Georgia game and fish [Vol. 2, no. 5 (May 1967)]

:ORGIA

VOL 2, NO. 5 I MAY, 1967

i3l ~GEORGIA
,~ -~ GAME &FISH

May 1967

Volume 11, Number 5

Contents

ABCs of Bass Fishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . Leon Kirkland 1

Sing A New Song . . . .. . . . . . . . Dean Wohlgemuth 5

Meet Your Commissioner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Shepherd of the Sea

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jim Tyler 10

Babes in the Woods

.. . . . . . . Art Rilling 13

Haven at the Hill

... . . . . Bill Baab 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-1st 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

Dan Keever, Photographer Jim Tyler, Staff Writer
Glenn Smith, Staff Writer

* * *
Georgia Game and Fish is the official monthly magazine of the Go,.. gia Game and Fish Commission, published at the Commission's of /ices, 40I State Capitol, Atlanta, Georgia 30334. No advertising ac cepted. Subscriptions are SI for one year or $2 .50 /or 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 liabzlitv /or lo.<s or damage of articles , photo~raphs, or tllustrations. Second-class postage paid at Atlanta, Georglp.

Wild Animals Are WILD
And that's the way they should be. Several years ago we picked up a conservation magazine article by that title which narrated many unfortunate encounters of homo SAPiens with "tame" wild animals.
A good bit of the article had to do with tourists in the Smoky Mountains and other national parks feeding the bears, and in one case, one motorist who even tried to shove a reluctant bruin into the car with his wife - to make their picture!
We were reminded of that article as we read Stone Mountain Game Ranch manager Art Rilling's common sense article on page 13 about "lost" fawns and irresponsible or ignorant people who pick them up and try to make pets out of an animal created to live in the wild. As a man who has dealt with wild animals in captivity on a first hand basis for years, Rilling knows what he's talking about when he counsels people to stop picking up animals.
We'd hate to know how many times we've seen pictures in newspapers and magazines of pet deer, squirrels, rabbits, quail, raccoons, etc. Certainly we have nothing against pets, in their place. Some wild animal species can be obtained legally from domesticated specimens, and may make a wonderful pet. But most wild animals that end up as "pets" or prisoners in a pen are usually obtained in violation of game laws and regulations, which in Georgia require that a permit be obtained from the State Game and Fish Commission before any game species may be held in captivity. Molestation of young animals is prohibited entirely, and hunters must immediately dispatch any animals or birds that they cripple.
These regulations are established for good reasons, and are designed to protect both the wildlife, the hunter, and other persons, including children.
Taking an animal from the wild and making it dependent on humans for its existence is usually a tragic experience for the animal. Young animals such as squirrels or raccoons may make cuddly pets as youngsters, but as they mature they usually become vicious. Having lost all fear of man, they do not hesitate to scratch or bite. Larger animals eat a good deal of expensive food, or have special needs which most people are unprepared to give.
The end result is usually the same. People lose interest in the adult animal, which is neglected, perhaps abused, and eventually k.illed by starvation, disease, dogs, cats, and in the long run, by people. For the same reasons, hunters should immediately kill any game birds or animals they cripple, both for their own protection and to prevent the animal from dying an inhumane, slow, and often agonizing death. Few injured wild animals will survive, and most people don't have the specialized knowledge to effectively treat them.
Probably the most sickening thing about the whole process is the shameful sight of a once magnificent wild creature of nature reduced to a mere pitiful object of curiosity ... something to be poked at.- J.M.
ON THE COVER: Nothing can compare with the most exciting moment of largemouth bass fishing, when a lunker leaps from the water in a frantic effort to throw the lure. Lake Jackson photo by Walter Stephens.
PHOTO CREDITS:
Photo Credits: Bill Baab- 14, 15, 16; Dan Keever- It, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, Bt, & b , 9; Jim Morrison- 1b, 4; Glenn Smith- Be ; Jim Tyler -10 , 11, 12; Rachel Whitmire- 13.

SIMPLE?like mbitious anglers
Catc~ ass

onsistently

By Leon Kirkland
Coord inator of Fisheries as told to Dean Wohlgemuth

water is the target fo r Leon Kirkland's lure, and there's a good reason. Bass like such places to hide, especially if ...
. . . it looks like this underneath, with plenty of snags to crawl under. Note the large number of bass. If you get one bass, cast again. You may get another. And another.

Whoever it was that said fishing was a lazy man's sport wasn't a bass fisherman. If you want fishing made easy, then bass isn't your game. Find yourself another fish .
It takes a lot of hard work and familiarity with the fish , for a person to become consistent in taking bass. You must be willing to work hard, and to realize that there's no simple recipe for catching a lot of bass.
That old saying that 90 per cent of the fishermen catch 10 per cent of the fish, and 10 per cent of the fishermen catch the other 90 per cent of the fish, applies more to bass fishing than any other kind. The largemouth bass just has to go down in the books as one of the gamiest and hardest to catch fish that Georgia has to offer.
Georgia anglers, records indicate, rate the bass the second most popular fish in the state. Bream lead the pack, with 31 .2 per cent of the anglers going for them. Right behind them are the bass anglers, with 20 per cent of Georgia's fishermen seeking !he largemouth. Catfish rate third, crappie fo urth, white bass fifth, then trout rank sixth.
There are two types of fishermen the one who fishes for recreation and what he catches is incidental; and the competitive fisherman, who fishes as hard as he works. The competitor gets the bass.
If it's so difficult to catch the bigmouth, why is he so popular? Mostly, it's because of the great challenge he offers an angler.
If you want to get bass, be serious about it. Do a little boning up before you go, by reading on the subject just as you are doing now. Then if at all possible, get a good bass fisherman to take you with him. You'll learn a lot in one trip. But the more you go with

