Georgia game and fish [Vol. 4, no. 3 (Mar. 1969)]

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-.tERStn' Of GEORGIA
Mf..R 'Z 1969
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~GEORGIA
~GAME&FISH

March 1969

Volume IV

Number 3

CONTENTS

A Strike For Stripers Lunker Country What About Whitetails?
Little Lake, Big Fish Put Pounds In Your Pond! Sportsmen Speak Sportsmen Calendar Tide Table

Dean Wohlgemuth 1 Dean Wohlgemuth 4 Dan Marshall and
Dick Whittington 8
Carl 0. Bolton 11 Phillip Pierce 13
16
17 17

Lester G. Maddox Governor

George T. Bagby Director, State Game & Fish Commission

COMMISSIONERS

James Darby Chairman
Vidalia-1st District William Z. Camp, Sec. Newnan-6th District
Richard Tift Albany-2nd District
William E. Smith Americus-3rd District Charles L. Davidson, Jr. Avondale Estates-4th Distri ct

Clyde Dixon Vice Chairman Cleveland-9th District Rankin M. Smith
Atlanta-5th District J. B. Langford
Calhoun- 7th District Judge Harley Langdale
Valdosta-8th District Le ona rd Bassford
Augusta-lOth District

Jimmie Williamson Darien- Coastal District

TECHNICAL SERVICES DIVISION Jack A. Crockford, Assistant Director
Leon Kirkl and , Fi she ri es Chief Hubert Handy, Game Management Chi~f Charles M. Frisbe, Supervisor, Ma rin e Fisheries RobertS. Baker, Specia l Services Coordin ator
LA W ENFORCEMENT DIVISION Bill Cline
Deputy State Chief, Atlanta David Gould
Deputy State Chief, Brunswick
GEORGIA GAME & FISH STAFF
Jim Morrison, Editor
Dean Wohlgemuth Staff Writer
Ma rvin Tye, Staff Writer Joh n Cu ll er, Staff Writer
J. Hall, Sta ff Writer Ted Borg, Phot og raph er

Ge<. qto Gome ond F1sh is the officia l month ly m ogo zine af the Georgia G ome and Fish Commission, publis hed at t h e C ommi ss io n 's offices, Trinity W ashington Build1ng, 270 Woshing tan St ., Atlan to, G ea rg io 30334. N a adverti sing occeF d Subscriptions ore $1 for a ne yeor ar $2 .50 far three yea rs . Printed b y Stein Printing Company, At lon ta, G a . Notif ication of oddress chonge must include bath aid ond new oddress a nd ZIP cade, with 30 days notice. N a subscr.ptian requests will be acce pt ed wi tho ut ZIP code . Articles and phatogrophs moy be reprinted. Proper cred it sho uld b e given. Can tribu lions ore we/came, but the editors ossu m e no re spons ib ility ar liabilit y far loss ar damoge af articles, photographs, o r illustra tions. Secon d-class postage poid of At/onto. Gn.

AM MUNITION REGISTRATION STU PID
Georgians have a right to be outraged by the senseless federal requirement of registration of all ammunition purchases which went into effect on December 16.
As of that date, sportsmen all over the United States have had to endure the needless aggravation of waiting in lin e to buy ammunition while a luckless clerk is forced to record their name. address. date of birth, type of identification. type of ammunition they are buying. number of rounds. and the caliber.
Since this information must be kept in a bound, permanent record, if two or more clerks are selling ammunition at the same time. they must wait in line to record their sales, causing further needless delays.
Hunters and law-abiding target-shooters are justifiably disgusted by this pointless red tape. Registration of ammunition purchases serves no significant law enforcement purpose. After alL how many times does a criminal shoot? One bullet could easily carry him through his entire criminal career. Does the registration requirement on ammunition components for reloading take this in to account?
Unlike a gun found on the scene of a crime, a bullet can't be traced to its purchaser through registration records. The ballistic marks on a bullet are useless without the weapon from which it was fired. Shotgun pellets don't have that small advantage.
Until now. small country grocery stores and other small businesses who sold ammunition weren't required to buy the $I .00 federal license required to sell guns. Now. both ammunition and gun sellers are required to have a $10.00 federal license. Combined with the added bookeeping load, the new law has already forced many small dealers to stop handling ammunition, making it more difficult for sportsmen to obtain shells in remote hunting locations. while the criminal is completely unh ampered.
When a dealer sells a box of .22 hollow point shells to a customer for $1.00, his profit is only about 25 cents. Is it worth it. when the time and frustration of recording so insignificant a sale are considered? In the past, it has been common for a deer hunter to buy half a dozen rounds of .30/ 06 ammunition. or four or five slugs or buckshot shells. C<ln th e dealer afford to continue thi s service?
If the dealer doesn't adhere closely to the regulations. he is liable for a $5,000 fine or a five year sentence in the penitentiary. Plainclothes agents of the federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax Unit of the Treasury Department are already attempting to make purchases from careless or unwary dealers. Is this fair?
At its winter hoard of directors meeting, the Georgia Sportsmen's Federation went on record as opposing the
Continued on page 17
ON THE COVER: A dip net full of young striped bass spread out intc the green waters of their new home. Lake Blackshear. between Americus and Cordele. II ,500 of the sub-adult stripers have been stocked in the lake this spring. Next year. they' ll weigh two pound~! Color photo b y Ted Borg. ON THE BACK COVER: A black bear cub. a rarely seen sign of spring and new life in the North Georgia mountain s. Black bears are found in all of the four major sections of Georgia. but in sparse numbers. Instead of leaving the unoffensivc bruins alone, some "great white hunter" seems to feel that it's his patriotic duty to ignore the law and slay any bear on sight. Color photo by Lee Leonard Rue. Ill.
PHOTO CREDITS: Carl 0. Bolton II , 12; Ted Borg 4, 5. 8. 9. 10, 14. 15: Dan Keever 13 ; Dean Wohlgemuth I, 2, 3, 6.

'Tomorrow' Is Getting Closer For Georgia Striped Bass Fishing
The "future" is beginning to look brighter and considerably nearer for Georgia fishermen who are anxious to tangle with a Georgia fresh watercaught striped bass.
Efforts over the past few years to bring stripers into the state's waters are gradually beginning to reach the payoff point. This winter, for example, a reasonably heavy concentration of "rockfish" (common nickname for striped bass) was achieved in Lake Blackshear.

Game and Fish Commission Director George T. Bagby says that the stocking of young fish in Blackshear has reached the point of one and a half fish per acre ... in other words, there are three fish per two acres of water in the lake. About J J ,500 you ng stripers have been stocked this spring into the 8.500-acre reservoir between Cordele and Americus.
Not only is this the heaviest stocking per acre of stripers in Georgia waters , the fish put in were the largest to be reared from eggs. The fish ran up to about a pound , averaging about 10 inches in length .
By next fall , these fish could double in size, thus producing fishing sport in Blackshear for stripers of up to two pounds, accord ing to Leon Kirkl and , Commiss ion Fisheries Chief.
Anglers who get a taste of matching wit and muscle against these fish will find a new realm of sport open to them. Gradually, as time passes, the stripers will become considerably larger than any freshwater species known to Georgia. The world record landlocked striper weighed 55 pounds. It is not known how large the striped bass will become in Georgia , but hopes of eventual catches of 20 or 30 pounds are not at all far-fetched.
A large percentage of those now in Blackshear sport a Georgia drawl, too, though others may have more of Charleston , S. C ., "Geechee" accent. Some of the fish ju t put in were those histor ymaking fish that were ha tched in the Georgia Game and Fish Commission hatchery at Richm ond Hill, this past spring. Others came from the South Carolina hatchery near Moncks Corner.
When those first eggs to be hatched off in Georgia we re produced , Georgia became the fourth state ever to produce its own striped bass fr v. South Ca rol ina has long been a leader in this field. when that state discovered that this sa ltwater fish could live and th ri,e when la ndlocked in freshwater impoundme nts .
O nce successfu lly ha tched. the tiny pin-'lead-sized fr y were nurtured in hatchery ponds to a good size before stocki ng. in o rde r that a higher rate of su rvi al could be obtained. thus produci ng sport fish ing sooner.
Some of the f" Y hatched in Georgia we re kept at Richmond Hill. Others. a long with those o rai ned from South Ca rol in a's hatche~ y . were reared at the Co 1mission's D awso n Hatchery a nd at the Commissio n's new hatchery nea r Rome, Arrowhead Hatchery.
A r rowhead is the primary rearing site at the moment. T he stripers were put '- ma ny locat ion while rearing faci!i tie< were prepa ed so th at the Comm ission will be ead' to raise stri ers on a much la . ger scale when

the Commission's hatching output can be increased.
Since hatching efforts were successful last year, the Comm ission has succeeded in obtaining funds for better hatchery facilities at Richmond Hill, now under construction. When these are complete, Georgia should be able to produce all or most of the striped bass necessary for stocki ng in several lakes around the state, Director Bagby says.
Until a system is perfected, it may sti ll be necessary to obtain some fry from South Carolina, for a few years. But eventually Georgia's striper hatchery should take care of a ll the state's needs. Present plans are to stock lakes which would benefit most from this new fish.
In addition to Bl acks hear, some stocking has taken place at Lake Seminole. Commission biologists hope that reproduction will occur in both of these lakes, thus making the populations here self-sustaining.
However, there are other lakes in the state that could benefit from the stripers and could provide ample food for them . Yet, it is highl y doubtful , and in most cases impossible, for the stripers to spawn in these other lakes. The only way a good population of stripers can be achieved a nd maintained , is through regular stocking of you ng fingerling stripers. And the o nl y way Georgia will ever be able to do this is by operating its own striped bass hatchery.
Striped bass from other sources are quite limited. Heavy demands have been made on South Carolina's top producing ha tchery. Not all the demands can be met. South Carolina uses a top priority system in distributing striper fry to other states . . . those who can best help South Carolina the most in trading of fish or game species, or in similar ways, get top priority in receiving stripers.
It's not at all surprising that the striped bass is in such heavy demand arou nd the United States, and even in foreign countries. Not only does he provide a new and exciting sport species , larger than those in existence, but a lso he ac tu al ly improves fishing for existing species.
In adding a new species to any waters, biologists must be certain that the new fish won 't take food and habitat required for the current residents of that water. It wouldn't help Georgians much if the addition of stripers would result in a depletion of food for largemouth bass, crappie, bream or other current species. That would mean less fishing instead of more.
The biggest benefit, and biggest reason for wanting to bring stripers into Georgia's lakes, is because their presence is highly beneficial to largemouths, crappie a nd other game fish , because the striped bass lives on gizzard shad

and other large rough fish . .. rough fish that are too large for bigmouth bass to eat. These shad and other rough species eat food that could be left for game fish , so their removal helps to provide more sporting fish.
So as the striper eats, he provides more food for his new neighbors.
While fishing for many species of freshwa ter fish can be somewhat seasonal , the striper is a voracious feeder, and his appetite is good year-round. He isn 't at a ll finicky, and can be caught in a variety of ways.
One of the more popular year-round methods of catching stripers is by using cut bait, preferably mullet, fished on the bottom.
The most exciting way and perhaps the most sporting is the method used during the hot late-summer days, when it's just about impossible to catch freshwater fish. This is the school-fishing method . Anglers wait in their boat in the middle of the lake until they hear a school on top of the water. The stripers chase schools of shad to the surface, then as the school of stripers breaks the surface, they cause a real ruckus. Anglers race their boats to the scene and cast white topwater plugs into the school. Stripers also school in the winter, when they are caught just below the surface on white bucktail jigs.
Probabl y more stripers are caught, and most easily, during the spring spawning runs. The fish go upstream in an effort to spawn , and strike jigs with vigo r as they work upstream.
Of course, this method is good only where there are suitable spawning

