Georgia game and fish [Vol. 2, no. 4 (Apr. 1967)]

:ORGIA

VOL. 2, NO. 4 I APRIL, 1967

B ~GEORGIA
;~, -.;, GAME &FISH

APRIL 1967

Volume 11, Number 4

Contents

Thieves in the Night . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jim Morrison 1

White Knight of the Rivers

Phil Pierce 4

Jackfish - A South Georgia King ... C. B. O'Neal 7

Meet Your Commissioner

Dean Wohlgemuth 10

Meet Your Director . . . . . . . . . . . Jim Morrison 11

Water Pollution Can Be Tamed Part II Jim Tyler 12

Trout Tactics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Claude Hastings 14

Sportsman's Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

17

Lester G. Maddox Governor

COMMISSIONERS

Judge Harley Langdale, Chairman
Valdosta-8th District

Leonard Bassford, Vice Chairman
Augusta-lOth District

William Z. Camp, Sec. Newnan-6th District

Charles L. Davidson, Jr. Avondale Estates-4th District

James Darby Vidalia-! st District

Rankin M. Smith Atlanta-5th District

Richard Tift Albany-2nd District

J. B. Langford Calhoun-7th District

William E. Smith Americus-3rd District

Clyde Dixon Cleveland - 9th District

Jimmie Williamson Darien-Coastal District

GEORGE T. BAGBY DIRECTOR

ASSISTANT DIRECTORS

Howard D. Zeller Program Planning

Jack. A. Crockford Field Operations

COORDINATORS

Leon Kirkland, Fisheries

Charles M. Frisbie,

Hubert Handy, Game

Marine Fisheries

RobertS. Baker, Law Enforcement Jim Morrison, Information and

Education

REGION MANAGERS

C. V. Waters, Gainesville, N. Ga. Frank Parrish, Fitzgerald, S. Ga.

Wayne W. Thomaston,

David Gould, Brunswick, Coast

Fort Valley, M. Ga.

GEORGIA GAME & FISH STAFF

Jim Morrison, Editor Dean Wohlgemuth,
Managing Editor

D an Keever, Photographer Jim Tyler, Staff Writer
Glenn Smith, Staff Writer

* * *
Georgia Game and Fish is the official monthly magazine of the Georgia Game and Fish Commission, published at the Commission's offices, 401 State Capitol, Atlanta, Georgia 30334. No advertising accepted. Subscriptions are $1 /or one year or $2.50 for three years. Printed by Stein Printing Company, Atlanta, Ga . Notification of address change must include both old and new address and ZIP code, with 30 days notice. No subscription requests will be accepted without ZIP code. Articles and photographs may be reprinted. Proper credit should be given. Contributions are welcome, but the editors assume no responsibility or liability for lass or damage of articles, photographs, or illustrations. Second-class postage paid at Atlanta, Georgia.

Effective Law Enforcement The Key to Wildlife Conservation

Public recognition and support of the conservation

law enforcement program of the State Game and Fish

Commission is vitally necessary to the success or

failure of any of the efforts made by biologists and

other technical personnel to improve hunting and

fishing. It is a well known fact that law enforcement

activities are the heart of any wildlife conservation

agency, and Georgia is no exception. Without the

ceaseless efforts of Georgia's wildlife rangers to control

night hunters, out of season hunters, illegal doggers,

netters, dynamiters, shockers, giggers, trappers, and

game hogs of many other descriptions, there would be

no wildlife left to expand hunting and fishing op-

portunities. Programs of fish and deer or game bird

stocking and the opening up of new public hunting and

fishing areas would be of little value without control

of individuals bent on overharvesting and wiping out

game species for their own selfish desires. And con-

trol of the wild and reckless boat operator would be

impossible without the wildlife ranger, who sometimes

is one of the most unappreciated men in the

world.

In order to do their job effectively, wildlife rangers

and other law enforcement officers must have the sup-

port of the public in carrying out their assigned duties

of enforcing the law. All too often in the pas t,

apathy toward prosecution of violators of wildlife

conservation laws has been the rule rather than the

exception in some areas for a period of time. In such

areas where the public was not conservation con-

scious, public officials were actually discouraged from

doing their duty in prosecuting wildlife cases. Local

county grand juries have sometimes refused to true bill

good cases made by wildlife rangers, and sheriffs, and

solicitors have sometimes been reluctant to carry the

case forward to a conclusion. Occasionally judges

have handed out relatively light sentences for major

conservation offenses which were so inconsequential

that the violator did not hesitate to commit the same

offense again.

In cases of this kind, criticism should not be lightly

directed toward these public officials, who are merely

responding to public opinion as it is expressed to

them in contacts with the public in person by acts as

well as words, by telephone, and by mail. Since t~se

officials must run for reelection , they must recognize

the fact that the public frequently resents the handing

out of fines and sentences on conservation offenses

which the non-hunting public might think are too

strict or harsh. If this is the case in your community,

then only you can help change the picture.

Regardless of events in the past, the State Game

and Fish Commission and its law enforcement officers

stand ready and willing to cooperate with the general

public, and with other law enforcement and judicial

officials in a renewed and revitalized effort to preserve

Georgia's wildlife for posterity through improved en-

forcement of wildlife conservation laws.

-J.M.

P.hoto cr~dits: Dan Keever, 2.t., t.3, t .5, 1.6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14; Jom Morroson, 1, b.2, c.&b. 3, 4, b.5, r.6, 15; Jim Tyler, 12, 13.

ON THE COVER : Most casual observers would guess that the angler ~:>n this month's cover is probably casting for rai nbow trout m a north Georgia mountain stream on opening day. In reality, he's j igging for white bass in the middle Georgia shoals of the Oconee River above Lake Sinclair. See the article on page four. Cover photo by Dan Keever.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jim Morrison is the editor of Georgia Game & Fish Magazine, as well as coordinator o~ in formation for the State Game and F1sh Commission since 1963.
Although he is primarily a deer and dove hunter, he also enjoys huntin~ quail, _rabbits, squirrel, and ducks. He especially enJOYS stream fishing for white bass and trout, along with pond fishing for bream, lake fishing for largemouth bass, and occasiona I forays into saltwater.
Jim owns a 14 foot lapstrake boat with a 35 horsepower outboard motor which he uses most often for water skiing, boating, picnicing, and swimming on Lake Lanier with his wife Nina and their three year old daughter, Nina Lynn.
In addition to his public relations duties with the State Game and Fish Commission, Jim serves as chairman of the Georgia Natural Resource Education Council, and as vicepresident of the Information and Education Section of the Southeastern Game and Fish Commissioners Association.
Before joining the State Game and Fish Commission, Jim worked as a news photographer-writer with the news department of WBT-WBTV in Charlotte, N. C., and with WPLO and WQXI in Atlanta .
Jim holds an AB degree in journalism from the University of Georgia, where he was co-captain of the varsity rifle team, earning a letter all four years and scoring the first and second highest over-all season scores in his senior and junior years. He still enjoys competitive target shooting.
He and his wife and daughter live at 2496 Joiner Court in Decatur.
Many deer shot by night hunters are not recovered because the animals run off and die a considerable distance away. Poachers are usually too hurried to blood trail a deer at night.

