VOL. 4, NO. 8 I AUGUST, 1969 
 
 ~GEORGIA 
~GAME&FISH 
 
August 1969 
 
Volume IV 
 
Number 8 
 
CONTENTS 
 
Tangle With A Tarpon! 
 
Jim Morrison 1 
 
How To Land A Lunker 
 
Marvin Tye 7 
 
Follow The Birds 
 
Jim Morrison 10 
 
They're Teaching Fishing in School! 
Outdoor World Sportsmen Speak Sportsman's Calendar 
 
Dean Wohlgemuth 15 
17 
19 
21 
 
Lester G. Maddox 
Governor 
George T. Bagby 
Director. State Gam e & F1 sh Comm1ss1on 
 
COMMISSIONERS 
 
James Darby Chairman 
Vida Iia-lst 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 District 
 
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 Leonard Bassford Augusta-lOth District 
 
Jimmie Williamson Darien-Coastal District 
 
TECHNICAL SERVICES DIVISION Jack A. Crockford, Assistant Director 
Leon Kirkland, Fisheries Chief Hubert Handy, Game Management Chief Charles M. Frisbe, Supervisor, Marine Fisheries RobertS. Baker, Special Services Coordinator 
LAW ENFORCEMENT DIVISION Bill Cline 
Deputy State Chief, Atlanta David Gould 
Deputy State Cn ief , Brunswick 
GEORGIA GAME & FISH STAFF 
Jim Morrison, Editor 
Dean Wohl gemuth Staff Writer 
Marvi n Tye, Staff Writer Joh n Culler, Staff Writer 
J. Hall , Staff Writer Ted Borg, Photographer 
Georg10 Game and Fi sh is th e off~eiol mon th ly mag azine of th e Georgia Game o nd Fish Co m m is sion , publish ed o t th e Commi ssio n ' s off~ees , Trinity Washingto n Building, 270 Washing to n St., At/o nto, G eor g ia 30334. No odvert.s.ng occep tcJ . Subscriptions o re $ 1 for o ne year o r $2 .50 for three yeors Pr nted by Stei n Printing Co mpo n y, Atla nt a. Go. Notifi cation of address honge mus t incl ude bo th old ond n ew o ddr e ss o nd ZIP code, with 30 days 
ot c~ No subscri pt ion reques ts w ill be a ccep ted without ZIP code. Articles 1 photographs m oy b e reprinted . Proper credit should be g iven. Contribu - 
tou ' welcome , but the edi tors assume no responsibil ity or liability for lo<s " 1 ncge of articles, pho togr a phs, or illustr ati on s. Second -closs postage pa ,/ 'J Af/1 nto, Go. 
 
Firm to Press Plan to Mine off Savannah 
Savannah, Ga. (AP)- A. F. T. Seale, senior vice presiden t of Kerr-AfcGee Corp., says his compan y still plans to min e phosphate on islands ofJ this coastal city. 
Th e oil compan y official said Afonday that Kerr-McG ee "was not backing off" from plans to mine phosphate on Little Tyb ee and Cabbage Island and would possibly reo pen negotiations with other state-own ed islands in the area . 
Last year, a statewide contrO\'ersy erupted over K errM cGee's mining plans. Finally, efforts by th e company to secure a lease to approximately 25,000 acres of stateowned offshore marshlands failed when the Georgia A/inera! Leasing Commission let a tim e limit expire. 
A ttom ey Genera! Arthur K. Bolton th en held that the question settled after no action was taken by N ovember 30, 1968 deadlin e. 
Afany private citizens and state conservationists claim the offshore mining would cause heavy pollution in the area. 
Seale, however, said his firm is "k eeping its (minin g) plans alive," despite the ciTy being "hostile to phosphate minin g." 
The Atlanta Journal , June 9, 1969. 
THE MONEY CHANGERS ARE STILL IN THE TEMPLE 
When outraged public opinion and legal delayi ng action forced the State Mineral Leasing Commission to drop plans to give away the pearl of Georgia's coast last year. most people relaxed their guard. confident that the victory had been won. 
The truth of the matter is that while a battle was won, the war was not. 
Efforts to enact strong legal protection for Georgia's virtually unspoiled coa~t failed to m a ke the grade, largel y because of a lack of public exp ressions of support for them , coupled with the vociferous opposition of industrial interests already entrenched on the Georgia coast who have glimpsed the handwriting on the wall. 
These powerful co mpan ies make their weight felt in local and state politics th rough large campai gn "donations," and they employ full time lobbyists who know how to stop conservation legislation, unle~s public support is overwhel ming. 
The very fact that th e phosphate lea-;e in C h atham County was not granted to the Kerr-McGee Corporation of Oklahoma proves that the power of the people on a conservati o n issue can be successful in spite of such odds. If the same wave of public sentiment had occurred while the Georgia General Assembly was in session. the Marshland Protection Bills would have sai led through both houses into law. This would especially have been the case if the Mineral Leasing Board had defied public opinion and granted the lease. 
Continued on page 20 
ON THE COVER: Georgia's official State Bird, the brown thrasher. Thrash e rs a re common year round re sidents of every Georgia county, from Brasstown Bald to the Okefenokee Swamp. Their beautiful son g is co mmonly heard from February until July, when th ey become si1ent at th e end of the nestin g seasons. Efforts to replace the thrasher as the official state bird with the bobwhite quail kicked up a real fra cas at th e la st session of the General Assembly, but the resolution is still b uried in a Hou se committee. 
ON THE BACK COVER : A male cardinal. His bri ght beauty and clear whistle are welcome sights and sounds in Georg ia every day of the year, especially during the winter. Color photos by the talented Dr. Dan Sudia, Atlanta. 
PHOTO CREDITS : Ted Borg 1, 2, 3, 4, 6t.l., 7, 8, 9t.&b.l., llt.&c., 12, 14, 15, 16; John Culler 17; Jim Morrison llb ., 13t; Marvin Tye 9b.r.; Ben York, Coasta l Planning and Development Commission 6t.r. 
 
 os by Ted Borg 
 
By Jim Morrison 
Bursting from the wa te r wi th the power of a moon bound rocket , th e sil very tarpon shook from side to side like a bJlldog killing a rat. 
The unexpected sight of the brawny fi sh, so c lose to the boat, stopped m y breath . It was all I could do jm t to hang onto m y light saltwater spinning rod, before he jumpeu again. 
 
Here he comes! Albert Ryan of Darien has his hands full as a brawny 
A/tamaha River tarpon breaks water . Tarpon begin moving into the river in July each year . 
 
,, 
 
- ...._~_ ~--~~....~~.....- T. .. . 
Hang on! StJ/1 not defeated, the silver king thrashes wildly as Charlie Bohannon tries to put the gaff under its gills. Men have actually been killed trying to boat giant tarpon. 
 
Victory! Exhausted by his ordea l, Ryan hoists his trophy, the first tarpon taken ir. last year's first Tarpon Derby on the Georgia coast. 
 
.. ..~ .._ 
-~=f: 
 
-- 
 
Beauty and the beast? No doubc about which is which this t1me. Ryan's 30 pounder gets checked by the 1968 Tarpon Derby Queen, Sherry Holland of Brunswick Scales in this year's contest are certified by the State Department of Agriculture. 
" Here he comes! Grab your came ra !" I frantically shou ted to Ted Borg. Gam<' and Fish l\lagazinc's staff pho tographer, who immediatel y Jroppcd his rod as the next jolting leap cxploued from the water , less than 40 feet awa y. and gettin g closer. 
Still sh aken b y the he;td on \i ght o f such tremendous power in mid -ai r. I caught a glimpse of ~omcthin g red and wh ite draped over the tarpo n's sid e. 
"He's fouled up with ~ o ur plug ' '' I screamed at T ed, "ho picked up h i-. rod again a-; the mon-.tc r submerged . showin g me his plu g 20 01 JO feet a wa y ~pla-.hing the surfa ce a-; he 1ecled . 
 
 Before I could explain what I had 
 
seen, the tarpon leaped again, less than 
 
20 feet away. Keeping a tight line on 
 
his jumps, my heart sank when the finny 
 
torpedo headed str2ight for the boat, 
 
boring for the bottom. 
 
Holding on for dear life, I rammed 
 
my rod under water as quickly as pos- 
 
sible, and worked the line around the 
 
outboard motor's lower unit , just in 
 
time for the first jump on the other side 
 
of the boat, 10 feet away. 
 
The thought flashed through my 
 
mind: what might happen if that pow- 
 
erful form landed in the boat on his 
 
next jump, swinging the three large 
 
treble hooks of my plug in his jaw as 
 
he flounced between Ted and I! 
 
Now my pulse was pounding with 
 
excitement, both from the power of the 
 
fish I had hooked, and from the unex- 
 
pected threat of danger !n his close 
 
leaps, something I had never experienced 
 
in fishing before. How could I land a 
 
monster fish like this? 
 
The problem was solved on his sixth 
 
and last leap, when Mr. Tarpon and I 
 
said good bye with a feeling of mutual 
 
relief as my big plug came free and I reeled in the slack line. 
How big was he? Jud gi ng from Ted's 
 
Alley Oop! The author's tarpon makes like an Apollo rocket. Tarpon can jump as high as eight to ten teet, plus 20 teet horizontally! It's enough to freeze even a frenzied angler's blood! 
 
pictures, half as big as I thought at the 
 
Still attached to my giant red and 
 
A few tarpon arrive in Georgia 
 
time! Apparently he was from three to white Creek Chub plug and five feet of waters in June, but the bulk of arrivals 
 
four feet long, and may have weighed wire leader, he jumped again and again from the south occur in July. The big 
 
from 30 to 40 pounds, compared to at the edge of the marsh, trying to free bruisers remain in the shallow waters 
 
tarpon I have see n boated or in pic- himself from the lure, while I watched of the coastal area through August and 
 
tures. And he was the smallest Georgia helplessly. That was lesson number one early September, when they migrate 
 
tarpon I've tangled with, or seen on the about tarpon tackle. 
 
southward. 
 
end of a line. 
 
So you didn't know there c:re tarpon 
 
Thousands of tarpon hang around 
 
The pictures show I had hooked him on the Georgia coast? Then join the the beaches, inlets, sounds, and tidal 
 
in the dorsel fin as he struck. 
 
club of coastal fishermen who don't find rivers and creeks surrounding the seven 
 
The first tarpon I ever saw in my life it necessary to always go fishing in Georgia co2stal barrier islands, as well 
 
on the end of a fishing line was prob- Florida! True, only a relative handful of as the adjacent mainland, even swim- 
 
ably the biggest ... another "one that fishermen in the past have realized that ming short distances up the five main 
 
got away." 
 
Georgia and Florida share the same frcshwate:: rivers. 
 
On his first jump, his entire length ocean, and virtually the same fish, but 
 
While tarpon are caught in all these 
 
of over six feet cleared the muddy the word is rapidly leaking out. Tarpon locations when they are actively fished 
 
waters of the Altamaha River before arc found in tropical and subtropical for, which is seldom, the largest num- 
 
making a belly-buster landing, just as waters on both sides of the Atlantic ber arc consistently caught in one spot 
 
my cheap freshwater wire snap straight- 
----ened out! 
 
Ocean, both on North and South America, and Africa. 
 
in the Altamaha River near Darien, 30 minutes north of Brunswick. 
Dubbed the 'Tarpon Hole' ' by local devotees of the silver king, this par- 
 
ticular spot is a relatively deep hole 
 
two miles long in the Altamaha's Mid- 
 
dle River delta branch, between Brough- 
 
ton and Rabbit Islands in the middle 
 
of the State Game and Fish Commis- 
 
sion's Altamaha Waterfowl Management 
 
Area, eas t of the U. S. 17 bridge and 
 
west of the Intercoastal \Vaterway. You 
 
- 
 
. ~ ... 
 
can get a free map of the area by writing the Commission's Atlanta or Brunswick offices. It's ir. easy driving distance 
 
of the popular beach resorts of Jekyll 
 
Island State Park and St. S:mons Island. 
 