2

streams running into the waters inhabited by stripers. In order to spawn, the striper must have clean running water, for a long enough distance upstream from a lake (or the ocean) so that the newly laid eggs will remain afloat for up to 72 hours. One of the greatest threats to striped bass, as well as other anadromous species, is the building of many dams in various coastal rivers.
At this writing, for example, South Carolina's world's biggest and best striped bass fishery is threatened by proposed dams which would provide a shipping channel in the Broad River from Columbia, the state Capitol, downstream to the Santee-Cooper reservoirs, and of course, on down to the Charleston harbor. The building of dams in this river would completely halt striped bass spawning in SanteeCooper, and ruin the great fishing there.
The striped bass can open a whole new realm of fishing for Georgia fishermen. But as with all improvements in hunting and fishing, success depends heavily upon the citizens of the state. Cooperation in the Game and Fish Commission's program is vitally necessary , not only in adhering to regulations regarding striped bass fishing, but in supporting the Commission's work and in making finances available for research and for carrying out work in producing more fish.
Not only can the citizen help provide himself with an exciting new game fish species, he can improve the fishing for the species he already knows, and loves to seek. ~

Above: Fi sh biologist Don Johnson examines a fine specimen of striped bass that came from one of the State Game and Fish Commission's Arrowhead Hatchery ponds at Rome.
Far Left: Arrowhead Superintendent Jess Kinsey helps hold the net as Johnson carefully pours the young stripers into a can filled with water . Then the fish are ready to leave tor their new home in Lake Blacl' sr ear, between Cordele and Americus.
Left: Johnson ar. d Kinsey use dip nets to take young striped bass from a catch box at the hatchery. As wa ter pours ou t of the hatchery pond drain, the fish wash out the drain and are caugt~r ,r; the screened bcx
3

L counTRY

More Marks Set in Big Fish Contest

Having won the annual Big Fish Contest sponsored by Georgia Game and Fish Magazine and the Georgia Sportsmen's Federation in the bass division, Emory Josey of Macon displays his fine 14 pound, 14 ounce bass that was the biggest produced during 1968. In addition to winning the Garcia rod and reel given all winners, Josey will have his name inscribed on the new Garcia Black Bass Trophy for Georgia.

By Dean Wohlgemuth
Four state records were set and another was matched during the 1968 Big Fish Contest, spo nsored by the Georgia Sportsmen's Federation and Georgia Game and Fish Magazine.
Charles C. McCullough of Decatur, was the first to put a white crappie on record for the state, and when he did it he went about the task in a big way ... with a huge 4 pound, 4 ounce fish. He, along with winners in five other categories, will receive a Garcia Ambassador 5000 reel and matching Garcia Conolon 2521 C rod, plus a fisherman pack of Fliptail Lures.
Clyde Vaughan of Canton caught a white bass that was only six ounces less than the world record, but it was a tie for the Georgia state record. This fish weighed 4 lbs. 14 oz.
In the Black Bass category, Emory R. Josey of Macon waited until just about the end of the year before pulling out 1968's biggest bigmouth. He caught his 14 pound, 14 ou nce lunker December 22 in Bear Camp Lake near Irwinton. In addition to the rod and reel. Josey will have his name placed on the new Garcia Black Bass Trophy for the largest bass caught each year in Georgia.
The biggest of all the prize winning fish, not too surprisingly, was a catfish. A big 29 pound flathead cat was taken from Lake Blue Ridge by James Chastain of Marietta. Oddly enough, it was the only catfish entry, and was a new state record.
At the other end of the scale, in the bream category, Bill Crabb , Marietta, caught a 2 pound, 12 V2 ounce shellcracker to eke out the honors here. His 'cracker. which came from a private lake in Cobb County, was a scant half

Left: Rev. Clyde Vaughan's big white bass caught out of Lake Lanier on a deepdiving Rebel, tied the year-old mark for white bass, at tour pounds, 14 ounces. The pastot of Oakdale Baptist Church, Canton, loves to fish for fish as well as men.
Right: Galen Harrison, Gainesville, spent little time hooking this 11 V:? pound rainbow in the Chattahoochee, but it took him nearly two hours to finish the job of landing him.

4

o un ce ahead of its nearest competitor for the bream p ri ze.
Ga inesville's G alen H arrison, a n I Syea r-old student , needed o nl y th ree casts to hook a rainbow trout that tied him for top ho nors in the trout category, with an I I pound , 8 ounce mo nster whic h came from just below Bufo rd Dam o n the Chattahoochee R iver. But he had to sha re th is distinction wi th Elbert Gi lliam , Wa re Shoals, South Carolina, who caught a brown ie of the same weight, from the Savannah Rive r below H artwell Reservoir.
New state records set during the year incl u ded:
Smallmouth Bass, 6 poun ds, 2 o unces, caught by Robert Parson on Lake C h a tu ge.
Bowfin , 14 poun ds even, caught by Randall Lee in Okefenokee Swam p.
A good number of entries came in during the year, and those meeting m in imum requ irements were awarded Master Anglers Awa rds.
A few entries could not be verified, however. because the entrants either did not send a picture, or the picture sent was of such poor quality that definite verification of species was not possible.
For example, a very clear picture is needed to clearly establish a fish is a smallmouth bass, rather than a Coosa bass or a largemouth bass. One fish, entered as a smallmouth was distinguishable in the picture to very definitely be a largemouth. And the fish was caught far from the cold waters that hold true smallmouths.
A great deal of confusion can occur in distinguishing Flint River bass from Coosa bass, and Coosa bass from smallmouth bass. One fish entered as a Coosa bass, was caught in the Flint River; thus it actually was a Flint River bass. Its weight exceeded the record for a Coosa . . . but it was under the Flint River record.
Both of these subspecies are very si milar to both largemouth bass and the true northern smallmouth. but are separate species.
Another fish. entered as a shellcracker, had been mounted before being photographed. In mounting, the fish had been painted as a bluegill. From the photograph. it was impossible to distinguish its species.
There wasn't a white crappie on the Georgia record book until McCullough submitted hi s big one. It measured 18 inches long, and 143/.t inches around the girth. He caught the fi~h on a minnow, using spi nning tackle, and I 0 lb. test line. The catch was made April 27 , in the Hart County end of Hartwell.
" I'd been fi shing shallow water in the coves," relates McCullough , "and was n't finding anything. So I got out into deeper water to try to locate some fis h. I saw someone trolling in deep

PRIZE WINNERS IN 1968 GEORGIA BIG FISH CONTEST
Sponsored by The Georgia Sportsmen's Federation
and Georgia Game and Fish Commissio n

Category Bl ack Bass

Weight 141bs. 14oz.

Caught by
Emory J. Josey Macon

'Wh1te Bass

4 lbs. 14 oz. Clyde Vaughan Canton

'Crappie

4 lbs. 4 oz

Ch arles C. McCull ough De ca t u r

Bream

2 lbs. 12112 oz . Bill Crabb Marietta

Mountam Trou t 11 lbs. 8 oz. Galen Harrison

(tie)

( Rainbow)

Ga 1nesville

'Catfi sh

11 lbs. 8 oz. (Brown)
29 lbs.

'Tied existing state reco rd New state record

Elbert Gilliam Ware Shoals , S. C.
James Chasta1n Manetta

Where Caught Bear Camp Lake lrwmton Lake Lanier
Hartwell Lake
Pr1vate Lake Cobb County Chattahoochee R1ver bel ow Buf ord Dam Savannah River below Hartwell Dam
Blue Ridge Lake

water and catching a few. So I an chored in various spots until I began catching a few nice ones. I was anchored near the main channel before I began catching some.
"When that big one hit, I thought I had a bass," he said. McCullough, a service advisor for Northeast Rambler in Atlanta, said he fishes every chance he gets. mostly for crappie and bass.
A Hellbender lure was the nemesis of the biggest bass of the year. Josey used casting tackle and 20 pound test line to land the big one. It was 261,-'2 inches long and 241/.l inches around.
Josey's big bass was the largest he had ever caught, and that's saying something, for in his 20 years of bass fishing he has brought in some big ones. Many of the big ones he caught this winter.
"I was one of the 95 per cent of fishermen who hang up their rods before December," he said. 'Then my fishing companions and I discovered those big boys school up in the deepest water available during the winter months.
"From December 21 through February 1, we have caught four strings of bass, all of which ranged from eight to ten pounds. One string included II bass that weighed a total of 100 pounds and 6 ounces ... an averaze of better than nine pounds apiece."
Josey divulged that he and his partners would troll a lake until they found the deep spots. then cast to it. " 1t really doesn't matter which lake you fish, ' he said. 'They're all good. You ju~t have to have the technique and experience that comes with many years of bass fi shing. "
He said that aft er he caught his biggest ba..<;s, three days later he couldn't rent a boat on tbat lake. Then he and hi s party moved to another lake. began

catching big ones, and soon there was a crowd there, too. "Now, we're tryi ng to find a third lake, and we'll keep this one a secret."
Josey said the prize-winning fish is the only one he has ever caught that topped the 14-pound mark. "I have caught two other bass that went over 13 pounds, and more than 20 bass that went over II or 12 pounds. I've caught nine bass that weighed over 13 pounds during 20 years of fishing. and three of these I caught this year."
He said the big one came from 12 feet of water, the deepest spot in the lake. "We found we couldn't get strikes unless we actually felt the plug bumping the bottom. I tried a sinking plug but that didn't work. The action wasn't right. They want the plug that floats , then dives on retrieve."
He said they even went so far in o ne lake that goes 30 feet deep as to toss the plug out, move the boat by electric motor until 70 or 80 feet of line was out, then retrieve, in o rder to have enough line out to get the plug deep enough.
Crabb proved that the live worm is still unbeatable as fis h bait, in catching his big shell cracker bream. The 12-inchIo ng fish was taken on 12 pound test line on spinning tack le.
"II was just luck, I imagine," said Crabb of his big bream. "I'd been fishin g for big bass and had run out of minnows I'd been using for bait. 1 found some worms on the shore that were extraordina ril y big.
" ! began to catch a couple small fish on the worms, and on one strike I just opened the bail on my spinni ng reel and let the fish run and play with it. The fi~h took ou t 40 feet of line before I closed the bail.
" li e broke water when he hit the end of th e line. That\ the first time