1

About The Author
Leon Kirkland, 34, who spent seven years as project leader on reservoir investigations for the State Game and Fish Commission before becoming coordinator of fisheries, has had someth ing to do with just about every lake in Georgia.
And not only is he " in the know" biologically about these reservoirs, he is accomplished in the art of catch ing fish himself. While he shows a special fondness for catching crappie and white bass, the largemouth is sti II very much his favored fish . He enjoys any type of fishing.
Being impartial, he's nearly as fond of hunting as of fishing, with quail hunting getting the nod as his favorite, closely followed by deer hunting. But then, he's been known to hunt just about anything that walks or flies.
His wife, Ruby, is an ardent bass fisher and deer hunter too. And son Dwain, 11, follows in his dad's footsteps. Leon also has a daughter, Shelia, 14.
Kirkla nd received his BA in fisheries from Berea College, Berea, Ky., and did graduate work in the Duke University mar ine laboratory at Beaufort, N. C. For three years he was with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Bureau of Commercial fisheries on the North Carolina coast.
Then he came to the Georgia commission in 1957 as reservoir project leader on all the state's reservoirs, working out of Madison . He became coordinator of fisheries in 1964.
It was that year that he was awarded the title of Georgia Wildlife Conservationist of the Year by the Georgia Sportmen's Federation.
Among his accomplishments while reservoir project leader were the induction of threadfin shad, a forage fish which provides food for most game fish, into the state's reservoirs; stocking white bass into most reservoirs ; inaugurating the walleye program in Georgia ; establishing the two-story trout fisheries in several lakes; and beginning a smallmouth bass stocking program.
Also, he personally was in charge of successful rearing of striped bass in a hatchery, at Lake Burton Hatchery. Georgia is one of few states that have successfully accomplished rearing of stripers in a hatchery.

him , the more you'll learn . You won't get it all in one lesson.
Now that we're getting set to go out for bass, let's do a little thinking before leavi ng the dock, on what we'll use in the way of bait. The diet of a bass is made up almost exclusively of small fish, although he sometimes likes a change of diet to frogs, small snakes, turtles, large insects and such - just so long as it's good solid meat. He's a meat eater, and he eats heartil y.
Good artifici al baits include plugs, bladed spi nners, imitation plastic wor ms and perh aps jigs, although these are better for smallmouth bass. Live baits include lizards, minnows and pink worms or nightcrawlers.
The larger fish you are after, the larger should be your bait. A big bass needs more food, and if a 10-pounder were to go after small quarter-ounce minnows, he'd work himself to death chasing down enough to eat. So he goes only for the bigger ones.
Co nsideri ng this is spri ng, when the bass are most easily found along the shorelines, we'll concern ourselves with this type of fishing only, in this a rticle. In later issues, we'll discuss other types of bass fishing. And we' re speaking primari ly of fishing large reservoirs, although much of this applies to ponds and smaller lakes.
And we're using plugs and lures mostly, but we may use some live bait before the day is over. So we'll take a lo ng a few lizards (salamanders) and some large minnows, considerably bigger than crappie-size, perhaps four or five inches long.
Once on the lake, we start looking for productive water. There's no use in wasting time casting to waters that are potenti all y unproducti ve. Knowing th at bass consistently stay arou nd some type of cover, that's what we'll look for. The bass likes to stay in the shade, where he'll be able to hide from fo rage fish that like the same kind of cover.
What we want to find are brushy treetops that have fallen into the water, or better yet , stumps protruding from the water, rock ledges with crevices, rock piles, pilings, even docks, and maybe sma ll bushes partially submerged.
Having found the kind of cover we're looking for, we move the boat in close to shore, as close as we dare wi thout spook ing the fish. There's no use making long casts that will be in unproductive water most of the time during the ret rieve. The first I 0 feet from the shore is where most of the bass wi ll be, so if we're casting 20 to 30 feet, that's far enough away.
Accuracy is of vital importance in casting. It's not enough to get a plug in the general vicinity of cover. It must be CLOSE to the stump, rock or snag - within inches.

General rule: Get to know the water you're fishing. Know where underwater stumps are that you can't see. Know where there's a steep drop off. The easiest way to do this is to visit the lake in win ter when the water is lo w.
Another general rule: Know your tackle and how to use it. Choose the type of tackle you like best and can use best, and practice with it so that you can handle it well without giving much conscious thought to it. And learn to cast accurately!
Shoreline fishing is often best early in the morning and late in the evening, when the bass are moving in to feed. An exception may be early in the year, when the water is sti ll cool.
In usi ng plugs, remember that the slowe r the retrieve, the better results you can normally expect. You must rea lize th at basically, most plugs imitate an injured minnow. Fish it slowly and erratically, with jerks, and changes in speed. As with a ll rules, there are except ions, howeve r, so if you're not getting results try speeding up the retrieve for a while. Find the speed that works best. But vary the speed several times during each retrieve. Make the plug look like a minnow that's in distress and injured. A big bass might not waste time in a vigorous chase after a health y minnow. A wounded minnow looks like a tempting morsel easily captured .
In fishing topwater lures - a nd these are most effect ive in the spring when the bass are along the shores in shallow water - remember that most people fish topwater plugs entirely too fast. Let a plug lie, after the cast , just as long as yo u can sta nd it. If you don 't you won't give the bass time enough to zero in on your plug.
Then twitch , jerk and pop your plug, to attract the fish's attention. Many people are too delicate with their topwater plugs. They're afraid to make too much noise. But many times a school of big bass are along the shore, and the y m ake noi se in feeding. A loud splash or pop may sound to them as if a bass had struck at a minnow. They hear the sound , and to them it's just like a dinner gong. Make those topwater plugs talk! Jerk briskly, making them pop loudl y. Reall y kick up a fuss. That will make the bass think there's a big bass there, getting a meal, and they'll want to join him . They'll know exactly where to go. Bass feed by sound as well as sight .
The gurgling type plugs are best at night. They are very effective, largely because of the disturbance they produce. This is one kind of plug that may work best with a steady retrieve. Other topwater lures should be allowed to come to a full stop occasionally.

