Georgia game and fish [Vol. 2, no. 8 (Aug. 1967)]

GEORGIA

VOL. 2, NO. 8 I AUGUST, 1967

~ GEORGIA
~ GAME&FISH

August 1967

Volume II, Number 8

Contents

Pick Your Trout Stream

... . Jim Tyler 1

The Sweet Song of the Rivers

Jim Morrison 5

Crappie Fishing ... Night Style

Claude Hastings 8

August- The Day Before Christmas Eve . . Joe Kight 10

Buried Treasure ... Inches Deep?

Jim Tyler 12

Meet Your Commissioner

Jim Morrison 15

Sportsmen Speak

17

Sportsman's Calendar

17

Lester G. Maddox Governor

George T. Bagby Director, State Game & Fish Commission

COMMISSIONERS

Judge Harley Langdale, Chairman
Valdosta-8th District

Rankin M . Smith Vice Chairman Atlanta-5th District

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

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

James Darby Vidalia- 1st District

Leonard Bassford, Augusta-lOth 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

TECHNICAL SERVICES DIVISION
Jack A. Crockford, Assistant Director Leon Kirkland, Fisheries Chief
Hubert Handy, Game Management Chief Robert S. Baker, Special Services Coordinator

LAW ENFORCEMENT DIVISION
Bill Cline Deputy State Chief, Atlanta
David Gould Deputy State Ch ief, Brunswick

GEORGIA GAME & FISH

STAFF

Jim Morrison, Editor Dean Wohlgemuth,
Managing Editor

Jim Tyler, Staff Writer J. Hall , Staff Writer Ted Borg, Photographer

* * *
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 for 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 liabtlity for loss or damage of articles, photographs, or illustrations. Second-class postage paid at Atlanta, Georgia.

Register All Boats? A Good Idea.
Will a rock float? No. Will a sailboat turn over? Yes. Can an overloaded row boat capsize? Yes. Can a ma n stand up in a canoe? Yes. Will he drown? Maybe. Does a I0 horsepower boat have to be registered ? No, but a J0\12 horsepower boat does. Does th at make sense? No. Since 1960, Georgia law has provided that all motorboats of more than 10 horsepower must be registered with the State Game and Fish Commission. Registration of boats serves two purposes: identification and revenue raising. A registered motorboat must bear an identification numb_!!r which can easily be read at a distance, and is different from that displayed on any other boat, just as automobile tags are. The number is on file with the State Game and Fish Commission, enabling the owner of the boat to be easily and quickly identified. The importance of such a number is illustrated by a recent case on Lake Allatoona which is cited by Game and Fish Commission Director George T. Bagby. Rangers found a boat capsized in the lake with a large bole in the bottom, but since th e boat was not registered , there was no way to determine to whom it belonged or if the operator was missing. "Our men didn 't know whether to look for bodies, or what to do," Bagby said. In addition to identification of the boat, its operator, or passengers in a possible emergency situation, registration numbers aid wi.ldlife rangers in enforcing boating safety laws, especially in the case of reckless or intoxicated boat operators. Witnesses can write down the boat number and report it to rangers. Also, boat theft is made more complicated by registration numbers, decals, and certificates. But the primary importance of boat registration is to provide a means of fin a ncing law enforcement of boating safety laws and regulations. In this way, only members of the public who benefit from boating safety laws are required to pay for sa fety enforcement. However, under present Georgia laws, onl y boat owners with more than I0 horsepower are required to register their boats. Therefore, only these boat owners are paying their fair share for the enforcement of boating safety laws, even though rangers spend a great deal of their time and effort checking unregistered boats for required safety equipme nt, e pecially life preservers. Tn fact, more drownings occur among occupants of sma ll unregistered boats than to occupants of larger, safer, registered craft. For instance, rangers must patrol sailboat regattas, even though these boats are not required to register with the Commission and pay nothin g toward the cost of keeping rangers on the lake. Rowboats and canoes are especially dangerous craft, yet they ca nnot be identified by registration number, and their owners pay nothing for efforts to protect the lives of their passengers, even though rangers may spend long, bonechi Lling, wet hours dragging the river bottom to locate the drowned bodies of their crews. Some 72,000 registered motorboat owners are paying their fair share of the lake patrol cost, paying from $5 .25 to $15.25 for a three-year registration certificate, depending on the lengt h of their boat. Estimates by the G ame and Fish Commission place the number of unregistered boats who do not pay their way at close to 40,000 or more craft of all shapes, sizes, and methods of propulsion. Requiring these boat owners to
continued on page 16
ON THE COVERS: Here is Georgia's wonderful world of rivers . .. just two examples of the unexceLled variety of fishing in Georgia. On the front cover, Game & Fish staff writer Jim Tyler casts into the cool, clear water of a gravel lined pool on the Coleman River in Northeast Georgia's Rabun County, one of the mountain forest streams described in Jim's story on the opposite page. On the back cover at the opposite side of Georgia, the Suwanee River ambles along through magnificent cypress trunks that Stephen Foster had never seen when he picked the name of the Suwanee out of an atlas for the opening line of "Old Folks At Home," one of the most popu.lar songs ever written. In next month's issue, Jim Tyler will treat readers with a visit to the Suwanee, the favorite off-duty fishing spot of wildlife ranger Walter Booth of Homerville. Photos by Dan Keever.
PHOTO CREDITS: Ted Borg 8, 9; Dan Keever II; b. 13; Joe
Kight t. 10; Jim Morrison 5, 6, 7, b. 10, 15 ; Jim Tyler I , 2,
3, 4, t. 12 & 13, 14.

Which will it be? Find a steep running, crisp, sparkling pure creek confined to a very narrow stream bed cut from the high rock mountains. The water flees headlong down little waterfalls, crumple into a fizz of bubbles, then rushes to yet another fall. Sometimes the wate r hits a fair sized pool at the bottom of such a fall , and, for a distance, the water loafs along. Here you can find

small brightly colored native trout. The going is rough to get them and the fi sh are small. Yet who is going to argue size when a wild trout is taken from a fair ylike pool rounded by moss flecked boulders in the mountain shade of tall , silent trees, the creek singing in your eyes and ears?
Or do you prefer a somewhat wider, slower trout stream? Here, the water

slows a bit, but still scurries right along. You have your choice of more and larger pools to fish and the riffle areas running washboard patterns over black and golden hued rocks can sometimes be fished with success. The going isn't so rugged . The terrain slopes steeply, for say a hundred yards, but gives you relief when it hits a small valley, a meadow, sometimes pasture land, and

coasts, barely gurgling to itself, then is off again, tumbling over a nd between rocks. The rocks are usuall y smaller, not many boulders, and by wading most of the time, yo u can fish quite nicel y.
The medium sized stream has more living room for fish, more food. Every now and then, if you know what you're doing, you might snag a good size trout. And in a good many of these streams, hatchery trout have been stocked to make sure you catch a teninch-plus fish occasionally. You will come across other fishermen , sometimes a group of them. Undoubtedly, you have lost the isolation and unique beauty of the high mountain stream, but you will not be scenic short changed.
Then, like old men lumbering along with heavy loads, there are the large rivers. They gather in all the waters th at have drained from the highlands, and with pronounced slowness, in comparison to the laughing, dancing high country streams, they plod along and are trout waters until they reach regions where the water temperature gets too warm for trout. But, really, even a large trout river doesn't plod along for a long dista nce. It has stretches of deep length y pools, but also stretche of quick moving water. The pinning rod angler has more room to work the rivers. but the fly fis herman pulls his share of trout from them. The fish ca n be, a nd are. large r. You have to wade or float the trout rivers.
So, yo u have three types of trout streams to choose from. That's a start.
ow let me hit yo u with this. Robert K. Franz, while working with the Commi sion in the middle 1950's, walked out and surveyed the streams in that area of north Georgia where trout might possibly be. He listed 813 streams with names. Of course, this included rivers, streams, creeks, and branches. ow here is what I'm getting at. Before you slam out of your home town hot after th at "finn y fatale," the trout, pick yo ur stream. There are big ones, med iumsized ones, a nd small ones. And any one of them probably has at least a few trout in some section of its length.
To sweeten this vast trout network, the State Game and Fish Commission stocks hatchery reared trout in 159 of the streams. Many of the tocked streams contain a year round trout population, but the streams are tocked so su mmer fishermen can catch more trout than the streams could naturally produce.
All the treams contain rainbow a nd brown trout, and the headwaters of a few of them hold wild , native brook trout. See the chart accompa nyi ng thi art icle for their names, relative size, and probable fishing luck.
I asked Claude Hastings, Regional