Last year, this scene or its equivalent was repeated many times. During 1966, wildlife rangers arrested 122 persons who were placed under charges related to night hunting for deer.
Shocking figures? Perhaps, but these are only token indications of the true size of the problem faced by wildlife rangers in protecting Georgia's deer herd so th at it can naturally expand. Exactly how many night hunters there are in Georgia and how many deer they kill every year isn't known. "We've got a lot of it, but I don't know how to estimate it," says C. V. Waters, north Georgia region manager of the Game and Fish Commission.
"Chief Carter and his rangers in the Gainesville District alone have confiscated nine cars in the five months from October through February. There are usually two to four people a car. So far, we haven't lost a single car that we've confiscated. Every one that has been up for sale has been sold," Waters says. "We've got some good ones, including one brand new Fairlane 500 that the boy had just bought that day. We also got two '64 models, a Ford Galaxie and a Volkswagen, along with a '57 Ford that was really a hot one. It had oversized tires, four on the floor, and a '64 T-Bird engine. It'll really move on!"
Some of the guns also confiscated by rangers are expensive high-powered rifles with telescope sights worth several hundred dollars each.
But there is no doubt in the minds of wildlife rangers that night hunters are second only to free-running dogs in the number of deer that are wantonly destroyed or illegally taken. In some localities, illegal hunters are believed to kill more deer each year than are taken by legal hunters. The problem is a state-wide one, from the mountains of Rabun County in the north to the flat piney woods bordering Lake Seminole in the south. The problem is not a new one, since one of the first conservation acts of Georgia's colonial legislature in 1773 was to provide a penalty for killing deer at night of 30 lashes on the back of the offender "well laid."
"Fire hunting" or "jacklighting" of deer was first practiced with the aid of a burning torch, which served the same purpose as the present day electric lights used for "spotlighting." These methods take advantage of the fact that deer for some unknown reason are not frightened by a light at night. Instead, they either seem fascinated by it and stand motionless, or else ignore it and keep feeding. In either case, they are easy prey for unscrupulous hunters.
That this uncontrolled slaughter would soon wipe out deer if not checked

is quite obvious, and it was one of the leading reasons that deer were extinct in almost every part of Georgia by 1900. Today, it is still a major deer problem, and getting worse. Thanks to the expansion of suitable deer habitat, restocking, and protection from poachers and dogs, deer have increased by the thousands in Georgia, with a population estimated at more than 100,000 animals. This growing herd has also resulted in greater interest from poachers, who find their prey more numerous and easier to slaughter.
While the problem is greatest in areas where the deer herd is most numerous, night hunters have made their presence felt in almost all of Georgia's 159 counties, all of which have at least a few deer.
"Many new counties that were stocked with deer five years ago weren't opened for hunting this year," said Hubert Handy, coordinator of game management for the Commission. "We were only able to open up about 20 of the 40 or so counties which should have had a deer season this year because the population is still too low there."
Handy is convinced that night hunters and dogs are the two reasons for this. "Dogs are our biggest problems, since they work hardest year round on the fawns and the does, but jacklighters are right behind them."
Indications are that the average spotlighter is quite successful in taking deer. Robert Carter, chief of the Commission's Gainesville District, noted that two out of three groups of night hunters captured by his rangers in January had a deer in the car. Testimony by witnesses and informers indicate that some fire hunters shoot more than four or five deer in a single night's hunting.
But in spite of this, many of the jacklighter's targets escape him. His shots are frequently hurried , in poor light, at too great a distance. Deer frequently run for great distances, even whert mortally wounded. Often the prey runs off and later lies down to die, and the meat is wasted.
That the hunter also successfully retrieves his ill-gotten gain is mutely testified to by the severed heads of does and hides of animals found lying in a roadside ditch. Frequently, animal remains left from butchering in the forest are quickly disposed of by scavengers like opossums, raccoons, and foxes . When evidence of night killings of deer like this are found even inside the locked gates of well-patrolled game management areas of the Commission, it is obvious that the problem is even greater in the outside counties where miles of lonely roads bisect deer areas. This probably helps

2

to explain why the deer poulation in the open sections never builds up as high as that of more pr~tected areas.
Night deer poaching m most areas is most common in the winter months followi ng the deer season of D~ce~ber and January, although some vwlatwns are reported year rou.nd. One .reas~n for the decline of mght buntm~ ~n the spring and summer seems to he m the fact that the meat bas a "greener" flavor when the animals are fee.ding on green vegetation. In the late wmter months, food in the forest becomes scarce and deer come out of the woods at night to graze on roads!de grass and winter pastures, presentmg a more tempting target for night hunters.
Why some hunters are willing to
violate the law and threaten the very existence of the deer herd by hunting them at night is a difficult question to answer. Some of the answers are obvious, but others are more devious. Meat hunting has long been a predominant answer, since deer meat is rated as an excellent substitute for more expensive beef, even in colonial days. Market hunting is another, since five deer hides once could be traded for a pistol and today one deer carcass may bring $25 or more, depending on the condition and amount of meat, etc. If a hunter could bag four or five animals in one night, why should he worry about a $100 fine or less if he gets caught? One group of night hunters caught recently by the Commission's rangers were making payments on their new car with money obtained by selling illegally killed deer. Such sales are difficult to stop, even though they are illegal. Usually, they are between agreeing individuals, although some restaurants and meat packing houses reportedly also purchase venison, sometimes grinding it up and selling it as beef hamburger.
But many night bunters do not need the meat of the animals they kill. Often they seem to have little need for money. Usually they are men who can afford a fast automobile, an expensive gun, and have plenty of spare time. Few teenagers are caught night hunting. Most violators are in their 20's or 30's-old enough to know better.
Some night hunting during the season can be explained as unscrupulous efforts to bag a "trophy" buck the ea Y way, and some large racks undoubtedly have been taken this way. One violator reportedly even has the ceiling of his den covered with the antlers of nearly a hundred bucks he has slai n at night.
But even when the motives of meat hunting, market hunting, and trophy hun.ting are lumped together, an explanation for many other violators cannot be so easily determined . Perhaps

the "thrill" of breaking the law, the danger and excitement of eluding pursuit and escaping detection, somehow fill the perverted psychological needs of a few sick individuals.
But regardless of their motives, it is evident that night hunters over the past two centuries haven't been deterred from their irresponsible acts by Jaws against them. In most cases, this probably was either because the law wasn't enforced very diligently, the penalty was too light, or both. There is no record of how effective the penalty of "30 lashes-well laid" was in reducing repeated night hunting violations, or even of how many times, if any, the penalty was actually administered. But it is known that until recently, enforcement of the night hunting laws was almost a joke.
The reasons for this situation are many and diverse, and night hunting is just one of many offenses of conservation laws and regulations that have been taken lightly by the public and law enforcement agencies and officials. Many of the difficulties of effectively enforcing conservation measures are similar to the problems of forcement in other areas, such as moonshining, gambling, speeding, etc.
At the root of most law !nforcement problems lies public opinion. Apathy on the part of the general public often leads to poor law enforcement such as officers badly underpaid who are subject to political reprisals for doing their job too well. Conditions of this kind sometimes lead to inefficient personnel who may even become corrupt. Good men are difficult to attract to this kind of atmosphere.
Continued on Page 16

This was the last sight seen by 122 illegal spotlighters arrested last year by wildlife rangers on charges of hunting deer at night. Ranger William Faulkner of Forsyth uses his truck for a roadblock.
Chief Robert Carter of Gainesville examines dual set of tags used by a night hunter on one of the nine cars confiscated by his rangers in northeast Georgia since October.
Night hunters take advantage of th e fact that deer are not frighten ed by a spotlight, often resuming feeding in its glare.

By Phil Pierce Fisheries Biologist

When the dogwoods begin to bloom in most parts of Georgia, fishermen just seem to be marking time at their jobs while suffering from some strange disease which comes to a fever pitch with the arrival of the long-awaited news that "white bass are a'runnin'."
The onl y known cure is an immediate treatment of battling one fighting white bass after another on light tackle until the fisherman just can't possibly stand to catch one more! Impossible? Then you've never caught white bass on the run.
Even though the white bass (Roccus crysops) is now one of Georgia's common reservoir fish , it is native only to the Great Lakes and the Mississippi Ri ver drainage. This highly desirable first cousin to the striped bass or "rock fish " was first introduced into Goat Rock and Bartlett's Ferry Lakes near Columbus, Georgia, in the early 1950's. Through an extensive stocking program by the Game and Fish Commission, the white bass is now found in virtually all of Georgia's major reservoirs. Where these fish have been successfully established, they provide some of the fastest, most exciting fishing that can be found anywhere.
The white bass has a moderately comprised body, forked tail, two separate dorsal or back fins , teeth on the base of the tongue, spines on the first dorsal fin and three spines on the anal fin. About ten narrow, dark lines or stripes run the length of the body with