Other good shoreline lures include bladed spinners, which also should be retrieved slowl y, with an erratic speed. Let them fall a little, then bring them in a few feet more, then drop them dow n deeper again . Especially when the water is a little dingy, such as it often i in spring, the bladed spinners seem to be easier for the bass to see, probably because they reflect fl ashes of light. Also, their vibrations can be felt by the bass, and thus spinners may bri ng results where other lures fail.
F ishing with live "spring lizards," actua ll y salamanders, is much like fishing the imitation plastic "worms," or lures. So both of these will be lumped pretty much together.
In fishing these two along the shorelines, it's best to go without an y weight, or if you prefer some weight, use onl y one or two very small shot.
The best way to work these baits is to let them sink to the bottom and retrieve them just as slow as you can stand to ret rieve them. Again, you may wa nt to bring them in with slow jerks.
early every angler has a different way of bringing them in.

Spring is the time to cast to the shoreline. You can see many of the hiding places, but some may be under the surface of the water. So you'll know what to expect 1mder the water, take a ride around your favorite haunts during the winter months when rhe water is low. Like in rhis 1iew, you may find rocks, stumps and bmshpi/es now high and dry, hut likely will he col'ered and out of ~ight when rhe water is up to irs normal level.

Sing a new Song
Lanier's 38,000 acres are a boating paradise. Pausing from a cruise in their runabout, Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Jones, Jr. of
Atlanta watch a sailboat race at th e Lake Lanier Sailing Club on r:hattah oochee Bay.
Daytime crappie fishing is a popular Lanier sport. On the weekends when crappie are biting, i(s not unu.\ual to see the shore lined by fishermen around publtc
access areas that can be ea1il.1 reached by car or boat.

By Dean Wohlgemuth
The brash, bustling Chattahoochee River charged through those valleys of Hall County when it was viewed by the famed poet.
But today, things are different for this river. With the coming of a dam, the river's character has undergone a vast change. There's a new song, now, for the Chattahoochee. A song that tells not of wild, free running water, but of a monstrous giant of a reservoir.
Sometimes the giant sleeps, when the winds are calm, and the surface is smooth , ripple free.
Then again, the wild winds blow, awakening the sleeping giant, and he becomes a demon , with high waves las hing out, threatening to toss aside anyone who dares venture out onto the vast watery prairie.
All of this makes you wonder. Was the Chatt!lhoochee really tamed and harnessed by the dam? Or is it still as wild and wonderful as when the poet for which it was named , Sidney Lanier, put to verse his interpretation of this great river?
But the new song of the Chattahoochee is more than that of wild , free water. It's a song of holidays, of carefree pleas ure - pleasure for many millions of people who visit there each yea r.
And there a re as many reasons for their visits as there are visitors. How man y visitors? The U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, . builder of the lake, reports it is used more th an any other lake in this natio n that they have built.
The reasons are this. Lanier provides a water playground that attracts all types of watersport enthusiasts. It is near the hub of population in the South , with a huge population center in Atlanta, and its shores dotted with several smaller cities and towns.

And Lanier is big enough to accommodate all of these people.
For exa mpl e, its wide open areas are a mecca for water skiers and sailboat en thu iasts. The lake is long enough, with two major arms, to provide long cruises for those who enjoy this type of boati ng.
There's plenty of water, both in depth and in width, to handle large cabin cruisers and yachts. The lake covers 38,000 acres.
Plentiful picnic areas and boat launching ramps are easily found , being located close together all along the lake. Camping si tes are in abundance, too. '
The 540 miles of shoreline are a paradise for anglers. And as a huge bonus, there are dozens of islands , all adding extra mi les to shorelines.
The wide variety of water and shoreline types produce marvelous fishing opportunities. And another of the important varieties offered by the lake is in the different species of fish available.
Few lakes in Georgia can offer more choice of fish to catch, than can Lanier. Look at these species, if you will:
Largemouth bass, white bass, spotted bass, smallmouth bass, bluegill , redbreast, shellcracker, warrnouth, walleye, yellow perch, channel catfish, bu ll head catfish (sometimes called sp~ckled pond cats) , black crappie, and rainbow, brown , and brook trout.
Prim ary forage fi sh of the lake is the threadfin shad which were stocked in 195 8, and are plentiful enough to provide an abundance of food for all game fish which eat them.
The game fish inventory in the lake includes some species which are just becoming established.
Walleye, for example, are just becoming established in good enough numbers to provide good fishing. True northern smallmouth were stocked only recently, and it will probab ly take a few more years before they' ll be prese nt in large enough numbers to yield muc h sport.
Trout. too, are in the early stages in Lanier. being first introduced into the lake less than three yea rs ago . However they have been responsib le for bringing large groups of anglers in for a vis it, and have put a lot of heft on many strin gers. Trout up to seven and a half pounds have been taken from the lake and quite a few in the fo ur to five pound cia s have been recorded .
Small trout - about eight inches when put into the lake - will reach a size of perhaps l lh to two pounds in a matter of five or six months. Ample food provided by the threadfin shad have accounted for th e astounding growth of trout in the lake.
But to assure that these trout are giv-

6

eo an opportunity to grow large e~o~gh to be extra gamey, the .Co~m.ISSJon this year inaugurated a size .limit f~r trout. No trout under 14 mches m length may be kept, but must be retu rned to the water.
To tell the Commission more about tro ut in Lanier, this year's stocking was tagged. Anglers catching a trout bearing a tag are requested to clip it off and return it to the Commission along with pertinent information such as the angler's name, date, time, and place of catch, method used, and size of the fish.
This information will tell the Commission more about trout habitat in the lake and help to improve trout fish ing.
Not only that, the tag may be worth a good deal of money to the angler. Merchants in the lake area have put up cash for prizes. Winners will be determ ined by drawings.
T he most popular and most productive method of fishing for trout in Lanier is by trolling, mostly using deep runn ing plugs. White is the favorite color since white plugs tend to simulate the white threadfins which make up the bulk of the trout's diet.
T he top three fish , ranking them by popularity and numbers caught, are crappie, bream and bass. Numerous trees submerged in the lake provide ideal crappie hangouts, and fishing for them is good year around, day and night. Oddly, all of these are black crappie, and none are white crappie.
T he various species of bream are alo plentiful in the Jake, and keep thousands of anglers happily busy pulling them in.
Perhaps more hours are spent in search of bass than any of the other species, but being hard to catch as they are, the number caught is somewhat lower than the panfish.
There are those Georgians who are predicting Lanier contains several fish which will be caught and become world reco rds. One of the species which they feel La nier can yield one bigger is the largemouth bass. In 1965, for example, a bass weighing I 7 pounds 9 ounces was taken from the upper end of the lake. And just this March, a 15 pounder was pulled from this lake. The 17-pound 9ounce fish was the third largest in Georgia history - and Georgia holds the world record.
Another bass, the white bass, might give Lanier national recognition in the record books. Numerous white bass of better than four pounds have been recorded, and in the past year and a half, two have been landed that were five
Crappie fishing from Lanier's bridges at night is also a fav orite summer pastime.
Gasoline lanterns hung low over th e water attract shad, as well as the crappie and
occasional white bass that feed on th em .
7

providing a long growing season.