There arc two ways to get into the 
 
"Tarpon Hole," either by launching 
 
There he goes! On the sixth and last jump, the author's red and while plug gave way from the tarpon's dorsal fin, which not infrequenl/y gels hooked when the big fish slaps at the plug and misses. 
 
your boat at the free public concrete ramp on the Darien River branch of the Altamaha just above the U. S. I 7 
 
 Bridge and going through General's Cut to the 1\Jidule River. or by using the launching hoi st at Frank C ulpepper's Two-Way Fish Camp just below the U. S. 17 Bridge over the South Altamaha, then taking \Voou's C ut to the 1\Iiudlc River. 
How big a boat do you need"? It's up to you-everything from 12 foot river boats with nine and a hal f horsepower motor up to 20 foot inboard-outboards arc commonly used for tarpon fishing in the relatively protcctcJ river, which seldom exceeds a mile in width in most places before reaching the Intcrcoa-;tal Waterway. 
The most important thing is to have a good reliable motor that trolls well at its slowes! speed. and two cans or tanks of gas! As m y wife. father-in-law, and I found out to my considerable chagrin. they don't sell it on th e marsh islands! In case you don't know, you can't pull up on the marsh y hank and start walking to the nearest filling station -your chances of making it arc pretty slim. and sometimes it's hours before another boat comes along to rescue you. Another intcrestin& tidbit is the fact that the tide goes out twice a day. straight to the ocean via the sometimes treacherous Altamaha Sound, and it could take you with it if you're out of gas. having motor trouble, etc., and have no anchor or way of tying up on the fragile m arsh grass stems in a stiff wind! 
1\Jy injured pride at being rescued from the banks of Big Marsh Island was somewhat restored the next yea r, when Ted and I pulled a broken down 35 horsepower runabout a nd three fishermen all the way from the Intercoastal Waterway five or six miles hack to TwoW ay Fish Camp , crawl ing u.long with our 18 horse motor and its two cans of gas. 
You can rent a boat and/ or a motor at Two-\Vay Fish Camp. as well as launch yo ur own boat on the hoi st. bu y gasoline, food. bait. lures. etc. You can al-;o m ake arrdngemcnt s there for a guide , especiall y on your first trip. While I had fished fo r tarpon in the river once or tv.ice a year for three years previously without a guide and had ~till hooked several tarpon. I wa-; n't sure I was on the right track or not until I fished last sca'ion with veteran guide .Jim 1\JcVcigh of Darien. who guides out of Two Wa y. 
" I think the best tarpon lure is the red and white Creek Chub broken back plug." Jim says. " I've co nsisten tl y tak e n the most fish and had the mo<;t ~trikes on the one and a half ounce size with the medium running lip, although some fishermen prefer the three-fourths ounce size or the larger th rcc ounce size." 
A few local fi-;hcrmen prefer the ~a rne plug (which Creek Chub calls the 
 
Pikic Minnow) in a perch or mullet finish or even blue. hut the red and white plug is mo~t commonly used. You can get them at Two-\Vay and in a few tackle shops around Brunswick, if you know where to look, hut I've never found them in stock anywhere else in Georgia, and most Atlanta wholesalers don't even handle this size plu g, wh ic h retails for abou~ $2.50. Because of th e ~hallow dep th of the Altamaha where the tarpon arc. you don't need the long lipped deep Jiving models, which spends most of its time rooting up the bottom. 
Of course, other lures can he successfully used to take tarpon. They include a wide variety of plugs. spoons. and feather jigs. I've been told. For what it's worth, I've tried them all in the Altamaha. hut have never had a strike or seen a tarpon st rike any of them , except a large Rapala. 
According to local fishermen, one of the best ways to fish for tarpon is ~till fishing or difting with live bait or. a 6/0 hook, usually a mullet or some other species, although dead mullet, crab, and even shrimp arc used in some places to fish for tarpon. 
If you know how anJ where, you can catch you own bait in a seine or cast net. While fl y tl shing for tarpon is becoming popular elsewhere, I've never heard of it being successfu ll y used on the Georgia coast, apparently because of the different water conditions and the feeding habit s of th e fish. 1\layhe it just hasn't been tried much. 
As I learned , th e way you attach your lure to th e line is important. You need at least 12 to 15 inches of I 00 pound test of wire leader wrapped dirc.;tly to th e plug with enough of a loop to allow movement. without using a snap. This keeps the rasping jaws and gill plate of the tarpon from sawing your line away. It's a lso a good idea to have about fi ve feet of 50 or 60 pound mon ofi lament 
 
above that. rastcned to a strong saltwater swivel without a ~nap. to guard against th e tarpon's flailing body on the jumps. One of the best \vays to fasten wire leaders to the plug and to a swivel is to usc the small metal slicves made for thi s purpose, which arc crimped with special crimping pliers or electrician's pliers. Don 't he sorry lat ertest them out in advance! 
What about rods and reels? Wellyou can leave that ultrali ght sp inning rod home , unless you like to lose plugs! It's Jillicult to land these large fish on regular freshwater spinning or casiing tackle, withat:t a lot of luck and hours of efTort, say around 10 or 12 hours ! About the lightest tackle yo u can expect to ge t away with is using about a nine foot li gh t action saltwater sp inning rod with 20 pound test mono on a sa lt water reel. like the Mitchell 302 that I usc, \vhich is not too heav y to cast with. But for trollin g. if yo u rea ll y mean business. you can't get a star drag reel and a short. ~trong trolling rod th a t is too heavy for tarpon, although you won't be able to usc wire line in the shallow water. 50 pound test braided line or better is the best bet. 
What time of day do you tl-;h ? Don 't worry about that early in the mornin g and late in the afternoon hu~in css-it doesn't apply to tarpoon fishing. In the Altamaha. tarpon fishing hours arc dictated by the tide. Apparently. the big fi sh move up the Alta.naha out o f But termilk Sound and into Tarpon Hole with the incoming tide. feeding on schools of ~mall minnows like menhaden. anchovies, and mullet. and then move back o ut of th e river with the tide . As a rc~ult. tarpon arc -;eld om seen in the river except a! about two hours before high tide and until about two hours after. The bc~t fishing time is believed to be the first hour after high tide, hut it's a matter of opinion. 
 
It takes heavier than usual tackle to land tarpon, preferably star drag saltwater casting and trolling equipment (right), although a light saltwater spinning reel like the Mitchell 302 with 20 pound test line can be used. Even so, tarpon can't be "horsed." The most popular lure in the Altamaha's "Tarpon Hole" is the Creek Chub Jointed Pikie, which comes in three ounce, one and a half ounce (the most popular), and three-fourths ounce size, which last year's winning contest fish was caught on. Red and whtte is the locally favored color, although some anglers prefer the shad or mullet finishes. A wire leader is a necessity. 
 
 It is sure in the Altamaha that you're wasting your time to fish at low tide, because the fish simply aren't there. Fishing tides vary with the locationslow tide may be best in the sounds. Another thing-in consulting the tide tahle for the time of high tide. you have to remember that the published charts like Game and Fish Magazine prints each month arc for the outer har beyond the off~hore islands. It takes the tiue approximately two hours to reach up the Altamaha to the Tarpon Hole and U. S 17. so make your plans accordingly. Most fishermen fish only in the Jaylight high tide on the Altamaha. although night fishing is considcrcJ the best in many Atlantic coastal areas. 
How do you know when tarpon are around? It's easy- you can sec them. Tarpon have an air bladder connected to their gullet which they use for breathing atmospheric air. in addition to their gills. As a result. they frequently rise to the surface and "roll" to take in air, regardless of whether or not they are feeding, a frmtrating finagle factor for fishermen. But when tarpon are actively feeding. there's no mistaking what is going on, especially in a large school of forage fish . But just to be ornery, tarpon will steadfastly ignore your lure whi le they are tearing the water apart, only to latch on when you think the last fish in mile<> has disappeared. 
I'll never forget m y first view of a school of tarpon headed into the Altamaha's middle river. Walt Stephens and I could see them rising through the calm water on the incoming tide. miles away. The quick flash of sunlight on their slivery sides is unmi stakable. [n a few minutes. we were in the middle of them . awe-struck by the sight of their powerful greenish hucJ hacks rising from the water in a quick roll. the long whip-like filament on their dorsal fin clearly exposed. Most of the fi sh in the school were from sixt y to a hur.clred pounus in size. we estimated. The one that took m y plug with him '>laggered our im agination enough to troll for two m o re Ja ys in hopes of ha nging another. 
Trollin g is th e mos t common methou of fi shing fo r ta rpo n o n the G eorgia coast , although th ey can be caught plug casting. F a iling to co nn ect one afternoo n tr ollin g. we shut ofT the outboard motor and drifted into a small school of feedi ng tarpo n. li stenin g to them rise on all siues o f the hoat. 
Si nce he cou ldn 't cas t with his heavy ~a lt wa t cr tro llin g o utfi t. Ted Bo rg picked up h is smal l fres h wa ter ~ p i nnin g rod with a Mitchell 100 reel a nd ~ i x pound test lin e. ti eJ on a C reek C huh , and ma de a n experim ent al cac; t. Yo u guessed it- th e wa ter exploded ! Ted's ta rpon was about a 60 or 70 pounder, and every o u nce o f it was a irborne a t least five or 
 
Size is no limit on boats used for tarpon trolling in the Altamaha, all the way from inboardoutboards like Darien Mayor Dr. William Tailer's on down to small f/atbottom fishing boats with 10 horsepower outboard motors. 
Here they come! Darien guide Jim McVeigh of Two-Way Fish Camp spots a school of rolling tarpon coming in with the tide, rising to breath atmospheric air into their lung-/ike air bladder. 
 
 six times. I made a picture of it at the top of every jump. only to find o ut later that in m y excitement. I forgo t to fo cu s the camera! 
The end of Ted's s ~ory is a sad one. unfortunately-his tackle was no match for the big bruiser. After his thrilling jumps, he began to doggishly sulk underwater on the bottom of th e hole, and the light rod was n't strong enough to ra ise his massive head for another se ries of tiring jumps. Eve ntu a ll y. the light six pound test line was simply worn away, rather than broken. after a futile 45 minutes. L ater, we jokingl y told the di sp irited Ted that the tarpon had caught him, instead of vice-versa! 
Ted's fish was the only one we ever saw strike a cast lure, and o n all the strikes that either of us ha ve had since were while trolling. in spite of hours of arm-wearing effort. 
Wh en it comes to tarpon. Ted is one of the luckiest, a nd unluckiest. fishermen that I know . In two da ys of trolling with Jim McVeigh and I, Ted hooked a nd lost six tarpon, once when hi s line caught in the edge of the spool and broke, another time when he lost his plug. The rest of the time, the metalmouthed tarpon managed to get off the hook. which is easy to unde rstand when you finally get to look down a dead one's throa t. 
Many tim es, one jump is all you'll get out of a tarpon. A s soon as he feels the hook s, alley-oop! 
In case yo u've been wai ting to read about how I finall y landed the big one, yo u can lay the magazine down right now, because I'm still trying! By no w, yo u' ve probably got the message th at tarpon aren't a ny pushover. You're right! 
Although I've seen hundreds of tarpon in the water and dozens on th e line. I've had th rcc strik es in four yea rs of tarpon fi shing. and wa s left remembering e ight fantast ie jumps to ha ng on my den wall. During that time. I've actua ll y see n only o ne tarpon caught the one pictured with this article landed hy Albert R ya n of Darie n. 
Wh y? The main reason is that tarpon arc simply hard to eateh, even if you know how. Tarpon frequently si mpl y won't bite. When they do. hooking them and staying hooked during their wild ju mps is easier sa id th an done. Whil e you can hesitate briefly before setting the hook, mm,t anglers advi-;e putting plenty of mu scle into it. If you strike too soon. you may pull the plug ou t of his open mouth as he surges up before chomping down on it. 
Ju<;t to confuse matters. some anglers reco mmend not sett ing th e hook a t a ll. Boh We-.t of St. Simons bland, the winne r of last year's Tarpon Derby. says that it's a waste of effort to try se tting the hook in the bony mou th of 
 