Fisheries Supervisor for the Commission , and Carlton ichols, his senior biological aide, to tell me the relative size and probable fishing luck of all the I 59 strea ms. Claude looked at me, rolled his eye . Carlton just gave a sma ll chuckle. Anyway these two, although professing the difficulty of such a task , relented and did so. Claude, a professional fisheries man, and Carlton, who has worked 17 years with the Georgia trout, based their opinions on personal fishing experience and scientific fi h population studies (both love to get over a fl y rod on a trout tream). They added that some of the streams travel just a short di tance before joining anot her stream. And treams can vary in size in a short distance because tributaries flow in making the stream larger as it proceeds to lower elevations.
When you have a stream picked out, then you have to find out if you can get to it to fish. This requires first hand exploring, or you need a detailed map to show locations and, also, to show if the land is privately owned. The best bet are the U. S. Geological Survey topographical maps obtained from the Georgia Department of Mines, Mining, and Geology, 19 Hunter St., S.W. , Atlanta, Georgia 30334. They are available for 75 ~ apiece. The Greenville 17-4 map and the Rome 16-6 map cover most of the Georgia trout water . The Game and Fish Commission, 401 State Capitol Building, Atlanta, has free maps that outline U. S.
ational Fore t land in north Georgia. ational Forest la nd is pub lic and open to everyone. Still if you want to fish a stream that runs through private land, a knock on the landowner's door, a mile, and a polite asking, man y times turns the trick. Remember, you are automatically trespassing if you do not have permission to be on the land , even if it isn't posted. And as no Georgia trout strea ms are con idered navigable. the stream bed is owned by omeone.
State Game and Fi h Commission Wildlife Management Area strea ms are located on ational Forest lands. Consider. Over 40 % of the total number of trout stocked in Georgia streams are stocked in wildlife management area streams. This surel y accounts for fishermen on area treams averaging a catch of four trout per day. Outside the area , tream fishermen average a catch of 2.5 trout per day. Surprisingly, Claude says . as a whole. fishing pressure is less on area streams compared to the pressure on out ide treams. for both nat ive and tocked trout. Still, the easily accessible and heavily stocked area streams can ometimes have scads of fishermen. They catch fish. though. so it just depends on what kind of trout fishing yo u enjoy and whether yo u feel

management area stream worth the I a day permit.
Management areas Blue Ridge, Chestatee Chattahoochee, Lake Burton, and Warwoman, have trout streams small to medium in size, and all have head water portions with native trout swi mming about. The Georgia Trout Regula tion , available from all State Game a nd Fish Commi ion offices, includes a map and written descriptions of each area.
Two other stream choices are available to trout chasers. "Catch and relea e" streams are a rather recent modernization of trout fishing. On
oontoot ley Creek. a nglers catching a trout under I 6 inch es in length are required to release the fish , unharmed, back into the st ream, Here the emphasis is entirely on the sport of fishing. Very few trout over 16 inches are caught. o trout are stocked there, so it is principall y a fun stream. You mi ght catch more fish on fishing-forfun streams, but yo ur take home creel

2

A bo1e: A medium si-ed trout stream offers

more water and bigger fishing hole.\ for

Carlton Nichols. Most medium sized

streams are stocked with hatcherv trolll

somewher!' along their length.



Ll'/t: Small waterfall.\, pool.!, riffle area, clear water- here is a trout stream.

Right: Large trout riler.\, such as thio~ stretch of the We.11 Fork Challooga Riler, offer ji.1hermen a chance to hook a ltmker trout. The Challoo!la is open for fishing year-round.

Bottom: Trow fishing fun come.1 in many different fornl\. Lon Gap Pond is a trout fi~hing area re1trictecl to women, chilclren, honorarr !tee n1e holders, and phv1ical/v handicapped persons. The CommiSI"ion like1 to see en,.,.one hme a chance at trow. Thcpond ir lowted on Law Gap ( rl'C'k in thr Chauahoochec Wildlife Management Area near Helen, Georgia. Wildlife Rtlnger Arthur Abanatln ( tandin? on the bridge) is re pomihle for both the thought and con~trm tiOII of the po11d.
Be/ou A prel/y trout hole, a /itlered !ltream hank Some fi5hermen think only of them 1elves.
will usua ll y be empty. Fishing-for-fun streams are limited to a rti fici al lures. So are Waters Creek, Jones C reek, and a section of Colema n Ri ver limited to artifici als, a lthough the 16 inch limit does not appl y on these streams.
The mo re heav ily fi shed strea ms are stocked more heavily in certa in a reas a nd are ca lled " put a nd take" waters (asteri sk on ch a rt). The Comm iss ion " puts" the tro ut in some sectio ns of the strea ms and by heavy f ishing pressure, a nglers " take" the stocked trout o ut in a short period of time. Ra inbow and brook trout a re stocked in these areas. Claude says this is the onl y place brook trout are stocked . H e limits the a reas where brooks are stocked because he doesn't want to "mess" up the nati ve brook trout popul ation . Brook stockers do not norm all y overwinte r a nd do not spaw n successfull y. Jf they are not caught out of the streams by la te fa ll, most die one wa y or another during the winter mo nths.
Claude also worries about road buildin g in the mounta ins. Gouging out a road along a mountainside does two thin gs to trout . It opens a nothe r ave-

nue for vehicu la r a nglers, and it ca uses heavy loads of silt (small dirt pa rticl es) to be flushed into the steam, knocking down their trout ca rrying capacity a nd freque ntl y destroying the a bi li ty of trout eggs to hatch in the stream. T rout, like the rest of the wild a ni ma ls outsi de the confines of a zoo, must look forw ard to more problems as ma n furth er encroaches their doma in .
Sometimes, I believe, the overa ll picture of trout fishing is oversold . I mean mounta in fishing, like fi shing an y other place in the world, ca n have its bad days . And let's face it. With more people flocking to the mou ntains, more a nd more pressure is going to be put on the trout.
But ri ght now, tod ay, yo u ca n, with a li ttle p la nning, define yo ur trout pleasure. Yo u might get a ba ng out of trout fishing in a n easy to get to stream a ro und a bunch of folks, or you m ight be the kind that wants to get way back a nd be by yourself, and enjoy catching small wild trout. It's your choice.
GEORGIA STREAMS OUTSIDE M A N AGEMENT AREAS S TOCKED
WITH M OUNTA IN TROUT (Streams on wi ld life m anagement a reas a re heavi ly stocked, but not included in this list; see story for in form ation on
them)

MURRAY COUNTY

Strea m Jacks River
(Beach Bottoms) Sha nty Cree k Holly Cree k

Size of Str eam
la rge smal l med i um

FANNIN COUNTY

Bi g Cree k

me dium

Coo per Cree k

la rge

Conasauga Ri ve r

med ium

Cutcane Cree k

smal l

Fi gh ti ng To wn Cree k

medi um

Hemp town Creek

med ium

Hotho use Creek

sma ll

Jac ks River

large

Litt le Fightin g Town Cree k med ium

Litt le Skeenah Creek

smal l

Noo ntoo tl ey Cree k

large

Sea Cree k

sma ll

Skee nah Cree k

smal l

Stanl ey Cree k

mediu m

Suga r Cree k

small

Tumb ling Cree k

smal l

Wi lscot Creek

smal l

GILMER COUNTY

Anderson Cree k Big Turniptown Creek Broa dtown Creek Clea r Cree k Eas t Mou ntain town Cree k Littl e Rock Cree k Mo untaintown Creek
Ow ltown Cree k Rock Creek Rolst on Cree k Tic kanetl ey Cree k Turkey Cree k

med i um me d i um med i um medi um medi um smal l l ar ge small s ma ll smal l me dium medi um

PICKENS COUNTY

Di sh roo m Cree k Joh n Pendl ey Cree k

small smal l

DAWSON COUNTY

Amicalola Cree k Bi g Ami ca lola Cree k Cochra n Cree k Fall Cree k Littl e Ami calo la Cre.ek

medium medium small s ma ll sma ll

UNION COUNTY

Ark agua Creek Big Cree k Bitte r Cree k Butternut Cree k Canada Cree k Cooper Cree k Coosa Creek Eas t Fork Coosa Cree k
Hat che t Cree k

medium med ium small smal l med ium la rge medi um small to medium small

Fis hing
f ai r f air goo d
fair fair t o goo d goo d poo r fa ir fair fa ir fair good poor fa ir to good poo r t o fai r fair fair fa ir poor fair
f ai r f ai r poor fair fair fa ir goo d poor l air f ai r good fair
poo r poo r
f air f air f air goo d f ai r
poo r fair poo r poo r goo d fair t o good fair fair
fair