The wide range of water tempera-

tures also accounts for the wide varie-

ty of fish. For example, the bass, crap-

pie, bream and other warmwater spe-

cies have no trouble finding a home in

surface waters. On the other hand, the

trout like it cold, and occupy a dif-

ferent layer of water. This is called

utilizing a "second story" of the lake.

And ideally, the threadfin shad re-

produces rapidly enough to supply an

abundance of food for all species.

And there is more choice on the type

of water you prefer to fish. If you like

perfectly clear water, you can fish from

Flowery Branch on downstream and al-

most always find crystal clear water,

shimmering and emerald green only be-

cause of its fertility and great depth.

But if you, like many anglers in

search of bass and panfish, like to see

a little color in the water, go on up-

stream a few miles, above Brown's

Bridge. There's usually enough color in

Stocking 50,000 trout in Lake Lanier and six ounces, respectively, below the the water to suit you. Just keep going

last December was a cold, wet job for old world record of five pounds, two upstream until you find the right water

Game and Fish Commission biological aides. These four ounce trout will reach
a size of more than a pound and a half by mid-summer.

ounces. The record was moved up two ounces recently, to five pounds, four ounces. But this is still within reach of Lanier whites.

conditions to suit your taste. As for facilities available, you can't
find a better equipped lake than Lanier. On any road leading to the lake,

While it may be some years before you'll find a bountiful supply of gro-

the trout reach a size to contend for cery stores, bait and tackle shops and

world's records, Lanier may soon pro- just about anything you need. A num-

duce a new state record in this cate- ber of boat dealers are located near or

gory.

on the lake.

Lanier, along with sister lake Clark And there are at least seven fully

Hill, are the two southernmost trout equipped marinas which have for sale

lakes in the nation.

bait, tackle, boats and supplies of all

Both largemouth and white bass can types, and rent boats and motors. These

be found in just about any part of the include Holiday on Lake Lanier Ma-

lake most of the year. Early in the rina, Kelley's Marina, Aqualand Ma-

spring, the whites congregate near the rina, Snug Harbor Marina, Gainesville

Sleek, fat mountain trout up to seven and a half pounds are now being caught in Lanier, adding an exciting new dimension
to the lake's attraction for fisherm en.

mouth of the Chestatee and Chattahoochee rivers which join in forming the lake. Trout stick to the deeper, cold water near the dam during the hot months.

Marina, Lan-Mar Marina and Bald

Ridge Marina.

.

These, along with public access areas

make it easy for anyone to put a boat

into the water. To find them, request

Yellow perch are a neglected species a map of the lake from either the

in this impoundment. Few anglers know Corps of Engineers, Lawyers Title Bldg,

enough about how to fish for them, to Atlanta, or the State Game and Fish

effectively deplete their numbers. Yel- Commission, 401 State Capitol, Atlan-

low perch like deeper water than do ta. Most tackle shops and marinas have

most species. Walleye, too, are usually ample maps available.

found in deeper water than the more If you prefer to get fully equipped

popular fish. Bass are more likely to before going to the lake, and plan to

be found close to the shorelines, and use a public ramp instead of a marina,

because of the many islands, they can you'll find anything you need at tackle,

find an abundance of good habitat at a bait and other shops in the towns of

depth they like.

Gainesville, Cumming, Flowery Branch,

Because of the depth and cold tem- and' Buford, all on the lake's shores.

peratures deep in the lake, Lanier is So if you're looking for a water

nearly an ideal fishing spot. Even playground that gives you a wide choice

though the lake was filled 11 years ago of angling, boating, camping, picnick-

and is past its initial peak as a "hot" ing or any other outdoor recreation,

Little Holly Harper, 41/2 . takes a good look at the first trout she ever caught, taken from Lanier. Her dad, H . W. Harper of Gainesville, holds the stringer. Holly
was fishing for crappie when the trout took her minnow.

lake, it has stabilized into a fine fishery. Part of the reason is because of the wide variety of temperatures available to the fish. They may seek out the temperature they prefer. And it seldom gets very cold in the winter,

for a day, a weekend or a week or so of vacation, there's no need to take a long trip to a faraway place. For in your own backyard, there's as good an all-around playground as you can find, in Lake Sidney Lanier! ~

meet your commissioner:
WILLIAM E. SMITH
William E. Smith represents the Third Congressional District in the conservation and development of Georgia's wildlife resources.

A tractor engine cuts the stillness of a warm Spring day as it turns up rich black topsoil, some of the only black di rt in Georgia. At the controls of the machine is Game and Fish Commissioner William E. Smith of the Third D is trict.
Intense enthusiasm for vegetable gardeni ng (he prides himself on being an organic gardener rather than using chemically treated ferti lizers) is a characteristic that distinguishes Commissioner "Billy" Smith, one of the most successful lawyers in South Georgia. For many years, he was a law partner of Georgia Supreme Court Justice Hiram Undercofler, formerly Commissioner of Revenue.
Bill y's love of the soil, even in a
. .~
I. .,
,...,. '{<
Plowing a backyard garden is fine afterwork relaxation for Game and Fish Commissioner Billy Smith of Americus, one of South Georgia's most successful lawyers.