5

STATE RECORDS IN BOLD FACE

WEIGHT
14 lbs. 14 ozs . 13 lbs. 0 ozs . 13 lbs . 0 ozs. 12 lbs. 14 ozs . 12 lbs. 10 ozs . 11 lbs. 13 ozs . 11 lbs. 12 ozs. 11 lbS. 9 ozs . 11 lbs. 8 ozs . 11 lbs. 8 ozs . 11 lbs. 0 ozs . 10 lbs . 10 ozs . 10 lbs. 8 ozs. 10 lbs. 8 ozs.

WHERE
Bear Camp Lake, Irwinton FlyingS Ranch Lake, Villa Rica Massengale's lake, Fayette Cnty. Jim Edwards lake, Cobb County Stuckey's Lake, Irwinton lake Walter F. George Private Lake Private lake Lacy's Dixieland Lake Lake Burton Private lake Suwanee River Lake Walter F. George Clark Hill

6 lbs. 2 ozs.

Lake Chatuge

5 lbs. 4 ozs.

Chestatee River

WHEN
12/ 22 / 68 2/ 10/ 68 7/ 14/ 68 3 / 23 / 68 12 / 28 / 68 5/ 25 / 68 3/ 8 / 68 3 / 10/68 4 / 1/ 68 5 /7/ 68 4 /7 / 68 5 / 18 / 68 3 / 29 / 68
7/2/68
4/ 21/68

FISHERMAN
Josey, Emory R. Kunkel, Frank R. Odom, Charles D. Clark, 0. R. Floyd, Harris Scarborough, Charles Martin, Carl Martin, Carl Pelham, William E. Collins, Billy J. Carson, John Corbett, Randall 0 . Greer, Fred W. Johnson, A. A.
Parson, Robert
Hulsey, Ben J.

WEIGHT 4 lbs. 14 ozs. 4 lbs. 13 ozs. 3 lbs. 9 ozs. Jibs. 9 ozs. 3 lbs. 8 ozs. 3 lbs. 6 ozs. 3 lbs. 4 ozs. 3 lbs. 0 ozs.
2 lbs. 4 ozs. 2 lbs. 4 ozs.
141bs. 0 ozs.
21 lbs . 4 ozs.
291bs. 0 ozs.
41bs. 4 ozs.

WHERE
Lake Lanier lake Lanier lake Lanier Lake Lanier lake Lanier lake Lanier lake Lanier Lake Seminole

WHEN
3/26/68 3/28 / 68 4 / 28 / 68 4 / 14/ 68 4 / 3 / 68 5 / 16 / 68 5115 / 68 6 / 2 / 68

Farm Pond, Morgan County

7124 / 68

Marshall's Club Pona, Washington 6/ 13/ 68

Okefenokee Swamp Hales lake, Conley Marietta, Blue Ridge

5/5/68 5/ 18 / 68 5/21/68

Lake Hartwell

4/27/68

FISHERMAN Vauglln, Clyde Walker, W. C. Anderson, J. E. Wadkins, Jack Gray, Mrs. George W. Wadkins, Jack Wadkins, Jack lehman, Julian L., Jr.
Hunter, N. H. Marshall, A. A.
Brown, Randall lee
Tate, Johnny Mack
Chastain, James
McCullough, Charles C.

WEIGHT 6 lbs. 12 ozs.

WHERE Flint River

WHEN 4/13 / 68

FISHERMAN Griffin, Tommy M .

2 lbs. 12'12 ozs . 2 lbs. 12 ozs. 2 lbs. 8 ozs. 2 lbs. 5 ozs. 2 lbs. 2 ozs.

Private Lake, Marietta, Cobb Cnty. Jake Lewis lake, McDonough Smiths Pond, Lexington Private Pond, LaGrange Watershed lake, Fulton County

8 / 26 / 68 4 / 28 / 68
4 / 21 / 68 5/ 2 / 68 5/ 10/ 68

Crabb, Bill lewis, J. S., Jr. Portney, Leo R. Warren, Dennis lee Bettis, John

2 lbs. 3 ozs.

Rock Creek

5/ 1/ 68

Nelson, Kelly M.

11 lbs. 8 ozs. 9 lbs. 2 ozs. 5 lbs. 4 ozs.

Savannah River Jones Creek Chickamauga Creek

12/ 22/ 68 6 / 30 / 68 6 / 8 / 68

Gilliam, Elbert Dills, wendell Lovell, w. L., Jr.

11 lbs. 8 ozs. 6 lbs . 12 ozs.

Chattahoochee River lake Lanier

8 / 12/ 68 5 / 7/ 68

Harrison, Galen Johnson, Steve

5 lbs. 0 ozs.

Hart well

3/ 30 / 68

Davis, Galen

NO ENTRIES: Flint River Smallmouth, Spotted Bass, Striped Bass. Channel Catfish, Black Crappie, Longnose Gar, Muskellunge, Sauger, Redbreast Sunfish, Yellow Perch.

Charles C McCullough, Decatur, (right), pulled a btg crappie from Lake Hartwell, and weight:d 1t in at tour pounds, 4 cunces It turned out to be a state record there .wasn't even a white crapp ie on t11e book-s before he caught this man -
ter

I've ever seen a bream break water. I tho ught it was a little two-p ound ba:-,s then, but that fish put up the aw ful es t fight. He fou ght harder than a twopound trout." Crabb declared.
Ten pound test line was worn down prett y thin by the time H a rri so n m a naged to land his 20-inch-long rainbow. He used a sh yster o n spinning tackle. The fish measured 18 1/.t inches at the girth. H e caught the hi g fellow on spinning tackle.
The pa:-,tor of Oakdale Baptist Church, South Canton , used a deep running silver R ebe l while fishing for largemouth and white hass on Lake Lanier in the Ga inesvi ll e vici nit y. when he hooked hi s stat e-record-t ying white bass.
" He rea ll y did put up a good fight ," Reverend Vaughan said. He said the large-;t largemouth bass he'd ever caught weighed about nine pounds. but the big white bass, though barely half the size in weight , fought harde r than d id his higgest largemouth.
Reverend Vaughan likes to fis h Lanier regu larl y with hi s companion

For some kinds of fish, you still can't beat a good of' live worm, as proved by Bill Crabb of M arie tta, by catching the year's largest bream ... in tact, a new record shellcracker. The fish beat the old record by a scant half oun ce, at two
pounds, 122 ounces.
Gene Lawson, who was along the day the big white was caught. But lately, he's been too tied up to fish much.
" It was really a surprise to learn the fish tied the state record ," he said. "I didn't even think about it until we got to Gainesville Marina with the fi sh. and Ed Cox wanted to weigh it to be sure. We weighed that fi sh in three or four different places to be sure we had the weight right."
Chastain's flathead cat was taken while trolling a Thin Fin Plug. on I 0 pound test line. It was 40 1/.t inches long and 21 inches around.
Chastain was tro lling in Lake Blue Ridge for hass and walleye. and was doing pretty well. He'd caught several walleye. so me bass and a few crappie.
''When that fish hit , I thought I'd caught a little fish that had gotten unde r a roc k or ~omething," sai d Chastain. "He jmt didn't move. Then fina ll y. he started to move, and the line just kep t going out. It took me 35 minutes just to get him to the top of t'1e water where I could see him . It took even more time to get him close enough <,O that m y fi shing pa rtner. Robert White. also of Marietta. could get hi s hands in the fish\ mouth and lift it into the boat. It was too big to use a landing net."
All told, 42 fish entered during the 1968 contest qualified for !\l aster Angler\ Awards. Several categories had no entries at all. but in the la rgemo uth ba~s list there are 14 entries that qualified (I 0 pounds or more) for the certifica te.
Those receiving !\laster Angler's Awards a re listed in the chart above.
~

Minimum Weight for Certificate

State Records

World ' s Record

5 lbs.

BASS, FLINT RIVER SMALLMOUTH 6 Lbs. 5 ozs .-James Lewis, Cordele, Flint River, Feb. 20, 1967

No Record

10 lbs.

BASS, LARGEMOUTH 22 lbs. 4 ozs. - Geor~~:e Perry, Brunswick, Montgomery lake,
June 2, 1932. World's Record.

Same

second- 17 lbs. 14 ozs., Nickie Rich, Marietta, Chastain's Lake, April 27, 1965

Third-17 lbs. 9 ozs., Emory Dunahoo. Gainesville,
lake Lanier, oec. 19, 1965

5 l bs . 5 lbs.

BASS , SMALLMOUTH 6 lbs . 2 ozs. - Robert Parson, Hiram. lake Chatuge,
July 2, 196B
BASS, SPOTTED 6 lbs.- Eiton Elrod, Cartersville, Lake Allatoona, Feb. 11, 1967

Bibs.

20 lbs.

BASS, STRI PEO 63 lbs. o oz.- Kelly A. Ward, Dublin, Oconee River, May 30, 1967

Same

2 lbs.

BASS, REOEYE (COOSA)
2 lbs. 1o ozs., John R. Cockburn, Jr., Dalton, Jacks River, July 4, 1967

No Record

31bs. BASS, WHITE 4 lbs. 14 on.-Aibert Pittman, Gainesville, Lake Lan ier ,
Jan. 11, 1966

5 lbs . 2 ozs.

4 lbs., 14 ozs .- Ciyde vaughan, Canton , Lake Lanier, March 26, 1968

1'h l bs.