Hel t on Cree k l vylog Cree k Mt . Airy Cree k

small sma ll sma ll

fair f ai r poo r

Mulky Cree k

smal l

poo r

Nottely Ri ve r

large

goo d

Suches Cree k

sma ll

poo r

St ink Cree k

smal l

poor

Toccoa River

large

f air

Towns Cree k

medium fai r

Wes t Fork Coosa Cree k

small

fai r

Wes t Fork Wo lf Cree k

sma ll

fair

Wil dhog Cree k

small

fa ir

Wo lf Cree k

medium good

Youn g Cane Cree k

sma II

poor

LUMPKIN COUNTY

Boggs Cree k

smal l

fair

Chest at ee Ri ve r

la rge

goo d

Cane Creek Cave nder Cree k Clay Cree k Dicks Cree k Etowah River

small

f air

sma ll

fair

small

fair

medium f air

la rge

fai r

Hurri ca ne Cre ek Jones Cree k Mill Creek

sma ll mediu m sma ll

fa ir goo d f air

Mil l Creek (t r ibu ta ry t o

Hurr ican e Cree k)

sma ll

f air

Ni mb lewi ll Cre ek

medium good

Pr uitt Cree k

small

poor

Ward Cree k

smal l

f air

Yahoo la Cree k

medium fair

TOWNS COUNTY

Bra ss Town Creek

small

poo r

Center Soa pst one Cree k

small

poo r

Fodder Cree k

medium fair

Hiawassee River Hi ~h Sh oa ls Cree k

lar ge small

f air t o good goo d

Hightower Cree k

medium poo r

t o large

Hog Creek

small

poo r

Little Hightowe r .Creek

smal l

poo r

Mi ll Creek

small t o fa ir

me dium

Owl Cree k

small

f air

Sca t away Creek

small

poo r

Swal low Creek

mediu m poo r

Tallulah River

lar ge

good

WHITE COUNTY

Chatt ahoochee Ri ve r

lar ge

goo d

Chi ckamauga Cree k

medi um fair

Crai g Cre ek

s ma l l

f ai r

Crumb ly Creek

sma l l

fai r

Dukes Cree k

medi um fa ir

Smith Cre ek

small to fair t o good

medium

Spoilca ne Creek

smal l

f air

Town Creek

medium fa ir

RABUN COUNTY

Bai ly Branch

smal l

poor

Blacks Creek

small

f air

Betty's Cree k Bi g Creek

medium medium

good good

Cheche ro Creek

medi um poor

Crow Cree k Cut t in gbone Creek

s ma ll small

fai r poor

Darn ell Cree k

medium good

Dicks Cree k Holcomb Creek Kelly Creek Ke en er Cree k

small medi um smal l small

fair good
fair good

Li ck Log Cree k Little Pers im mon Cree k
Li ttl e Ten nessee Ri ve r
Ma ssa r Cree k
Moccasin Cree k* Mo rs in ~il l Cree k

small small medium small medium sma ll

f air goo d go od fai r goo d f air

Mud Cree k Patt erso n Creek Persimm on Cree k Pl umorcha rd Cree k Popco rn Creek Reed Cree k Rickm an Creek Sco tt Creek Ste koa Cree k

medium small medium medium medium small small small medi um

f air to good
f ai r
fai r good
~ood
fai r fair
fair poo r

Sli ck Shoa ls Creek Ston ewa ll Creek Tal lulah River Ti ge r Creek Timp son Creek Wa rwoma n Creek* We.s t Fork Che tt ooga Rive r
Wi Ideal Cree k Worl ey Creek

s ma l l small lar ge medium medium medium l ar ge med i um smal l

poor fair go od poor
f air t o good good good goo d goo d

HABERSHAM COUNTY

Goshen Creek

medium good

Li ttl e Panther Creek

med ium f ai r

Panthe r Creek

medium f air

Rape r Creek

sma l l

goo d

Sogue Cree k

me di um good

FORSYTH, FULTON AND GWINNETT COUNTIES

The Chattahoochee River below Buford

D am of La ke L anier is stocked with trout.

T he ri ver is large, fi shi ng is rated good .

*Areas on th ese strea ms are designated " put

and take" secti ons. You would be more

likely to catch trout in these areas due to

th e hea vy stocking. However, you would

a lso be more likely to find a number of

fi sherm en th ere also.

,_

4

Georgia's famous 'tive?~~s a'te the best place to fish during the hot summer mo1~ths

What can compare with th e beauty of a ri ver? Georgia has 17 large ri vers th at ramble over th e State for more than 3,000 miles.

Sweet song of the Rivers

By Jim Morri son

H ave yo u ever stopped to consider how ma ny songs yo u have hea rd of that mention a river or a stream , either in their titl e or in a line or two?
Need examples? How about "Down by the O ld Mill Stream," or "Down by the riverside, do wn by the riverside. goi ng to lay down my burde n, down by the ri verside."
Getting more re li gious, there's "Shall We Gather at the Ri ver," or the line from "Swiog Low Sweet Chariot," ... "1 looked over Jo rda n a nd what did I see .. ."
Still serious, there's "Old Man Ri v-

er, " a nd ''Flow Gently, Sweet Afton. " On a lighter vein (or current) there's 'Crui ing Down the Ri ver," or " Beat Your Feet on the Mississippi Mud."
One of the most famou of all is the opening line of Stephen Foster's immortal "Old Folks at Home," which begin s "Way down upon de Swanee ribber. far, far away, dere's wha my heart is turning ebber, dere' where de old fo lk stay."
P icked for the song olel y fo r its musical name, the Suwanee is ju t one of more th a n I 7 la rge rivers and hundreds of smaller freshwater streams in

Top: During the hot .1ummer monrh.l. especially A UfiUSt, ri~ er fishing is the besr fishing available wheu lake and pond fishinR gts the doldrums. Flat Shoals on the Flint Ri1er between Gay and Concord is a popular hot day fishing and swimming spot.
Abme: Wouldn't vou wade on the Fourth of July for a strin,~er like this? A. 8. Hicks of Atlanta caug/11 thi.1 stringer of two- to three-pound hr11s in the Flint Ri1er shoals, using /i1e hellgrammites for bait.

Georgia tha t bea r equ all y beautiful names, m any of Jndi a n origin , th at fall on the ea r with the magic lilt of a ba bblin g brook leaping over moss-covered stones deep in the hidden recesses of the fo re t : names li ke Ala paha, A Itamaha, Ca noochee, C hattahoochee, C hestatee, Etowah, or Oc hlockonee.
Even more deli ghtful are the quaint names of many smaller, but equ ally famous fis hing trea ms like Ichawaynochaway, Kinchafoonee, Towa liga, Tall apoosa, Coosawattee, Conausauga, Tallu lah, and Chattooga. T he list is a lmost end less, run ni ng from the mountai ns of Nort h Georgia to the flat piney woods of the coasta l plain.
And in these streams can be found some o f the finest fishing in the world . . . and some of the worst. Stream fis hing depe nds on a great variety of fa ctors, especia ll y the effects of the activities of ma n o n it, and the effect of weather and easonal conditions.
Tha t ri ver fi hing is a popular sport in Geo rgia is unde ni able. A 196 1 survey sho wed th at mo re tha n 4 6 per cent of a ll G eorgia fishe rmen fish some time during the yea r i!l a wa rm water stream, a n estima ted 398,000 fi shermen .
There are many reasons for this. For one thing, ma ny G eorgia ns, especiall y

in large sections of Southeast G eorgia, do n' t have a nywhere else to f ish except in small far m ponds, since there a re no la rge a rti fic ia l impo undme nts in th at po rtio n of the sta te.
River fishing is popular with many a nglers because of the greater va riety of fis h that can be co mmonl y ca ught there in comparison to a sm all po nd o r a large artificia l reservoi r. For insta nce, more than 22 d iffere nt species of game fi sh are found in the Fl int River alo ne, incl ud ing large and " mall" mouth bass, black and wh ite crappie, jackfish , white bass, warmou th , redear, bluegi ll, rock bass, bluespotted sunfish, redfin pickerel, cha nnel catfish, white catfi h. fla thead catfish, bowfi n, etc.
A nd perhap most impo rta nt of all , river a nd st ream f ishing is usua ll y nea r o r at its best at the times when lake and po nd fi hi ng is a t its worst, es pecia ll y d uri ng th e hot summer m onths. Du rin g Jul y, Augus t, a nd September, the river a nd st rea m genera ll y a re the best fishing avail abl e. La ke fishing is gene ra ll y con fi ned to ea rl y in the mo rning o r late in the a fternoon for bass a nd white bass, prima ri ly on schoolin g fish, with the exception o f night f ishing for crappie.
In the lakes a nd ponds, the wa ter

temperature is considerably hotter, and fish are feeding and moving much less than earlier and later in the year at cooler water temperatures when their body metabolism is faster, requiring more food in a shorter period of time. The lakes frequently stratify into layers of hot and cold water, and the small forage fish that bass feed on move down during the day, taking the predators with them , except in the afternoon when bass congregate on schooling shad moving to the top.
In the flowing streams, the water doesn't stratify, and forage fish and the species that eat them are still scattered over the entire range of the stream, making the fish more accessible to anglers closer to the surface or bank.
Then, there's the factor of physical comfort. In August, it's hot on the lake or pond, so there's nothing cooler than floating down the river under the shade of the trees, or actually wading right into the water up to your armpi ts. The water isn't cold enough to chill you, but it is pleasantly cooling on a bot day, as any boy knows who has leaped into the old swimming hole on the creek on a hot Fourth of Jul y!
What fish do you fish for on a stream? Name it - it's there to catch: bass, bream , crappie, catfish, suckers, bowfin , and many others. How do you fi h for them ? Try casting, spinning, or fly tackle. For bait, use worms, crickets, hellgrammites, crawfish, cut bait, stink bait, doughballs, topwater plugs, spinners, flies, popping bugs, spoons, rubber balloons, or cigarette filters! Whatever it is, chances are good that you can catch fish on it somewhere, sometime, in a Georgia river.
Obviously, you have to go river fishing at the right time of year, and when the water conditions are right. Streams may quickly muddy up after a hard rain. Since most game fish are sight feeders, muddy water decreases visibility, and results in poorer fishing, especially for bass. In many South Georgia rivers, high water conditions cause the rivers to overflow their normal bank , spreading the water, and the fis h, out into the surrounding low-lying swamp areas, thus mak ing fishing poorer than when the river is back in its banks, concentrating the fish in a smaller area. If you reall y want to catch fish at the river, don 't waste your time by going when it's out of the banks or mudd y. Check the water conditions yourself, or call someone who lives near the river or crosses it during the day to get a report on water conditions. The local ranger is a good prospect.
As a rule, during late August, September, October, and early November, most Georgia rivers are low and clear, due to seasonally normal slack periods