a tarpo n. Bob in stead tries to let the ta rpon snag the inside of a bony ridge in hi s mouth by slidin g the plug along. hopin g it will catch underneath. Then, he keeps a ti ght lin e at a ll times . since the hook may pop loose at any time if the lin e goes ~ l ack. 
Another reaso n few tarpon arc caught is that almost no o ne has been fishing for them on the Georgia coast. until last year. Tarpon arc edible, hut that's about all th at can he said for them. Since most o f th e loca l fishermen arc primaril y out for m ea t, ra ther than sport th ey aren't interested in the tarpon. especia ll y wh~n they find o ut how diffic ult he is to catch. loudm outhed braggarts to th e co ntrary! 
I like to com pare tarpon fishi ng to sti ll huntin g for d eer, w hi ch arc simi lar in man y ways: th e ta rp o n sta lk er, lik e th e deer hunt er, mu st have pl enty of patience. He can go to the general area where tarpon arc, but then the next move is up to the fish. But when lighte nin g finally strikes. the exciteme nt is thunderous! There is no doubt in my mind th at the tarpon is the king of Georgia's big game fish. eve n if he can't he eate n! 
Since he's genera ll y cons id ered unplat able, most sport fishermen release their catch a li ve. unless they plan to have him m ount ed as a trophy or wa nt to enter him in a fi shin g contest. This ca n he don e w ith th e fish in th e wa ter hy holdin g hi s head with a ga ft under the gill pl ate a nd using pliers to ca refully remove the hooks. 
Oh yes. those stories you've heard about tarpon killing men who pulled them into their boat too soon? They're true. so don't get in a hurry! Hi s powerful tail could break an arm or leg. or a few boat sc:ats. You cou ld lose an overturned tackle hox. but that would be better than a severed juglar vein at the hands of your own plug flailing from his mouth. While some fishermen shoot their catch with a pistol. this ean he a dangerous practi ce. and is usually not all owed in a fishing contest. If yo u wear him out long eno ugh. you'll finally he able to gaft him under the gill plate. then heat his braim out on the side with a hill y cluh or a piece of lea d pipe. But don't ever pull h:m into the boat untii you're sure he's dead. or pretty well subdued. 
And what abo ut the fishing conte.,t? It's the Tarpon Derby, which was started la'>l year by the Coastal Planning and Development Commis'iion. It\ being held again this year from Jun e 22 through Labor D Y co-spomorcd hy the newly formed Coastal Sport Fishing Federation. in all of the -.ix coastal counties except Chatham. The entry fcc hadn't hccn '>CI hy the dead lin e for this article. hut '' ill probably he in the neighborhood of 50 cenh to a do!lar for 
 
each participant. with the cash going to th e top winners in three categories: a ll tackl e, light ta ck le ( 20 pound test line or smaller) and most unusual eateh. The entry fee can he paid at any one of over 20 ofllcial weighing stations at most coastal fish camps, etc. The State Department of Agriculture has inspected their sca les for accuracy, so "guesstimating" won' t do! All fish e nt ered in the contest must he caught by one person on a rod and line. with shooting not a ll owed. 
The wi nn er of las t yea r's contest was Boh West of St. Simons bland , who landed a I 37l!z pound whopper in a secret location somewhere on the Intercoas ta l Waterway otT St. Simons Island. West took 40 minutes to land the whopper on a heavy trolling rod with 36 pound test line. usi ng a three-fo urths o unce red and whi te Creek Chub Pikic. the jointed or broken-back model. Hi s fish was six feet , five inches long. (The world record tarpon caught on a rod and reel weighed 283 pounds, although a 350 pounder that measured eight feet, two inches long was caught in a net. 
T he light weight division was won by Floyd Atwood of Darien, who accidentally hooked a 28 pounder in the side while trolling for Spanish mackerel wi th 20 pound test line on a Mitchell 300 reel. 
In all. there were 49 tarpon entered in last year's contest, with most en tri es averaging 12 to 14 pounds. caught primarily in the Altamaha River, although tarpon are caught in many other locations. such as Buttermilk Sound or Sutherland Bluff ncar Shellman Blufr and it s fi sh camps. alGng with Blackbeard Creek. and Cabtctta Inlet, all in i\1clntosh County. 
Other spots include the Little and Big Satilla rivers in Glynn County. and several creeks around Cumberland hland. I am sure there arc man y other places that I don't know about in the sprawling vastness of the Georgia coast. 
One of the largest schools of hig tarpon that I ever saw was in St. Andrews Sound. between the southern tip of Jekyll Island St:-~te Park and the northern end of Cumberland Island. 
Walt Stephens and i ran into them on our way out to fish for Spanish mackerel. hut we nc,cr spotted mackerel that morning. Looking for the sea birds that mark the schools. we zeroed in on a large flock of'' heeling and diving bird-.. only to find the silver kings tearing up a tremendous -;chool of menhaden. or porgies. as they arc called hv nati\'C'i. 
And ''hat a sight that was~ In the clear green water of the sound. we had no trouble seeing si.x and seven foot tarpon crui'>ing under the water before tearing through the <ochool of smaller fi-;h. sending them tl~ ing through the air 
 
 The only fish camp and marina on the 
 
Altamaha above the "Tarpon Hole" is 
 
Frank Culpepper's Two-Way Fish Camp 
 
on the Glynn County bank, named tor 
 
the interesting tact that fishermen can 
 
catch either fresh or saltwater fish from 
 
the camp, by either going up or down 
 
the Altamaha's brakish water tidal zone. 
 
There is also a public boat launching 
 
( 
 
ramp at Darien. 
 
Last year's tarpon Derby was won by St. Simons Island angler Bob West, who landed this 1372 pound giant "somewhere oft the Intracoastal Waterway" near St. Simons Island, believed to be Buttermilk Sound at the end of the Altamaha. 
 
(. 
I 
 
with a cloud of spray in all directions. Sometimes, the tarpon would come halfway out of the water in their feeding frenzy, constantly rolling around the boat. 
Driven to distraction. we followed the sehool for over two hours , al most to the Jekyll Bridge, trolling baek and forth through it with every lure we had, including one of the menh aden th at we snagged on a plug, but with only one strike, on the old faithful red and white Creek Chub. 
When the strike came, ! had given up hope, and was about to fall asleep wi th boredom from the constant drone of the trolling motor. When I looked back 75 yards behind the boat and saw the giant hurling straight out of the water like a telephone pole. I could scarcely believe my eyes. Feeling the hooks, he went for the air, and immediately threw my plug. 
How high do tarpoon jump? The experts say up to 10 feet , and over 20 feet horizontally. I believe them. 
For years, I had heard that tarpon came into the Altamaha to spawn, but apparently that isn't true. All the experts say tarpon :>!)awn in saltwater between the shore and the Gulf Stream, which is 30 to 90 miles off the Georgia coast. This is the only area in which 
 
" Tarpon Hole" Location Map 
 
TARPON DERBY WEIGHING STATIONS 
 
(A ll phone numb ers are in 9 12 area co de) 
 
OGEECHEE FISHING CAMP 
Mr. E. L. Sa lette, Mgr. P. 0. Box 37 Richmond Hill, Ga. 
756-3952 KILKENNY FISHING CAMP Robert E. Bacot, Mg r . Rt. #1, Box 216 Ri ch mond Hill, Ga. 756-3940 HAROLD'S FI SH ING CAMP Harold Wiberg, Mgr. Rt. #2 Townsend, Ga. 31331 
8325116 (Eu lonia) KIP 'S FISHING CAMP Kip Smith, Mgr. 
Rt. #2 Townsend, Ga. 31331 832-5162 (Eulonia) NICK'S FISHING CAMP Nick Detrino, Mgr. Shellmans Bluff Townsend, Ga. 3133 1 8325218 (Eulonia) FISHERMAN'S LODGE J. I. Burke, Mgr. 
Rt. # 2 
Townsenu, Ga. 31331 8324671 <Eulonia) BRANCH'S FISHING CAMP J. Branch, Mgr. RFD .:t1, Box 213 Midv. y, Ga. 31320 884 ~3. (Hmesville) 
 
MORGAN'S FISHING CAMP J. W. Morga n, Mg r. R;. #I Mcintosh, Ga. 3 13 17 884-2220 (Hi nesville) 
BARTRUM ' S MARINA Roy Ba rtr um, Mgr. Rt. #2 Townsend, Ga . 3133 1 &32-4603 (E u lonia) 
CROOKED RIVER STATE PARK Jerry Min chew, Supe rint en dent Rt. #1 Kingsla nd, Ga. 31548 
8825256 
BLUE ' N HALLS FISHING CAMP Mrs. D. L. St ewart , Mgr. P. 0. Box 181 Darien, Ga. 31305 437-4677 
TROUPE CREEK MARINA Bob Gill, Mgr. Rt. #2, Box 3 Brunswick, Ga. 31520 2643862 
OLSEN' S YACHT YARD '"Bubba" Olsen, Mgr. P 0. Box 1137 St. Simons Island, Ga. 3 1522 6388633 
JEKYLL ISLAND MARI NA # I Pier Road Jekyll Island, Ga. 31520 635224 1 
 
(Register before going fishing) 
JONES FISHING CAMP Mr s. Agne s Crews, Mgr. Route 5, Box 6 15 Brunswic k, Ga. 265-1757 
TERRY CREEK FISH CAMP Mr. Robe rt s, Mgr. #8 Ter ry Cree k Roa d Bru nswic k, Ga. 31 520 265-7646 
GEORGE'S BAIT STOP Geo rge Benn ette , Mgr . 117 Darien Roa d Brunswic k, Ga. 3152 0 2653091 
TWO-WAY FISHING CAMP Frank D. Cull peppe r , Mgr. Rt. #2, Box 84 Brunswic k , Ga. 31520 2658268 
BRUNSWICK MARINA Cla re Shoema ker , Mgr. P. 0. Box 548 Brunswick, Ga. 3 1520 2659881 
ST. Sl MONS MARINA Ed Tabo t , Mg r. St. Simons Island , Ga. 31522 6389146 
DICKEY AND SONS PACKING CO. Mr. Dic key St. Marys, Ga. 31558 
 
6 
 
ALTAMAHA WATERFOWL AREA 
 
BRUNSWICK . 
 
recentl y hatched tarpon young have 
 
been found. Originally a small eel-like 
 
swimmer, the tarpon larvae metamor- 
 
phose and actuall y shrink in size be- 
 
fore turning into juvenile tarpon, rapidly 
 
heading for the salt marshes around 
 
Sapelo and other Georgia coastal islands, 
 
where they switeh from a diet of crab 
 
larvae and aquatic inseets to small 
 
shrimp and fish. Young fish are found 
 
in the marshes from Jul y to November, 
 
indicating the dates of spawning, but 
 
they disappear in the fall shortl y after 
 
the adclts leave. 
 
True, Georgia tarpon may not be 
 
good to eat, or the easies~ fish in the 
 
world to eateh- but if they were, could 
 
they be an y less exciting to catch ? I 
 
don't think so, but don't take my word 
 
for it- try it yourself! 
 
,_ 
 
(Edi tor's note: After this article \\'as sent to th e printers, th e author caught his first tarpon last m onth in th e A ltam aha's " Tarpon H ole," a file foo t, 50 poun der. ) 
 
 HOW TO 
LANDA 
LUNKER 
 
By Marvin Tye  It was a dark, overcast July after- 
nOOl. and I was th inking more about the possibility of getting soaked by the threatenin g rain than of catching a large bass. I had come to fish, so I made one more half-hearted cast and allowed m y purple Kurl Worm to sink. I had just begun to work it ewer th e bottom when I felt a jolting ~trike and the run of a heavy bass. 
 
The fish had caugh t me with my gua rd down. There was no time to release the hail on m y spinning rod and let the bass take the lure with no re~istancc . I pulled the rod tip up sharply to set the hook and wa<> relieved to lccl a soli d resi~tance. For a few seconds I could feel the fish tearing ofT line again\! the tight drag. Then the run ~torpcd and I could not budge it or make it run again. 
 
7 
 
 "He's tangled in the weeds," I yelled to my companions, Jim Morrison and J. Hall. "Let's get over there before he breaks off." 
Jim and J. paddled the small skiff over to the weed bed in record time. I held my rod tip high and reeled in as fast as I could in order to keep a tight line. Just as we reached the weeds, the bass shot out of the cover on another 
After a bass has been thoroughly exhausted on light tackle, the angler can grab it by the lower jaw and bring it in, but use of a landing net is recommended on larger fish. run. I got my first glimpse of the monster then and he seemed to be as long as my arm. I put all of the strain on my eight pound test line that I thought it would stand and pulled the bass toward the net. It tried once more to run under the boat, but the light drag was beginning to take its toll. The bass allowed itself to be led to the net and Jim scooped it up. A couple of hours later on a grocery store scale in Valdosta it weighed nine pounds, and measured 26 inches long. 
Some day every bass fisherman hopes to catch a bass weighing nine pounds or more. Some succeed. \1any do not. I had made the grade when I had really least expected it. Jim, J. and I were in Valdosta on business and had gone down to the lake for a little fishing at the end of the Jay. as much to kill the time as for an y other reason. 
W ithout reall y planning it that way, I had followed two of the rules for catching big bass. These arc: go where the big bass are to he found and fi sh at the depth where the bass a re feeding. The Valdosta area has produ ced a number of large bass in rece nt years. At the time of m y fi shing trip the bass were in fairly Jeep water The Kurl Worm was obviously ju-.;t the right bait to use at that time. A heavier line would have been !'cltcr. Most bass fishermen use 15-lb. k-,t line when fi shing around snag'l d wate4. 
 