five of these stripes lying above the lateral line. The mouth is typically basslike with the lower jaw projecting beyond the upper jaw. The separate dorsal fins and the stripes along the sides will serve adequately to distinguish it from all members of the sunfish family.
The usual size of white bass caught by anglers runs from one half to two pounds. A three to four pounder is a trophy and anything over that approaches record size. The world's record caught at Grenada Dam, Mississippi on July 9, 1960, weighed five pounds and two ounces ~ To successfully catch this often elusive fish , one should be familiar with their daily and seasonal habits. White bass become sexually mature when they are two to three years of age and spawn from mid March to early June in Georgia. At that time, the fish move out of the lakes and into the tributary streams where the males congregate in large numbers behind obstructions or barriers such as rock shoals, sand bars and particularly dams. The male fish start their run when the water temperature approaches 55 F and the females move into the schools of m ales when their eggs are " ripe" when the water reaches and maintains a temperature of approximately 62F . The male fish are usually found adjacent to swift water directly behind dams and obstructions; whereas, the females locate themselves farther downstream in the less turbulent waters. This is probably because the female is less agile when heavy with eggs than the more streamlined males.
However, when it comes time to spawn, the females move into the schools of males and deposit their eggs (often as many as 1,000,000 ) directly into the water where they are immediately fertilized by the males' sperm that is also being released into the water. The eggs are heavier than water and adhesive; therefore, they slowly sink to the bottom and stick to rocks and debris. Within two to three days the eggs hatch and the minute fry join its kind in massive schools seeking food and protection in the reservoirs.
For successful spawning, conditions must be nearly perfect. A fast drop in water temperature is probably the main cause of failure with heavy predation on eggs and young fry by other fish and aquatic organisms being second.
Over harvest by hook and line is not considered to be a threat to a white

*A new world record white bass weighing 5 lbs. and 4 oz. was caught at K ansas' Toronto Reservo ir outlet on May 4, 1966, by Henry A. Baker of Wichita, Kans. This catch, however, is not yet certified.

4

White bass have a striking white color with distin ct black lines along their sides, similar in appearance to salt water striped bass, with which they are sometimes confused.

bass fishery. This is why a liberal limit of thirty white bass per day is allowed in Georgia. The rate of growth for white bass is determined by the amount of food available and the water temperature. Where growing seasons are long and food is abundant, this species will reach seven inches the first year.
Since small fish must have small food the Georgia Game and Fish Commission also stocked into its lakes another exotic "school" species of fish called threadfi n shad which is very prolific and does not grow too large for whi te bass to eat. Before this species was added, white bass had to rely primarily on gizzard shad that often grew too large for them to eat within a short period of time.
Without the presence of the threadfin had, it is doubtful that white bass would provide the fishery they presently do here in Georgia. Since white bass require moving water for spawning and prefer pelagic (open water) species of school fish for food, they do not do well in small impoundments such as farm ponds. This is one of the reasons that they are not available from state hatcheries for stocking private ponds or streams.
The best method for catching white bass duri ng their spawning run is with light tackle using small spinners, jigs, spoon and live minnows. These lures and bait should be fished behind obstructions in the river. Cast spinners and spoons across current or downstream retrieving them at different speeds depending on success. Jigs should be cast across current or downtream and retrieved slowly, bouncing ~he _lure along the bottom or slightly )er_kmg the rod tip up and down while bemg retrieved through deeper water. Live bait should be fished with a split shot and sufficient sliding weight to allow the bait to rest on the bottom after being cast downstream. Retrieve

bait slowly or let set. Bait fishing is often rewarding in areas that have been heavily fished with lures. To reduce the possibility of "hanging" a lure or bait in the rocks and logs that are so often associated with white bass spawning sites, it is recommended that casts not be made upstream, although this can be extremely productive. Because of thei r voracious natu re, white bass almost always hook themselves, and seldom are lost before being unhooked, when they have a habit of impaling the un wa ry fisherm an's finger on a sharp fin before flouncing back into the Jake!
During the summer and fall months, white bass continue to travel in large compact schools. They often retire to deeper water during the day and invade the shallows at twilight. When feedi ng on schools of small shad, they often present a startling and spectacular sight. Their schools are so compact and thei r feedi ng so voracious that they sometimes cause the smaller fish to break the surface or swim up onto shore. Anglers who seek and locate a school of feeding white bass can ask for no faster or sportier action, especially when using light tackle.
Fi shing for this species can run from hot to cold, depending on changes in daily feeding habits and reproduction success in the particular lake. The boom or bust type of reproduction, characteristic of all species that only spawn once each year, leads to an abundant yea r class which will dominate the popul ation for two to three years. When this age class disappears, it may take a year or two for the next strong year class to attain a size desirable to the angler. Therefore, if past hot spots were not so rewarding las t year, there is a good chance that things will be better next season.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Phillip C. Pierce, fisheries supervisor for the Game and Fish Commission's Middle Georgia Regi on , works i n the heart of the state's white bass territory, and works extensively with management and stocking of this species.
Included in his territory are such fine white bass fishing spots as Lakes Sinclair, Clark Hill and three lakes near Columbus, Bartletts Ferry, Goat Rock and Oliver. Also, he has worked with stocking white bass in Lake Jackson, and worked with stocking threadfin shad in Jackson. This shad species did much to improve fishing for crappie as well as white bass in this lake.
Phil, 32, joined the commission 10 years ago, and worked extensively in pond management until he became regional fisheries supervisor in 1964. At that time the scope of his work was broadened into management in streams and reservoirs as well, where white bass now prowl. He has worked a good deal with weed control in ponds, and with the effects of drawing down water levels in reservoirs during winter months.
When it comes to hunting or fishing, Ph il is satisfied to enjoy whatever is in season. He particularly likes deer and bird hunting, and likes to " catch whatever fish are biting."
Pierce received hi3 Bachelor of Science degree in fisheries from Oklahoma State University. He and his wife Bonn ie have two dau ghters, Darrhea, 10, and Michelle, 3. They live in Fort Valley.

5

These are the best Georgia white bass lakes. Normally , th e fish are best caught on th eir spring spawning run up th e tributary streams.
Based on past catch records and fishermen interviews, the following are considered the better areas for catching white bass in Georgia even though there are surely many others that could be listed since this species is still being introduced into suitable waters.
NORTHERN REGION Spring Spawning Runs
In the northern region of the state, white bass fishing during the spring

spawning run is best in the Chestatee and Chattahoochee Rivers in Lake Lanier, the Etowah River in Lake Allatoona and the Coosa River above Lake Weiss at the lock and darn near Rome. There are also fair runs on the Tugalo River above Hartwell Lake and the Tallulah River above Lake Burton.
Summer, Fall and Winter During the summer, fall and winter, good catches are often reported from Lake Lanier in the vicinity of Gainesville above Georgia Highway 60; and Flat Creek Bay and at the junction of the Chestatee and Chattahoochee Rivers. Night fishing using shad for bait is very popular in the Flat Creek Bay area.
CENTRAL REGION Spring Spawning Runs In the central region, white bass fishing in the spring is best in Lake Sinclair in the Oconee River above State Highway 16 and most of the major streams that feed the lake ; Chattahoochee River above Lake Walter F. George behind the low water dams near Columbus and behind Oliver, Goat Rock and Bartlett's Ferry Dams above Columbus; Clark Hill Reservoir in the Savannah, Little and Broad Rivers in addition to the smaller tributary streams that flow into the lake. Summer, Fall and Winter Even though white bass fishing is best during the spring spawning runs, summer, fall and winter fishing in the above areas can also be rewarding, particularly behind the power dams where the white bass congregate to feed on the enormous schools of shad that are usually present. Night fishing , using minnows, from docks and abandoned bridges is popular in Lakes Sinclair, Clark Hill, Oliver, Goat Rock and Bartlett's Ferry. Trolling off points and submerged islands and casting directly into schools of feeding white bass are also rewarding techniques

employed by central Georgia fishermen. The most unique white bass fishing area is found in Lake Sinclair during mid-winter in the vicinity of the Harlee Branch Hydroelectric Steam Plant where the warm water discharge attracts these and many other species of fish.
SOUTHERN REGION Spring Spawning Runs Although white bass are found in all of the major lakes in the southern region, only a relatively few spawning sites have been located that contai n large concentrations of fish. This is because migration barriers such as high shoals and dams which are common in the northern and central regions are not found immediately above any of the southern region lakes. However, fi shing during the spring is considered fair to good at Lake Blackshear in Gum, Cedar, Spring, and Collins Creeks and behind Blackshear Dam using live shad or small spinners, jigs and spoons; L ake Seminole in the Flint River arm from Hales Landing up to Bainbridge and below the Lake Worth Dam at Albany; Chattahoochee River below Columbus Lock and Dam. Summer, Fall and Winter Some white bass are caught all during this period in most of the areas mentioned above, particularly behind the dams where these fish feed on the congregated small shad. Summer and fall fishing is also good dUTing the early morning and late evening in these lakes by trolling spinners or spoons and casting directly into feedi ng schools. ight fishing, using live minnows, is also productive at times. White bass are exceptionally good eating if filleted and prepared fresh or frozen in water before cooking. Once you have fished for white bass, you will surely be back to your favorite spot when the dogwoods are in bloom , but if you haven't, you don't know what you have been missing. ~