backyard garden , is typical of his deep appreciation and reverence of nature and all the living things in it, especially the wildlife. Just as deep is his love for his native Georgia and its people.
Bill y has lived all of his life in Georgia. In fact, with the exception of his military service in World War II and his schooling, he has never lived an ywhere but in Americu .
The beautiful Victorian home owned by the Smiths is the house where he has lived since boyhood as the youngest of twelve children.
After a year at Emory Junior College in Valdosta and a year at Georgia Southwestern College in Americus, Billy went off to Athens to study law at the University, graduating in 1939.
Returning to Americus, he opened his own law office, specializing mainly in civil law. Practicing law was not to last long, however. America was at war, and in 1942, be became Lieutenant Smith of the Army Air Corps. As an instructor, he taught many young pilots while stationed at the Flight Instruction School at Marfa Army Air Field in Texas. He rose to captain by the end of the war.
He met his wife Lucile in 1936, and they were married in 1941 , shortly before he entered the service. They now have two daughters: Susan, who is married and lives in Savannah, and 16-yearold Jane, a student at Americus High School.
Billy is an avid fisherman. He fishes mainly in the lakes these days, but as a boy, he fished mostly on the many streams that ran through the countryside near his home. His favorite fish are the spotted bream (found only in the Flint River) and the largemouth.
He enjoys hunting doves more than an y other game, but he also hunts quail and ducks.
The Smiths own a small boat for fishing, and it regularly plies the waters of Blackshear, Walter F . George, and Seminole. Of concern to Commissioner Smith is the plight of fishermen at Lake Blackshear. He has strongly supported

the increased efforts of the Commission to improve Blackshear fishing.
It was 1959 when Billy was appointed to the Commission by Governor Ernest Vandiver to fill an unexpired term . He is currently into the fifth year of his fir t full term. Commissioner Smith has served as Chairman of the Commission, and he prides himself on pioneering the "one year term" for ch airmen , claiming that the honor should be shared , along with the responsibility for providing the impetus for new programs. Of the present Commission , he says that it's a "great board of distinguished Georgians interested in wildlife conservation."
Another pet project of Commissioner Smith's has been improvement of the possibilities for coastal sport fishing in Georgia. His idea is a two pronged attack to first rid coastal waters and rivers leading to the coast of pollution, and then work to fully develop the potentialities for sport fishing on the coa t.
Rounding out an already well-rounded life, be is a past President of the Americus Bar Association, serves on the State Disciplinary Board of the State Bar of Georgia, and is the Americus City Attorney.
During Billy's eight years of service on the Commi ssion, he has earned a reputation for his progressive, modern philosoph y of dynamic action. He has long been a staunch supporter of the Department's professional convervationi sts and their programs of research and development to improve Georgia's hunting and fishing. Recently he played an active role in the Commission's acquisition of its newest public hunting area, the Oaky Woods game management area south of Macon.
Commissioner Billy Smith has justly earned the praise of his fellow Commission members, as well as that of employees of the Commission and outdoorsmen in general who have been fortunate enough to witness his fearless dedication to the cause of wildlife conservation. ~

SHEPHER OF THESE
By Jim Tyler
Jim Petway, Wildlife Ranger of the State Game and Fish Commission's coastal patrol, pulls up alongside of a shrimp boat. He keeps an eye on shrimpers, mostly making sure they're fishing in waters that are legally open.
But sometimes, he goes aboard, just for a friendly visit, and to see how things are going.

-- Me NA:t',. ..

J

"I'm going out on the water. You know when to expect me."
"Yes, when I see you." With this everyday fare-thee-well , Ranger Jim Petway bids his wife goodbye. Today his boat is located at Coffee Bluff. It's a pleasant drive from his home in Savannah to the fish camp located there. The road winds beneath moss laden pines and ends atop a bluff.
From the bluff you look out over the fast moving Ogeechee River and see marsh grass islands. It's all pretty all nice - all Southern.
Jim wheels his boat and trailer beneath a sturdy looking boat hoist which electrically lowers his 150 horse inboard-outboard patrol boat into the wa-
ter. It's time for another coastal patrol, and this time I'm going with him .
Once the boat is in the water Jim tromps down on the throttle. The boat gets out fast and soon we are skimming down the Ogeechee toward the open sea at 45 mph. We follow the river as it winds lazily and opens into Ossabaw Sound. Then a bit farther, the open sea.
The smooth ride comes to a hard bouncing stop as we hit the open water and the boat begins fighting its way over and through the uneven sea swells.
For some time in the distance we had been seeing outlines of shrimp boats, their slender arms outstretched against the sky. Now we were in their legal working grounds - the open sea. The open sea, in this case, starts at the outermost of the islands and extends seaward. Because tidal rivers and creeks serve as nursery grounds for young shrimp, they are closed to commercial shrimping. Most of the sounds are closed too; Cumberland, St. Andrews, and Sapelo are exceptions. Jim and other rangers patrol all this water, the creeks, rivers, and open sea out to the three mile boundary. From three to twelve miles out the water is under Federal Government jurisdiction. Beyond this, the water is international, and as such, is not regulated by Georgia or the U. S. Government.
"What do you check these shrimpers for?'' I asked Jim.
"Mostly we make sure they shrimp only in the prescribed boundaries. And sometimes we check the size of the shrimp they are taking."
"The net looks like a long funnel with a flattened side, right?"
"Right. They drag the net along the bottom to pick up the bottom living shrimp. The boat can drag one or two nets at a time, depending on its rigging."
"Ever have any trouble with shrimpers?''
"Well now, some of these men have been shrimping all their lives. Some don 't cotton to regulations and such. "
"Any trouble?"