of rainfall. For this reason, fishing is best at these times, although unexpectbest at these times, although rains can change the picture suddenly.
If you aren't familiar with the fishing available in a particular river, try to find someone who has fished it before for information, or write to the State Game and Fish Commission at the State Capitol, or contact the local wildlife ranger.
While man y Georgia rivers have fine fishing, especially in the early spring or late summer and fall, there are some entire rivers and sections where fishing is almost non-existent because of pollution from silt coming from farm land , mines, or roadsides, or because of industrial and municipal pollution. This problem is especi all y acute below large cities. For instance, there is little or no fishing available on the Chattahoochee River for miles below the city of Atlanta, or on the Ocmulgee below Macon, even though both rivers have good fishing above the cities. There are numerous other such examples that could be cited with equal justification. However, improved farming and soil conservation practices, as well as tighter enforcement of water pollution regulations, offer hope for improved river fishir:g in Georgia in future years.
Generally speaking, the best river and stream fishing to be found in Georgia is in the southeastern and southwestern portions of the State, but this does not mean that there are not good fis hing streams in middle and north Georgia, even though they are not as well known and have fewer fishermen. Many of these streams are small enough , with shoal areas extensive enough , to make wading safe and practical , although some of them , like the Coosa, are too bold for wading.
In areas of these rivers where shoal areas are scattered enough to allow boat fishing, the State Game and Fi h Commission is actively improving fisherman access by constructing hard-surface boat launching ramps. (See the July, 1967, issue of Game & Fish for a list of completed ramps.) However, the best fishing in many streams frequently is in the middle of the shoal areas that can be waded, especially for bass. Eddy pools, where the current runs backwards, are also good spots. Overhanging limbs or trees that have fallen in the water are always good bet for bass, bream, and crappie.
What are some of the better fishing rivers, and what can be caught there? Naming them all would be impossible in an article this short, si nce there are over 2,818 miles of major rivers and more th an 3,000 miles of smaller tributary warmwater streams. Only the most outstanding can be mentioned.

Excluding the trout streams of northeast Georgia, there are many popular streams that have trout in their colder headwaters, that become bass and bream streams in the lower reaches. For instance, the Toccoa River and the Hiawassee River are both trout streams that become the home of the true Northern smallmouth bass before they leave Georgia to join the Tennessee River, providing excellent stream fishing. The Chestatee and the Chattahoochee above Lake Lanier are good spotted bass streams.
Further to the west, the Coosawattee is a fine stream for spotted bass, largemouth bass, redbreast bream, and
Continued on Page 16
Top: Landing a fighting Flint Rher smallmouth ha.1s in swift water is an exciting adl'enture. t.1any Georgia rilers ha1e exten!Jile shoal area1 shallow enough to wad' during the Slllnmer mo111hs when the water is pleasantly cool. A hol'e: Floating on a cool rinr lined with green trees i.1 a plea.\ant wav to fish. Small hoafl' and canoes are e.\celient for stream fishing, especially if any shoals are around.

CRAPPIE FISHING. NIGHT STYLE

By Claude E. Hastings
Fisheries Biologist

o Mo t of our crappie fishi ng in Georgia consists of hordes of fishermen running around madly in the spring, throwing minnows and jigs into shallow water at crappie while they a re spawning, or looking for spawning sites.
After the pawning season is over, the crappie move to deeper water, and most of the fishermen that have been after them decide crappie fishing is over for the year and either quit fis hing until the following spring or start fi hing for some other kind of fish.
However, a small but select group of these fis hermen know that their fishing for crappie isn't over, but that their tactics will have to be changed. These fishermen turn to night fishing. They know that night fishing can and often will produce just as many or more crappie as daytime spring fishing.
Our large reservoirs in Georgia have black crappie and white crappie sometimes but not necessarily both in the same reservoir. Since both species are found in the same types of places and since both species can be caught in the same manner, this article will treat both as one.
The first thing that must be done is to locate the crappie. Crappie are found in schools, and unless one of these schools can be located a lot of unproductive fishing is going to result. Crappie prefer dark places. There are two pl aces where you are likely to find thi s if the water is deep - bridges and large boat docks. Since mo t boat docks are privately owned and are not open to fishing without perm ission from owners, bridges are your best bet. However, not all bridges offer good crappie fi hing.
The best method of locating crappie "hot-spots" i by inquiring from wildlife rangers, sporting goods store personnel , and other fi hermen. T hese places can be located much faster in this manner than with the trial and error method. Both dock fishing and bridge fish ing can be done without the use of a boat. Howeve r, in some places

1t IS illegal to fish from bridges, making the use of a boat necessar y.
The only specia l equipment that is needed at night is a good lantern and a means of ha nging it directly over the wa ter. Ropes are used to hang the lanterns from bridges. Hooks that hang the la ntern over the side are used on boats.
One theory is that the la ntern attracts insects and plankton, which attract small fis h. The small fish a re supposed to attract large numbers of crappie. I have not been convinced of the truth of this theory. l believe that the light ac ts more as an aid to the fisherma n in seeing what is happening. and a an aid to the crappie in eeing the lure or bait.
Crappie have been caught on many different kinds of baits and lures, but there are two that are most reliable minnows and jigs. Jigs popularly known as " Doll Flies" are excellent. For you fishermen who like to use minnows, select a small minnow - l lh - 2 inches in length. Crappie prefer sma ll minnows . 1 have seen fishermen using minnows 3 - 4 inches in length a nd wondering why they were not catchi ng fish while everyone arou nd them was having a fie ld day using smaller minnows. A lso, if yo u have a choice of different kinds of crappie minnows, select a fathead minnow (also ca lled blackhead) if yo ur dealer has them. They are not as shin y as the golden hiner which most dealers sell , but they live longer and crappie seem to prefer them.
I prefer a yellow jig ~G to lf.J2 ounce in weight. I like a chenill e bod y and a maribou tail on the jig. The hook size should be a fo ur or six. If you are tying your own jigs, tie the tail short - barely beyond the bend of the hook . If you buy your jigs, clip the tai l off short if you fai l to catch a nything with the longer tail. My next choice is the same jig in white. But if you take jig fishing seriousl y, get yourself a good selection of the small er sizes ( up to Vs ou nce) in different styles ,

colors, and color combinations. This may seem strange to stress variable colors for ni ght fis hing, but I have seen failure turned into success many times by changing to a jig which differed only in color.
The depth a t whi ch crappie may be found often varies from night to night and often varies considerably during the same night. It is necessary for you, the fis herma n, to try fis hing at different depths until you find them . Since they are found in schools, if yo u catch one yo u wi ll probably catch several.
The methods that are used in fishing minnows or jigs are very important to yo ur success. It is true that there a re some nights when all you have to do is heave you r bait into the water an d pull out crappie. These nights are fun , but they are rare. Most of the time it takes a fis herman using good methods to consistently make good catches.
When using minnows, use a good livel y minnow and hook it lightl y through the back with a f ine hook. The purpo e of the fine hook is to do as little damage to the minnow as possible. Some persons hook their minnows in the tail or through the lips a nd make good catches. I hook in the back because I seem to be able to m ake better catches in thi s manner.
Fish at different dept.hs, either with or without a float. If you use a float, use a sma ll one that wi ll offer the least resistance whe n the bait is taken. Use a li ght line (4 - 6 lb. test) and a very mall sinker. When a crappie takes the bait, all ow the fish to have the bait a few moments (varies from night to ni ght ) and then lift the rod a nd hook the fish. It is not necessary to jerk the rod becau e crappie are ea ily hooked .
Crappie are sometimes mood y a nd will not take minnows fished in conventio na l manners. If you are fish ing at such times, vary your fishing methods. Try moving your minnow slowly from side to side. If this doesn 't work, give your minnow a little more action

8

by giving a short jerk once in a while. The crappie has been belittled by

I've seen this wake them up. If still no many fis hermen for not having the

success, hook your minnow in the tail, fighting qualities of some fish , and

pinch off the front half of the minnow, it's true that it doesn't give the fight

and move it up and down and from side that some fish give, but catch it on light

to side slowly. This method has been tackle when the water bas warmed

successful for me several times when I up and it has thawed out of its winter

couldn't take them in any other way.

chill, and the crappie is a respectable

Probably the most successful way - combatant. And, anyone who has eaten although not the most popul ar way - crappie won't quarrel about its flavor,

of catching crappie at night is with so why not burn the midnight oil on

jigs. The selection of equipment is very the lake this summer?

-

important in using jigs. To be most suc-

cessful, an ultralight spinning rod with a

good, smooth-operating spinning reel is

needed. This often makes the difference

between feeling and not feeling the

strike of a crappie when fishing deep. I

use a four pound test line.