On light spinning tackle, th e white bass is a scrappy fighter who never stops pulling until he's on the stringer. Game & Fish Editor Jim Morrison lands one.
On th eir spawning run it's not unusual for fisherm en to catch the limit of 30 white bass, such as this string caught by M orrison.
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JACKFISHA SOUTH GEORGIA KING
From the heart of the Okefenokee Swamp and down into the black waters of the Suwanee River as well as in other similar South Georgia habitats, one can readily find the smaller relative of one of the most sought-after fish in the northeastern United States - the jackfish. The larger relative is the muskellunge which makes its home in the colder waters of more northern regions. Both belong to the pike family .
By C. B. O'Neal District Fisheries Biologist
Waycross

Paul Laska takes a jack near the spillway of th e dam in th e Okefenokee
Swamp . Th e spillway marks the start of th e Su wanee River.
Wally H errington of Fargo has a m eal-size catch of jacks. Th e chain-like markings on the body and th e elongated duck-like mouth distinguish th e chain pickerel, commonly called jackfish in Georgia.

A flut ed spoon fla shing ah ead of a multi colored skirt is a common lure pr jack.

While muskellunge up to 60 inches in length and weighing 75 pounds stand on the record books, the smaller jackfi h is pound for pound every bit the fighte r that characterizes the whole
fami ly. This is not to say that the old jack-
fi h is by any means a small fish , for to be sure, as an adult he is not. And as fa r as we can tell, Georgia grows them bigger than any other place. Amo ng the records held by Georgia and Georgians stands the world record
Jackfish. The record is 9 pounds, 6 ounces. He
was caught by a personal friend of mine, Mr. Bax ley McQuaig, who resides in Homerville, a small South Georgia community in Clinch County. The habitat of the Junker was what is known to folks in these parts as a cypress mill pond located partly in Clinch and partly in Atkinson counties.
Unlike many world records, the world record jackfish is not mounted and displayed for the many folks who wish they could drop by and see such a prize. Rather, he was consumed by some fine people who enjoy a good fish fry as much as I do. Following the catch, be was displayed to various people in the vicinity, appropriately weighed and measured, and taken home where he caused mouths to water.
The bait used in taking this world record was a black spoon, a favorite of many anglers down this way. Incidentally, the angler in this case is by no mea ns a once-in-a-while amateur fisherma n. He goes at every opportunity, fa ir or foul weather, and ranks among the best I have ever seen with reel and rod.
The accepted common name of the jackfish is chain pickerel. Scientifically he is known as Esox niger. But let's be les techn ical and call him the jackfish, the name most often used . He is an easily distinguishable fish , being marked by having the front of the head shaped much like a duck's bill, stout, sharp teeth, and dorsal and anal fins set well back on the body.
The jackfish is a spring spawner, spawning taking place over soft bottoms away from any current. The eggs are adhesive, stick to bottom materials, and are deserted as soon as they are laid. A week or two afterwards they hatch and at the age of about two weeks are predacious and cannibalistic. They remain so for the balance of their lives. I recently examined a 4-pound, !ounce jackfish which had a 7-inch warmouth and another 13-inch jackfish in his stomach.
"The things always seem to be hungry," a friend of mine remarked recently. "Or maybe it's just greed, 'cause a fish with a stomach as full as some I've seen and caught sure couldn't be hun-

gry." I agree. I have caught them with the
tail of a previous meal still protruding from their mouth , yet they were still enthusiastic enough about food to take my lure. Just more proof, I suppose, that it's not necessarily the hungry fish of which we catch the most. Rather, they are the well-fed ones which have plenty of vim, vigor, and vitality and just can't stand the sight of something they figure they can outdo with little effort, hungry or not. Jackfish stomachs are fully gorged, winter or summer. He may slow down a bit as winter approaches but if he does, it is difficult to detect by examination of their stomachs.
The food habits of these fish and their constant concern over tantalizing baits make the jackfish a favorite sportfish, particularly in South Georgia.
In lakes and reservoirs the jackfish can be found cruising the edges seeking a tasty morsel. They are frequently caught by bass fishermen since their feeding areas are basically the same. He is a very definite competitor with the largemouth feeding in the same area and on the same type of food . To put it in simple terms, the two predators eat at the same table.
In streams, the jackfish can be caught in swift water but is more characteristicall y found in calmer waters of small lakes away from the main stream, and a favorite lurking place is in the mouth of sloughs which seem to be an area of abundant food . An y calm water in an area where smaller fish tend to congregate is an excellent place to drop your Jure.
For the most part, the southern counterpart of the muskellunge takes to rel ativel y noisy and very brightly colored baits with a great deal of action and flash. He simply cannot tolerate a fl ashing spinner moving through the water in his vicinity.
Favorite baits down South include the black spoon with skirt (red and white, or black and white seem to be preferred) or with pork rind of various colors; the brighter the better. The Buel Spinner and Fluted Spoon which are both excellent and brightly colored with feathers and spinner seem to be more than even the most cautious of jackfish can tolerate.
He's a real sport fish to many of us. Once hooked he has a mind of his own , and he uses it well. By the time he's boated, and sometimes he isn't, yo u have had all the fight and fury yo u can use for the moment. However, if you like the sport of such a fight , drop back in the same spot, there's likely another one around there close by. As man y as four or five fish from the same spot is not uncommon.
When you get home with your catch,

you're still not through with the pleasures of jackfishing. You have some of the best eating you can imagine in the world of fis h. True, he's a bit bony, but gashed and fried rather brown, he can be the main attraction of many a fish fry.
Get yourself rigged . Spring is here. The jackfish is ready to give you the type of excitement which no other fish can give. H ave yourself some fun. In Jake, pond, or stream, go catch yourself a jackfisb-a South Georgia king! ,_.,.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR C. B. O'Neal is well qual ified to write about jackfish (chain pickerel). He fishes for them frequently, and his job as a fisheries biologist for the State Game and Fish Commission brings him in constant contact with them professionally.
Born 30 years ago in Qu itman, Ga ., C. B. is a lifetime resident of the state except from 1954-58 when he was in the U.S. Air Force. He received his BS degree in biology from Valdosta S~ate Coll ege where he graduated in 1962 w1th ~cadem1 c ~onors . He was an instructor of biology at h1s alma mater. from 1963-1966.
At the present time, hi s main endeavor as a biologist is looking into all aspects of fish in the Suwanee and Alahapa rivers; such as what fish a re there and how many there are.
Asked about his hobbies, he says, "fishing, just any kind . .. can't say I have any other hobbies. Speckled sea trout are my favor ite."
C. B., his wife Irene and e ight year old daughter Debbie live at 405 Bibb St., Waycross.

9

meet your commissioner:
RICHARD TIFT
Richard Tift represents the Second Coqressional District in the conservation and development of GeorJia's wildlife resources.

By Dean Wohlgemuth

From the moment you arrive at The

Oaks P-''l.ntat!on just outside of Albany,

you nottce the air is filled with Deep

South tradition. And when you approach

the house, you begin to become aware of

an atmosphere of an ardent bird hunter.

At the door stoop is a boot brush

adorned with a pair of golden quail.

Once inside the den of the house, you'll

see paintings of birds ... you'll see birds

everywhere. There are plates, ashtrays, a

lighter, drapes . . . game birds of all

types in every form imaginable. He and

his wife, Elizabeth, have made their

home at The Oaks Plantation for 27

years . This is the kind of background brought

to the Game and Fish Commission by

Richard Tift, who represents the Second

Congressional District. He has served on

the Commission longer than any other

current member, having begun his 17th

year in his post.

Richard Tift represents a section of

the State of Georgia that is typical of

him. His own plantation is located in the

heart of many well-known plantations.