11

"You have to watch them. That's why I carry that M-1 carbine," he pointed. "One shrimper awhile back told me he was going to run my boat up on a mud bank. This carbine says he won't."
"They're like everyone else, " 1 shouted over the noise of the boat crashing through the waves and the bottom of my pants beating a rhythm on the boat seat. "There are always some bad ones."
"Yeah, there are plenty of good shrimpers, too."
"Let's head into the islands," I shout-
ed. "Okay." Another blast of sea water came fly-
ing over the windshield. Jim ducked. I didn 't. After a few weeks in the city of Atlanta's atmosphere, that salt and wetness felt like a cleansing lotion that only nature could brew up, and I'll be darned if I was going to pass it up.
Jim headed into a creek that cuts into the heart of Wassaw Island. The tide was out and the mud banks stood naked and were pock-marked with crab holes. The creek narrowed and narrowed. Soon the water was so shallow that the prop kicked up mud . I vaguel y pictured myself as Humphrey Bogart in the "African Queen" pulling the boat out of this narrow, shallow channel. But Jim knew the water. He knows every sand bar, creek , and mud flat.
"Here is where we have to watch small boats," Jim said. "The big rigs can 't get in here, but a small boat, 12, 16 feet or so, can drag through here and strip the channel bare of shrimp." "And the Georgia coast has several hundred miles of these small creeks," I added.
"Yeah. Plus the rivers, plus the sounds, plus the open water."

''Th at makes for a lot of patroling," 1 put in.
" You better believe. We're cagey though. We're mobile. We have trailers a nd keep putting in at different times, different places. It's still hard. These big shrimp boats see us coming and they radio the word around th at THE MAN is out. But the y are actually very little trouble. Like I said , it's law breakers with small boats and 100 horsepower engines we have to watch. They can make fast runs in and out of closed areas."
Besides watching the shrimp activity, the coastal patrol keeps an eye on crabbers, oyster gatherers, boaters, and sport fi shermen. Last year Jim caught up with a pair of sneak-thieves who were stealing crabs from traps set by legitimate, hard working commercial fi shermen. By dark of night, they would scurry from trap to trap and hoist their unearned booty from the water. Jim and other members of the coastal patrol also have to keep their eyes peeled for oyster gatherers - due to contamination from pollution, several estuarine areas are closed for the gathering of oysters. And , like fres h water boaters, a life jacket per person is required for the salt water sai lor.
The creek widened and we came out into a wide river. With a nod of the head in the direction of the shoreline, Jim said, "Anybody says Georgia doesn't have a beautiful coast, has n't been here."
He's right. Some of the coastal islands have inviting sand beaches and all are bending over with lush vegetation . It's a shame they are mostl y privately owned. Yet, again , old John Q. Public wou ld probably mar the islands into a

" beautifu l" place for all to come with their beer cans and weiner wrappers. Anyway, you r eyes can rest on the islands, and the water is for everyone.
"Jim , this is a bunch of water, you ever get tired of it?"
" It gets monotonous as hell , sometimes, after I0 to 12 hours of it. "
"But you wou ldn't change it, would you? "
He smi led and nodded a slow negative.
We we re now in the Wilmington River, buzzing along. It was late in the day. The whole world was water, green , sky, and a fadi ng sun . The su n was shaded by an evening mist and looked li ke a golden olive floating in the prettiest blue-hued martini you ever saw.
We stopped to see if some sport fi shermen were doing any good. They were. They had an ice chest half full.
Soon , the sun was swall owed by the misty clouds. We traveled down the Vernon River and around the bend into the Ogeechee. Crabbers in their small hallow wooden boats worked their crab lines. It seemed impossible that the heart of Savannah pulsated onl y 12 miles away and we actually were skimming the city's outskirts.
It was dark when the electric boat hoist plucked the boat fro m the water.
" It's all right pretty, Jim ."
"Today was nice, but it 's cold and
miserable at times."
"Hey," I said, "Tonight you won't
be too late for supper. "
"Yeah , I'll probably get home, eat, take a shower, go to bed - and then
I'll get a call about someone illegally
shrimping or something and I'll be back on the water again." ..:.-.:

Pet way takes a look at th e haul. Some shrimpers go after blue crabs when waters close in are closed to shrimo. Note th e sand shark, horseshoe crabs and stingrays taken in the same net.

Small tidal creeks such as this keep th e big shrimpers a way , but small boats can get into th e tiny creeks and net shrimp. Pet way has to know his way around all th ese hundreds of small streams and islands, to prevent illegal shrimping by th e small craft. And he has to know where these creeks are deep enough, at low tide, for him to get through or he might be grounded, miles from anywhere.

eave the Babes in t e Woods
By Art Rilling
Apparently helpless and lost, this little fawn lies completely still, its spots camouflaging it against the background. But this babe is not lost in the woods. Its mother knows where she left him, and she'll soon be back.

If you take that fawn home for a pet, soon he'll be full grown and will sprout a set of antlers like these. And when those antlers crop out, the mating urge makes a vicious animal out of him. He may attack without warning.

Early summer days bring out the restless ness in man. During this time, we all are anxious to get out into the woods and fields to picnic and enjoy the great outdoors.
This is also the period when the animals of the woods are having their young.
Finding an apparently abandoned fawn in the woods can be a thrilling experience to a youngster. His pleas to take him home for a pet can be very hard to resist. As parents, we can rationalize that it was "abandoned" and will starve if left. The temptation to take it home awhile, then when it is older return it to the woods, is very great.
This is not only violating the law, but is also an injustice to the animal. In the fi rst place, animals rarely abandon thei r young in the woods. Unlike humans, they have no baby sitters and must leave the young hidden in a safe place while they hunt for food. Leaving a young fawn in an open woods may not seem like a safe place to us, but for the fawn it is ideal. The varied

shadows create a light pattern that makes him practically invisible. This, combined with the lack of odor, is sufficient to offer protection from most enemies, provided he doesn't move. Indeed he is safer without mother around, because she has an odor that can give them both away. The doe trains her fawn to mind as soon as it is born. When she stamps one foot a fawn will collapse in a heap and not move until called by mother with a guttural meowing sound. At this call he will follow her if possible.
By removing the fawn from this environment, subjecting him to strange foods and frequent handling, man deprives him of the education that nature intended him to receive and greatly increases the chances of his being killed if returned to the woods to fend for himself. In a civilized environment he tends to lose his natural fear of dogs and people, which usually is fatal if the deer is again released in the woods .
Wild animals seem to make excellent pets when young, but as they mature

and get the mating urge, they react in ways that are frequently dangerous to their masters. The young buck that seems so gentle all spring and summer will turn unexpectedly on this same master and attempt to kill him when the mating urge hits him. There are many records of individuals who thought that the deer they had was different , only to find themselves fighting for their life against their " pet. " The animal usually wins.
For these reasons, the State Game and Fish Commission has always discouraged people from making pets of wild animals, especially large or potentially vicious animals. It is illegal to hold any wild animal in captivity without a permit from the Commission, and these are seldom issued to anyone except zoos or institutions equipped to properly handle and care for the animals .
So leave the young in the woods where they belong. It's best for everyone. Q.<

HAVEN AT THE HILL
Clark Hill, East Georgia's Outdoor Playground ...