BLUEGill 2 lbs. e ozs.- Lee Berry, Milledgeville, Altamaha River, Sept. 29, 1965

4 lbs. 12 ozs.

e lbs.

BOWFIN t4 lbs ., o ozs .- Randall Lee Brown, Lake Park. Okefenokee Swamp, May 5, 1968

20 lbs.

CARP 35 lbs. 6 on. Albert B. Hicks, Sr., Atlanta, Sweetwater Creek,
April 17, 1967

55 lbs. 5 ozs.

15 lbs. CATFISH, CHANNEL No Official State Record

57 lbs.

15 lbs.

CATFISH. FLATHEAD
29 lbs., o ozs. - James Chastain , Marietta , Lake Blue Ridge, May2t, 1968

3 lbs.

CRAPPIE, BLACK 4 lbs. 3 on., Kenneth Matthew Kirkland, Jonesboro, Lake Jodeco, April 30, 1967

5 lbs.

3 lbs.

CRAPPIE, WHITE

4 lbs., 4 oz .- Charles McCullough ,

Decatur, Lake Hartwell ,

Apri 127 , t 968

5 lbs. 3 on.

15 lbs. GAR, LONGNOSE No Official State Record

50 lbs. 5 on.

Any

MUSKELLUN GE

Weight 38 lbs.-Rube Golden, Atlanta,

Blue Ridge Lake, June, 1957 69lbs . 15 ozs.

5 lbs. PICKEREL, CHAIN (JACKFISH) 9 lbs. 6 ozs .-Baxley McQuaig, Jr. , Homerville
Feb., 1961, World's Record

Same

4 lbs. SAUCER No Official State Record

8 lbs. 5 ozs.

1112 lbs . SUNFISH, REDBREAST No Offic i al State Record

No Record

2 lbs.

SUNFISH, REOEAR (SHELLCRACI':ER )

2 lbs . t2 nzs .- C. E. Morris ,

Applin~~:, Private Pond,

May 2, 1987

4 lbs. 12 ozs.

t 5" or TROUT, BROOK
2 lbs. 2 lbs. 1 oz.-Jay Tipton,
Smyrna , Toccoa River, Aprll1, 1967

141bs. a on .

1a" or TROUT, BROWN 5 lbs. 1a lbs., 3 ozs .
William M. lowery. Marietta, Rock Creek, May 6, 1967

39 lbs a ozs .

24" or TROUT, RAINBOW 6 lbs. 12 lbs. 4 ozs .- John Whitake r,
Ell i jay , Coosawattee River, May 31, 1966

37 lb s.

2 lbs. PERCH. YELLOW No Official State Record

4 lb s. 3'12 ozs.

5 lbs . WALLEYE 11 lbs .-Steven Kenny , Atlanta . l ake Burton ,
April 13, 1963

25 lbs.

GEORGIA BIG FISH CONTEST

The Georgia Sportsmen's Fede rati on 5. Fi sh mu st be caught on sporting t ackl e

and Georgia Game & Fish Magazine spon- and be hooked and landed by the entrant.

sor a big fis h con test for the State of 6. Fis h must be cau ght in the Stat e of

Georgia duri ng each ca lendar yea r.

Georgia during the legal an gling season

Shortly after the f irst of each year, a for the spec ies t aken. Ga rc ia 5000 reel and match ing 2521C Gar- 7. An gler ca n subm it as ma ny entrie s as

c ia Conolon rod furnished by the Ge orgia he wi shes. Cert i fi ca t es wi ll be awarded

Sportsmen's Federati on will be g iven t o for all fi sh surpassi ng th e mi ni mum st an-

t he angler catching th e largest fish in any dards in the chart rega rdless of t he year

one of six catego ries: bl ack ba ss, whi t e caught, but co ntest prizes wi ll be awarded

bass, crappie, brea m, moun tain trout, and only in the general bl ac k bass, white

ca tfi sh. In ad dit ion , th e ang ler catching bass, crappie, bream, mountai n trout, and

the largest bass eac h yea r wi II have his ca tfi sh ca tegori es for f is h ca ught thi s

name engraved on the Ga rcia Black Bass yea r. Awards wi ll not be give n f or speci f ic

Trop h y.

spec ie s within these ca tegories such as

Entries mad e on f ish cau ght afte r Dece mber 31 wil l be entered in next yea r's contest. Entries sho uld be made as soon as poss ible after th e f ish is caught.
How To Enter

the large st white crappi e, bl ac k crapp ie, et c. due t o the d iffi culty of exact iden t ificati on of the species in th ese ca tegori es. In the event of a ti e, dupl icate awards will be given. 8. Clear sidevi ew bl ac k and white or color

1. Have fish wei ghed, meas ured, and en- photograph s of the fi sh, preferably with

tered at any of f icial Georgia Sportsmen's the angler, should be subm itted with

Fede rat ion Wei ghing St at ion or any office each entry which become the property

of the State Game and Fish Commission. of Georgia Gam e & Fish Maga zin e.

If no such st at ion is available, have the 9. Affidavits sh ould be mailed to Bi g Fi sh

fish weighed and measured in the pres- Contest , Georgia Game and Fi sh Maga-

ence of two wit nesses who sign the of- zine, Trinity-Washington Street Building,

ficia l entry bla nk or a facsimile. 2. Before the aff idavi t can be accepted, the t ruth of t he statemen t s must be at-

270 Washington Street, Atlanta, Ge orgia 30334.

t ested before a qualified off icer such as a not ary pu bl ic, j usti ce of the peace, sheriff, municipa l c lerk , postmaster, member of st ate or loca l law enforce ment agency, wildlife ranger, etc.

~

;

lENGTM --~- __j

3. There is no ent ry fee f or the con test. 4. Any Georgia lice nsed angler, resident

HOW T O M E A SUR E A FIS H G irth : should be m easured around the largest part of the body as shown in

or non-re si dent , may ente r t he contest by diagram . L ength : M easure along a flat surface from the

comp leting t he official affidavit.

extremity of th e m outh to the extremity of the tail.

PRINT OR TYPE ALL INFORMATION
K i nd of Fish_ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Wei g ht _ _ _ lb s._ _~o zs. Len gth _ _~ ins. Gi rth,_ _ __ i ns. Bait used _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ___ Type Tack le:_ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ __ Rod B rand,_ _ _ _ ___ Ree l Bran d,_ _ _ _ _ __ Li ne Bran d, _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Test _ _ Where cau g ht (Name of Lake or Stream),_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Locat io n of Lake or Stream (County or Neares t Town),_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Date Cau g h L-_ __ _ __ __ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

An g ler- - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- -

Home Addre ss- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- -

City and State- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - -

Tel ep hone Num be r s: Bu si nes s:_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

Home:: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

Fis hing License Number:_ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ __ _
"I he reby swear that the above statements are t rue : that i n ta k ing th is fish I co mp lied with t he cont es t rul es, fi shing reg ul at ion s, a nd t hat th e w itn esses hereto saw thi s f is h weighe d and measured. I co n se nt to th e u se of my name in co nnect ion wi th th e Geo rgia Sta t e Fishing Con t est."

(Sigrature of person who caught fish) We, the undersign ed, witn esse d the w eigh in g a nd measu ring of the fish desc ribed above a nd veri f ied th e wei ght and measurem ents g iven . 1. Si gna ture- -- -- - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Ad dress___________________________________________ 2. Si g nature__________________________________________________
Ad d ress _ _ _________________________________________________
Sworn to and asc r ibed be f ore me thi s________ day of _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ , 19_ __
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -(S-ig-n-a t-ur-e -o f-a-q-u~-l i -f ie-d -of-f i-ce-r--S-ee-R-ulTeit2l)e:- - - - - - - - - - - Sen d al l entrie s to: Georgia Game & Fi sh Magazine, Tr inity-Washingt on Street Building, 270 Wash ington Street, Atlanta , Georgia 30334.
7

ABOUT
By Dan Marshall and Dick Whittington Game Biologists
Good habitat and protection from poachers and dogs enabled this buck to thrive.

The whitetailed deer is native to the Central and Eastern United States. It has the largest range of any single big game animal in North America, and is considered the most important big game animal because of its wide distribution.
The whitetailed deer certainly is the most important big game animal in Georgia. The deer population is probably in excess of 100,000 animals in Georgia at the present time. At one time during the history of our state, deer were not so numerous. During the late 1700's and early 1800's, their range was gradually decreased because of uncontrolled hunting and increasing agricultural clearing of woodlands. The deer herds decreased accordingly. By the late 1800's deer were wiped out in North Georgia. Some deer herds were left on the coastal islands, and a few herds were isolated on protected plantations in South Georgia.
The first attempt to re-establish deer in North Georgia was made by the U. S. Forest Service during 1928. Since then, the State Game and Fish Commission began restocking deer and establishing game management areas across Georgia. Due to restocking programs, improved habitat by changing land use, better game laws and enforcement, the whitetailed deer is again present and abundant in most areas of the state. Most of the 159 counties now have a deer season, and in the near future, probably all counties will have huntable deer populations and be opened to deer hunting.
Many studies have been made concerning the life history of the whitetailed deer. A good deal is known, but much is yet to be learned. Information obtained by biologists shows the breeding season of Georgia deer to be from mid-October to mid-December, depending on the location in the state. Generally, South Georgia deer breed earlier than North Georgia deer. The gestation period is about seven months, and fawns are born from mid-April to mid-June. Does are capable of breeding when about one and a half years old. Usually, one fawn is produced the first year and two each year thereafter. Does continue to breed as long as they live, but deer seldom live to be more than ten years old in the wild.
Fawns remain near their birthplace for two to three weeks after birth. At about one month of age they may follow the doe and begin to browse. They continue to nurse until about four to five months of age.
Bucks are capable of breeding at one and a half years of age. They may or may not actually breed, depending upon competition from older bucks. Bucks take no interest in rearing the young. This is left entirely to the doe.
The range occupied by deer has been