There are several successful ways of

using jigs at night. Probably the most

successful and the most nerve-wracking

way i to fish the jig straight up and

down. The nerve-wracking part comes

from havi ng to fis h it so slowly. Lower

the jig to approximately 25 feet and

slowly - very slowly - reel or lift

the jig straight up. Don't use any weight

other than the jig unless the wind is

blowing and then more weight will be

needed to keep the line straight. Other-

wise you will not feel the strike. When

you are retrieving the jig slowly,

strikes are sometimes hard to detect, so

strike fast if you feel anythi ng out of

th e ordinary at all. When you connect

with a fish, you then know the ap proxi-

St11dic1 hi' the ,\tate Game and Fi1h

mate depth to fish. From then on drop yo ur jig below thi s depth and bring it up through the school of fish very slowly. This fishing very slowly - extremely slowly - is usually very im-

Commi.11ion .1l1<111 that ni~ht crappie fi.lhing d11rin~ till hot .11/!llmcr montl11 t>rodtln'.\ more fish per ho11r than fishing in the dol' durin~ other month.1. U.1in~ a light from a hrid<:t' help.1 to allract fi.lh.

portant and an absolute necessity in 3 The Hmtings prefer jigs that they tie

winter months.

for til! m.\e/1es in weight.\ 110 hemicr tha11

If no strikes occur using this method , I 8 ounce to I 32 ou11ce. } ellow and white

try cast ing the lure allowing it to sink to different depths before starting individual retrieves. Again fish slowly. Mo t persons catch few crappie on jigs

are their fa1orite colon, hut others sometimes work well. There are mall'' commercial !>rands of ji~~ that catch til' many crappie, hut are mort <lpemil'e to /olt',

because they fish too fast. Of course,

there are exception s to almost every-

thing and I've found times, especially

when the water is warm, when the fast-

er retrieve is preferable.

Another method to try if you are still

not catching any fish is to lower your

jig to various depths and actuall y "jig"

it. Give it a sha rp jerk, let it settle

back to the end of your line, and re-

peat the process. Good catches are

sometimes made in this manner. Make

the e short jerk , because the jig is nor-

mall y taken after the jerk as the jig

settles back and the fish is hooked as

the fisherma n makes the next jerk.

ormally one of the above methods

will work if you are fishing among

crappie. I want to stress the impor-

ta nce of trying different styles and col-

ors of jigs while usi ng the different

methods.

Photos by T ed Borg
2 Gelling ready for a ni;?ht's crappie fi.lhing i.1 a popular pCI.Itime with the autlwr'.1 wns, \fark and Bruce Hll.ltin~s. Bruce i.1 tying on a crappie jig, nhich .lome tlllglers u.lt' imtead of \mall .li-e mimwws. 4 There'\ no douht ahout it. Night crappie fi.lhinr: is "meat" fi.lhing, and a lot of fun at that, especially nhen they hire like this on Lake Lanier and other popular Georgia re.1enoirs.

9

August ...The day before Christmas Eve

By Joe Kight

Top: Summer practice in bow shooting is an essential part of successful bow hunting. Belonging to an archery club affiliated with the Georgia Bow Hunters Association is one of the best ways to get help, and practice.
Lower: Bow hunters depend on their ability to remain unseen by deer until they come within range. Camouflage suits are standard equipmen t for bow hunters like Dan Quillian of Athens, who usually hunt from a tree stand, where a deer is less likely to see th e archer drawing his bow.
10

August - a time of aestivation, which is sort of a reverse hibernation. It's too hot for anything strenuous and most all the varmints, except man, have got enough ense to take it easy.
It's a time for "just settin" in the porch swing in the evening and watching the sheet lightning flickering in the distance - a time for listening to the July flies practice their raspy musical scales in discord with the katydids - a time for sitting under a big shady tree on the creek bank in the late afternoon and thumping pebbles at the "meller bugs," those little shiny black bugs that glide around on top of the water.
It's a time to kinda take inventory of faded safaris and plan some magnificent new ones. But don't spend all your time just thumping rocks and thinking about it. August is a sort of day before Christmas Eve time. The big event is close enough to enjoy but still far enough away to get ready for it. Point is, you've got just enough time to get ready for the coming deer season.
Along about the middle of the month the air will take on a different feel. It's nothing that yo u can put yo ur finger on but if you're a hunter you'll understand what I'm talking about. Maybe I've been in the woods too long, but I imagine that a wild duck gets the same sort of feeling just before starting its migration flight.

Dove season opens in a couple or three weeks and that will take care of September. Then there you are archery eason will open tomorrow and you haven't even bad your bow out of the house, much less scouted your favorite hunting territory.
What to do about it? Well , if you haven 't been out shooting a field range, or shooting at a carp or a gar or a bull frog or some such, let's start with your equipment. Check your bow very carefully for little nicks and cracks. Modern technology has provided us with a tough , durable, and highly efficient tool. But check it anyway. I once had a very nice little bow that developed a very small little crack in the base of the lower limb at the handle riser. Just a little bitty crack. The bow still shot all right. 1 didn't think much about it until one day the darn thing exploded at full draw. Rained splinters for five minutes! Very disconcerting.
Take a good look at the string too. If it is frayed or if the serving (wrapping) is loose or coming apart, then get a new one. You need a spare.
Arrows, whether wood, glass, or aluminum, should be checked very closely. If an arrow is badly bent, cracked, or nicked , break it! This is the best way to keep from unknowingly shooting it. An arrow undergoes a terrific amount of stress as it leaves the bow.

1f a damaged sha ft should break on release, the jagged edge could catch you on the hand or arm. Fletching should be replaced as necessary to maintain a stable flight of the arrow.
Quivers, bow string silencers, brush buttons, arm guards, finger tabs or gloves, and assorted accessories are la rgely a m atter o f taste. If it does the job and you like it- fine .
The same thing applies to broad heads. There are hunting tips available in two blade, three blade, four bl ade, a nd even one that is m ade in a circle like a cookie cutter.
So "you pays your mone y and you takes your pick," as the m an said . Only please, please, please make sure that broadhead is a t least razor sharp when yo u point it at a deer. Excepting the rare brain or spinal shot, an arrow kills by hemorrhage. We won't get into the intricacies of the dynamics of cell structure, but you can be assured that a sha rp edge will cause more efficient bleeding than a rough or dull edge.
Weights of broadheads and field points vary, and it's a good idea to try to use a field point that weighs the arne as the broadhead you plan to hunt with. This way you can practice wi th field points and change to broadheads with a minimum of effort. Also, field points a re much less expensive and a considerable amount o f time is aved in tryi ng to get that fine edge back on a broadhead after it has been shot into the ground a time or two.
Field archery is a good way for the hunter to get practice unde r hunting conditions. It's a lso a lot of fun. There are 38 arc hery clubs in Georgia, most with field a rchery ranges. These ranges a re usuall y set up in a patch of woods a nd the course is laid out sort of like a golf course. You shoot four times a t each target, retrieve your a rrows, and go o n to the next shootin g point. T arget ranges usuall y vary from a few fee t to 80 yards.
Mr. Rich ard P arker, president, the Georgia Bowhunters Association , 2604
. Clark Dr., East Point, Georgia 30044, can give you the name and address of a club in your area. If you're interested in competition, there a re loca l, state, and na tional m atches. GBA now has over 500 members.
Now. You 've got yo ur equipment in good condition and have been out practicing. Assu ming that you can hit a deer in the rib cage at a moderate di stance, the problem now is to get within ra nge of a deer. A tree stand will be a big help here. If you haven't heard about a tree sta nd, it's a littl e portab le device that you can attach to the side of a tree or pole. They come in assorted sizes a nd colors, but its purpose is to give you a place to sta nd or sit that is above the ground. This gives you a

much better view of things. Also, deer seldom look up unless they hear something or get a glimpse of sudden move ment. If yo u can find a good deer trail a nd pl ace your stand over it, chances are excellent that a deer will walk right under you.
But let me pass on a sad word of experience. I have a tendency to shoot over a target when shooting down at it. Jn fac t, 1 missed the same deer three times one morning. Clipped hair each shot but never did connect. After the four point buck had wandered off into the brush and I had settled down a bit, 1 shot at an oyster shell lying in the tra il. It was a little bitty oyster shell too. Naturally, I hit it dead center and ruined a broadhead. So perhaps it was just buck fever. Anyway, climb up on something and try a practice shot or two. It may mean a lot of difference.
After you've m ade a hit on a deer, keep quiet a nd sit still. He'll probably run a little bit, but probably won't head for the next county unless you spook him . Just mark where he was standing when you shot a nd where you last saw him. If you got a good hit, you should be ab le to find a blood trail within a few ya rds. However, if yo u are sure you got a good hit a nd don't fi nd much blood, don't get discouraged.
So, give your deer about 30 to 45 minutes before you start tracking. Some hunters wait a n hour. If the blood trail is not distinct, you may have to trac k him . If yo u loose the trai l, stick an a rro w in the ground at the las t sign a nd sta rt casting a round until you pick it up agai n. Don 't neglect to look on weeds a nd brush. Blood will wipe off if the deer brushes up against them .
If the deer was hit in the paunch. wa it till the next day if possib le. C ha nces are good that it will lay up in heavy cover a nd stiffen up if yo u give it eno ugh time. Thi s wi ll req uire a good bit of pat ience a nd looking. Jf you lose the tra il , start walking in increasin gly large r circles. (Some folk s who have never even been huntin g before already have a lot of experience a t this!)
Some hunters, on fi nding the ir deer. whip out their Bowie knife and set to with a ve ngea nce. They slash the deer's throat, skin out the inside of the hind quarters. a nd hack away at other things th at were once important to the deer. All thi s is quite unnecessa ry.
Since the deer is alread y dead, the o nl y blood you might get out from its throat would be only that in the vein. You u uall y cut some ha ir which is nex t to impossible to replace if you should wa nt to have the head mounted. The gla nds on the inside of the back legs a re ra ther ra nk smelling, but they really a ren 't bothering anything. If, on the other hand , you bother them,

chances a re that you'll contaminate

your ha nds a nd everything you touch .