Lunker Largemouth bass are caught in Georgia during each month of the year. This one was taken by the author from a privately-owned lake near Valdosta in July. 
Georgia bass fishermen are lucky. The world's record largemouth was taken here in 1932 by George Perry. That Junker weighed 22 pounds and 4 ounces. Few bass anywhere near that size have been landed in the 37 years since that exci ting Ja y in June. Nevertheless, quite a few bass of six pounds and over and a few monsters of up to l 7 pounds have been taken in the Peach State. 
The world's record largemouth was taken in Montgomery Lake near Lumber City. Ga. The second largest weighed 17 lbs. 14 ozs. and was taken by Nickie Rich of Marietta in Chastain's Lake on April 27, 1965. Emory Dunahoo of Gainesville took the third largest, a 17 lb. 9 oz. specimen, from Lake Lanier on Dec. 19 of the same year. There is a possibility that larger bass have been caught in the state. l\Iany fishermen supplement their diet with fresh caught bass. Most of these find their way to the frying pan without ever being weighed. 
As the records would indicate, just about any time of the year is a good time to go bass fishing. There is no closed season on bass in the state. \Vhile many of our neighboring states to the north arc covered with snow and their rivers and lakes frozen over. residents of the Peach State arc landing large bass and other game fish without having to break the icc first. 
 
The majority of Georgia's anglers don't fish during the coldest months of the year, December, January, and February. There are too many months of warm weather to fish during the winter. Anglers like Emory Dunahoo who caught the third place largemouth at Lake Lanier in December sometimes score quite impressively. My friend Terry Chupp of Atlanta likes to fish for bass throughout the year. He invited me to accompany him to Lake Lanier one Saturday in February of this year. We had been having shirtsleeve weather for several days up until Friday, but as so often happens, our winter's quota of snow and ice fell that weekend. We decided to wait until the next Saturday. 
The following week was bright and warm. Saturday was again one of those wet and awful days. We fished until we could take the cold no longer, then headed for home. The weather began to clear as we reached Freeman's lake near Lilburn. Not one to give up on his only chance for fishing during the week, Terry suggested that we stop and fish for another hour. This time we both fished artificial worms slowly across the bottom as our boat drifted across the lake. Terry got a strike on our first crossing and let the fish run with the bait in the approved manner. '\\'hen the bass started his second run, Terry closed the bail and set the hook. After a brief struggle. he hauled a six-pound largemouth to the net. This was a fitting reward for the time we spent sitting out in the rain. It was not as miserable as it may sound. Both of us wore waterproof hoots and plastic rainsuits that covered our bodies from head to toe. Underneath were several layers of wool and cotton clothing. Although the temperature was only slightly above freezing. only our hands and faces v.:cre sensitive to the cold. 
Probably more large bass are taken on plastic worms than on any other artificial lure. This lure is both effective and widely used. The approved method of fishing the worm is to let it sink to the bottom. then to retrieve it slowly, u<>ing twitches of th~ rod tip to impart the desired action. A slight variation of this technique is employed by drifting over a likely area with the hail of the spinning reel open. The angler holds the line with one finger while working the worm over the bottom. As soon as he feels a stri ke the angler releases the line and allows the bass to run with the lure. 
When he thinks the fish has had sufficient time to get the bait into his mouth. the angler takes up the slack and sets the hook. Each angler has his own opinion as to how long the bass should be allowed to take the lure. Some put no 
prc<>surc at all on the fish during his 
initial run. Others squeeze the line light- 
ly between their fingers. They believe 
that this makes the worm feel like a live 
 
 Bass can swallow a big mouthful. This fish fell for a plastic purple Kurt Worm. 
 
Carlton Slocum used large shiners to hook these two bass, a 10-pounder and a smaller fish that weighed seven pounds. 
His largest to date is a 14'h pounder. Many Georgia anglers also use salamanders or spring lizards to hook big bass. 
 
ani mal that is struggling to get away. 
 
This is intended to make the bass gobble 
 
up the worm in short order. 
 
Some anglers usc worms rigged with 
 
two or more hooks. They try to set the 
 
hook immediately when a bass strikes. 
 
A minority of those who usc the single- 
 
hook rig also try to set the hook imme- 
 
diately. They lose a lot of bass by not 
 
hooking them. hut they also manage to 
 
hook and land their share. 
 
Fishermen using live hait land a large 
 
number of Junkers each year. The two 
 
most popular live baits in Georgia are 
 
the salamander or spring lizard and live 
 
minnows. Spring lizards are usually 
 
fished on the bottom, held down by a 
 
sliding sinker or split shot just heavy 
 
enough to sink the bait. The lizard is 
 
usually hooked through the lips with a 
 
weedless hook. Care must be taken to 
 
allow the bass to run with the lizard un- 
 
til it gets the bait within its mouth or 
 
swallows it. The sa me technique is used 
 
when fishing with minnows. 
 
During a trip to a privately-owned 
 
lake in South Georgia two months ago 
 
I tried a wide variety of artificials with 
 
no success. One of the local anglers, 
 
Carlton Slocum, was using shiner min- 
 
nows nearly as long as my hand. During 
 
that day he had landed a 10-lb. bass, a 
 
seven pounder. and a small fry that 
 
weighed in the neighborhood of three 
 
or four pounds. A few weeks before he 
 
had caught four bass that weighed 911z, 
 
10Yz, lPh. and 141/2 pounds, all in one 
 
day of fishing. Unde-stanclably, he was 
 
not overly impressed with the results of 
 
hi s fishing on the day that I was there. 
 
A bass of anywhere near 10 pounds 
 
is more than enough to perk up m y 
 
interest, so I laid aside m y lures and 
 
started fishing with minnows. I fi shed 
 
the remainder of the afternoon and all 
 
of the following morning with live min- 
 
nows. My largest bass was only a two 
 
and a half pound specimen that wa-; 
 
smaller than the small fry Slocum had 
 
landed on the first afternoon. 
 
Another angler commented on our 
 
lack of success with the Junkers. "There 
 
arc hi g hass in this cou ntry," he said. 
 
"If vou fish it long enough. you arc 
 
hound to hook one. It may take 1.000 
 
casts. hut if you ~tick with it you should 
 
he successful." 
 
One of the things that makes bass 
 
fishing so interesting is th at you never 
 
really know \v hat they will hit. A lure 
 
that really hauls them in one day may 
 
not produce a ~trike on the next. 
 
I believe I'll trv top-water plugs on my 
 
next ha-;s fi~hing trip . \Vho knows. I 
 
mav land another lunk~r. According to my. friend's c~timatc of one Junker to 
 
every 1.000 ca'its. I have about '..!;R~.---......._ 
 
so ca-.ts to go before I -;cor a\JtMVI.r 
 
don't really count my ca-;t  ~ 'lfhct 
 
II'~ 
 
RIES I enjoy every one of tl m. and will 
probably catch enough o th7 l1t IJ:6 
between Junkers to make 10~, P1l{."' 
 
 oilow the Birds By Ji m Morrison 
 
 In the early morning darkness, the crisp excitement of the salt air created a warm glow of anticipation in the two fishermen as they loaded their gear into the boat. 
Not far away, the lights of Brunswick twinkled. On a nearby dock, another party of fishermen were launching their boat, preparing for a day of Spanish mackerel trolling. 
Heading down the small tidal creek flanked by wide expanses of marsh, the two men drank in the beauty of the newborn day. A comfortable wind blew in from the sea, insuring that insect pests stayed in their hiding places. It was too early to even worry about the torrid heat of the mid summer day to come. 
Soon, they could see the blinking navigation lights of the ship channel leading from Brunswick toward St. Simons Sound, and the waiting vastness of the Atlantic Ocean. Within minutes they had crossed the calm water of the Intracoastal Waterway east of Jekyll Island, and began bouncing across the small wind-propelled waves of the sound itself. 
Far to the east, the rapid reddening of the sky at the earth's rim heralded the approach of the sun, a giant firey ball that leaped from the sea with amazing speed, vanquishing the pleasant darkness. 
Now other boats ahead were visible, also riding the waves down the wide avenue mmked by the ship channel to more than seven miles offshore. One by one, the red and black buoys passed by, each :--ucceeded by another more distant. 
"'H.IJ ' nl y, the boats ahead picked up 
 
speed, and swung from the channel toward some magical attraction. 
"The birds!", shouted one fisherman. The black specks on the sky that were drawing the speeding boats soon grew wings, wings that were carrying their owners on swift descents into the sea in pursuit of pieces of food. "Mackerel!", came the next excited cry, as a foot long cigar with fins broke from the green water and disappeared, followed by quick glimpses of dozens of tails, fins, or complete forms, thrashing the surface of the water as the school fed ravenously on the small menhaden, leaping frantically to escape. The silver flash of two spoons cast simultaneously arched from the boat, followed almost immediately by the bending of two light spinning rods. "He's on!" "I've got one too!" In two or three minutes, two long yellow spotted Spanish Mackerel were beating a rapid tattoo on the bottom of the boat, adding to the excitement of the next cast, which produced two more fish, before the school suddenly disappeared as m?.gically as it had first arrived. "There they are over there," somebody yelled, and the small armada of boats sped to the new scene of action, two hundred yards away. Drawing up short of the center of the school, the silver spoons again flashed through the air, and began twisting under the water at a fast troll. Just behind the boat, several dark torpedoes broke the water, and one line snapped taunt. "We're in 'em!" Soon, the number of mackerel pound- 
 
ing the bottom of the boat began to double, triple, and quadruple as the eager anglers hoisted their quarry unceremoniously over the side. 
Reaching for his line to boat another mackerel, the man stared in astonishment as a second mackerel flashed by his hand, inches away, and the line wen t limp. 
"Cut your leader off," laughed his companion. "I told you not to use those shiny swivels." 
With several dozen mackerel in the boat now, the action began to slow as the heat of the day increased. Gradually, the thrashing schools of -fish identified by the wheeling and diving "mackerel birds" became more and more scattered, submerging more quickly on the arrival of the ever-pursuing boats. 
Finally, a scan of the horizon through binoculars revealed a flock of birds, almost half a mile away. Most of the other boats had gone home now, or were scattered out over the sea. Casually accelerating to avoid attracting attention, the two men eased their craft toward the end of the fictious rainbow, hoping to again find treasure. 
They weren't disappointed. Both rods bent in unison, but this time. the struggle was anything but short. 
"Wahoo! Wahoo!" hollered the tall fisherman. "He's a big one. Get the gaff!" 
But his companion was too busy trying to land his own catch on a whippy spinning rod to pay any attention, especially at the first glimpse of the largest Spanish mackerel he had ever seen! 
"You better use the ga ..." the warning words trailed off as the thin mono- 
 
iU 
 
 filament line snapped above the leader a nd swivel, and the beautiful fish 
 
splashed back into the sea. 
 
'That was the biggest one today," cursed hi s sickened companion. "Don't 
 
lose yours that way." 
 
With one vicious stab of the gaff and a quick lift, it was all over for the big 
 
mackerel's twin, almost three feet long. 
 
H e was enough of a trophy to forget about the faet that the fish had quit biting. a nd that it was tim e to run back to shore for lunch, and to start filleting. 
 
Sound like fun? It is, especially if you like to stock up your freezer wi th some 
 
of the most delicious meat that swims 
 
in the sea, and enjoy a fight doing it. While most Spanish mackerel run small in size, averagi ng a pound and a half, they can't be beat for flavor, especially when baked. Cleaning them's no problem at all . since the meat y fish can si mply be filleted on each side, leavi ng the practically smooth skin with its tin y 
 
edible scales attached to the back of the fillet. By eliminating problems like gutting and cutting the head off, any fishermen can quickly clean an ice chest full of Spanish mackerel in record time, using a thin, but long bladed. fish knife. 
 
Five pound Spanish mackerel are considered big on the Georgia coast, but 10 and even 20 pounders have been reported. though they are rare. If you 
 
catch one that big. you've got a real 
 
problem: eat him. or mount him? The bigger mackerel can be cut into steaks big enough to feed your family several meals. Incidentally, this is the same fish frequently sold in stores or seen on the menus of fanc y restaurants. 
 
While Spanish mackerel don't get as big as their cousins, the king mackerel and the cero, they have the important advantages for the Georgia fisherman of being much more numerous. More important, they swim closer to the shore th an kin g mackerel. which tend to seldom venture very far from the Gulf Stream, which is 45 to 90 miles out from the Georgia coast, reaching farther out the more north ward it flows. For this reason. it is closer to the lower end of the Georgia coast which helps to aeeount for th e better fishing success there. si nce fishermen spend more time fishing a nd less time running their boats to reach the fish. 
 