And these plantations are the heart of

the plantation country of Georgia. Rich-

ard Tift, many years ago, through his

foresight and love of quail hunting and

game management, put together, organ-

ized and developed for his clients many

of the plantations now in existence. In

this area, Old South tradition is the

tandard-a tradition that is liberally sea-

soned with plantation-type quail hunt-

ing.

It is only natural, then , that Richard

Tift is an ardent quail hunter. Nor is it

unnatural that his primary business in-

terests tie in very closely with planta-

tions.

His foremost business concern is the

Richard Tift Company of Albany, a real

estate firm that specializes in the han-

dling of plantations and huge tracts of

land. His dealings include not only Geor-

gia, but Alabama, South Carolina and

northern Florida.



The 66-year-old native of Albany has

widespread land holdings and many business interests, including banks, railroads, insurance brokerage and land development.
In the field of conservation work, he has been chairman of the Georgia Game and Fish Commission on three occasions during his 17-year tenure. He was appointed by Governors Herman Talmadge, Marvin Griffin , Ernest Vandiver and Carl Sanders.
His plantation work in real estate also involves game management, in improving quail hunting on these plantations.
Mr. Tift was enrolled at Georgia Military Academy at College Park at the age of 14, and after three yea rs there, he entered the Citadel at Charleston, S.C. He also attended the University of Georgia in Athens three yea rs, ending his education there in 1924.
While a Game and Fish Commissioner, Mr. Tift has seen the Commission come under the merit system, was chairman of a committee that gained approval for the renovation of the state's fish hatcheries which is now underway, and has seen the Commission raise its game management lands from some 125,000 acres to more than a half million acres.
He has een the Commis ion come a long way, to become an efficient and well-run operation , and had a part in building the Commission to its present standards.
Mr. Tift has hopes of even further
progress for the Commission, which wou ld make it the best conservation organization in the entire nation, particularl y the South. "And it is headed that way," he added. "We have made great strides with the added revenue we now have. I don't believe any other state in
the South has made the gains Georgia has in conservation for the sportsmen of the state," he said.
"We have a splendid bunch of devoted citizens in Georgia now serv ing on the Commission, devoting their time and effort for the betterment and improvement

Commissioner Richard Tift shows that his bird dog pups are carefully trained an d obedient. Th e young pointers hit a point on a training "bird."
of the Game and Fish Commission," Mr. Tift said.
In addition to hunting quail on his beloved plantations, Mr. Tift also enjoys hunting other upland game and ducks. He enjoys fly fishing for trout in North Georgia's mountain streams, and fishing the South Georgia streams for bass.
Conservation, hunting, and fishing are a way of life to Commissioner Richard Tift of Albany. ,.._

10

eet your Director
By Jim Morrison

George T. Bagby, the new director of the State Game and Fish Commission, is a urpri ing man to people who are just
getting to know him. Born and raised in northwest Georgia
at Dallas in Paulding County, George learned to hunt and fish with his father
at an early age. Today at 46, his favorite hunting
sport i quail hunting. "I can't hit 'em, but I shoot at 'em " George says. He al o likes to rabbit hunt, and owns several mixed breed hounds for this purpo e, u ing a double barrel 16-gauge hotgun roo tly. Occasionally he hunts quirrel and has done some possum and coon hunting. He is a long time member of the Paulding County Sportsman's Club. The club leases the hunting rights on several thou sand acres of land , where George does most of his deer
hunting. Probably his first love in the outdoors
is fishing, primarily for bass and bream and saltwater ba s and trout. "I like to fish for bream with a cane pole, but you can't beat that topwater fishing for bass when they come up out of the water," George says with a twinkle in his eyes.
George and hi s sister Frances now own a cabin on the river at Steinhatchee Florida, where he makes a semi-annuai pilgrimage between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and again in the spring. ("We'll have to annex it to Georgia now!" a friend commented.) He keeps two outboa rd boats at the cabin for sea trout fi shing on the flats, an 18footer and a 14-footer, both fiberglass.
A a boy, George's life was not alway as easy as that of more fortunate youngsters. He soon learned to help his fa.th.er in his work as a plumber until dechnmg health forced his father to retire. After his father passed away, before George graduated from high school, his mother worked as a clerk in a local dry goods tore and later as a receptionist in a .doctor's office to finish putting George, hi two older sisters, and a younger brot~er through high school.
. With the help of his mother, he worked his way through nearby West Georgia College at Carrollton, hitchhiking his ~ay to classes from home. During World
ar lT, he served with the Nav y on the .. .S.S. Colorado in the South Pacific.
1 was about as high up as you can get," George says with a pause, "and still be a eaman first class."

After the war, he joined the Georgia Bureau of Investigation as an agent before becoming director of the Bureau in 1947 during the Administration of Governor M. E. Thompson.
Later he began attending night law school at John Marshall in Atlanta, riding to work at his da ytime job at an asph alt plant on the MacDougald-Warren work truck and hitch-hiking home.
In the meantime, George and his wife still helped with the family dairy until the day he passed the bar examination and went into private law practice in 1950. During most of that time, he has had a olitary practice. "A lawyer should use more care in selecting a partner than he would his wife," George chuckles.
First elected to the General Assembl y in 1947, he soon earned a reputation for his support of bills sympathetic to the interest of the working man, both in and out of organized labor. He crusaded for stronger law enforcement, and Jed the move in the Assembly which gave highway patrolmen their largest single salary increase in history. For this, he was selected to join a handful of men honored with a life membership in the Georgia Peace Officers Association.
He led a legislative effort at the 1965 se sion to raise the license fees to provide more funds for the State G ame and Fish Commission. During aU of his 15 yea rs in the General Assembly, at his request he served as a member of the Game and Fish Committee, later combined into the atural Resources Committee, and has taken an active role in the passage of man y wildlife bills.
During the Administration of Governor Ernest Vandiver, he served as speaker pro tern of the House. Later he was chairman of the powerful Ways and Means Committee of the House during the Administration of Governor Carl Sanders. Today, he is on a first name speaking basis with every member of the General Assembly.
As director of the State Game and Fi h Commission, Bag by says in response to questions about his plans for the Department that "the main thing, of course, is to expand our program of law enforcement and construction of new public hunting and fishing areas. I intend to wor k more closely with the General Assembly and with the courts- the solicitors, judges, and sheriffs over the
state."~

"/ didn't say that I was a good shot." Director Bagby has been a small game hunter since childhood. H e is primarily a quail, rabbit, and deer hunter.
" You can't beat that topwater fishing for bass." Bagby gives his youngest son T ommy, 8, a casting lesson on one of th e three stocked ponds on his 250 acre Paulding County farm . H e recently opened a nine hole public golf course o n th e farm.
we use th e camper fo r going to Florida, and sometimes fo r deer hunting." The Bagby clan loads the lun ch for a fishing trip. Mrs. Ruth Bagby gets a hand from sons T ommy (L ) and Jeff. Th eir daughter, Judy, is a freshman at th e University of Georgia .

11

Water Pollution (Part II) Part I in March issue showed that fishing and outdoor recreation are big business; many millions of dollars are spent annually. This economical fa ct is helping the State Game and Fish Department fight those who pollute the State's waters. Part II continues explaini pollution, and tells how water pollution can be throttled in Georgia.
..

Nature itself can take ~ar,e o.f pollution but now it usu~ly Isn t g~ven a chance. Bacteria in a nver can ~Issolve

and get rid of waste products If they have enough time. The natu~al process

Jap.UtoSUat udptioooeinns twndoioltlwhbneasvtdreeuamemnpoebudegfhm.ortteountth.ehe.e

Mn.voerer ongi-

l load of pollution can be dissolved.

naWhen a river that hasn't had a chance to cleanse itself empties int~ ~n

ocean estuary area such as Georgia s,

the filth knows no salt water boundary

and flows out to kill and threaten ma-

rine life. Along the coast the Savannah,

Aitarnaha, Brunswick, and St.. Marys

Rivers pump, if not death-dealmg pol-

luted loads, at least wounding loads to

the shrimp, crab, shellfish, and fish

which abound in the rich brackish wa-

ter environment. Pollution has already

rendered over half the coastal estuarine

area unsuitable for oysters. If they do

grow there, they are possibly contami-

nated . So it is up to industry and commu-

nities to eliminate some of this load of

pollution and make sure the load put

into the water is small enough or

treated enough so the river can handle

it. ecause of abundant rainfall [aver-

age 47 inches a year], and abund-

ant river basins, Georgia doesn't have

the problems of the industrial east,"

claims Rock Howard , executive secre-

tary of Georgia's Water Quality Con-

trol Board. "With less rainfall and more

indu try they have, what I call 'working

rivers.' But in the last 10-15 years Geor-

gia has moved from an agrarian [far-

ming] state to an industrial state. This

puts a heavier burden of industrial and

municipal pollution in the rivers. And ,

also, today people have more spare

time. They need water clean enough for

swimming, fishing, and boating."