a subject of much controvers y. Recent information indicates that doe deer may range on an area of only about I 00 acres, in some areas . Bucks, particularly during the breeding season, wi ll probably range over several hundred acres.
Deer are primarily forest animals. They occur in dense mountainous forest, a~ wel l as the piney woods of the coastal plains. The deer is a ruminant , cud-chewing mammal like cattle, sheep, goats, and camels. Deer feed on a wide assortment of herbaceous materials a nd certain kinds of fruits and nuts when ava ilable. Deer food is usu ally referred to as browse. Browse consists of leaves, twigs. and buds of vines and woody plants.
Deer populations can be maintained or increased by employing certain forest management practices. Thinning timber to encourage plant reproduction produces browse for deer. Clear cutting in strips or blocks provides both cover and stimulates growth of a variety of plants which may be utilized by deer. During timber operations, mast or acorn producing trees should be left. particularly white oak species. They provide winter food for deer as well as other wildlife species such as turk eys, squirrels, and qu ai l.
Supplementary food plots planted to whit e clover or rye during th e fall will provide food for deer during th e critical winter month s. Food patches ranging in size from o ne to five acres and interspersed in wooded areas a re ideal. Plantings should be made about the first or middle of September to obtain good growth before cold weather.
In some areas, particularly the lower coastal pla in of South Georgia, deer are in direct competition for food wit h ra nge cattle a nd feral swi ne. A ll th ree species utilize m any of the same food items. If deer management is the primary objective on such areas, the cattle and swine should be removed .
A very important as pect of deer management is to adequately harvest a nim als. Hunting is the only method to keep deer in balance with the habi tat to prohibit overbrowsin g. In some areas , limited legal hunting of does under Game and Fish Commission regulations may be necessary.
On the other side of th e coi n, deer can be easily overharvested, especiall y on sm all tracts that are heavily hunted. In addition to limiting hunt ing pressure. deer shou ld be protected from illegal hunting, especiall y out of season hunting, illegal dogging in area <; not all owed by law, and night hunting. Cooperation wi th loca l wi ldl ife ra ngers in reporting viola tions and encouragement of local judicial officials to vigorousl y prosecute wild li fe cases can be the difference in good or bad deer hunting.

In addition, control of free running domestic and feral dogs on the area under managem ent is essential. Dogs should not be allowed to range at will through the woods without their owne r, especiall y during the spring and summer months when does are pregnant or with young fawns.
Many new problems have arisen with the increase and spread of deer throughout the state. One of the most vexing problems is that of damage to agric ultura l crops, gardens, and orchards. Deer damage is most likely to occur where deer concentrations are dense, but m ay sometimes occur in a reas containing a sparse population. The following suggestions and recommendations will eliminate or help to minimize deer damage.
When selecting an area for a garden, avoid choosing a location near a wooded area where deer are present. It is a good idea to locate gardens near houses, si nce deer are usu all y shy of inhabited areas.
The best meth od to eliminate deer damage to the garden is to construct a deer proof fence. The most economical deer proof fence is the overhanging type shown.
This fence can be constructed of six foot, two-inch high mesh chicken wire. The bottom edge of the wire should be fastened to the ground with stakes a nd extended up at an angle of about 50 , as shown in the photograph. The top of the fence should be nai led on the post four feet, six inches above the ground. Posts should be spaced I 5 feet apart.
The fence works in only one direction. It slant s down toward the area to be protected (ga rd en) . Deer usuall y try to go through fences rather than jump them. The design of this fence will discourage jumping.
The wire for this fe nce will cost approximately $33 to enclose one-half ac re. The initial expense is high, but it will provide complete protection to the garden and should last for several yea rs.
Several deer repellent compounds have been developed and are usually effec ti ve in repelling deer from protected areas. The effectiveness varies from area to a rea and depends upon the number of deer in the a rea. Info rmation concerning deer repellent ~ can be obtained by writing the manufacturers listed at the end of thi s articl e. The use of tankage or blood meal (described in th e following sec tion) has beLn also succ essfull y used in gardens to repel dee r.
Deer depredation in orcha rds occurs mostl y on newly pla nted or young apple and peach tree~. Brows in g decreases with tree growth , a nd is negli gible after the second or th ird year.
Browsin g of young fruit trees has

been successfully discouraged in some areas by usi ng tankage or blood meal as a repellent. Tankage is anim al ti ssue residue (50% protein, 5% fat, and 3 % crude fiber and other materiab) . It is sometimes used as a supplement for hogs. Tankage o r blood meal is applied in 3" x 5" grade AA tie part bags (sold by Millhiser Bag Co., P. 0. Box Ill 7, Richmond , Virgi ni a) which a re hung on fences, stakes or trees around the area to be protected. Tankage costs about $5 per hundred pounds, and the small bags cost 1.2 cents apiece in la rge qua ntities. One hundred pounds of ta nk age wi ll fi ll abou t 500 small bags. If used on small trees , some bags will be destroyed by dogs. foxes. a nd other anim als that reach the bag and eat its contents. Both tankage and blood meals can be purchased from animal packing or processing companies.
Deer are m ore numerous in Georgia than they have been since the late 1700's . Biologists estima te there are more than 100,000 in the State. They are comm only seen on the Commisison's Clark Hill Management Area. This pic ture was made a few weeks after the 1968 hun ts.
Chemi cal repellents arc ava il able for orchard use and informa ti o n ca n be obta ined by writing th e manufacture rs listed. Tas te repellents a re generall y more effective in repell ing deer th a n scent repell ents like tankage. sin ce the y ca n be appli ed di rectl y to th e pl ants to be protected.
Damage to such agricultural crops a~ soybea ns, peas, peanuts, a nd corn may occur in a reas contai ning a h igh deer population. In small fields, ta n kage bags tied on a fence o r t rees at I 5 to 20 foot intervals wi ll minimize or eliminate deer damage. The electric fence has been used effectively in some

9

Right: This type of fence keeps deer out but is much m ore expensive than chicken mesh wire. Th is type must be eight feet high.
Below: Smell-type repellents like blood mea l or tankage in cloth bags can be tied on to trees or fe nces to help re pel deer. While not as effec tive as a fence or tasterepellents, they are cheaper to use.
Above: In some areas where deer are so numerous, they
are a pest to gardeners. One of the authors, game
biologist Dan Marshall, shows how to construct an
over-hanging dee r-proof fence described in the article
10

parts of the country, but the cost of construction and operation may prohibit use, depending on the value of the crop to be protected.
Buffer food strips tend to reduce damage to other crops if properly spaced and made large enough. Three or four acre strips of peas in summer and rye in winter established on field borders adjacent to wooded areas or near principal deer travel routes have been successfully used in some areas.
Carbide guns are useful in reducing deer damage to such crops as watermelons. The guns should be set to explode at 45 to 60 minute intervals and moved to a different location in the field each night for the best results. However, they are unpopular with perso ns disturbed by them. especially at night.
To help prevent deer damage on large farms (small ones too) , farmers can reduce deer concentrations by allowing their friends and reputable sportsmen to hunt and harvest this prized game during the hunting season. This method also can be employed to provide additional income to the farmer by charging a nominal fee for hunting privileges on his property.
True, deer sometimes are pesky. With the inevitable expansion of the deer herd and increasing popularity of deer with hunters. so me problems will occur. But with a few precautionary methods. extensive crop damage can be prevented in selected areas. Eventually, landowners will adjust to the deer, and will begin to realize the advantages to themselves, as well as Georgia's sportsmen. It won't be long. ).Q.
Manufacturers of Deer Repellent Compounds
,\lorton Chemical Company Agricultural Division 110 North Wack er Dri\e Chicago. Illin ois 60606 N ASCO, Incorporated Fort Atkinson, Wiscon.\in 53538 0. E. Linck Company Division of Walco-Linck Corporation Clif to n, New Jersey Ringwood Chemical Corporation Ring wood, Illin ois 60072
Back View

Top : Don and Buster Bradford compare smal/mouth bass taken from Lake Chatuge, hotspot for Georgia fisherman who like the chance of tieing into a lunker bass, and scrappy smal/mouth.

Right: Doug Yelton, Ewing, Tenn., fisherman keeps a tight line on a Lake Chatuge smal/mouth on the way down.
Bottom: A good string of bass is lifted into the boat. The point in the background gave up 12 bass in two days fishing.

...
,__,;;:~~
North Georgia's Lake Chatuge By Carl 0. Bolton

The bass skittered across the water for fifteen feet, reversed its field and passed me again as I stood open mouthed, looking at its frantic efforts to get rid of the treble hooks dangling from its upper jaw.
After three trips lengthwise of the boat, then with a vicious lunge and amid another series of gyrations and head shaking, the plug flew into the air, and the largemouth was gone.
"What are you trying to do, get five jumps out of it? asked my fishing partner, "Buster" Bradford. "All I've ever seen you get were four jumps, and with this one you failed to get even one."
I sat down and looked at him rather sheepishly. After all, losing the fish was strictly my fault. The bass had struck just as I was in the act of lifting the plug out of the water. It took me so by surprise, I simply had not given it enough line to offset its determined effort for freedom .
"0 well , he won fair and square, and we have better ones in the live well ," I said. "Let's hit another point." As I spoke I made one last cast, and instantl y I was fast to another fish. I had no trouble boating this one, a half-a-pound white bass.
"Guess I'll never Jive that one down," I stated as "Brad" reached for the starter. What he was referring to was my u rgi ng a small mouth bass I had hooked on a ba~s "bug" a year or so earlier to "jump" another time. "You

should always get five jumps out of a bass," I had bragged as the bronzeback put on a good acrobatic show. On the fifth jump the "bug" went high in the air, and the fish headed for parts unknown. No - my so called "friends" will never let me forget that bit of bragging.
There was no need of bragging about the five smallmouth and one large mouth we had in the live well in the boat. They spoke for themselves. They were a bit over three pounds (weighed later at the dock) , not Junkers, but the fishing had been furious while it lasted, early that morning. And how many bass fi shermen will turn their noses at three pounds of fighting small mouth?
We were fishing out of the F armer and Lynch dock at Young Harris, Ga., located just off U.S. Highway 76, 3Y2 miles from H iawassee, on what I consider to be one of the best bass Jakes in the country.
Lake Chatuge, one of the smaller of the TVA impoundments, has a shore line of 132 miles. It straddles the state line between Georgia and North Carolina, and to a bass fisherman, just about all those 132 miles of shore line look "bassy."
Brad and I had hurried out of the cove sheltering the dock just as the dawn light began streaking across the low mountain peaks which ring the entire area. Red lightning flashed in the north. We wondered how it would affect the fishing.