Obligingly, Spanish mackerel will fre- 
 
quently congregate five to seven miles 
 
off St. Simons, Jekyll , Cumberland, 
 
Sapelo, St. Cat herincs. Ossabaw and 
 
\Vassaw islands, in easy range of fairl y 
 
small boats, sometimes even swimming 
 
right through the major sounds into the 
 
Int racoasta l Waterway. Sometimes they 
 
ean be caught off the pier on the south- 
 
ern end of St. Simons, but the best fish - 
 
ing is usuall y outside the sounds from 
 
a boat. 
 
,..- 
 
The excited wheeling and diving of small " mackerel birds" marks the school's location, even when the fish are submerged. The birds never dive under the water picking up leftover scraps because the ravenous Spanish mackerel would eat them, too. 
The vastnes s of the ocean miles off the Georgia coast lends a Hemingwayish 
"Old Man and the Sea" quality to fish ing for Spanish mackerel from a 
small boat under the early morning sun's rays. Powerful fighter for their size, Spanish mackerel can show their sporting qualities off better on light freshwater spinning tackle, although many "meat fishermen" prefer heavier saltwater gear. 
 
11 
 
 Pulling supper out of the sea all by yourself satisfies man's primitive instincts tor survival and independence. Since there are no limits in saltwater, fishermen try to catch as many of the tasty mackerel as they can. 
 
The most popular lure for Spanish mackerel on the Georgia coast is Clark's Squid Spoon in the number one size, although this larger Spanish prefered a number two. If you look carefully, you can see the mackerel's needle-like teeth, which require a wire or heavy monofilament leader and careful handling by the successful fisherman. 
 
The average size for 
 
Spanish mackerel is about a pound and a half. Although this 
 
- 
 
five pounder caught by 
 
the author isn't run-of- 
 
the-mill, Spanish 
 
mackerel have been 
 
landed weighing from 
 
10 to 20 pounds. 
 
. . . . _- __ ---::::- .J . 
 
~-- 
 
---- -~ - ....~ . r 
 
 ( 
 
The action is fast and furious when mackerel are really biting, but sometimes the streamlined morsels go on a hunger strike for hours at a time. Schools commonly seen one day may vanish completely the next, tor some unexplained reason. 
 
------ 
 
:.,_:... ~ 
 
- ---- ,Jo 
 
~-==' 
 
An amazing size range of boats are commonly used for mackerel fishing up to six or seven miles off the Georgia 
coast, ranging from outboards with 18 to 100 horsepower, from 12 feet long to 20 foot inboards and even larger craft, dP.pending on weather condJti,>ns and the nerve of the skippers. 
 
Generally speaking, boats u sed for Spanish mackerel fishing on the Georgia coast range anywhere from 18 to I 00 horsepower outboards, from 12 to 20 feet in length, to even larger inboard engines. Because of the added danger from possible breakdowns. running out of gas, or rough weather, it's a good idea to always be accompanied by acquaintances in another boat , in case you need help. Many coastal fishermen also carry an extra outboard motor on the transom or under the bow, in case of emergencies, along with plenty of extra gas. Keeping a wary eye on the weather and getting the advance forecast on the radio before going out is extremely important. Many times the sea is as calm as glass in the summer. But under some combinations of tide and wind. such as a falling tide and a northeast wind, the sounds can become virtuall y impassable to small boats, with six foot and even higher waves, depending on the wind velocity and the depth of the water. 
In addition to common sense items like extra food and water, protective rain gear, and repair tools and parts, Coast Guard regulations on navigable waterways require conside rabl y more legal precautions for safety equipment. This especially applies to lights after dark. If you are not familiar with Coast Guard regulations, you should write for a copy from the Coast Guard in l'vfi ami or Washington. or write the State Game and Fish Commission's offices in Brunswick, Savannah, or 1\tlanta . Requirements set by state law and by regulations for inland waters are not as stringent as for coastal waters, in case you plan to use your own boat. Most marinas have boat launching hoists, often requiring lifting rings on boats. 
If you want to rent a boat and guide, you can usually make arrangements in advance from most of the larger coastal marin as listed by the State Game and Fish Commission. the Coastal Planning and Development Commission in Brunswick. and by the local cham hers of co mmerce in the ind ividual counties of the coast. 
Trtcklc? You can me your regular freshwater spinning. casting. or even fly tackle. primarily for trolling. although at times Spanish mackerel can be caught casting into the schools. Some anglers on the bigger trolling boats usc heavy tackle so the fish can be quickly ''horsed" in without stopping the boat. but this dc<>trovs the sport in mackerel fishing. For meat fi-;hing. it's ideal. 
The most popular single lure for " small mackerel'" as the Spanish arc described by coastal residents. is Cla rk's Squid Spoon. a long diam ond shaped ..,ilvcr spoon with a ri gid hood ex tending from the lowe r end of th e spoo n. The exact size that mackerel arc hittin g a t th e m o ment see ms to depe nd o n th e -.izc of th e small minn ow... tha t th ey arc hit - 
13 
 
 Because of their extremely tiny scales, mackerel can be quickly and easily filleted. These eight fish can be completely gutted, filleted, and washed in five minutes, or tess. 
 
ting at the time. Sometimes smaller spoons, sometimes larger ones are preferred, but the number one size is an all-round favorite. The red bead on the front of the spoon seems to be optional, but some anglers swear by it. 
Other lures that Spanish mackerel can sometimes be caught on include Barracuda spoons and small jigs, with nylon, hair, or feathers , in almost any color, including silver and yellow. In addition , live bait such as shrimp or dead minnows can be used, either with a float, drift ing, or trolling. 
In addition to the lure, the most important item of mackerel tackle is a good number one wire leader, at least six inches lo ng for casting and three feet long fo r trolling. You should use a swivel and snap above the spoon for maximum ac tion, with a second swivel above the wire leader to help prevent twisting your line so badly while trolling. although you' ll probably have to throw your kinked up line away after a few trips. especially if you are using light monofilament line such as four or eight pound test. Frequently, your line will get so twisted that a hooked fish will easily break your li ne. Always use a black or corroded swivel, because mackerel frequently hit shin y objects 
 
in the water, cutting off your leader! In addition to a light wire leader. you 
could use a 30 to 50 pound test monofilament leader, especially if the fish seem to be spooky of the wire. Above aiL don't allow your wire leader to get kinks in it, since this weakens it and effects the action of your lure in the water. 
What's the best time for Spanish mackerel? July and August arc the best months on the Georgia coast, hut mackerel first turn up in catchable numbers in May and hang around until September, before migrating hack south for the winter to warmer waters. 
In addition to Spanish mackerel. bluefish migrate into coastal waters at the same time. and arc sometimes caught alongside mackerel with the same techniques and lures, since the two species have almost identical feeding habits. The blue is more common farther north than the Spanish mackerel. which seldom swim north of Cape Cod, and are most common south of the Chesapeake Bay, while bluefish are most common south of Cape Cod, sometimes reaching Nova Scotia. 
Bluefish seem to be more common in some years than others. For an unknown reason both mackerel and blue- 
 
fish tend to be more finicky about what they bite the longer they stay in an area. Frequently, bluefish can be seen in schools feeding in the same areas as Spanish Mackerel, but the blues or the mackerel will refuse to take a lure, especially one with a wire leader. Since their teeth are very sharp, keeping a lure on can be a problem with monofilament. 
While it is a common practice of many fishermen to race up to a school of mackerel or bluefish and cast or troll through the middle of the school, experienced fishermen feel that this makes the fish much more boat shy, and leads to them sounding much quicker than they would if boats kept drifting or trolling at a regular speed, working lures ahead of the direction of the school or alongside the part of the school closest to the angler. 
When trolling. you won't have to set the hook. Once on the hook, keep a tight line! 
Results also seem to be best early in the morning and late in the day. since the small bait fish that mackerel feed on are sensitive to the light and heat of the sun, moving deeper in the water during the middle of the day, followed by the feeding fish. Tide seems to have little effect on the fishing offshore. although more mackerel and the bait fish enter the mouths of the sounds at high tide. Unless visibility is good and you have a chart showing navigation lights at night. don't stay outside the sound at night. Charts can be ordered from the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, Washington. D.C. 
Mackerel prefer a moving bait or lure. Casting or trolling results are considerably improved by "jigging" or jerking the lure along irregularly, with a pumping action. This gives more flash to the lure and teases the mackerel to charge. although at times they will hit almost any kind of lure or bait worked in any conceivable fashion. At such times, catches of hundreds of mackerel per boat are not unusuaL since there are no legal limits on the size or number of saltwater fish that you can catch in Georgia. No fishing license is required in saltwater, either. 
But on the other hand. sometimes mackerel simply won't bite. even when there arc plenty of them thrashing the surface feeding on bait fish. Sometimes a strip of pork rind on a spoon \Viii help. or a small piece of shrimp. \Vhen this fails. the fish may take some type of odd lure presented to them like a light spoon bounced across the water. or even a top water popping plug, various small plugs. or small spinners. 
But even if the mackerel still won't bite. you \von't go away disappointed. because a Spanish mackerel fishing expedition on the rim of the sea is an adventure that you'll never forget. 
 
 They're Teaching 
 
Fishing 
 
In SChOOl! 
By Dean Wohlge muth 
 
I, 
~ 
)j ~ - 
 
 Only a few years ago, a youngster who played hooky and went fishing could expect to find himself in hot water when the teacher found out. Now, there are teachers in Fulton County who arc assigning a fishing trip for homework! And the schools are even furnishing the equipment. 
It's all a part of an advanced new curriculum for the large metropolitan school system, aimed at teaching students forms of recreation which will be useful to them for the rest of their lives. 
Many youngsters, particularly those in urban areas, have little if any opportunity to learn of outdoor sports, and their value as wholesome, healthy recreation. Aware of this , the Fulton County School system has taken steps to equip youngsters with the opportunity to learn. 
\Vhen Fulton County went under the quarter system in the fall of I 968, a new quarter-long (I 2-week) class was unveiled, which teaches sections of four weeks each in archery, angling and camping. The classes are taught only at high school level. 
What's even more amazing about the course is that it is fully co-educational. and very successfully so! Strictly a voluntary class, teachers are finding a high percentage of girls are interested in learning about fishing and camping. Some schools have even had co-ed weekend camping trips, and haven't experienced the least sign of any problem with the students. 
Realizing that participation in one outdoor sport leads to another, the school system worked out the program of the three different sports, and hopes to expand next summ er into yet anothe r field , where boating and water sports will be included. 
Miss Rebecca Dinard, Director of Health and Ph ys ical Edu cation fo r the Fulton County School System, heads up the entire program, but refuses to take an y credit for inaugurating the innovati on. "All the ph ysical education teachers and staff members worked on 
 
this program jointly, and all of them deserve credit,'' she said. 
Three schools opened the fall quarter with this class this year- Hapeville, College Park and Campbell of Fairburn, all high schools. Getting into it for the spring quarter of I 969 were Roswell, North Springs, Headland, Hapeville, and College Park . There will probably be more and more schools starting the program each quarter, Miss Dinard said. There are currently 15 high schools in the Fulton system and another will be added this fall. ""These classes are not taught during the winter weather because weather prohibits outdoor sessions, particularly in camping. 
The camping course does not involve organized camps, but teaches camping for the individual or for families. Each school teaching the course will eventuaally have a full complement of equipment for all classes. At present a few of the schools have equipment , and in some cases they are sharing it with other schools who have none. 
Each school will have nine spincasting (pushbutton) type rod s an d reels, three open fac ed spinning reels and rods, and three fl y rods and reels. Practice plugs are used to teach casting. 
Li ght ta rge t bows. a rrows, and 
 
targe ts a re furni shed for archery. Camping gear takes up th e hulk of the equipment. Each school eventuall y will have an umbrell a tent , hi gh wall tent and a pup tent , along with Coleman stoves and lanterns, ca mp stools, axes, cots, tables, cooking utensils and the whol e works, to show the youn gs ters what equipment is avail able and how to use it. 
"The increased interest th roughout the nation in outdoor rec rea ti on, particularly camping, had a large effect in prompting such cl asses." said Miss Dinard. "Also, if we are to believe wh at we are told, the future wi ll bring even more leisure tim e th an we have now. We hear there wi ll be four-day work weeks and even perhaps two-day work weeks. This will mean a great deal of free time, not onl y for you ngsters bu t fo r adults. 
"Wh ile ph ysical development of a youngster is one of our major goa ls. it is n't the only one. Of equal importance is developing skill and knowl edge in ac ti vities they can enj oy now and 
My, how school has changed! These Roswell High students are watching a demonstration of the various types of fishing tackle, and how to use them . It's part of their physical education program in Fulton County Schools. 
 