This is one of the big realities that is

being forced upon us. Water is needed

for drinking and household purposes,

industry, mmmg, agriculture, food

processing, AND recreation and fish-

ing. "Water of the state should be

made available for all types of use and

not become degraded to a level which

restricts use to a few agencies or in-

dividuals," says Howard Zeller, assist-

ant director of the State Game and Fish Dep a rtment.

And in Rock Howard's words, "the

responsible blue chip industries are co-

operating and understand that the theo-

ry of multiple use of the state's waters

can't be kicked around any longer."

They realize that fishing and recreation

have to be considered. "Another thing,"

added Howard, "this GNP [Gross Na-

ti?n al Product] kick has been taken up

With the Chamber of Commerce philo-

sophy. They should consider that new

industries will not move in and establish along a polluted river. Four or five industries can hog a whole stretch of a river. "
The Water Quality Control Board was established to see that waters in Georgia are used properly for as many uses as possible. To do this the Board's technical staff has been surveying water areas in the state. They have started out with the larger rivers and river basins. Through the years they will expand their research until they have covered every stream, lake, and estuary in Georgia.
Here is how a survey works. First they select a section of a river. When possible their scientific staff samples the water to find out what fish and other life is living there. They check the water to see how clean it is, how much oxygen is in it, what the temperature is, and check a host of other things that totaled, give a picture of the river's condition along that particular section. They study who is using the waters of the river and what they are using it for.
A newly formed organization, the Division has not had time to take all the numerous samples that are needed. Sometimes they rely on other agencies, such as the Game and Fish Commission, who for years have collected data about the state's waters.
Then when all the information is gathered, the staff gets together and proposes which use is best for different areas of the river. For example, here is how they classified the Chattahoochee River from its headwaters in Habersham County to where it flows through West Point, Ga. The first 60 mile stretch is designated for recreational use, the next 50 miles for drinking water. The following 33 miles for industrial water, the next 25 miles for fishing, and the last 45 mile section is designated for recreational use.
This does not mean that an industry cannot locate along the section of the river designated for recreation. It means that anything they dump into the river has to be treated so the water can still be used for recreational activities, such as swimming and boating. Or if an industry is located in the zone that is supposed to be for fishing, for example, and they have been dumping waste products in the river that make this activity impossible, they will be required to "clean up" the wastes they dump in.
When a proposal has been completed, the Division calls a public hearing so agencies, like your Game and Fish Commission, industries, and any concerned individual or organization can meet and express their opinions.
For example, at the public meeting

"Rock" Howard, head of the Georgia Water Quality Control Board's technical staff, is the state's number one fighter against water pollution.
to discuss the proposed use of the section of the Chattahoochee just mentioned, Zeller presented the following information. He estimates that 20,000 boaters will yearly consume three million gallons of gasoline along the outlined area. This contributes $720,000 to gasoline dealers in the area, and puts $195,000 in the state kitty through tax on gasoline. Here again these figures do not take into consideration the thousands of dollars spent on picnic supplies, food, water-skis, fishing tackle, camping, etc.
With figures like this, the Game and Fish Department and the Water Quality Control Board can stand much taller while arguing for your rights. In the past, industries, the money makers, the raisers of the GNP, have been given a pat on the arm and a " be a nice boy and try not to dirty the water." Most of them have gone merrily on their polluting way because they, supposedly, contributed so much to the economy. By messing up the water they could possibly have caused more money to be lost than was actually gained. f"T"'oday water uses have a new per-
.l spective. The weight of sportsmen
is being felt. Also, in Georgia, there is a strong law behind the wise-use of the state's water. Zeller says everyone has an obligation to safeguard this rich heritage, this water. And he is right. It is everyone's obligation, and if the Water Quality Control Board has the people's support, water pollution can be controlled. It can be tamed.
So is Howard right: "Water pollution is not all black and white, there is grey. Extreme sides, the conservationists and industry, have to compromise. lf they don't, the young children will not inherit this interesting, entertaining, and beautiful world." ,._
,.,

TROUT TACTICS
By Claude Hastings
Northern Region Fi sheri es Supervi sor
Sometimes I wonder if we fully appreciate that we have trout fishing this far South. Trout are normally thought of in terms only of being in the North, but since northern Georgia possesses the most southerly range of the Appalachians it also possesses altitudes sufficient in height and therefore sufficiently low in temperatures to upport trout.
The mountains of Georgia have three species of trout. The brook trout-commonly called "spec," "speck," or "speckled trout"-is the true native of these mountains. At one time it was the only trout in the mountains and was abundant in all the streams which had low temperatures and possessed barriers to keep other fish from invading its territory. Through the years the brook trout bas been crowded from most of its original habitat by other species of trout, stocked by well-meaning fishermen and organizations, and since it is not tolerant of other species it remains in only a few of our small headwater streams that are isolated by waterfalls, except where it has been restocked.
The rainbow trout was stocked in our mountains many years ago from egg stockings shipped in from the west coast and has become the most abundant of the trout in Georgia.
The brown trout (a European) is our latest arrival and i well-established in most of our streams. This fish seems to be the only fish that can withstand our present-day fishing pre sures on trout streams and maintain a good population of good-sized fish.
Of the three kinds of trout that we have, the brook trout is the smallest and seldom exceeds 10 inches. Normally it grows to about seven inches. It also is the easiest caught of the three species.

Rainbow trout seldom exceed 12 inches in length in our streams, but are capable of growing much larger. The rainbow trout would grow from four to six pounds in man y of our streams if it were not so easily caught.
The brown trout grows large in man y Georgia streams. Brown trout whi ch are 16-18 inches in length are not uncommon and six to eight pounde rs are recorded every yea r. The brown trout attains this size because of its adaptability to various types of habitats and its difficulty in being caught by fishermen.
Success in fishing for trout is like attaining success in anything-you have to work at it. ow, I realize and I hope you realize that reading this is not going to ma ke you an expert trout fis herman , but 1 believe that it will make you aware of the mistakes that you are now making and T believe that it also will give you a few hints that yo u may try.
All of the following suggestions will be made to aid the fisherman to catch "wi ld" trout. These methods of course will also work for fishermen fishing for "stocked" trout.
The first thing to consider i the stream being fished. Make sure it has a fair population of "wild" fish in it. This information may be obtained by contacting Game and Fish Commission offices , inquiring from Wildlife Rangers, talking to residents , or discussing the possibilities with other fishermen .
I personally like relatively mall streams. I have found that trout strike a greater pa rt of the day if the stream is completely (or nearly so) shaded and are not o " mood y" as trout in large s t r e a m s.
Remember this also. To be a successful trout fisherman , you must fish alone unle s you are on really large water. If you feel that yo u must have someone with you , alternate the lead. In other words, one fisherman should take the lead and the other fisherman should trail at a distance. This is fine for the fishe rman in front but the fisherman in back will experience few strikes from "wild" fish.
There is a great amount of disagreement among fishermen as to the best time of day to fish for trout. l n mi dsummer, l have found that the best hours are from daylight until about 9:00 a.m. and then again from about 1:00 p.m . until dark.
Early in the yea r, when the water is cold. I have found morning fishing slow and prefer to fi h from about noon until dark. There is a good reason for this slowness on the part of the fish to strike in the morning. It is due to the water being at its coldest at that time of the da y. Toward noon , as the water temperature rises, the body processes of the fish become more active causing it to