11

The afternoon before, at six o'clock, Bradford had boated the first fish, a two pounder from near one of the many tree tops dotting the lake near a bassy looking point.
Thirty minutes later, just across a small inlet on another point a small mouth had struck seemingly before his plug touched the water. What ensued during the next fifteen minutes, is the thing that makes a fisherman keep going back.
We had eased around the point and again Bradford had a good smallmouth on. "My gosh, give me a chance will you?," I had blurted out, and in the same instant I felt the jolting strike as a good smallmouth slammed into my lure.
The fish "bull-dogged" down deep as only a smallmouth can do. Before I slipped the net under my fish, Bradford was tied into another one.
I netted it for him and we both began casting the 600 series Bombers to-
Young Tracy Cook, son of Bob Cook, Elizabethton, Tenn., has a hard time holding the 72 pound largemouth and a 42 pound smallmouth bass taken from Lake Chatuge.
ward the gravelly shore. We each hooked and lost a couple of fim and Bradford put one more in the boat. Five bass landed and four lost in so short a time had us both on edge. Several casts later we sat down realizing the wild !'pree was over. .
Chatuge lake is without a doub t a prime phce to tie into a B-I-G bass ! Our recent tn p produced fast and furious fishing (for a few minutes each time ) upon three separate occas;ons during o nr f V'O d:l.ys of fishing. We ac-

counted for about twenty bass, mostly smallmouths, a few "whites," several crappie, and a blue gill that weighed exactly one pound.
We were happy with our catch until we saw the 71/z pound largemouth caught by Bob Cook, one of the Tennesseans on the trip. Bob also took a 61/z pound largemouth the second morning. One lucky angler weighed a 9% pounder the same day.
Late last March, Glynn Padgett, a fishing tackle salesman from my home town, doing a bit of master minding to show his fishing buddies that he was an "expert," cast a plug on which he had attached a strip of pork rind into the tree tops sticking out of the water.
As he worked the plug, a "hellbendder," out of the branches, he was as much surprised as his buddy was to suddenly feel the plug take off in the opposite direction, just as if he had lassoed a bulldozer.
His six pound test monofilament would have been no match for the monster he had tangled with, without a bit of Irish luck. A few minutes later he lifted the largemouth from the water and his eyes bugged out like a pot leg.
He was staring at a fish that weighed 11 pounds and five and one half ounces. But what gives the story an unbelievable dream-like ending, next morning he did the same thing, using the same Hellbender, but with a larger line. His second big mouth in two days weighed eleven pounds, six ounces!
I wasn't on the trip, so I didn't get a picture of the 23 pounds of fish for my newspaper until a couple of days later when Glynn took them out of his freezer. I wouldn't have missed getting a picture of those two, even if they were frozen to a cardboard.
The fellow who started the run of Tennesseans to this fabulous lake was Don Bradford Jr., one of the best bass fishermen in the state. On two successive days fishing he took only 8 bass. But listen to the weights, one 10 lbs. 6 ozs. , three that weighed a total of 23 pounds, and four that were five pounds each or better.
'Fishing the third day, he came out with three bass weighing 22 pounds. On his first trip there he took one 8 pounder and one that tipped the scales at a bit over 9 pounds.
Fishing at tl1e same time when Padget got his two 11 pounders, Bradford's catch was a ten pound largemouth.
Chatuge is not a deep lake as some lakes go. But everything must be right for the production of big bass. It's nestled in fertile valleys fed by several cold water creeks and the Hiawassee River. It's far enough south to enjoy
long "growing seasons," by Tennessee
standards. The Georgia creel limit is liberal so
far as bass go, 15 per day, and the li-

cense is valid in either Georgia or North Carolina, although North Carolina allows only 10 bass per day. An out of state Georgia license is only $7.25, and a 5 day permit is a measley $2.25. Resident licenses are only $2.25 a year, orie of the lowest fishing licenses in the United States.
As in all Southern states, fishing for the small tasty "pan fish" is indulged in by thousands of anglers. Lake Chatuge bream and crappie fishing is excellent in April and May. Bluegills are plentiful weighing a full pound, with many going to 1~ pounds.
Georgia, long noted for its big bass, especially largemouth, has many lakes to whet the appetites of visiting fishermen. I have fished a few of them and was impressed each time.
I suspect that every time a fisherman pushes his boat from any one of dozens of good fishing docks, his mind races back to another bass fisherman who in 1932 lifted from out of the depths of a small Georgia oxbow lake a monster largemouth weighing a phenomenal 22 pounds, four ounces.
Who can tell when this long standing record will be broken? It's a good mark to shoot for. A lake like Chatuge just might harbor one a bit bigger.
Every bass fisherman knows or should know, of the excellent largemouth fishing in the Peach State. I doubt if a great percentage of the fishermen realize the potential thrill of tying into good smallmouth bass such as inhabit Lake Chatuge.
There is no argument about the fighting ability of this rugged individualist. It is the gamest of the two popular species, and lets loose all its concentrated energy when hooked. One can tell almost instantly when a smallmouth strikes. It's a jolting-hard smash, and he usually heads down in hard hitting lunges, though at times, especially if hooked with a fly rod "bug," the aerial acrobatics he displays are enough to quicken the pulse of anyone.
There will not likely be anything like a new world's record smallmouth come from Chatuge, but I'll settle for those which are there in great numbers. Largemouth - well now, that's a different fish, and the State of Georgia usually comes through with its share of huge ones. Chatuge and several small lakes nearby such as Blue Ridge, Nottely, Burton, then the larger waters such as Lanier, Hartwell, Clark Hill, Seminole, Walter F . George, and others could very well produce that new world record largemouth bass.
But for that pugnacious, scrappy fighter who likes the cold, clean waters of streams and lakes, the streamlined smallmouth, "Old Bronze Back" himself is mighty hard to beat.
Lake Chatuge and this prime fish go well together.

12

Put POUnDS in uour POnD!

Fertilizers and fertilization are not new to man. Ponds have been fertilized to increase fish production in Europe and Asia for thousands of years.
There are basically two types of fertilizer - organic and inorganic. Organic fertilizers are those wastes containing carbon and derived from animal or vegetable matter. This type of fertilizer is not desirable for fis h ponds because it can culture di sease, redu ce the oxygen in the po nd as it decays, and produce large quantities of green. slim y fil a mentou s algae th at interferes

with fishing and lowers fish production. Inorganic fertilizers are those de-
rived from clement <> not directl y associated with animal or vegetable matter. These inorganic or chemical forms of fertili ze r do not in themselves culture bacteri al disease, reduce available oxygen through decay, or favor the growing of undesirable forms of algae.
It shou ld he understood that fish do not feed directl y on th e fertilizer. Fertili zer actua ll y makes availab le nutrients ( nitrogen. phosphorous. potash. calcium. etc.) that microscopic plants and animals can usc. These micro orgamsms

in the water feed larger forms of aquatic organisms ipcluding underwater animals and imects which in. turn provide food for the fish. This process is called th e "food chain." Without the important link of sufficient nutrients. fish production could not exist.
The amou nt of fertilizer necessary to properly fertilize a fi-.h pond in Georgia is ahout eight to twelve applications per acre per year. Each application consists of one hag of regular pond fertili zer per surface acre of pond. Fertili zation shou ld hcgin when the \\ ater temperature is Ic~s than 65

13

F. in the spring, and continue until the water temperature is less tha n 65 F . in the fa ll. Fertilization is considered adequate when a green plankton " bloom" is produced in sufficient qu a ntit y to prevent su nli ght from penetrating deeper into the water than 12 to 14 inches. Proper ferti li zatio n not o nl y increases fi sh production fourfold, but also di scourages most types of undesirable aquatic weeds fro m becoming establi shed by "shading" out the necessary sunl ight on the bottom th at they need to grow.
It is better no t to fertilize at a ll than to onl y part ial ly ferti lize, since the increased fertilit y will e ncourage undesirab le aq ua tic weed growth. Fertilizati on must be adequ ate, or aquatic weed problem s are in evita ble. If aq uatic weeds are a lready p rese nt in your po nd, they should be removed by using a herbicid e prior to fertilizat ion. Contact the Georgia G a me and Fish Com m ission's nea rest fish biologist for recom mendatio ns concerning aqu atic weed con tro l.
To produce a plankton '"bloom" as earl y as possible, it is reco mmended th at in the beginni ng, two bag of fert i-
Spreading fertilizer or lime from a boat works best until the bloom is established. Afterwards, a fertilization platform is better .
"lizer pe r su rface acre be a pplied a t weekl v interva ls until the green color" is adequate. Afte r th a t. the po nd should only be ferti li zed using one bag of fertili zer per surfa ce acre wh en th e --color" begins to fad e.
Research has shown that ma ny ponds in Georgia are low in lime; therefo re. if after the th ird app li cation o f fertilizer the pond water ha not developed a des ira ble ..bloom ," ' the pond shou ld be limed with bui lders li me ( hydrat ed lime ) at the rate of 10 lbs . per su rface acre. lf the need fo r li me was the ca use c i poor fert ili zation succe . the pond wa te r should --color" v:ithin ten days a e r li mi ng.
If th is proves effect i\e , the pond

How do you tell if a pond needs fertiliz ing? If you can see white paper on the end of a ru ler 14 inches deep (left), the water is too clear. After fertilization , the green plankton " bloom" prevents the end of the stick from being seen, a good sign (righ t).

shou ld then be limed with ag ricu ltural lim estone (pasture lime ) at the rate of 2000 lbs. per surface acre. This lime shou ld last two to three years. Continued use of h ydrated lime is not nea rl y as beneficia l as agricultural lime since it does not neutralize the ac idit y in the po nd botto m ne a rly as effecti vely as does th e agricultural limesto ne. If liming is not succe. sful. co nt act the Game a nd Fi sh Comm issi on.
Even though many nutrients are necessary for proper plant and animal growth , greater qu a ntities of nitrogen, phosphorou . potash and calcium are uti li zed than a n y ot her e:ements. For this reaso n, th e e are genera: ly in m ore de m and tha n is usua ll y a \ai lab le w itho ut fertilization . Of the major nutrie nts in pond fertili zer. phosp horus is m ore limited, since it is read il y " fixed " in a n unava ilab le for m by iron in the po nd bottom. lt is not commonly leached into th e pond du ring rai n as nitroge n. pot as h . ca lci um a nd other e lement o fte n are . Ni t roge n is also added to the water from the atmosphere. and th ro ugh the deca y of pla nt and a n im a l m a tter in the pond.
In older fertili ze r ponds. it has bee n found th a t only phosp horus is necessa ry ( unl e s lim e is a lso needed ) to prod uce a p la nkton bl oom , si nce sufficie nt nitrogen and potas h ge nerall y ac cumulate in the pond mud over the years. H owever, it is adv isa hle to fertil ize th e po nd early in the spring with regu lar po nd fer tili ze r, and the n switch to sup er ph os p h ~ te at th e rate o f 50 lbs. per surface acre to m ainrain the " bloom." Th is pra tice ca n reduce fert ilization costs b) fi ft y pe rce nt.
Ferti/iza;iOJ. Techllique~ :
Prior ,o the devetop ment of concentrate p:~. nd fertilize s (20-20-5 and 16-1 6-4 ) , il was neces a ry to spread the fertilizer evenly ove1 the shallow areas