By Bill Baab
What makes Clark Hil1 Reservoir, epaosptu lGa reowrgitiha'sthoeu tmdtlo.!o~.ornsphlaoyfg. r"o.Mu.nr.d ,ansdho Mrs. Average Citizen w o VISit It eac
year? Could it be the fishing? There are no
less than 17 distinct varieties of gamefis h just waiting to be caught. Maybe 1t the boating. The huge lake has more than 1,200 miles of shoreline awai ting the small boat skiJ?p.er. Or ~er haps it's the camping, hikm? swimming, picnicking, wate~ skung, or the side benefits of sunshme, clean water and smog-free air.
More probably, it's a lot of everything combined that places Clark Hill Reservoir high on the outdoor recreation popularity list. More than ~~ur a~d three-quarter million persons VISited 1ts shores last year and this year, more than five and one-quarter million are expected to visit the 15-year-old reservoir and use its many facilities.
The reservoir is located on the Savannah River 22 miles above Augusta. The lake itself stretches 39 miles up river from the dam. The Savannah is the main one of 21 major tributaries and inn umerable smaller streams flowing into the lake.
Let's take a look at what "Mr. and Mrs. Average Citizen" can expect to find fo r their pleasure on a visit to Clark Hill. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, who operate the powerhouse and maintain the dam, the 78 ,000 acre reservoir and its facilities, have been generous to the outdoor lover.
Fifteen public camping areas, about 50 picnic areas located in strategic and peaceful spots, and more than 60 ramps for the boater have beenprovided.
Two state parks, both on the Georgia side of the impoundment, are located on the shores of the reservoir with two more being contemplated, one for the McCormick County, S. C., area.
In addition, three privately owned and developed concessions provide the vi itor all the comforts of home through rental cottages and other facilities . Boat rentals, bait, tackle and other such necessities are available in Georgia at Soap Creek Lodge near Lincolnton, Little River Sportsman's camp near Leah and Fishing Village, Plum Branch, S. C.
State Parks on the lake include Elijah Clark State Park off Georgia Highway 43 and U.S. Highway 378 near Lincolnton, and Bobby Brown State Park off Georgia Highway 79. Further in formation on state parks may be obtained from the State Parks Department.
The lake's "season" usually begins in early April, just in time for the inter-

nationally famous Masters Golf Tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club. The renewal of schooltime in September means the end of the "season," although mild temperatures may be expected to last throughout the fall and on into early winter.
Visitors arriving during the early part of the season usually have one thing in mind : Fishing. The waters are still too cool for swimming and water skiing, but just right for the spawning run of one of the lake's most popular fish , the white bass.
The popular largemouth black bass produced fantastic fishing in Clark Hill when the lake was new. But even though the years when the population was expanding are history, the lake may be making a comeback. This may possibly be attributed, in part, to two consecutive excellent spawning years, and even perhaps, lessened fishing pressure with the advent of Lake Hartwell ne a rb y.

Pictures are proof, and the evidence of some good bass fishing is on the stringer of Harold Parker of Forest Park, held by Harold Jr . and son Allen.

In the mid-1950s, Clark Hill was named one of the top 100 black bass fishing Jakes in the nation because of the tremendous catches being made at that time. An unusual crop of bass was produced in the first few years after impounding the lake, yielding sensational growth and fishing. For a time, the average catch was three pounds. But that group of fish has apparently been depleted by time and fishing, and the lake has settled down to the more normal pattern for a large reservoir. How-
ever, improved fishing may well be in the offing, thanks to the recent good spawns.
This spring also should be a good one for crappie. Both white and black varieties of crappie exist in the reservoir. Known as "specks" and "speckled perch" in other parts of the country, the crappie is most fished for in the early spring and late fall around sunken treetops and brush piles. The crappie enjoys much popularity among fishermen.
Bluegill, pumpkinseed, redbreast and shellcracker also can be caught in the reservoir, but most anglers seem to neglect these game little panfish in favor of the bass. The Jake's many islands, bordered with half-submerged willow trees, provide good hiding, feeding and living areas for the bream, which will take crickets, worms and

artificial lures. The Georgia Game and Fish Com-
mission and South Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission recently completed a joint stocking program which placed rainbow, brook and brown trout in the big lake.
The addition of these fish , normally found only in mountain streams and Jakes in the northern section of the state, is expected to add considerable prestige to Clark Hill. While no natural reproduction is expected because of adverse water and temperature conditions, the "catchable sized" trout are expected grow like crazy.
Other varieties of gamefish sought by the Clark Hill fishermen include the jack (chain pickerel) which is beginning to make itself well-known throughout the reservoir. Bass fishermen, using spoon, shiny plug or minnows, are sometimes startled by a sudden, savage strike by a long, snake-like fish showing off a crocodile-like jaw filled with teeth and gaping in a toothpaste-like grin. That's the jack.
The walleye and its close cousin, the sauger, and the striped bass also have been stocked, but populations of these fish have not yet exploded. Clark Hill is truly the angler's "Hom of Plenty," but if fishing isn't the forte of the "Mr. and Mrs. Average Citizen Family," then what is left?