become more likely to feed. Fly rods and spinning rods are the
rods to use for trout fishing in streams. There is nothing in trout fishing that will give as great a thrill as seeing a l~rge brown rise to a dry fl y. However, smce mo t of our trout streams are small and bru h-covered, there is little room for a forward cast, much less a back cast. Ultra-light spinning rods in 4 1/2 -S l/2 foot lengths are recommended. Appropriately light reels should be used with these rods. The Alcedo Micron reel and the Mitchell Model No. 308 are both good choices. Line of the finest diameter in 2-4 lb. te t hould be used . I prefer a 4-lb. test. Ultra-light lures that are especially good are Mepps "0" spinners (bucktail and plain) in both brass and nickel , C. P .
wing sp inners (S ize " 0" and "1 ") brass and nickel, and "L'tl Spike" wobblersbras , nickel and pearl. There are other pinners and spoons that are good , but the e are my favorites.
Some good trout fi shermen who fish exclu ively for large browns with spinning equipment use heavier equipment and larger spinners and spoons. But if you want faster action , stick to the small equipment.
Some of the more popular and succcs ful baits used by fi shermen who prefer not to use artificials or who wish to vary their fishi ng include worms, caddi fly larvae, stonefl y nymphs, mayfly nymphs, hellgrammite , crickets, grasshopper , hornet larvae, and salmon eggs. Many of the small rocks and sticks found in the tomachs of trout which are such a my tery to fi shermen are the remains of the cases of the caddisfly larvae. Fishing with natural ba its with a good presentation is as difficult as fishing artificial lu re -perha ps more so. I have tried baits on several occasions but have never met \\ ith much success. Therefore, since I can not give this information first-band , the reader must go elsewhere for it.
The approach to your trout must be cautious. Stay in the water or as low as po ible at all times. Fish are much easier "spooked" by a fisherman on the bank th an in the wate r. Walk softly so as to not cru nch gravel under your feet and

so as not to telegraph your presence by sending waves ahead of you. This is especia ll y important in quiet pools where trout are more difficult to catch.
The types of places in a stream where trout will be found vary, but if you look in the following places you will usually find them. Generall y, all trout like to be under some type of cover. This can be low brush in the water or slightly above the water, under logs, beneath undercut banks, under ledge rock, or beneath the edge of boulders.
Browns are noted for wanting cover over their heads. Rainbow and brook trout will more often lie out in the pools where they are more accessible to fisherm e n.
The cover must be situated where the current is moderate to possess fish. Few trout like to stay in extremely fast water. Let this be a hint to you . Those beautiful waterfalls, cataracts, and other fast water may be nice to look at but they contain few trout. Fish the slower waters of the pool-riffle type. There are good reasons for trout not being in the fast waters . Fir t, they find difficulty remaining there, especially in periods of flood , and second , gravel is not able to stay in these areas, and gravel-areas are the food-producing areas.
The cover does not have to be in deep wa ter to possess good-sized trout. I once passed up an undercut bank where the water-depth was only about six or seven inches deep to have m y 11-year-old son who was following me catch an 18112inch brown trout from this spot.
Probabl y the best way to fish is to fish upstream. Cast the lure upstream and bring your lure past the various spots th at you think may have trout. Make your retrieve as slow as you can and still bring out the action of the lure. This will allow it to go as deep as possible which will bring you more strikes. Be sure the lure is as close to the cover as you can po sibl y get it. Sometimes an inch will ma ke all the difference in getting a strike. Remember this also-if you are not ha nging-up once in a while, you are not getting close enough to your cover.
The moment you feel a hit or your

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
When Claude Hastings writes about trout fishing, he draws from many years of .experience on trout streams, both as a fish erman and as a biologist.
Having joined Georgia Game a.nd Fish Commission nine years ago, Hastmgs, 41, has worked with trout management all that time. He was project leader of a stream and lake survey conducted under a Federal aid (Dingeii-Johnson) program. He became Northern Region Fisheries Supervisor for the Commission in 1964.
There's no fish he's rather go after than a trout, when it comes to fishing. Nor is there anything he'd rather do than go fishing. Claude also likes all kinds of hunting, but has a particular fondness for stream fishing. He doesn't care much for angling in reservoirs.
Receiving his BA degree from John Brown University in Siloam Springs, Ark., he got his BS in zoology, specializing in fisheries, at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. Then he received his MS in zoology, again specializing in fisheries, at the University of Kansas in Lawrence.
He served in the U.S. Army in 1950 and 1951.
Claude makes his home in Gainesville, where his office is located. He and his wife, Shirley Anne, have two sons, Marc, 15, also an ardent fisherman, and Bruce, 13.
lure stops-strike. Any hesitation at this
point with spin ners or spoons a nd you have missed your fish.
Now, just a word or two about fighting your fi sh after it is hooked. Be sure that yo ur rod is in a relativel y high position , say about I 0 to 11 o'clock. Never
allow the rod to point directly toward the hooked fish. Also never hold the rod so that it is directed back over your shoulder or you may find that your beautiful one-piece rod is no w a two-piece rod .
Your drag should be set at all times so that it wi ll give line, slightl y below the
breaki ng point. Beware, however, the loose drag. You will have difficulty setting hooks on the strike and you will
have difficult y keeping your fish from wrapp ing yo ur line around the nearest brush pile.
Never tr y to rush your fi sh . When you feel that the fish i sufficientl y worn out
to be la nded bring it to the net head first. If you, like man y vete ra ns, do not use a
net, lide yo ur fish out on a sand bar or gravel bar. If these are not hand y, the trout may be landed by grasping it from
the top side directl y behind the gi ll covers. One more thing-do not land fish by takin g hold of your line.
Good Luck! Good Fishing! ,.._

15

THIEVES I THE NIGHT
Continued from Page 3
In the days of early conservation measures, already overworked officials were saddled with the extra-unwanted and difficult task of enforcing sometimes unpopular conservation Jaws. But even after a separate conservation ~fu~m~t fu~ wu ~ ~ ~ Georgia in 1903 , enforcement in many areas never reall y got off the ground. Grand juries composed of local county people frequentl y refused to return true bill indictments against local violators. Elected sheriffs, solicitors, 'lind judges were discouraged from seeking or handing out stringent fines and sentences.
Some fines for night hunting were as low as five or ten dollars, and some fines today are scarcely more severe. There is little inducement to a ranger to spend half of his nights without sleep for six months on the wettest, coldest nights of the year on the vague hope of catching a night hunter, only to see him go free with a fine of $100 or less. If the case is no-billed by a grand jury, or rejected by a sheriff or a solicitor, there was nothing that a ranger could do about it, until 1962.
That is the year that Representative Jones Lane of Statesboro introduced and secured the passage of his bill to allow the seizure and sale of any automobile, boat, animal, or gun used in connection with night deer hunting. Under the provisions of this law, any vehicle involved in the violation can be seized in a civil action.
Here for the first time was an effective and enforceable tool in the hands of the wildlife ranger. Th!! loss of an automobile worth several thousand dollars is a penalty which usually effectively insures that the former owner doesn't repeat his mistake. News of the confiscation of a night hunter's automobile spreads fast , and undoubtedly has a restraining effect on other would-be violators.
But in spite of the certainty of losing their automobile if they are caught, hundreds of violators are still willing to take their chances for whatever reason they have for damaging Georgia's valuable deer herd. A butchered buck may bring only $25 for his meat, but on the hoof he's a lot more valuable to more than 120,000 Georgia deer hunters. To replace him for stocking purposes would cost the Game and Fish Commission anywhere from $35 to $350, depending on the area and the extent of Commission development and protection efforts.
Stopping such night hunting is a difficult task. Amateurs most com-