( less th a n six feet deep) of the pond . Even now. this technique is still reco mmend ed until the " bloom " is estab lis hed.
One of the latest fertilization techni ques is to place the ferti lizer on platforms . allowing the fert ilizer to slowly leac h into the water. The ad va ntage of th is procedure over pl acing th e fert ili zer directl y on the pond bottom in sh a llow water is th a t much of the ph os pho rous is immediately wastefully ti ed up in th e pond mud near the bag. Thi s is not true if the fert ilizer is pl aced o n a platform away from shore. Th is sa me platform ca n be used for both regular pond fe rtilizer, super phosph a te an d li me. H owever. if the pond is in great need of lime, it should be spread over the entire po nd as mention ed previous ly. D o not pl ace the fer tili ze r o n pl atfo rms before a .., adequate color has been established thro ugh spreading. Each 6' x 6' pl a tfo m will fe rtili ze five acres of wa ter.
Mate ri als Needed For Const ruct ing One 6' x 6' Fe rtili zer Platform:
L um ber 1Creosoted ) Four six -foo t 2" x 4" 's Sufficient I" lumber to cover the top
allo \\ir.g for a Vs " space between each board . Na il s,
U se ru~ < an.J co :-rosive proof n a ils. F lo ta tio n
Four t\To foc:m blocks approximatelv 12" X } :'' X ' :" . W ire
Eno ugn to fc.sten styrofoa m blocks to un der~ i dc o f pi a tfom: a nd to reach the bon :11 aPo\ i0 g fo r fiftee n ~ l5 feet of _i::: c;.... A nchc r
T v- o cer.>e lll b! oc :Zs or equiv a lent.
Fa~ 1 or.1 E f.'ecz i;g F eni/izotion R esulcs:
G nfortc -: Lely fertiiizario n does not cure a ll 0 1 :he a i l~ as oc:::red with pond

:!.4

management. The following are considered to be the main causes of poor fertilization success.
Excessive Water:
Fertilization is not practicable tor ponds having large quantities of water flowing through them most of the time. Even periodic heavy "flushings" can reduce the fish production drastically, making the benefits of fertilization questionable. To correct large flow problems. a diversion ditch should be constructed. The feasibility of such a ditch can be determined after contacting the local Soil Conservation Service technician or a qualified consultant. Slight excessive water flow problems can be corrected by installing a bottom discharge drain.
11/su/ficient Water:
It is generally not practicable to fertilize ponds whose water levels fluctuate greatly during the growing season due to leaks, inadequate water sheds, or irrigation demands.
Afuddy Water:
Ponds that are muddied after each rain should not be fertilized, since a plankton bloom cannot survive under such conditions. If the watershed cannot be altered to reduce this common problem, one should not expect top fish production. Proper land management must often precede water management.

that such an investment (averagi ng $20.00 per surface acre) is totally wasted if the fish population is not in balance. Therefore, it is not advisable to expect a pond that is out of balance to produce improved fi shing through fertilization alone. The best guarantee for producing and maintaining a good fish pond is through proper construction, accurate stocking, adequate fert ili zation where practical, and sane harvest.
Contrary to old beliefs, it has been proven that ponds can be over-fished, particularly the first year. To protect against this most common cause of pond failure, it is recommended that not more than 150 lbs. of fish per surface acre be harvested annually from a fertilized pond, and that all bass under ten inches in length be released back into the pond unharmed. ...-

Proper fertilization helps to prevent weeds by shading them out, but pond edges should be deeper than two teet it weed growth is to be completely prevented.

Left: In some pr5nds, the addition of lime (below) is necessary tor the fertilizer to produce a bloom. Lime should be tried if the third fertiliza tion ta ils to produce results.

Below: One bag of regular pond fertilize r for each surface acre of the pond is the proper ratio.

D eep Water:
Since ninety percent of the fish food organisms are produced in water less than six feet deep. deeper ponds produce less pounds of fish than shallow ponds. The ideally constructed pond has no water less than two feet deep and 70 % of the pond does not exceed six feet in depth . One should take the depth of his pond into consideration when determining its production potential.

Shallow Water :
Extremely shallow edged ponds generally do not react favorably to fertilization. since undesirable types of aquatic vegetation readily become established on the shallow sunlit edges and utilize the fertilizer. Such aquatics do not provide nearly as much food for the fish food organisms as docs plankton algae. At the same time, they make sport fishing impossible. Such ponds should be renovated by having the vegetation killed out and the edges deepened to a minimum of two feet. This allows the fertilization "bloom" to discourage aquatic vegetation from becoming re-established.

Fish Population Balance:
Fertilization can increase fi~h production. However. it should be understood

15

national Wildlife
we eM
' l'tAC~\...IItkl \\'ltOWflHl
NAi 10:-.;At \\'II Dill ft 01 RATIO\,
\I.J1'!'hK1l1 .-ld\l<iiP ..'' t'lo
Mountains, seashores, and towering forests usually come to mind when we talk about natural resources. Conservationists are warning that another resource, our abundant wildlife, could be lost in the path of progress and expansion. These hallmarks of civilization take an ever-increasing toll of natural areas, destroying them as homes, or habitats, for wildlife forever.
Once America was a land of forests, marshes, woodlots, and fields , with clean water and fresh air. Wildlife seemed a part of every landscape. Now the serene countryside is being transformed into a land of sprawling suburbs, giant airports, super highways, and mammoth shopping centers. As these appear, the living space for our wildlife vanishes.
Before it is too late, we must stop and consider what this loss of natural environment will mean. Animals from deer to robins need food and cover, clean waters, and room to roam - if they are to survive. Areas destroyed by our civilized progress are finished as far as wildlife habitat is concerned.
Spaces for wildlife cannot be treeless

subdivisions; they cannot be factory sites or drained marshlands; they cannot be stream beds for sewage or speeding lanes for power boats.
Providing habitats, those vital living

should be made to do something about it.
:;>ure hope Director Bagby can do somethmg about water pollution.
Thank you for a fine story, and also a fine magazine.

areas for wildlife, is a matter of choice and economics. The choice is simply:

E. N. Holcomb Atlanta, Ga.

"Do we value this heritage of natural beauty?" If so, we must decide that the beauty of wild animals .in natural settings is worth the expense and effort

COHUTTA I ~njoyed your recent article on the c.losmg of t~e Cohuttas. I'm glad that is ftnally getttng done. My brother-in-law
and I hunted there last fall and saw noth-

of developing and protecting habitats. The presence of wildlife in our fast-
moving world means that we have not yet destroyed the delicate balance of

ing but one fresh deer track. It was a

great. disappointment to us since my fa-

ther-In-law days, that

irtemweams baerepdl~cien

his younger of abundant

turkey and deer.

nature. The prospect of moon travel may fire our imaginations, but the wild beauty of this world is unbeatable for giving a little peace of mind. To ensure

I .also had the experience, earlier, of seetng a doe dogged and shot out of season while I was trout fishing in those mountains. My partner and I took down the name of the owner from the collar

a future for this great natural heritage, the National Wildlife Federation, during Wildlife Week, March 16-22, is urging us all to "Provide Habitat

and turned the owner in to the commission. I also knew of a deer being jack
lighted and shot just below our camp on Jacks River on the night before the season opened .

Places Where Wildlife Live."

. I am glad that mess is going to be set

rtght! and that we are.going to have good

huntmg there, even tf we have to wait

five years to have it.

I wish Buford Withrow all the luck in the world.
Wilson Hall
Sportsmen~ Rome, Ga.
HUMANE?
Speak... w In your 1969 January issue, in your

Sportsmen Speak; a Defender of Wildlife

was talking about the bobcats and deer

at the Jasper County Deer Festival being

LEGISLATION I have only been a resident of Georgia about eight months, but I and my family (my wife Ann, and 15 year old son) like it very much. I take the Game and Fish magazine and I think it is one of the finest sports magazines on the market. I am particularly impressed with the
five bills for the General Assembly. I am in complete agreement that they are all long "over due," and of utmost importance for all Georgians, regardless of whether or not they hunt or fish.
All the bi lis, especially the anti-water pollution bill wil l eventually have to be passed for everyone's well being. Not just
the wildlife or sportsmen. Donald L. Weatherford Marietta, Georgia 30060

cramped into small cages. Then he talked about putting mounted specimens in the cages. If the man would have thought about what he said, I'm sure he would have realized that you have to kill these animals before you can stuff them. 1 believe if more people thought about what they say, there would be more praising than criticising of your magazine.
Stan Montgomery Reynolds, Georgia

PRAISE

I recently stumbled on your magazine

and found it to be interesting and much

informative.

Am looking forward to your magazine

and hope your year is good.

