to Lake Burton Hatchery where permits may be pmchased from Wildlife Ranger. OI'EN" DATES J une- Saturda.vs ; and Thursday s, 1-2, R-!l, 15-lli, 22-2:{, 2~130..June- Saturdays and Sundays, 1-2 . l'\-!1, Hi- IIi, 22-2:{, 2~l-:l0. .July- \\' edJwsdays and Thursdays, :3-1, 10-11, 17 1R , 21-25, :3]. Au gust Saturdays and Sundays, I, :{--1, 10-11, 17-JH, 24-~5, :{]. SPptcmlwr - Sunday and .l\Iondar , 1-2. 25 OLD FIGHTER (Continued from Page 7) spindly pines that surrounded the lake, and thunder roared like a paining lion. \Ve were quite right in delaying our start until after the rain ceased. The tanned fellow, who fished here regularly, almost daily, told us so. He ~hould know. He had spent his entire life on the lake. "Now, if it was me," he said as he pulled his stool nearer our taLle, "I would-a got out a bit earlier this morning if I was planning to catch Fighter. He hits early in the morning and just aLout sundown. 0' course, sometimes he'll toy with your Lait during the midday, but that's just to play with you. I believe the feller that catches him, if there's a man in the world that can, will get him about sundown." That was music to our ears. This fellow had several Louts with Old Fighter himself, but had never been able to land the wild-eyed old scrapper. Once, he told us, he brought him topwater and played him almost into his net when the Fighter seemed to wink at him sheepishly and swirl water into his face before the line snapped. "There was a lady through here just last week." he told us, "who almost caught Fighter. She was fishing with her husband. Well sir, he put a spring lizard on her hook and slid it into the water in the cove where Fighter usuall~r hangs out. The lady held onto the reel for a few minutes and then complained to her husLand that it was hung on something. He took it and commenced to jerk it loose. By George, Fighter took ofl" Lack a:1med.likc an eternit~r . But soon tht> sun h<-'gan to play hide-a nd-go-set- ing House Cove," the old man advised us, "you'll proLaLly see The Fighter. I ain't a-telling you you'll catch him, but I'll bet he's hanging 'round there somewhere." \Ve backed the trailer down to the water and lifted the boat to the ground. Harry guided it into the lake and soon we were off. We decided to head straight for "Meeting House Cove" instead of fishing along the way. I told Harry to turn off the motor aLout 200 feet from the mouth of the Cove. We glided in, still and quiet, almost motionless. We dropped anchor near a Lig stump and Laited our hooks. I decided to use a spring lizard, since the fellow back at the Inn told us Fighter likes them. I made my cast near a big stump aLout 75 feet from the Loat and sat Lack with my fingers crossed. About 10 minutes passed. No luck. I reeled in the lizard and exchanged him for a fresher one. I casted again, this time aiming at a point where a small spring emptied into the lake. Ten, twenty. then thirty minutes passed. Still no luck. Fighter had not even teased us. \Ve fished here for about two hours without the first inkling of a stlike. Finally, we decided to set out for the lower part of the lake and try our luck there, completely giving up on The Fighter. \Vith Harry at the helm, we took the boat clown the lake, cove by cove, until we reached the point of No Return. \Vith six bass on our string, we started back up the lake just as darkness came from behind the motionless clouds. As we approached Meeting House Cove, I signaled Harry to pull the boat into the still water for a final cast. I felt around in my tackle box for a plug, figuring I must make plenty of noise if I hoped to attract Fighter's attention. I got my best topwater lure and cast it near the spring. As I reeled in, slowly and methodically, I got a terrific jolt. I saw the tremendous fish leap into the air, then dive Lrazenly Lack into the water with a tremendous surge of power. I became s li ght l~' nauseated; no, not nauseated, 21i sickened with fright. I had Fighter on my hook! I was afraid to look at Harry, Lut I know his graven face must have been a humorous sight. I was shaking as the Lig fish cut capers to and fro across the blue water. Finally, I wore him clown. As I Legan to reel him toward the boat, Harry stood with the net. He wanted to make sure, too, that the fish did not make another escape. ''Quickly, Harry," I told him, to be sure he didn't waste too much time. "Let's not let him slip Ly us like he has clone so many other folks." Harry put the net in the water and I maneuvered Fighter toward the white cords. Just as Fighter drew near, he swirled once and seemed to give me that same patented wink. My heart skipped another beat. Wasn't that the same thing he did to the fellow before me? Did he plan to make another attempt to escape? I worked him diligently toward the net and finally Harry slipped it Leneath him and lifted him into the boat. Fighter leaped and twisted until Harry placed his foot on him to make sure he didn't jump too high. After he had gasped his final breath, I let out a hoop that must have rocked Screamer Mountain, five miles away. Then I saw our friend standing on the Lank. "I feel like half mv life