It can make the meat taste rather

stra nge. If you've shot a buck, there's

not much use in removing his m a nli-

ness. He's had them all his life and a

few more minutes are not going to

make that much difference.

So now you have got your deer the

hard way. You can take it home and

be justifiably proud . That is unless you

happened to have goofed an easy shot.

Jf so, welcome to the club.

..-

About The Author-Joe Kight _
Joe Kight, supervisor of game management for the South Georgia region, is a ski lied archer and has tagged his share of venison with the
bow . A versatile sportsman, he likes to
hunt "anything that's handy" and feels just about the same way about fish ing. He's equally at home out-of-
doors with either a bow, firearm or fishing tackle in his hand.
But you'll please him just about as quickly by handing him a fly rod as anything else. But here, too, he's not really choosy. He'll take e ither fresh or saltwater for his flyrod sport.
Joe, 32, native of Clarkston, Ga ., received his BS in forestry, majoring in wildlife, from the University of Georgia in 1960. Then, with a fellowship through the Atomic Energy Commission, he got his MS at Georgia by work ing on a deer research project
near Albany. These studies included census, reproduction and hunting
stress effects as well as other phases of deer habits.
Before attending college, he served with the U.S. Marine Corps in 1954 through 1956. He began work as a ga me biologist with the Commission in 1962 at Gainesville, later working at Calhoun, then took over his present post at Fitzgerald in January, 1965.
During his five years with the Com-
miss io n, he has worked with deer stocking, the exotic game bird pro-
gram and other simi Jar projects. A paper on deer management he helped present at the Southeast Game and
Fish Commissioners' meeting a year ago, received an award at th is year's meeting as the outstanding technical paper on game management.
Joe and his wife Glenda have a son, Danny, 3, and a daughter, Lynn,
1. They live in Tifton.

II

2

Buried Treasure inches deep

A treasure hunt is right now taking place along the Georgia coast. And if the hunters find the treasure, they will give it away.
Biologists from the State Game and Fish Commission hope to find concen-

or a sh ift to a more valuable fishery , shrimp for example, are probably the reasons.
How to Hunt Treasure Recentl y a big-bellied man with rum-

, .i

By Jim Tyler

trations of clams large enough to con- pled clothes and disheveled grey titute a treasure. Clams a treasure? streaked hair told marine biologi t Wal-

Could be. Clam rich New England is ter Godwin of the Comm ission's Bruns-

not clam rich any more. Clams have wick office about an area where he

been overfished up North as the m ar- would lean over the back of his boat

ket has mushroomed in size. And ew and as the tide pulled the boat along

England dealers are now eagerly look- through a m arsh creek, he would use

in g for new clam sources even though 15 !hi million pounds of hard clams worth I0 million dollars were harvested in the U. S. in 1965. There is, then , a

his fingers as a rake to bring in as many clams as he wa nted. He knew where a treasure was located. But how do you hunt for clams when you don't

1 The dredge is lowered to the bottom and
dragged behind a boat for a length of time. Then the dretf.ge, 11.\ed to scratch clam.\ from from mud and .\lind holloms of brackish water coastal areal, is pulled up and hack to the boat. Hopefully, there will he
clams.

potential market to make Georgia clams
worth a treasure. This situ ation is just a happy coinci-
dence and is not the reason why the search began. Georgia already has an ann u al 25 million dollar commercial fishery including the shrimp, oysters, crabs, and shad, but the potential for expan ion is enormous. With over 2,300 miles of coastal shoreline, laced with tidal rivers and creeks, there are many marine species, shellfish for example, that haven't been touched or thei r

know where they are? First, you need equipment. Walt,
project leade r of the clam search, uses lo ng handled rakes for probing and sc ratching up clams in shallow tidal f lats. For deeper waters, he had trouble findi ng a device to do the job. Usi ng his ingenuity, he inve nted a rakelike dredge that is small enough to handle, yet will get down a nd scratch clams free from the bottom. Pulled along with a 120 horsepower driven boat, Walt's dredge does a dandy job.

2 This time there is.1 A bag fu ll!

whereabouts even known.

Hi fat hometer gives some indication

Besides the possibility of paving the of the bottom the boat passes over;

3 Walt Godwin. marine hiologiit for the
Department, empties the catch bag. Tht hag trails behind the dredge and wtches the clam.\ scratched 0111 hv the multi-forked de\"ice he has ahold o( with his left hand.

way for additional commercial fis hermen , men now in the business need stand-by crops to turn to when the shrimp, crab, or fish they catch have a bad year.

certain species of clams prefer certain types of bottom materi al, mud or sa nd or a combination of the two. H e can also tell something about the bottom material by the way tidal ri vers and

4 Treasure from rhe sea. A pile of marsh
clams just up from the bolton. Walt holds an oldster cmd a youngster dam.
5 Walt examines a .mmple of .sandy hallam
material he has brought up with the metal jawed sampla. Certain .1pecies of clams prefer sandy bottom, others prefer a muddy hollom. Knowing what the bouom is made of helps him in his search for clam.\.

C la ms are one of the items fishermen could turn to. And if the treasure hunt is extremely revealing, full time clam gatherers could be born. History shows that along the Georgia coast , clams were taken commercially from the late I 880's to 1932, with a peak harvest occurring in 1908 when 43 ,000 pounds were marketed . After 1932 the fishery became non-existent. Pollution

streams twist and turn . Pockets of softer muddy material will probably be found where the current isn't as strong. This he knows. But in the past, not much sc ienti fic in ves tigati on of Georgia's coast has taken place, and he has to rely on some guess work. Intelligent trained guess work, that is. He approac hes the hunt in a methodical scienti fic fas hion .

How Treasure Looks

There are three types of clams along

the coast which might be pre ent in

abundant numbers - the quahaug (pro-

nounced kway-hog) or hard shell clam,

Mercenaria mercenaria, marsh clam

Rangia cuneata, and the southern qua-

haug Mercenaria com pech iensis. Clams

found in Georgia are no different

fro m other clams. They are found bur-

ied in the mud or sand of the bottom,

and do not attach to anything like the

oyster doe . They have the typical two

shell which are attached together on

one side and ca n be pulled tightl y to-

gether along the other edge. Through

the nonattached side they can extend

a muscular foot that will move them

slowly up and down through the mud .

T he rate of movement makes a snai l

seem ridiculously fast.

Clams seldom burrow very deep be-

cau e they feed by extending two si-

phon tubes (out of the unattached edge

of their two shells) up out of the mud

or sand in which they are buried. Wa-

ter is pulled through the "in" siphon

tube. The water is circulated through

the clam's body. In the clam's body,

oxygen for respiration , a nd minute or-

ga ni ms w'hich are the source of food ,

are fi ltered out of the water. Then the

water and waste products are forced

th rough the "out" tube. The marsh

clam's tubes are only 1 - l llz inches

long and the quahaug's run 2 - 3 inches

in length . The quahaug, by the way, is

the same clam that grows up north .

The hard shell quahaug comes m

three size , depending on its age.

A small one (l llz - 2 1./.i inches) is

ca lled a the half

little neck and is eaten shell, stea med, or as

arawc~cokn

tai l. They bring fro m $16 - $18 a bushel.

A medium size one (2Y<I - 3 inches)

is ca lled a steamer or cherrystone and

will brin g $10- $ 11 a bushel. A large one (over 3 inches) is called
a chowder clam and will bring $4 - $5 a bushel. These are the old, tough ones that are chopped up for cl am chowder.
The li ted prices are paid by the Wholesale Fish Market in Long Island ,
ew York. There is a clam market in William ton, orth Carolin a; however, Georgia clams would proba bly bring better prices on the ew York market.
The other clam the biologists are presentl y searchi ng for is the smaller mar h clam (about 21/2 inches maximum size ). It i found in a mud bottom beneath brackish water. Quahaugs will most likel y be found on a combination mud a nd sa nd bottom.
The third cla m, the southern quahaug, is found in the deeper waters offbore. Biologists hope to explore these areas whe n the y get a large research boat.