 In a coed class, a young lady tries her hand with a fly casting outfit, and proves the technique of casting can be quickly and easily overcome. The Game and Fish Commission's Dean Wohlgemuth points out the weight of the fly line is what makes the cast. 
later, with emphasis on what they can do for the rest of their lives," she said. 
"By teaching them lifetime sports with a carryover value, something they can use the rest of their lives, they wi ll be able to enjoy what they learn always. This may help head off problems, not only juvenile delinquency, but even the possibility of adult delinquency," she said. "We already have problems in our society with alcohol and dmg addiction, because people have not learned proper ways to release their tensions and relax. We hope fishing, camping, and archery classes will help to prevent this." 
Part of the objective of the course is to learn to appreciate our natural resources. "Once Fulton County was pretty much rural. but now it's overwhelmingly urban." she said. "Many of the youngsters who grow up in an urban atmosphere have very limited opportunity to learn ahout nature, to 
The attentiveness of the students proved the value of the course. Youngsters in an urban area lack the opportunity to learn as much about outdoor sports as their rural counterparts. Other phases of the class in outdoor recreation include camping and archery. 
 
. '"Jv l 
 
~ 
1.. 
 
1 ' 
 
go fishing and camping. Realizing th at the course ca nnot 
make expert outdoorsmen of the youngsters, the school system wisel y plans on ly on sup pl yi ng a student the basic knowledge needed to get started on his own. "We hope to introduce many to outdoor sports a nd get th eir feet . wet. Many youngsters hold back , fearing to show their lack of knowledge. O nce they learn how much fun the course can be, and how much they can learn. more studen ts get interested and classes grow in size as the oth er st ud ents become intrigued by what they hear from those who have taken the classes." 
This write r aided in init iati ng several classes at both Hapevi lle an d Roswell high schools. T he perce nt age o f girls in the class attested to the uni versal appeal of the curriculum. More im portant, it was easy to see from the attention given to the speaker, wh ile giving a clinic on the various types of tackle , and where and how to use them, that both sexes were qui te interested in the subject matter. Often. girls were more attentive than boys, probably because some of the boys already had a basic knowledge of the sport. 
 
"One of the nice things of being coeducational is the spirit of cooperation shown between boys and girls, particularly in camping. The boys do the heavy work in handling and setting up tents, while girls handle lighter camp chores," Miss Dinard said. 
A few other school systems in other parts of the country have barely scratched the surface in si milar courses, particularl y in angling and archery. The whole concept is a new one for G eorgia schools, but it wouldn't be at all surprising if the idea spread rapidly throughout the country. 
What does the future hold for such classes? Fulton schools go into their fourth quarter, held during the summer, thi s yea r. It is hoped th at next summer will bring yet another course in outdoor rec rea tion . involving boating, water skiing. a nd boating safety. Included under boating will be both power and sail boats, and canoeing. 
One problem must be solved , howeve r, fo r such classes, th at of tra nsportation to water. It is hoped th at school buses can be used. however. thi s does not come under norm al use of the buses, thus fin ances must come from somewhere . 
Further, it won't be possible for the school system to provide boats. Some teachers who are alread y interes ted in outdoor recreation and have boats o f their own have offered them for use. 
"School will likely start an hour ea rli er during the summ er si nce man y schools a re not ai r conditioned, and will be uncomfort able durin g the hot part of the day. The boating cl asses would be held twice weekly, the last hour of the day, and in fact, would possibly continue throughout the rest of the afte rnoon. \Ve ex pect th at the students wi ll be happ y to stay after class and enj oy themselves!" said Mi ss Dinard. 
 
Mrs. Carol Grayson, physical education instructor at Roswell High, lays out a cast on the school gym floor, proving to her students that it's really not as hard as it looks. Though she had fished with spinning tackle, it was her first attempt at tlycasting. 
 
 the outdoor world 
 
..~ ~ 
 
 
 
BAGBY NAMED GEORGIAN OF THE YEAR 
 
ED DODD WINS NATIONAL CONS ERVATIONIST AWARD 
 Bar Harbor, Maine ... Georgia's Ed Dodd, creator of the famous "Mark Trail" comic L-.....r:.~-~ strip, has won his second national award in three years for his conservation efforts. 
Dodd was named winner of the 1969 special awarJ of merit of the American Association for Conservation Information at the Association's annual convention in Bar Harbor, Maine, Tuesday, June 17. The group is composed primarily of state and federal information officers in the wildlife and conservation fields. 
In 1967, DoJd was named "Conservationist of the Year" by the N ationa] Wildlife Federation. 
A native of Gainesville, Georgia, DoJd's syndicated comic strip reaches millions of readers every day in hunJreJs of daily newspapers throughout the world. He now lives and works at his stuJio in SanJy Springs in the northern part of Atlanta. 
In addition to Dodd, Georgia's State Game and Fish Commission won an international award for it's publication "How to Have Small Game on Your Land." The association presented this award for a miscellan ~ ous publication in the conservation field to the Commission for the booklet which was written by the commission's game biologists for land owners in the state. The award was accepted by Jim Morrison, Coordinator of Information and Education of the Georgia Game and Fish Commission. 
In addition to winning one of the top ten awarJs of the international organization. the Georgia agency's public information efforts were rated as seventh overall out of 36 state and CanaJian province conservation agencies entering the 1968 awards competition. 
 
 Three artificial reefs made from old automobile tires are being built on the coast by the Georgia Game and Fish Commission. 
The quarter-acre reefs arc the first efforts of a five-year inshore reef project by the Commission designed to improve fishing in the state's estuarine areas. All three arc scheduled to ue complcteJ this summer. 
Each reef will be maJc from approximately 2,000 automobile tires anJ will cover about one-quarter acre. Each reef will consist of 80 units of tires linkeJ together with metal rolls. 
Sites selected for the three reefs incluJc the Tybee River about one-half 
 
mile above Lazaretto Creek; Timmons River just off Colonels Island; and Hampton River, which sepcrates St. Simons anJ Little St. Simons Islands. 
Each reef will be built from the shore out, with the deepest part of the reef in about 20 feet of wa te r. 
Du ring the first year Game and Fish Commission biologists will maintain a close \Vatch on the reefs to sc\! how effective the y arc in drawin g and holding fi sh. If the reefs arc successful, plans arc to build aJJitional reefs. 
Fish biologist Jam es Nix said shellfish, clams, oyster:. and other food organisms would attach lhcmsclvcs to the tires, thus Jrawing small bait fi~h 
 
and larger fish into the area. "It has been demonstrated in other 
states that reefs of this type do improve fishing." Nix said. "California. Alabama, Texas and Florida have all had success with reefs made from old tires." 
Nix said a substan tial number of fi <>h mo\'cd into the area \Vithin two months after the reef~ in California were built. "We know that the tires will work better than junk cars some states have used. because the cars quickly rust away in the salt water." 
A commission spokesman said the reef~ were being put in the estuarine areas so they would be acccssablc to ~mall boats. All reefs will be marked. 
 
 BLACKBURN 
HITS ALCOVY CHANNEL 
 
 Georgia's Fourth District U. S. Congressman. Ben Blackburn, has raised serious questions on the feasibility of the proposed Alcovy River and Flat Creek-Cornish Creek Watershed Projects because of what he terms the "tragic aftermath" of "channelization", which has seen the destruction of countless irreplaceable streams in Georgia and throughout the Nation in the past decade. 
Channelization programs, designed for flood control and land reclamation, arc carried out under Public Law 566, the ''Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act," administered by the Soil Conservation Service of the U. S. Department of Agriculture. 
In expressing his deep concern, the Congressman said that channelizationthe deepening, clearing and straightening of stream beds by bulldozers and draglines - hangs as a heavy threat over every stream in north and central Georgia. Channelization projects are now believed to be causing irrevocable basic changes in the entire areas involved , and are resulting in the loss of thousands of acres of scenic beauty. 
Blackburn suggests that on the basis of what has happened in Georgia and in fact across the Nation. the benefits which have come because of channelization are far o utweighed by the loss of untold acres of hardwood, the almost complete destruction of natural recreation areas. game, fish and wildlife, and the subsequent lowering of the surrounding water table. 
"It is ironic that while a number of Federal agencies, including even the U. S. Depa rtment of Agriculture, are spending large sums on water and wildlife reclamat ion, seed ing forests, and attempti ng to rebuild the natural ecology. another agen cy in effect is spending millions to destroy vast water areas, the habitats of fish and wi ldlife. and natural beauty spots," he said. 
"Studies of the effects of channelization in other areas of our Nation indicate a dr;, ;tic reduction of ga me fi sh. One study. from North Carolina, compared the tr~h populatio n of 23 channeled. and \6 unchannelcd streams, and found d 1JO'}'(, reduction in the weight and num ber of game fb h per 
 
acre in streams channeled. This experience indicates that in a 40-year period after channelization, fi sh and wild life would not recover." Blackburn said. 
The Soil Conservation Service contends that channelization, which includes the draining of swamps. provides the subseq uent return to "use" of literally millions of acres of land, and claims the elimination of flood possibilities in the streams which have been channelized. 
As hundred of thousands of acres are placed in Federal soi l banks, the Soil Conservation Service is spending more millions to " reclaim land" for farmers. Blackburn asks the question, "Why is it necessary to 'reclaim land' at the same time the Federal Government is spending million s in Georgia to keep out of production land whi ch is presently available?" 
The Alcov y Ri vershed Project calls for the channelization of more th an 80 miles of the Alcovy River, known for its fish and wild life and for its surro und ing thousands of acres of beautiful natura l forest and river swamp. Lake Jackson, into which the Alcovy flows. has become a major recreation area and source of game fi-;h. Under the careful management of the Georgia State Game a nd Fish Commission, the fi sh population is increasing. Blackburn said that he sh ares the co ~ccrn of the Game and Fish Commission. residents, and conservation leader that under chan nel ization, the clear waters of the Lake will be drastically muddied by the torrent pouring in from the river. with the resulting destriction of La ke Jackson as a recreation and fi sh ing area. 
The ex penditure for th e Alcovy Project for up tf' 80.8 miles of channeling is estimated at $3.494.432.00. to benefit 4,32() acres of swampland . The cost of channeliza ti on comes to $807. 77 a n acre. Oddly enough. Blackburn stated, "estimated land va lue of the imp roved swamp land is presentl y $300.00 an acre! If eq ual funds were placed in an interesthearin g hank or sec uriti es acco unt s, landow ners could more th an he repaid for possible flood dam age or for not planting cro ps. The taxpayers could save more than $500 an acre if the land were purchased a nd the sv./amp declared a wi ldlife preserve!" 
 
Water management officials claim 
 
that far from an effective method of 
 
flood control. a channeled stream acts 
 
as a chute through which valuable 
 
water ru~hcs to major tributari es toward 
 
the seas, lo~t before it can he of benefit 
 
to the land. While channelization proj- 
 
ects in the past have served to reduce 
 
the incidences of flooding to once every 
 
three years. when flood waters pour 
 
down channelized streams. the devasta- 
 
tion can be far more widespread, and 
 
more often than admitted, these streams 
 
are known to cause a worse flooding 
 
problem than ever before at different 
 
times and in different places further 
 
downstream. 
 
"The after-effects of channelization 
 
are seen in Georgia's Little River. chan- 
 
neled yea rs ago, which has felt the ad- 
 
ditional effect of 'slumping,' the proc- 
 
ess where rushing water cuts into the 
 
steep banks. caves them. and causes a 
 
serious erosion and land loss problem. 
 
Along the ditch which was Little River, 
 
the bank collapse has a lread y resulted in 
 
serious damage to many portions of the 
 
'reclaimed land.' Little River's mudd y 
 
waters rush to Lake Allatoona, and 
 
where the y enter the lake is much of 
 
what is left of the old river." 
 
"Too, one of the often unnoticed but 
 
very real dangers of channelization is 
 
swamp drainage. Swamps are among the 
 
world's finest reservoirs a nd purification 
 
areas. acting as water filters and natural 
 
oxidation basin s. depositing the silt 
 
loads of th e river over large areas. 
 
cleaning the river as its flows through 
 
the count ryside. \Vater emerging from a 
 
river swamp is purer th an water from 
 
the best modern treatment plants," 
 
Blackburn said. 
 