ended today," he said wh.en we had reached the shore. "I vowed I would be the one to catch The Fighter. Now, it seems I have little to live for. Almost every day for the past five years I have tried to do what you did out there todav. It'll be funny around here with. Fighter gone.. " I looked into the fellow's soft, frustrated eves. I saw a million different thi"ngs-warmth, pain, understanding, woe. Again m~' heart sank. What had I done? I ca ught Old Fighter, the fish this man had Lecome friends with and clwrished for a decade. I wanted to take him to the lake and .slip him Lack into the water. A feeling of guilt tugged at mr LackLone. I felt like a criminal. A hapmr criminal! UHI~G UUTD----- EditoT, GeoTgia Game and Fish Being a newspaper man of sorts, your editor here is always entertained by stories passed around by men with noses for news. It would be pleasant someday to gather all these humorou s tidbits into a cover and print it. Until then, I am content with just passing them along to an interested audience. This first story happened in Greensboro, N. C., several years ago. It stars a young sports writer who had just taken his first job and was an eagerbeaver to please his boss, an elderly gentleman whose only real knowledge of sports was how to spell it. The boss, as the story goes, left the office to cover a sporting event and left the youngster in charge of the place, which meant he was to write headlines, edit copy and send both to the composing room. This was no problem to the eager-beaver. He wrote the headlines, editer the copy and sent both to the composing room. About ten thirty the telephones began to ring, which is a custom, particularly to those who dare to wager a few odd dollars on the outcome of athletic contests, and several interested souls dropped by the office for tidbits of information. Our friend, still an eagerbeaver in every sense of the word, answered telephone after telephone, talked to person after person and just when he felt his job was about over, an elderly chap, clad in overalls and a pair of brogans, came in. "Say Young man," the chap said , "Who is the hunting and fishing expert around here?" Our friend, snapped almost to attention and answered briskly "Why, I am, Sir." "Good," the old man said, "I've been a-wondering about these two 'plaints' (pronounced plants in Georgia), this here wildlife feller gave me to put on my land for quail feed. Do you know anything about it?" The timid reporter took both plants in his hands, looked them over and handed them back to the gentleman . "What did you want to know about them?" he asked the man. "Why, I want to know which is hi-color lespedeza," was the reply. "This wildlife man gave me just one plant to try and I've forgotten which one it was. I planted it in this little spot and both these plaints (pronounced plants in Georgia) came up. Now, which one is this here lespedeza?" The reporter was stumped. "What you want to know is which one is hi-color lespedeza? Yessir, I'll fix you right up." He turned, went into the sports library, picked up an encyclopedia and began to ramble through the pages for an illustration. " How do you spell it, Sir?" he asked. "I don't know how to spell it," the man said. "If I knew that much about it, I wouldn't be here a-asking you." The reporter shrugged and continued hi s searc h. After about fifteen minutes of rambling without success, he had a brainstorm. "Say, mister," he said, " let's you and I call that wildlife ranger and ask him to come up here a nd answer your question." The ranger, like always, was glad to oblige. He came into the office and easily identified the two small plants. "This one," he said, "is a bean. And this one is hi-color lespedeza ." The farmer told the ranger he was much obliged and started for the door. The reporter gave his thanks and began to close the office. When the visitor reached the doorway, he met the boss on his way back from the ball game. "Hello, Mr. Graves," the boss said, "how's everything down your way?" "Fine, sir," the man replied. "How's things with you?" After he had been assured "things" could not have been better by the editor, he asked him aside. "Mister," Graves said to the editor, "how long have you had than young feller working in yore office?" "Why, he just came here tonight," the editor told him. "Well there shore mu st be a shortage of sportswriters," Graves snorted, "fer this here feller don't know hi-color lespedeza from a hill of beans." Thus went the first night in the genesis of a sports career for a man who, since that night in Greensboro, has made quite a name for himself as an author. He passed this story along to us, but asked that we withhold his name to spare him a flushed face. He insists, though, that the story is true. His only comment was, "I really didn't know that plant from a hill of beans, but I wa n't TOO embarrassed. The boss didn't know the difference either." GEORGIA GAME AND FISH COMMISSION 412 STATE CAPITOL BUILDING ATLANTA. GEORGIA Acquisitions Division University of Ga. Library Univeraity .of Ga. Athens, Ga . SEC . 34 . 66 , P . L. & R . U . 5. POSTAGE PAID ATLANTA. GA. 1 PERMIT. NO. 155