Plenty. A weekend jaunt to the impoundment could result in a picnic at one of those many areas provided by the Corps of Engineers. Mom can relax in the shade of towering pines, while Dad can take a restful snooze. The kids can have a game of catch, or go exploring, but wading around the shore is not safe because of the uneven and often rocky bottom. Weekends also can become bits of paradise to those who bring a tent, camping trailer or mobile camper to Clark Hill, and those who do will find plenty of company.
If the family's expedition in search of weekend recreation happens to wind up near the dam, the folks just might witness graceful sailboats gliding over a pre-marked course. A boom of a tiny cannon signals both start and finish of the Augusta Sailing Club's weekly regattas featuring the 20-foot Lightning, Y-Fiyers, Jolly Boats, Flying Terns, Sunfish, Sailfish and even tippy Pea-
nuts, to mention a few boats.
The approach of bot summer months
usually brings a few water ski shows
to the big reservoir with the Georgia-
Carolina Boat and Ski Club putting on
the best at its site near Cherokee Creek off Little River.
That's the story in a nutshell of
Clark Hill Reservoir, east Georgia's in-
land ocean. ~

Crappie fishing is a popular Clark Hill sport, especially around the now Clark Hill is still a

bass

lake, was once

rotten trees left standing in the lake . Mr. and Mrs. Hubert Holmes and son listed among the 100 hot spots for bass in the United

Rusty of Atlanta give it a try.

States.

Sportsman's Calendar

TROUT MANAGEMENT STREAM SCHEDULE

Wednesday- &iturday-

Thursday

Sunday

Wednesday- Saturday-

T hursday

Sund ay

W ednuda)'- Saturday-

Thursday

S unday

MANAGEMENT

AREA

STREAM

BLUE RIDGE

Jones (Artificial Lures) Montgomery

. ~ ..

Nimblewill

Noontootley (Artificial Lures)

(Catch and Release)

. . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. .. .. . ~ CHATTAHOOCHEE RC~hoactt~akh~oCo~crh~eee~e~k~;-------------1-~r~r lff~t~1-tj~ ~t.~~j~fj~~~-~-~~~~~~~+:~~~~~~~

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

BD~oug~gks ;e;s--------------------t-t";r ."t;r,~t1-+~t-~~~~~~~~~~-+~~~~~~l-~~4:~~~~~_J
Dicks

WARWOMAN

Wildcat Finny
Sarahs
TWaulcnkutaFl~uog~erkk~aunudfFHfcouo~d~s~~Cr~.---t-ti-t-ri-t..~.t.~.~rl~.t.~.fj.~~~fi~.~- ~-~- ~-~~~~~.+.~.+-. ~.~~~ ~~.
Ooen Wed. Onlv

SEASONS NOW OPEN
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 Streams open during the regular state trout ~eason . Trout fishing at night on Reservoirs s permitted . Special Regulations-Coleman River below Forest Service Road No. 54 restricted to a_rti~icial lures only, 10 inch minimum size hm1t on brown and rainbow trout 7 inch minimum size limit on brook trou't. Chattahoochee River below Buford Dam to the Old Jones Bridge restricted to artificial

=-= -------- TROUT STREAMS OF GEORGIA

.._....

"-~

lures only with a 10 inch minimum size limit for all trout species. Fishermen on artificial lure only streams may not possess live or natural bait. Management Area Stream Season-May 3, 1967 through September 4, 1967 on designated days only. For detailed schedule see map and chart above. Lake Trout Season - There is no closed season on trout fishing in Georgia Lakes with the exception of Amicalola Falls and Vogel State Park Lakes, and Dockery
L ake . Special R egulations- 14 inch m1mmum size limit on a ll species of trout in Lakes Blue Ridge, Burton, Clark Hill, and Lanier. No size limit on other lakes.
OPEN STREAM DIRECTIONS Below are directions to some of Georgia's most popul a r tro ut fi shin g st reams off the management areas. These streams a re all open fro m April I st through October 15th

required . Since they

also the

the man-

agement a reas.

Cooper Creek Directio ns from Atlanta: Go to Dahlon -

ega. Proceed 9.3 miles on U.S. Hi ghwa y

19 no rth to Sto ne Pile G ap (j unction G a.

Hwy . 60). Take H ighway 60 no rth 18.9

miles. Turn right at Cooper Creek Grocery Stor'e o n U.S. Forest Service Road

No. 4 and go 4.3 miles to creek.

Tallulah River

Direc ti ons from Atlanta: Go to Clayton .

Take U.S. Highway #76 west 8.0 miles

to T allul ah Ri ver Road. turn ri ght and go

4.3 miles to junction . Turn left and go 1.0

miles to river. Good campsites on the

Tallul ah Ri ver. Holly Creek

Directions from Atl anta: Go to Chats-

wo rth (Murray County). T ake U .S. High-

way 76 east 0.9 miles. Turn left on paved

road at Bill's 66 Service and Grocery

Store . Go 6.5 miles to Conasauga Lake

Road. Turn ri ght and go 3.0 miles to

Creek.

Warwoman Creek

Directio n from Atlanta: Go to C lay ton

on U.S. Highway 23. 0.3 mile past junc-

tion wi th U.S. Highway 76. Turn ri ght

on Warwoman Road and go 8.2 miles.

Turn right on Earl's Ford Road and go

0.5 mile to C reek .

Chattahoochee Ri ver

Go to Helen . Georgia. or Robertstown.

Georgia . Ri ver at both towns.

everybody wants my Game and Fish
Georgia GAME AND FISH is so popular with everyone that you may lose a copy now and t hen. Why not so lve t he problem by presenting gift subscriptions to all your fr iends? GAME AND FISH is a unique gift for any occasion and a lasting reminder of your thoughtfulness. You know, it's the only publication of its kind-it's prepared especially for Georgia sportsmen . Simply f ill out the order blank below and we' ll send a gift card in your na me.

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

Giver's Na me

Address

Ci ty

State

Zip

I wish to subscribe for:
0 1 year, $1.00

D 3 Years , $2.50

My check is enclosed for $ - -- -

(Make paya ble to State Game an d Fish Commission) Mail to 401 State Capitol , Atl anta , Georgia 30334

PLEASE ENTER GIFT SUBSCRIPTIONS FOR
(please print)

Na me

Add ress

City

St ate Zip

D 1 Yea r, $1.00

D 3 Years, $2.50

Name

Address

City

St at e Zip

D 1 Year, $1.00

0 3 Years, $2.50