'

Nevin D. Woodward

Dunwoody, Georgia

EX-CRACKER Just finished reading your article "January Jackpot" of fishing on Lake Seminole. It was nothing short of being great as usual with your articles. You wouldn't realize how much good a transplanted Cracker gets from the Game & Fish Magazine. I always read it from cover to cover; keep up the good work.
Wayne Abbey Slidell, Louisiana
POLLUTION I have read your story in the Jan. issue of Game & Fish on water pollution. Hope something can be done about it. I have a lot at Lake Lanier, on Balus Creek. Four or five years ago, there was always good fishing in this area. Now there is something (I have been told it was dye) being put in this creek from Chicopee Mills. Sometimes the odor is so bad, it will take your breath. The fishing is nothing now and has not been in three years. Some days the water is black as tar, next day green or red. I think a place, as large as Chicopee,

DEDICATION have thoroughly enjoyed reading your vr:;ry informative and educational magazme.
It is nice to know the State of Georgia has some dedicated people in the conservation program who wish to save and rebuild our natural resources so that future generations will be able to enjoy the sport of hunting and fishing.
I wish to thank you for a fine magazine and renew my subscription so I may keep current with all the latest developments in the field of conservation.
Sincerely, M. Sgt. Joe A. Fields 1883rd Comm. Sq. Box 82 APO San Francisco, Calif. 96368
EXTRA COPIES My subscription to Game and Fish Magazine is paid up through 1969. But the January issue is so interesting and beau tiful, I am asking-will you please send me three more copies for January? Enclosed find $1 to cover cost. These three will be sent by me to out

16

SPORTSMAN SPEAKS-continued
of sta te friends -New Orleans, La., Detroit, Mich., and Cincinnati, Ohio.
I often do this-sending my copy, but it just happens this January copy, I want.
Thank you very much for this favor. It is appreciated. (liberty County, Southeastern Coast of Georgia, Col onel's Island, Hin esville is the County seat-my home faces the North Newport River.)
Elizabeth R. Kelly Mcintosh, Ga.
THANKS Thank you very much for the Winchester Rifle that you and the Georgia Sportsman Federation gave me. This is the nicest prize that has ever been awarded to me, and is one in which I take extreme pride. I would like to thank men like you who join together to make it possible for those sportsmen to have the opportunities to hunt and fish in Georgia. The resu lts of your efforts are being seen by sportsmen a II over th e state every year. Thank you again for my rifle and rest
assured that I will use it in the best interest of a II Georgia Sportsmen.
Yours very truly, Barry Hancock Thomaston, Ga. Mr. Hancock killed the 320 pound buck that was the heaviest deer killed in Georgia during the 1967 season.
EDITORIAL-continued
registration of ammunition and asked
members of Georgia's congressional
delegation to press for the repeal of
the requirements for it in the recently
passed Federal Firearms Act. The Fed-
eration urged other concerned Georgia

sportsmen to tallow sUit m contaetm g

their own U.S. district congressman

and the two U.S. senators, Richard

Russell and Herman Talmadge.

The le tters should be personally

written, and addressed to the appro-

priate individual at either the House

Office Building or Senate Office Build-

ing. Washington. D.C.

While other portions of the new Act

probably will do little good in halting

crime either, the ban on mail order

sales of guns and ammunition and fed-

eral minimum age requirements are not

as obnoxious as the ammunition regis-

tration requirement. Sportsmen are

willing to abide by those requ:rements.

but the registration of ammunition

sales should be repealed before the

next hunting season.

-J.M.

life Management Area March 31-April 5, 1969. Bat.: Limit- One ( I ) turk ey gobbler.
Turk ey: M arch 15-A pril 12 , !969 in Ben Hill , Coffee, Charlton, Dodge, Pierce, Stuart, Telfair, and Wil cox counties. Only that portion of Church and Echol s counties lying East of U.S. 441 and South of Ga. 94. Bag limit one (I) turkey gobhler.
Turf..ey: March 24-April 16, 1969 in Camden, Chattahoochee, Columbia, Lincoln, 1\larion, McDuffi e, Muscogee , Talbot, Warre n and Wilkes counties. Bag limit one ( I ) turkey gobbler.
SEASONS OPENING NEXT MONTH
TURKEY
Season-April 14, 1969 through April 19, 1969 on Blue Ridge, Chattahoochee, 1ohns Mountain, and Warwoman Wildlife Manage ment Areas only. But.: Limit-O ne (I) turkey gohbler.

Sportsman's Calendar

Season-April 19, 1969 throu gh Ma y 3, 1969 in Banks, Chattooga, D awso n, Fannin , Floyd, Franklin, Gilmer, Gordon, Habersham, Murray, Rabun, Stephens, Towns, Union, Walker, White, and Whitfield Counties. Bag Limit- One (I) turkey gobbler.

TROUT

SEASONS OPENING THIS MONTH
TURKEY
Semon-March 24, !969 through March 29, 1969 on the Bullard Creek Wildlife Management Area only. Clark Hill Wild-

Open Stream Season - April 5, 1969 through October 4, I969. Creel Limit-Eight (8) trout of all species per day. Possession limit-8.
(Management Area Streams-Open on scheduled days , May 3-Sept. 1, 1969).

TIDE TABLE

MARCH, 1969

MAR.-APR. 1969

APRIL, 1969

HIGH WATER

LOW WATER

Day

A.M. A.M. HT, P.M. HT. P.M.

GEORGIA COASTAL WATERS HOW TO USE THESE TABLES

HIGH WATER

LOW WATER

Day

A.M. HT. P.M. HT. A.M. P.M.

1. Sat. 6:06 6.6 6:34 5.9

12 :34

2. Sun. 6:48 6.8 7:06 6.3 12:36 1:06

3. Mon. 7:24 7.0 7:42 6.6 1:18 1:42

4. Tues. 8:00 7.1 8:18 6.9 2:00 2:24

5. Wed. 8:36 7.1 8:54 7.1 2:42 3:00

6. Thurs. 9:12 7.0 9:36 7.2 3:24 3:36

7. Fri. 9:54 6.8 10:18 7.2 4:06 4:12

8. Sat. 10:36 6.5 11:06 7.1 4:48 4:54

9. Sun. 11:24 6.2

5:42 5:48

10. Mon. 12:06 6.9 12:24 5.9 6:42 6:48

11. Tues. 1:12 6.7 1:30 5.7 7:54 8:00

12. Wed. 2:24 6.6 2:42 5.6 9:06 9:18

13. Thurs. 3:42 6.7 4:06 5.9 10:12 10:24

14. Fri. 5:00 7.0 5:18 6.4 11:12 11:30

15. Sat. 6:00 7.3 6:18 7.0

12:06

16. Sun. 6:54 7.6 7:06 7.4 12:24 12 :54

17. Mon. 7:36 7.7 7:48 7.7 1:18 1:42

18. Tues. 8:18 7.6 8:30 7.8 2:06 2:24

19. Wed. 8 :54 7.3 9:06 7.8 2:48 3:06

20. Thurs. 9:30 6.9 9:48 7.5 3:30 3:42

21. Fri. 10:06 6.5 10:24 7.2 4:12 4:24

22 . Sat. 10:48 6.1 11:06 6.9 4:54 5:00 I

23. Sun. 11 :24 5.7 11:48 6.5

5:30

I
5:42

24. Mon.

12:12 5.4 6:18 6:30

25. Tues. 12 :36 6.3 1:00 5.1 7:12 7:30

26. Wed. 1:30 6.1 2:00 5.0 8:18 8:30

27. Thurs. 2:30 6.0 3:06 5.1 9:18 9 :36

28. Fri. 3:36 6.0 4:12 5.4 10:12 10 :30

29. Sat. 4:36 6.2 5:06 5.9 11:00 11:18

30. Sun. 5:24 6.5 5:54 6.4 11:42

31. Mon. 6:12 6.8 6:36 6.9 12:06 12:24

The calculations are for the outer bar. Find the reading for the desired tide. In the table below find the number of minutes to add to correct for the place you are goin g to fish or swim. The outer bar calculation, plus thi s correction, gives the correct readin g for the point desired.

AdJUSt For Oay!tght Savmg Ttme By Addmg One Hour

CORRECTION TABLE The t1mes given are for Savannah River

entrance (Tybee).

Hrs. M1n.

Savannah High

0 44

Sa vannah (low)

* 57

Hilton Head, S. C.

0 10

Thunderbolt

0 20

Isle of Hope

0 40

Warsaw Sound

0 00

Ossabaw Sound

0 05

Vernon View

0 35

Coffee Bluff

0 55

Ogeechee River Bridge

3 50

St. Catherine Sound

0 25

Sapelo Sound

0 00

Brunswick Bar

0 00

St. Simon Pier

0 25

Frederica Brid ge

0 50

McKay Brid ge

0 50

Brun swick Ea st River

0 50

Turtle River Bridge

0 55

Turtl e River, Crispen I s.

1 10

Humpback Bridge

1 00

Jek~ 'I Point

0 30

Joimer Island

55

Hampton River Village Creek Ent.

0 20

Vill age Fi sh in g Camp

0 45

Taylor Fi shin g Camp

1 00

Altam aha Fi shing Park, Everett, Ga.

4 00

Two-Way Fishing Camp, S. Alt<.ma ha 2 00

Full

Last

New First

Moon Quarter Moon Quarter

1. Tues . 6:54 7.0 2. Wed. 7:30 7.2 3. Thurs . 8: 06 7.2 4. Fri. 8 :48 7.1 5. Sat. 9:30 6.8 6. Sun. 10:18 6.5 7. Mon. 11:1 2 6.2 8. Tues. 9. Wed. 1:06 6.9 10. Thurs. 2:18 6.7 11. Fri. 3:36 6.7 12. Sat. 4:42 6.9 13 . Sun. 5:42 7.1 14. Mon. 6:30 7.3 15. Tu es. 7:12 7.3 16. Wed. 7:48 7.1 17. Th urs. 8:24 6.9 18. Fri. 9:00 6.6 19. Sat. 9:36 6.2 20. Sun. 10:06 5.9 21. Mon. 10:48 5.6 22. Tues. 11:36 5.4 23. Wed. 12:00 6.4 24. Thurs. 12:48 6.2 25. Fri . 1:42 6.1 26. Sat. 2:42 6.1 27. Sun. 3:42 6.2 28. Mon. 4:42 6.4 29. Tues. 5:30 6.7 30. Wed. 6:18 6.9

7:12 7.4 7:54 7.7 8:30 7.9 9:12 7.9 10:00 7.8 10:54 7.5 11 :54 7.2 12:18 5.9 1:30 5.8 2:42 5.9 4:00 6.3 5:06 6.8 6:00 7.4 6:42 7.8 7:24 8.0 8:06 8.0 8:36 7.9 9:12 7.7 9:48 7.4 10:30 7.0 11 :12 6.7
12:24 5.2 1:24 5.2 2:24 5.4 3:30 5.8 4:24 6.3 5:12 6.8 6:00 7.4 6:42 7.9

12 :54 1:36 2:18 3 :06 3:48 4:36 5:30 6:30 7:42 8:54 9:54
10:54 11:42 12:06 1:00 1:42 2:24 3:06 3:42 4:24 5:00 5:48 6:36 7:30 8 :30 9:30 10:18 11:00 11:48 12:24

1:06 1:48 2 :24 3:06 3:48 4:36 5:30 6:36 7 :54 9:12 10:18 11:18
12:30 1: 12 1:54 2:36 3:12 3:48 4:24 5:06 5:54 6:48 7:54 8:54 9:54
10:42 11:36
12:30

MAR . APR.

4

II

18

26

2

9

16

24

To report violat1on s or 1f you need ass1stance 1n t he Coastal Area -Call- State Game & F1sh CommiSSIOn. Brunsw1ck. Georg1a. P. 0. Box 1097. Phon e 26 5-1552. Savannah 233-2383, R1chmond Hill 756-3679