Problems Let's say the searchers fi nd a large concentrated area of clams. What then? Hopefull y it will be near the popul ation centers of Savannah or Brunswick where fac ilities for processing them are ava il ab le. Transporting the catch is a co t factor not to be denied. The fis hery would have to be big to entice a commercia l enterprise to bui ld new processing plants. Another problem is pollution. Much of the coastal waters receive a good share of pollution from the fresh water ri ve rs that empty their polluted load into the ocean. Pollution has closed about half of the available estuarine a reas. How does pollution affect clams? Cla ms feed on very small particles called bacteria. And there is a chance that some of the bacteria they take in could come from the pollution. These

13

In shallow water these long handled "clam pickers" are used to gather clams.
Small clams grow up to he hig clams. A series of different aged quahaug clam .\hells form the top row. Different a~ed marsh clam shell.\' make up the hollom row.

bacteria could be of a communicable disea e variety, the typhus bacteria, for examp le.
Some biologists believe a natural limitation makes it impossible for large clam concentrations to be found along the Georgia coast. When clams are very yo ung the y a re called larvae. At this early stage of their li fe the y are free swimming in the water and not stuck in the mud or sand of the bottom . These biologists th in k clam larvae need relatively ca lm water to attac h to such objects as seaweed , stones, shells, or even grains of sa nd , at least for a peri od of time, to start their transformation to the true, two-shelled clam. And the constantly moving tidal rivers and streams along the coast caused by two hi gh a nd two low tides daily, do not provide a n environment that is good for clams. Not all biologists agree on this limitation; however, it hasn 't been proven either way.
Clam Chowder- Georgia Sty le Every treasure hunt is burdened with a number of if's. But if something didn't outweigh the if's, there wouldn't be a treasure hunt. There is a n enormous amount of mud a nd sand to rake through, but the State Game and Fish Commission believes th at in two years they will have a clearer picture of the Georgia clam. Really they can 't lose. It wi ll be great if they find concentrations. But if they don 't, they sti ll wi n. All the data the y wi ll gather is a veritable treasure. So, maybe in the future, we wi ll be eat in g clam chowder - Georgia style. Maybe - two years should tell the story.

14

meet your commissioner:
CLYDE DIXON
Clyde D ixon represents the Ninth District in the conservation and development of Georgia's wildlife resources

9th District

o When the first deer were restocked
on the State G ame and Fish Commission's Lake Burton Game Manage-

says enthusiastically. "1 do most of m y fis hin g in the winter on Lake Burton for spotted bass and largemouth ba s.

C hatta hoochee in a flat bottom boat, fighting those rapids, and fis h ing as you go!"

men t Area in 1939, Ninth Di trict Commiss ioner C lyde Dixon of Cleveland was there.
"I was just a kid then," Dixon recalled. "We went with them up to what they ca ll the Blue Fields a t the head of Wildcat Creek to turn loose a buck and two does. They were part of 27

Last winter my uncle Buford LePrade and 1 caught more than 100 bass during th e winter, fishin g toget her one da y a week. We even caught 36 in one day, but of course we had to put some of them back. I'm mostly a spri ng liza rd fisherman. "
Clyde says the largest bas he ever

Al ways ph ys icall y active, Dixon at 4 1 till e njoys s kiing behind his 16 foot fiberglass boat, propelled by a 75 horsepower outboard. For fishing, he prefers hi light 14 foot aluminum boat with a n 18 horse fis hing motor.
ow the executive vice-president of the P eople's Ba nk in Cleveland, Clyde

deer imported from Pennsylvania and ca ught out of Lake Burton was a seven i a na tive of C larkesvil le. He joined the stocked on the refuge. I'd never seen a pound , two ouncer. H e o nce la nded a Coast Gua rd afte r grad ua tion from high

deer before that."

six pou nd walleye out of the lake, where school, spending 22 months in the South

Dixo n was on ha nd seven yea rs later he owns a five-room cabin on the Pacific a a sign a lm a n first class on a

when the first deer h u nt was held on Dick 's Creek arm of the lake known fre ighter carrying supplies to troops

the La ke Burton area. "It was 1946, as "Di xon 's Long Branch. " the site o f from ew Guinea to the Phil ippines.

the first yea r I was out of the service ma ny weekend gatherings for Clyde's

Before e ntering the service, he was

when I went on the first hunt, and I've numero us fishing frien ds.

e ngaged to his child hood sweetheart,

hu nted the area every year since," Dix-

In addition to bass fi hing, Clyde Margaret K e nney. Happ il y married for

on proudl y recalls. Of the eight deer likes to do some trout fishing in the 21 yea rs, the D ixons h ave th ree chjJ-

that D ixo n has bagged, most of them spring, as we ll a fish for bream in th e dre n : Sam , 19, is a ju nior at the Uni-

came from the Burton area, including A ltam a ha R iver, which he describes as versity of Georgia, majoring in jour-

an eight pointer three years ago. H e ' orne o f the g reatest sport th a t I' ve nali m a nd law. Fra ncis, 18, is a fresh-

once went six years in a ro w without ever had. That's really fi sh ing, Some of m a n a t Truett McConnel College in

fai ling to bag a buck each year.

tho e bream do wn there arc bigger th a n C levela nd , while his youngest so n Joe,

Altho ug h Commissioner D ixon is primar il y a deer hu nter himself, he is quick to defend the rights of hunters of other species. "The G ame a nd Fish Commission should consider the interests of all types of sportsmen ," D ixon stresses . "What a man likes to hunt is

bot h of m y ha nds held togethe r!" Cl yde a lso enjoys a n occasion al saltwa ter fishing trip offshore for k ing mackerel.
" f like to fish for spotted bass anci redeye bass in the C hatta hoochee," C lyde ays with a smile. "There's not much better sport than go ing dow n that

9, attends Clevela nd E leme ntary. ("He's a c ha racter," c huck les h is father.)
After working for three years as a cashier in the Cleveland Bank, Clyde graduated in 1954 from the Atlanta
continued on page 16

what he's interested in. I think that it's the job of the G ame and Fish Commission to provide a n outlet for all of the

Bass fi.lhin~ on a rainv day at his Lake Burton cahilz is a favorite ,a.ltime of Ninth Di.1trict Game and Fish Commissioner Clyde Dixon of Cle1e/and.

sport men in the state, whet her they

are bass fishermen , deer hunters, fox

hun ters, or rabbit hunters - whatever

it might be. The G ame and Fish Com-

miss ion owes it to the people to provide

tha t outlet. If a man bu ys a hunting or

c fis hing license, it shouldn' t be restricted

0
(/)

to just two or three phases of it."

~
0
~

Dixon likes to do some rab bit hunting himself with beagle dogs in Banks, Franklin , a nd White counti es, a lthough

E he doesn 't own any beagles. "That's the
-, most underrated sport there i ," Dixon

$ ay. '"I'm a winter time fisherman ," C lyde

15

MEET YOUR
COMMISSIONER
continued from page 15
Division of the University of Georgia, now known as Georgia State College, majoring in Business Administration. In addition to serving as executive vicepresident of the People's Bank in Cleveland for the past 14 years, Clyde owns and manages the W. C. Dixon Fire and Casualty Insurance Agency in Cleveland, and is a partner in the NixWoods Ford Company in Toccoa.
In addition to serving on the State Game and Fish Commission, Clyde is a member of the White County Board of Education and the Selective Service Board, and chairman of the Planning and Zoning Commission of the City of Cleveland. He is a member and past president of the Cleveland Kiwanis Club, on the board of directors and twice past president of the White County Chamber of Commerce, and past worshipful master of the Masonic Lodge. He is a Baptist.
Since his appointment to the State Game and Fish Commission in Febru-

ary by Governor Lester Maddox, Commissioner Dixon has not missed a single meeting of the Commission. Plunging into his new duties with unusual enthusiasm, Dixon has already personally met every employee of the Commission in the Ninth Congressional District, beginning with a get-acquainted chicken supper that he sponsored for them at his Lake Burton cabin. Since then, he has visited every game management area in his district, and has personally ridden on patrol with several rangers. He makes a point of consulting Commission biologists about their projects, getting their views on any possible new Commission regulations. With their support, he asked for and received approval from the other Commissioners at his first meeting to set a 14 inch size limit on newly stocked trout in Lake Burton, Blue Ridge, Rabun, and Lanier. ("Those lake trout grow awfully fast - let's at least give them a chance to grow 14 inches long before we start taking them out," Dixon says.)
Already, Commissioner Dixon has won the admiration and confidence of

Commission personnel in his district,

who are proud of the fact that he will

always take time out of his busy per-

sonal life to discuss their problems and

the problems of the Department. "And

if he believes something is the right

thing to do, he'll fight for it!" they say.

Clyde has established the same good

relationship with the sportsmen of his

district since his appointment, averag-

ing one or more speaking engagements

a week. "I've covered pretty well all

of my district putting on programs,

from Fannin County to Madison,"

Clyde says. "I average getting three or

four calls a day from sportsmen. I feel

that it's important to listen to what

they have on their minds, and to let

them know that you aren't too busy

to hear what they think."

"We've got to look to the future to

provide people with hunting and fish-

ing areas," Clyde cautions. "We must

work closely with the Forest Service,

and even buy some land ourselves to

be sure that we have a place in the fu-

ture. People in urban areas have to

have a place to go. It's the duty of pub-

lic agencies to provide it."