" \Vater management officials are con- 
 
cerned that swamp drainage through 
 
channelization will result in ever-increas- 
 
ing flood conditions since swamps are 
 
retention areas which serve the dual 
 
purpose of absorbing water during wet 
 
seasons. and feeding the rivers during 
 
the dry summer months." he said. 
 
Blackburn added th at "the continua- 
 
tion of channelization projects, which 
 
tear awav what it has taken nature 
 
ce nturies .to build, will sec the loss of 
 
a great part of the beauty and bounty 
 
of Geo rgia and the Nation. the streams 
 
and rivers existing today." 
 
~ 
 
 SSppoeratks..m. en~  ~~A~t 
OPPOSES CHANNELS I am opposed to th e chann elization of rivers which I believe to be destructive to our natural resources by turning natural rivers into muddy ditch es and destroying riverbank nesting places and refuges of our wild life. In addition, this activity is aesthetically a calamity. It is time man shows more respect for nature lest we destroy our environm ent and thus ourse lves as well. The Alcovy River project in Georgia is specifically the project I wish to go on rec ord as opposing. The chann elization- not the reservoirs. DO NOT let the dredging of th e Alcovy and oth er Georgia rivers proceed! 
Mary C. Nikas Atlanta, Ga. 
SCENIC RIVER You are aware of plans by th e Soil Conservation Service to " chann elize" the Alcovy River. As an ecologist, I am particularly aware of our swamps, both esthetic and practical. The Alcovy River swamp is currently doing a fin e job of both natural flood control and silt removal from overflow waters at no cost to anyon e. You should also be aware that the Alcovy River swamp is sch eduled for preservation under the state Scenic Rivers Act. I urge you to oppose this destruction of a valuable natural and scenic resource, which would set a precedent for oth er such areas. 
J. David Yount Athens, Ga. 
DECENT WATER What's wrong with that bunch of idiots that are trying to ruin Jackson Lake? I don't guess they know th e Alcovy River is the only decent water running into Lake Jackson. The fishing in Lake Jackson hasn't bee n none too good for th e past two years and it will drop more if the plans go through t o change the Alcovy River. If you think it's muddy now just wait until they change the river. I don't think my two cents worth will do any good but you can print my f eelings in the Game and Fish ma gazine if you want to. 
Norman B. Atkinson Lake City, Fla. 
SCS LAKES The picture of t he Li ttle River Project insi de th e fly leaf and th e on e on Page 15 appear to be the sam e exce pt at a different t ime. I wi sh you could get a picture of t he same as of now. I ha d a 125 acre f arm on Densmo re Road, N. Fulton Co., t ha t t his project sp lit ri ght down th e middl e. I tho ugh t I was gett ing somet hing for not hing (I shoul d have had better sense) as such a thing had never ha ppe ned to me. But, Brot he r, I pai d f or my folly. I had t he second dam, and I use the words "I Had" as al l t he dam and t he spillway was on my pro perty, along with abou t 10 acres under water. The minute the dam started my t roubles began. Folks from t hree to four counties began running in over my property and tre spassing on it , although I had it tightly posted. Their opinion was the federal Government was building it and it was public property. You had very little argument. The net resul t : my private pond was being fished befo re t he new lake had any fish in it; my boa t was sunk; my house was burned to the ground, with a loss of about $10,000. 
 
So , I sold out as soon as I could get what I considered a fair market . 
I am of th e opinion our represent ati ves are not the on es to work upon, as th e oth er side are also working on th em , and I presume have more weight than we. Th e lan d owner is the one to work upon. I had t o sign up, giving them th e privil ege to do th e work or to come across my property. Frankly, 1 do not recall what I signed- it m ight have been just for th e dam. But I do k now 1 helped get oth er neighbors to sign up for the project. I al so know there were t hree fellows down th e stream from me th at he ld it up for some time until a very prom inen t fellow got them to sign, and I always f elt perhaps by warming their palm . 
There were five dams within five mi les of my dam . We were led to believe that the project would open vast advantages for t he whole territory and really put it on the map. If there was any gen eral advantage wh atever I never knew of it. However, I do know three or four Town of Gentleman Farm ers have fancy pastures wh ere th e old swa mp was, but all the balance has just grown up in much worse condition than before. 
You should have some pictures taken on the bridge of what some call "Chicken Creek" as of now. Also on Thompson road on the same creek lower down. 
I expect to write Fletcher Thompson and also Herman Talmadge on the subject; but in my opinion the land owner hold s th e ace . I have no interest whatever in Alco vy or Lake Jackson; except by my experi ence. 
George 0. King, Sr. Atlanta, Ga. 
The pictures of channelization shown with the editorial in June were both of the same stream on Little River's tributary, Mill Creek, in Cherokee County. Both pictures show different angles of the same section (the same tall pine tree in the distance appears in both pictures) and were made on the same day in May of 1969 by the State Game and Fish Commission. Although the dredging was completed by the Soil Conservation Service in 1966, the spoil banks of dredged material are still bare of much vegetation and are covered with eroding gullies. 
DRAINAGE HELPS WILDLIFE? You all shou ld know t hat drainage i mproves game production ! Soggy land may support an occasion al wo odcoc k, but not ducks. We need ponds or swam p pools for ducks. Drained land locally ha s been shown to improve production an d main tenance for snipe , turkey, dove , qu ail, deer, squirrel, hogs, etc ., etc. This was proved in Snuff Box Swam p in Mc intosh County. The drain age canal s we re responsib le also for im proved hardwood, pine, and even cypre ss growth, t oget her wi th better game production. What game or fish could profit more by leav ing t he Alcovy the way it is? Wouldn ' t they all do better if it were improved? I'm a "dyed-in-the-wool" sportsman, and I have fo und no evidence that these pr0ject s would hu rt ei t her game or fish in th e long run. The opposite is true! 
Bill Tailer, Mayor, Dari en, Ga. 
Dr...ailer's le tt er was written prior to th e public at ion of last month's special edition of Gam e & Fish devoted exclusively to stre am channelization and drainage and the ir eff ects on wi ldlife, in which mo st of the qu estions he raises were an swered in det ail. Copies of that issue are availabl e to anyone on request, along with copi es of biologic al studies of damage caused to fish and wildlife habitat by similar pro ject s in th e st ates of Mississippi and North Carolina, which both share wildlif e habitat simila r to 
 
many secti ons of Georgia, including the coast. We ha ve offered to show a set of color slides illustratin g this damage in completed Georgia watershed projects to Dr. Tailer and the Darie n-Mcintosh Chamber of Commerce. Arrangem ents to see the slides may be made through t he Atlanta public i nformation office of the Stat e Game and Fish Commission by any interested group. 
 
FRIENDLY FOX? I am enclosing a snapshot of Jeffrey Roper of Cleveland, Ga. holding a fox in one hand and a hen t urkey in t he othe r. Th ere i s a littl e story behind this in that Labur Ada ms of Robertstown, Ga. has a flock of semi wi ld turkeys, in other words th ey run loose and are from some original wild st ock. Bef ore Mr. Adam s was able to trap the fox it caught 5 of his turkey hens, 24 chicks, and 2 go bbl ers. Thought th is might be a good story for you . 
w. c. nixon 
Cleveland, Ga. 
Mr. Di xon i s th e mem ber of th e State Game and Fi sh Com mission from th e Nin t h Congression al District , and cu rrentl y serves as vice-chai rman of the Commi ssion. 
 
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CARP CATCH My eleven year old so n, Reid, and his fourteen year old brothe r, Rob, at Lake Lanier in one day caugh t 59 carp, averaging 3112 lbs. each. Here are the first 10. Although t hese are the pride of the Orient for eating fish and are not generally eaten in this country to my know ledge, th ey are terrific fighting fish and they had quite a ball catching them! Th e other gentleman is my Dad, Charles L. Davidson, Sr. Th ese were caught at his boat house on the west side of Lake Lanier, 
 
 near the entrance to Two Mile Creek. He has been baiting with corn for several years and, to my opinion, this is an excellent rough fish control program. 
The carp were caught on spinning rods, using a single grain of corn on a small bream hook. Some weighed in excess of 6 lbs. 
Charles L. Davidson, Jr. Avondale Estates, Georgia 
Mr. Davidson is the member of the State Game and Fish Commission representing the Fifth Congressional District. He is also a former Chairman of the Commission. 
BEAUTIFUL OGEECHEE The June issue of Game and Fish which have just received is simply beautiful. Not only this, but most interesting are the articles concerning the Ogeechee mystery and the Okefenokee Swamp. I have been on the Ogeechee many times myself and although very treacherous at certain points, it is a most beautiful river. Mr. Phillip Carr's story about one of his trips was very interesting to read and I could follow it perfectly, enjoying every minute. I read on, understanding exactly his problems, as I, too, have had some odd, unbelieveable experiences fishing in the beautiful Ogeechee. As for the Okefenokee, my visit there was more in the capacity of a tourist. 
Elizabeth R. Kelly Colonel's Island Liberty County Mcintosh, Georgia 
\ 
 
BLACK FOX SQUIRREL I thought that you and your readers would be interested in an unusual experience that I had recently. While traveling by automobile between Gordon and Gray, Georgia, in company with Ken Murphy, I observed a jet black fox squirrel. We stopped the car and watched this unusual creature for about five minutes. It was not dark grey but jet black from nose to tail. In twenty-five years of tramping our fields and streams of the Southeastern area I have never before seen a black fox squirrel. Do you or does the State Game and Fish Commission have any information about such a creature. 
Robert L. Mitchell Atlanta, Ga. Even though they are not numerous, black fox squirrels are not uncommon, primarily in pecan groves and pine forests of South Georeia and other southeastern states. (Audubon painted a black fox squirrel near New Orleans, shot on March 24, 1837.) SAVE ISLANDS Georgia Game and Fish Magazine brings something interesting and to the minute each month. Just want to second the letter last month on Cumberland Island, from David E. Tyne, Jesup, Ga. 
Being "allowed" on Jekyll was a real treat, making the boat trip over from St. Simons, when just a kid. Now look at it. What a stomach ache it does throw you. 
Whatever it takes, let's all fight to preserve Cumberland and any of the neighbor islands. Leave them as they are, keep a little of what mother nature is all about. The islands should be "kept up," sure, someone in command, but not for goodness sake another hodge podge Jekyll. How sweet it was and how sour it is. 
Too much of our world has been LOST for the sake of selfish progress already! 
Would like to help where I can. Sydney L. Jolly Cartersville, Ga. 
 
HOOKED TURKEY Just received my June i ssue of Georgia Game & Fish Magazine and as usual push ed aside all other mail until I scanned through it. I was very interested in Herb Wyatt's "Booby Trapped Rivers" rega r..;i ng limb lines, bush hooks, or bush lines, or whatever term you might care to use. Thought you might be in terest ed in the enclosed photo of the remains of a wild t urkey I found in Boones Lake on th e Satilla river, w hi c h had quite evi den tly been booby trapped. The hook was dangling abou t 16 or 18 inches above a sma ll sand bar, from which, I assumed, the turkey was attempting to to take of f, or land, when the wing f eat hers became entangled in the lin e. The hook it self was ha nging free, but partially straightened, as you can see. Perhaps the hook caught him first and then the wing f ea th ers bec.a me en tangled. Just proves th ese limb lines are dangerous to not on ly f ish and humans, but to smart wi ld t'J rkeys as well. 
Dr. W. G. Brown, D.D.S. Blackshear, Ga. 
 