monly hunt on Friday and Saturday nights, but more experienced meat hunters prefer cold, wet nights, when they feel there is a better chance of the wildlife ranger being home in his warm bed. For this reason, rangers often vary their schedules of patrolling, sometimes working from dark to midnight, at other times arising at midnight to work until dawn.
Almost every night hunter attempts to flee wildlife rangers when he is approached. Many escape, but the number who do so successfully is growing smaller as rangers are equipped with faster, more modern vehicles and better radios purchased with funds from the recent license increase. Additional rangers that have recently been added to the patrol force now make it easier for rangers to work in groups of two or more. Using their two-way radios, they can call rangers ahead to set up a road block to halt fleeing violators.
Once the spotlighters are sighted, long, boring, chilling hours of waiting turn to frantic moments of dangerous, high-speed chases which call for all of a ranger's skill and daring. One of the more spectacular chases occurred recently in northeut Georgia when rangers Arthur Abernathy and Hugh Elrod began chasing a car of night hunters who had just shot a doe deer. The car crashed after a four-mile chase, and the occupants fled on foot. Bloodhounds were brought from the Alto prison camp, and the men were spotted entering a second car which was stopped and the three men and their would-be rescuer arrested. Returning to their posts at 3 p.m., the two rangers soon began chasing another car with three night hunters which was run down by Rangers Loyd Stephens and D . A. Garland. Both cars were confiscated.
"One of the main reasons people are getting tired of night hunters is that they are so unscrupulous," says Bob Baker, Jaw enforcement coordinator of the Commission. "If they can't shoot a deer, they'd just as soon shoot a cow, a dog, a road sign, or anything else. They have no respect for personal property or for human life. In the dark, they never know if they are shooting toward a house or a barn, and don't really seem to care. They'd just as soon kill a pregnant doe as not."
One of the more flagrant violations of this kind occurred last fall in Jasper County, when Ranger Gus Tillman caught four men and three young boys loading a butchered registered black angus bull into their auto. The adults received sentences for four years each: two years for shooting the animal, one

year for hunting deer at night, and one year for shooting into a house.
Frequently, night hunting involves multiple violations of game laws. In addition to night hunting for deer, violators may also be charged with hunting with a light, hunting from a public highway, hunting deer out of season, hunting deer with an illegal weapon, hunting without permission, and hunting without a license. If rangers observe a violation being committed, they may search the violator's car immediately in connection with an arrest. If it is suspected that the car contains contraband game and the violation was not seen by the ranger, the driver and his car may be held in custody until a search warrant can be obtained.
Under the provisions of the automobile confiscation act, cars can be seized and sold that are used to hunt from, to carry the night hunter to or from his destination, or to carry the illegal deer. In addition, a fine of up to $200 and a jail sentence of up to 60 days can be handed out. Other charges usually usociated with night hunting are misdemeanors, and the judge can give fines up to $1 ,000 or up to 12 months in jail, but penalties this severe are almost unheard of. There have been several fines of up to $500 and probationary sentences up to six months, but there is considerable room for more stringent penalties.
Georgia's wildlife rangers have their hands full in protecting deer from night hunters year round, but present laws are adequate for their purpose, if they are effectively and stringently enforced . Where public opinion favors such enforcement, night hunting is severely discouraged. In others, it blooms in the shadow of public condonement, but Georgia's growing army of deer hunters can hardly stand for less than prosecution "to the fullest extent of the Jaw ."
Anyone who sees night hunting in progress or has information about it can greatly assist wildlife rangers by immediately reporting it, along with helpful information such as the tag number, description of the car, location and time of the violation, etc. Find out who your local wildlife ranger is, and write his telephone number down in a place where you can quickly find it. If he isn't in, you can usually reach him by calling your local sheriff or police department. Violations may also be reported by calling long distance collect to the nearest office of the State Game and Fish Commission, which is in constant two-way radio contact with patrolling rangers. ,._

16

Sportsman's Calendar

TROUT

WednesdayT hursday

Saturday Sunday

Wednesday- Saturday-

Thursday

Sunday

Saturday Sunday

W.!dnesday Thursday

Wednesday - ~turday-

Thursday

Sunday

MANAGEMENT STREAM SCHEDULE

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. .. MANAGEMENT .. . .. AREA
.... ....... ............. ........... ................. . BLUE RIDGE

I~ ~~~ ~ ., ..... STREAM . . . . . . . Jones {Artificial Lures) . . . . . Montgomery . . . . . . . . . Nimblewill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Noontootley {Artificial Lures)

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{Catch and Release)

. ... . .. .. ..... .. . Rock Creek

.. . . . CHATfAHOOCHEE Chattahoochee

. . . Dukes

.. . .... . . .. CHESTATEE

Boggs

. . . . Dicks

. . . . . . Waters {Artificial Lures)

. . LAKE BURTON Dicks

. . . . . Moccasin {Not Stocked)

. . Wildcat

.. . . .. . WARWOMAN

F inny

. . . . Sarahs

. . . .. Tuckaluge

. . . . . . . . . Walnut Fork and Hoods Cr.

...... ..... .... .... ...... ............. ...... ....

. .

. .

. .

. ..

.

.

.

. . .
. .

......
. . . .

. . . .

. . . .

.. .. .

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. .. .. .. . .

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.. . .. .. . . .

.
. . .
.

. . . .
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.

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. . .

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.

.. . .
.. ... .

. .

.
. . . .

Open Wed. Only

u ---p:;~;";.:i'-E!!i"1"i"!!!!~~~-

ment areas during the spring season may not hunt on the management area .turkey

If

j hunt.

! ";JI:I

TROUT

,.,

Mountain Trout

Open Stream Season-April!, 1967 through

October 15, 1967.

Creel Limit-Eight trout of all species per

person per day. Possession limit 8 trout.

Fishing Hours-30 minutes before sunrise

to 30 minutes after sunset.

No night trout fishing is allowed on trout

TROUT STREAMS OF GEORGIA
--0-- --- ~-- "' ........

Streams open during the regular state trout season. Trout fishing at night on Reservoirs is permitted. Special Regulations-Coleman River below Forest Service Road No. 54 restricted to

SEASONS NOW OPEN
WILD TURKEY Middle Georgia Season-March 180 1967 through April 8, 1967 in the counties of Columbia, McDuffie, Lincoln, Warren,

Towns, Lumpkin, White, Banks, Franklin, Rabun, Habersham, Stephens, F loyd, Gor don, Chattooga, Walker, and Whitfield. Bag Limit-One turkey gobbler per person during the spring season.

artificial lures only, 10 inch minimum size limit on brown and rainbow trout, 7 inch minimum size limit on brook trout. Chattahoochee River below Buford Dam to the Old Jones Bridge restricted to artificial lures only with a 10 inch minimum size

Wilkes, Muscogee, Chattahoochee, Marion,

SPRING GOBBLER

limit for all trout species. Fishermen on

Talbot, and Stewart.

MANAGEMENT AREA HUNTS

artificial lure only streams may not pos-

Bag Limit-One turkey gobbler per person Clark Hill Game Management Area-Ap- sess live or natural bait.

during the spring season.

ril 3, 1967 through April 8, 1967. Blue Management Area Stream Season-May 3,

Southeast Georgia Season-March 18, 1967 Ridge, Chattahoochee, Ch estatee, Lake Rus 1967 through September 4, 1967 on des-

through April 9, 1967 in the counties of sell, Johns Mountain, and Warwoman ignated days only. For detailed schedule

Brantley, Bryan, Bulloch, Camden; Chari Game Management Areas-April 17, 1967 see map and chart above.

ton, Chatham, Clinch and Echols south of through April 22, 1967.

Lake Trout Season-There is no closed

U. S. 441 and west of Ga. 94, Effingham, Bag Limit-One turkey gobbler per person seaso n on trout fishing in Georgia Lakes

Evans, Glynn, Liberty, Long, Mcintosh, during the hunt.

with the exception of Amicalola Falls and

Pierce, Screven, Tattnall, and Wayne.

R egulations: $2.00 daily permit required. Vogel State Park Lakes, and Dockery

Bag Limit-One turkey gobbler per person No dogs allowed. Camping permitted on Lake.

per season.

all a reas with the exception of private land Special R egulations-!4 inch mmunum

North Georgia Season- April 17, 1967 in the John's Mountain Area. Hunters may size limit on all species of trout in Lakes

through April 29, 1967 in the counties of use either rifles or shotguns. Hunters who Blue Ridge, Burton, Clark Hill, and La

Gilmer, Murray, Fannin, Dawson, Union, have killed a turkey outside the manage- nier. No size limit on other lakes.

-

You can't get away from it. Intelligent sportsmen everywhere are reading GAME AND FISH . Are you among those who've discovered the ,. inside scoop on Georgia hunting areas, learned what makes a good wildlife ranger and gotten acquainted with the abundant fishing facilities off Georgia's coast?

~------------------------1
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Ma ke checks payable to : State Game and Fish Commission
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