-

REGISTER ALL BOATS? ...
continued from inside front cover
pay a small fee of from three to four dollars each every three years would help to finance the additional lake patrolling by rangers that will be necessary in future years if deaths on the water are to be held down to the present level, especially in the face of rapidly increasing numbers of boats on the water.
Such enforcement efforts are not inexpensive. On the average, it costs more than $10,000 to add a new ranger for patrol duty, including his boat, two-way radio, vehicle, uniform, gun, badge, gasoline, travel expense, and salary.
Obviously, any such registration of rowboats, etc. should not apply to private lakes, farm ponds, etc., since no Commission safety efforts are carried out on these waters. Under present laws, all rental boats at marinas, fish camps, etc. (livery boats) , must be registered with the Commission.
Alabama already registers all motorboats and sail boats, as do many other states.
As it should be, the final decision on whether or not all boats should be registered lies with the wisdom of the members of the Georgia General Assembly, who convene for their next session this coming January. In the meantime, a House committee is holding regular meetings to draw up a complete proposed revision of all State laws pertaining to boating safety and game and fish. It would be well for members of this committee, other members of the

General Assembly, the Governor, boat owners, and the public at large to seriously consider revision of the boating safety laws to provide for the registration of all boats, and the payment of a small fee to help finance boating safety e fforts .- J .M.
SWEET SONG OF THE RIVERS
continued fr om page 7
channel catfish. The Conasauga and the Oostanaula are also good for the spotted bass or redeye.
In the middle Georgia area, the Flint River is undoubtedly the most famous fi shing stream of all, primarily because of the unusual species of redeye or coosa bass that is found only in the Flint and that is usually called the Flint River smallmouth bass. This fish grows larger than the average stream bass, going up to six pounds and more. They are especially prevalent with largemouth bass on the many shoals of the Flint River above Thomaston, as well as the section below the Blackshear Dam to Lake Worth at Albany. Fishing for redbreast, the most common stream bream, is also excellent in August, September, and October, along with fishing for bluegill and catfish.
To the east, fishing in the Ocmulgee River above Macon is good for largemouth bass and bream, but with little or no fishing for miles below Macon. Fishing in the Hawkinsville section is excellent, and the world's record largemouth bass was taken from an oxbow lake on the Ocmulgee between Lumber

City and Jacksonville in Telfair County. In southeast Georgia, the Ogeechee
is a famous black-water fishing stream. Fishing is good all year in the upper reaches, with some seasonal variation in the lower section, which is well known for its redbreast and largemouth bass fishing, along with chain pickerel, channel catfish.
The Altamaha is well known for monstrous bream fishing, including the present state record bluegill bream. The Satilla has excellent fishing for bass and bream, with few fishermen . The St. Marys is one of the finest freshwater streams in the United States, and has good saltwater fishing at its mouth, as does the Satilla and the other coastal streams. Portions of the Savannah in unpolluted areas offer good bream and catfishing.
In central south Georgia, both the Suwanee and the Alapaha River are famous for bass, bream, jackfish, and bowfin. Further west, the Flint continues to provide excellent bass and bream fishing. Especially in Southwest Georgia, exceptional small stream fishing is found in creeks like Ichawaynochaway and Kinchafoonee.
And, if you can read over a list like that and not have an irresistible urge to make a beeline for the nearest river, fishing rod in hand, the chances are that you're just a frustrated dove hunter counting the days until the season opens. As for the rest of us stream fishing fools , why not make August the month to sing "Shall we gather at the river. "

16

Sportsmen.;. Speak ...

the Department begin publishing this magazine.-Ed.
I continue to hear favorable comments on your publication of GEORGIA GAME & FISH.
I have one suggestion that should help

Sportsman's Calendar

increase circulation . If you would place

several copies at each location where

Short, thought-provoking letters from hunting or fishing licenses are sold and

readers are welcomed. Because of spa ce then arrange the license application to

limitations, not all letters _can be pnnted. include t he following question : "Do you

~

The editor reserves the nght to edtt the wi sh to subscribe to Georgia Game & Fish length of lette_rs to brin~ out the cogent Magazine? ", with a place to answer yes

points and to msure clanty.

or no and to indicate either a one-year subscription or three-year subscription.

The applicant could then pay for his sub-

scription at the same time he purchases

his license.

I feel that most sportsmen, once they

SEASONS NOW OPEN

know about this magazine, will wish to subscribe and that this method will not

TROUT

only expose them to the magazine but

Mountain Trout

will provide a simple and painless method Open Stream Season-April! , 1967 through

McDUFFIE FISHING AREA
1 thought you might be interested in a picture of some f ish that came from one of your recent projects.
This string of 40 bream weighed 17 pounds, and were caught at the McDuffie County Public Fishing Area on May 18 . We have caught several nice strings since
and before. My wife and I ca ught these and I made
the picture of her with them at the che~k ing station on the area . We really enJOY
fishing there. Willard Allen Wrens, Ga.

of subscribing and eliminating a lot of the procrastination which seems to afflict us all.
Richard L. Starnes, Jr . State Representative District 13, Post 3 Rome
Representative Starnes' suggestion merits careful study. One possible problem is the length of time required to get subscriptions back in from license dealers. Bonded agents are required to report their license sales to the Commission each month, which would mean a two months delay for subscribers in receiving their first issue. Cash agents are not required to report their sales of licenses until the

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 season . Trout fishing at night on Reservoirs is permitted. Special Regulations-Coleman River below Forest Service Road No. 54 restricted to 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

The McDuffie Fishing Area was featured in the July issue of GAME & FISH ("Family Fishing Fun," by Dean Wohlgemuth on page 6)-Ed.
------
GAME & FISH MAGAZINE
I have examined rather fully the copies of Georgia Game & Fish which you sent

end of the year, which would be unreasonable for subscribers. HowevP.r, a special poster with postage-paid subscription envelop es has been placed on the counter of every license dealer in Georgia to en-
able subscribers to receive rapi d processing of the ir subscription. Any. ideas from readers to help increase the circulation of Georgia GAME & FISH are certainly

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. Write for detailed sc hedule.

me, as well as those which arrived later. welcome.-Ed.

Lake Trout Season-There is no closed

To say that I am delighted with the

season on trout fishing in Georgia Lakes

progress made since our survey is putting it mildly. My congratulations to al l of you
who carried the load involved. And I was especially pleased to note
the fine job Jim Morrison and his aides are doing with the magazine.

Let me be among the many to extend congratulations and praise on the GEORGIA GAME AND FISH Magazine. I feel that my thoughts would most surely represent the many thousands of Georgia sportsmen who sincerely appreciate the conception

with the exception of Amicalola Falls and Vogel State Park La kes, and Dockery Lake. Special Regulations-14 inch minimum size limit o n all species of trout in Lakes

The special editorial in the December, of this new magazine. I will look forward Blue Ridge, Burton, Cla rk Hill, and La-

1966, issue was most timely. Governor each month with enthusiasm to the time nier. No size limit on other lakes.

Sanders did just what he assured me he that will be spent reading this publication.

would do when I visited him prior to un- No doubt many other persons have seen

dertaki ng the survey for the " Bowdoin Commission", and I am happy to note the special editorial thanking him.
The monthly articles on the members of the Commission are also desirable. The readers of the magazine have a right to know their Commissioners better.
Seth Gordon

the importance of such a magazine, but
needless to say, the action to see that it is followed through is what is important-
you have done this. I wish you much success in the future.
I am not yet on the mailing list for this publication; however, a friend of mine showed me an issue. I would appreciate it

SEASONS OPENING NEXT MONTH DOVES
Season-Sept. 9 through Oct. 7, 1967 and D ec. 6 through Jan. 15, 1968. Bag Limit-12 Daily, possession limit 24. Shooting Hours-Noon to Sunset. See federal regulations available at Post Offices

General Counsel,

if you would place me on your mailing list for details.

International Association

for the back issues, and you will very

MARSH HENS

of Game, Fish, and Conservation Commissioners Sacramento, California
Seth Gordon is an internationally known

shortly receive my check for a three (3) year subscription.
John F. Hoffman, Jr. Dunwoody, Ga.

(Gallinules & R ails ) Season-Se pt. 2 through Nov. 10, 1967. Bag Limit-IS D ai ly, possession limit 30.
Coming Migratory Seasons

authority on wildlife conservation who

Certainly am enjoying your magazine.

DUCKS AND GEESE

formerly served as director of the Pennsylvania Game Commission and of the
California Department of Fish and Game. In 1963, he headed a group of seven specia l consultants selected by the Governor's Efficiency Commission to make a study of the operation of the Georgia
Game and Fish Commission. One of the

It's a really professional and interesting publication. As you probably know I subscribed for the maximum period.
Max Hunn Miami, Fla. Max Hunn is a well-known writer in the outdoor field who's articles frequently ap-
pear in national and regional publica-

Season-To be announced in August. Watch you r local newspaper.
SNIPE, WILSON'S Season- ov. 27 through Ja n. 15, 1968. Bag Limit-S D ai ly, possession limit 16.
WOODCOCK Season-Nov. 28 throu gh Jan. 31 , 1968.

re commendations of that report was that tions.-Ed.

Bag Limit-S D ai ly, possession limit 10.