MONEY CHANGERS 
Contin ued from /FC 
But not all hope is gone. After a vali a nt st ruggle , Represe ntative Reid H arris of Brunsw ick did finall y succeed in getting the Georgia House to pass a trimmed clown Wetlands Protection Bill which would have placed a major roadblock in the way of marsh meddlers by simply requiring them to prove their ownership to marsh areas that the y propose to destroy. The bill was greatly weakened by leaving final approval of marsh filling and dredging permits to local county and city governments instead of to a state board of professional conservationis ts which wou ld have been less vulnerab le to big business pressures. 
This measure, H. B. 212, now rests in the hands of th e Senate Inclustry and Labor Committee, an ominous so unding title for consideration of such an important natural resource-; hill. However, si nce all the hills of thi s year's regular sessio n remain alive through nex t year's sessio n, it can he eas il y revived , eve n ~ trcngthened. hy this committee, if public interest is great enough. By this method. it would not have to face anothe r hostil e House committee as an en- 
 
tirely new bill would. The committee plans to hold public hearings on the proposal this September on the Georgia coast. The dates and locations will be announced soon. Hearings will be held jointly with the Senate Judiciary Committee. which has a bill identical to the original, stronger version of H. B. 212. 
The best way to start savi ng the only coast Georgia will ever have is for every interested Georgian to get busy contacting his own local representative and senator to urge his support for a revitalized H. B. 21 2. Special atten tion in the form of personal visits, telephone calls, telegram s. letters. and post cards should be given between now and January to coastal representatives and senators. and to each member of the Senate Industry and Labor Committee: 
Holloway. A. W .. Chairman District 12 Dougherty County Wholesaler P. 0. Box 588 Albany. Georgia 31702 
Adams. Ronald F .. Vice-Chairman District 5 Glynn, Liberty. Long. Mcintosh 
Counties Attorney P. 0 . Box R57 Brunswick. Georgia 3 I520 
Abney. Bill y Shaw, Secretary District 53 Chattooga. Dade. Walker Counties Attorney P. 0. Box 607 LaFayette, Georgia 30728 
Garrard. Eel District 37 Fulton County Real Estate Broker 956 Pl ymouth Road. NE Atlanta. Georgia 303 06 
Kidd. Culver District 25 Baldwin, Hancock. Washington. 
Wilkinson Counties Drug Store Owner P.O.Box370 Millcdgeville. Georgia 31 06 I 
McGill. Sam P. District 24 Wilkes. Lincoln. Columbia. r-.rcouffie. 
Glascock. Warren. Taliaferro. Green Counties Automobi le Dealer Tignall Road Washington. Georgia 30673 
Padgett. M. J. District 23 Richmond County Real Es tate 
 
 Route 2 McBean, Georgia 30908 
Reeder, Ed District 55 DeKalb County Sales Engineer 1583 West Austin Road Decatur, Georgia 30032 
Riley. John R. District I Chatham County Indu stria li st 
P. 0. Box 9641 Savannah, Georgia 31402 
Scott, Turner R. District 17 
Harri'>, Macon, Marion, Schley, Talbot, Taylor, Upson Counties 
Retired - Executive 
B. F. Goodrich Co. P. 0. Box 348 Thomaston, Georgia 30286 
Smith. Armstrong District 34 Fulton Count y Paint Manufacturer 1405 DeLowe Drive, SW Atlanta, Georgia 30311 
 
Sportsman's Calendar 
 
SEASONS OPEN THIS MONTH 
 
FISIIING SEASON 
 
A ll streams, lakes, and ponds of Georgia are open to fishing throughout the entire year wi th the exception of the mountain trout waters of North Georgia. See tro ut regulations for details. Sunday fishing is a llowed. 
 
DAILY CREEL LIMITS 
 
Bream (Bluegill, Red Breast, 
 
and other species of Bream) 
 
50 
 
Cra ppie, Yellow Perch 
 
50 
 
White Bass 
 
30 
 
Largemouth Black Bass. Smallmouth 
 
Bass, Redeye Bass. and Spotted 
 
Bass or Kentucky Bass 
 
15 
 
Striped Bass or Rock Fish 
 
5 
 
Chai n Pi ckerel or Jack 
 
15 
 
Brook or Speckled Trout, Rainbow 
 
Trout and Brown Trout 
 
8 
 
White Shad, Hickory Shad 
 
8 
 
Sauger. Walleye 
 
8 
 
Mu ske lunge 
 
2 
 
Channel Catfish 
 
No Limit 
 
There is a cree l limit of five largemouth 1 bass in Lake Russell, and the McDuffie 
Public Fishing Area. There is a creel limit ' of 25 sunfi sh of a ll species and five large- 
mouth bass on Lake Worth. There is a creel limit of five largemouth bass, five chain pickerel, and 25 sunfish (including 
 
bluegill, warmouth, redbreast, stumpknocker, and round flier) on the Suwannee River. Channel catfish may not be taken on the Suwannee River. 
JOSSESSION LIMITS 
No person may possess at any time more than 50 fish in the aggregate or total of all the species named except channel catfish and no more than 15 la rge or smallmouth bass, 30 white bass, or 8 trout of an y or all species in the aggregate or total possession. 
SIZE LI!\IITS 
There are no mm1mum or maximum size limi ts on game fish in Georgia, with the exceptions noted in the trout regulations and in the following areas which all have a ten-inch size limit on largemouth bass: Lakes Blackshear, Jackson, and Russe ll ; McDuffie Public Fishing Area; Willi a m s Public Fi shing Area a nd in the state park lakes: Indian Springs, Hard Labor Creek. Franklin D. Roosevelt , Fort Mountain, Laura S. Walker, A. H. Stevens, Magnolia Springs, Gordonia Altamaha, Fort Yargo and High Falls State Park . There is a size limit of 12 inches on largemouth bass on Lake Tohesofkee, Suwannee River, and Lake Worth. The Suwannee River has a size limit of 16 inches on chain pi ckerel or jack. The use of baskets, set hook s, trot lines, nets. and a ll other types of commercial fishing gear are prohibited in all State Park Lakes. 
For further informatio n on state parks a nd their facilities. contac t the State Parks Department. 7 Hunter Street. Atlanta, Georgia 30334. For information on Lake Russe ll and other Chattahoochee National Forest recrea tion areas. co nt act the U. S. Forest Service, Peach tree-7th Building, Atlanta, Georgia 30323. 
 
TIDE TABLE 
 
AUGUST, 1969 
 
AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 1969 
 
SEPTEMBER 1969 
 
HIGH WATER 
 
LOW WATER 
 
Day 
 
A.M. HT. P.M. H.T A.M . P.M. 
 
1. Fri. 10:30 7.6 10:54 7.6 4:3 0 4:42 
 
2. Sat. 11:24 7.5 11:42 7.1 5:12 5:36 
 
3. Sun. 
 
12:12 7.3 6:00 6:24 
 
4. Mon. 12:36 6.6 1:06 7.1 6:48 7:24 
 
5. Tues. 1:24 6.1 1:54 6.9 7:42 8:24 
 
6. Wed. 2:12 5.7 2:54 6.7 8:36 9:24 
 
7. Thurs. 3:12 5.4 3:54 6.7 9:30 10:18 
 
8. Fri. 4:18 5.4 4:48 6.8 10:24 11:12 
 
9. Sat. 5:18 5.5 5:42 7.0 11:12 
 
10. Sun. 6:06 5.7 6:24 7.2 12:00 12:00 
 
11. Mon. 6:48 6.0 7:06 7.4 12:42 12:48 
 
12. Tues. 7:24 6.2 7:36 7.5 1:24 1:30 
 
13. Wed. 8:00 6.4 8:12 7.5 2:06 2:12 
 
14. Thurs. 8:30 6.6 8:42 7.5 2:42 2:54 
 
15. Fri. 9:06 6.8 9:18 7.4 3:12 3:30 
 
16. Sat. 9:42 7.0 9:54 7.2 3:48 4:06 
 
17. Sun. 10:18 7.1 10:30 7.0 4:18 4:48 
 
18. Mon. 11:06 7.2 11:18 6.7 4:54 5:30 
 
19. Tues . 11:54 7.2 
 
5:36 6:24 
 
20. Wed. 12:06 6.5 12:48 7.2 6:30 7:30 
 
21. Thurs. 1:06 6.2 1:54 7.2 7:30 8:42 
 
22. Fri. 2:06 6.1 3: 06 7.2 8:42 9:54 
 
23. Sat. 3:24 6.1 4:24 7.5 9:54 10:54 
 
24. Sun. 4:42 6.4 5:36 7.9 11:00 11:54 
 
25. Mon. 5:54 6.9 6:36 8.3 
 
12:06 
 
26. Tues. 6:48 7.5 7:24 8.6 12:48 1:00 
 
27. Wed. 7:42 7.9 8:12 8.6 1:42 1:54 
 
28. Thurs . 8:30 8.2 9:00 8.5 2:30 2:48 
 
29. Fri. 9:18 8.3 9:42 8.1 3:12 3:36 
 
30. Sat. 10:00 8.2 10:24 7.6 4:00 4:18 
 
31. Sun. 10:48 7.9 11:06 7.1 4:42 5:06 
 
GEORGIA COASTAL WATERS 
 
HOW TO USE THESE TABLES 
 
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 going to fish or swi m . The outer bar ca lculation, plus thi s correction, gives the correct reading for the point desired. 
 
AdJuSt For Dayligh t Savmg Time By AddmR One Hour 
 
CORRECTION TABLE 
 
The times given a r e for Savannah Ri ver. 
 
entrance (Tybee). 
 
Hrs. M1n. 
 
Savannah High Savannah (Low) H i lton Head, S.C. Thunderbolt Isle of Hope Warsaw Sound Ossabaw Sound Vernon View 
Coffee Bluff Ogeechee River Bridge St. Catherine Sound Sapelo Sound Brunswick Bar St. Simon Pier Frederica Bridge McKay Bridge Brunswick East River Turtle ~iver Bridge Turtle liver, Crispen Is. Humpback Bridge Jekyll Point Jointer Island Hampton River Village Creek Ent. Village Fishin g Camp Taylor Fishing Camp Altamaha Fi s hin g Park, Everett. Ga Two-Way Fishing Camp, S. Altamaha 
 
0 44 57 
0 10 0 20 
o 40 
0 00 0 05 0 35 
0 55 3 50 0 25 0 00 
0 00 
0 25 0 50 0 50 0 50 0 55 
1 10 
1 00 
0 30 55 
0 20 0 45 I 00 4 00 2 00 
 
Full 
 
:...ast 
 
New 
 
Fir~t 
 
Moon ('uarter Moon Quarter 
 
HIGH WATER 
 
LOW WATER 
 
Day A.M. HT. P.M. HT. A.M. P.M. 
 
1. Mon. 11:36 7.6 11:54 6.6 5:24 5:54 
 
2. Tues. 
 
12:24 7.2 6:06 6:42 
 
3. Wed. 12:36 6.1 1:12 6.9 7:00 7:42 
 
4. Th urs. 1:30 5.7 2:06 6.7 7:54 8:42 
 
5. Fri. 2:30 5.5 3:06 6.7 8:54 9:48 
 
6. Sat. 3:36 5.5 4:06 6.7 9:48 10:36 
 
7. Sun. 4:42 5.7 5:06 6.9 10:42 11:24 
 
8. Mon. 5:36 6.0 5:54 7.2 11:36 
 
9. Tues. 6:18 6.4 6:36 7.5 12:12 12:18 
 
10. Wed. 7:00 6.8 7:12 7.6 12:54 1:06 
 
11. Thurs. 7:30 7.2 7:42 7.7 1:30 1:42 
 
12. Fri. 8:06 7.4 8:18 7.7 2:06 2:24 
 
13. Sat. 8:36 77 8:48 7.6 2:42 3:06 
 
14. Sun. 9:12 7.8 9:24 7.4 3:12 3:42 
 
15. Mon. 9:54 7.8 10:06 7.2 3:48 4:24 
 
16. Tues. 10:42 7.8 10:54 6.9 4:30 5:12 
 
17. Wed. 11:30 7.6 11:48 6.6 5:12 6:06 
 
18. Thurs. 
 
12:36 7.4 6:06 7:12 
 
19. Fri. 12:48 6.3 1:42 7.3 7:18 8:30 
 
20. Sat. 2:00 6.2 3:00 7.3 8:36 9:36 
 
21. Sun. 3:18 6.4 4:18 7.5 9:48 10:42 
 
22. Mon. 4:36 6.8 5:24 7.9 10:54 11 :36 23. Tues . 5:42 7.4 6:18 8.2 11:54 
 
24. Wed . 6:36 8.0 7:06 8.4 12:30 12:48 
 
25. Thurs. 7:24 8.5 7:54 8.4 1:18 1:36 26. Fri. 8:12 8.7 8:36 8.2 2:00 2:24 27. Sat. 8:48 8.6 9:12 7.9 2:48 3:12 28. Sun. 9:30 8.4 9:54 7.4 3:24 3:54 29. Mon . 10:1~ 8.1 10:30 6.9 4:06 4:36 30. Tues. 10:54 7.7 11:12 6.5 4:48 5:18 
 
AUG. 
 
27 5 
 
13 
 
20 
 
SEPT. 
 
4 
 
12 
 
19 26 
 
To report violations or 1f you need assistan ce tn th e Coastal Area Call State Garr.e & Ftsh CommiSSIOn . Brunsw1ck. Georgia. 
 
P. 0. Box 1097 Ph n 
 
- 
 
S v nn h 233-2383. Richmond Hill 756 3679