GEORGIA

APRIL, 1972

Jimmy Carter
Governor
Joe D. Tanner
Director State Game & Fish Department
COMMISS,IQN-
James Darby Chairman
VIdalia-1st District
William z. Camp, lee.
Newnan-6th District
Clyde Dixon Cleveland-9th Dlatrl
Leonard Bauforcl Auguata-1 Oth Dlltrlct
ncHNICAL IRYICI DIVIIilalll Jack A. Crockford, Au._.
Leon Kirkland, Plahorlu Chief Hubert Handy, Oame Man........, Chief
LAW INPOICIMINI DMIIOII 1. IC. Panller, c:.lanel
Chief of Law lnfoNIIIIIIII 1111 Cline, Malot
Deputy Chief, Northern ....... Calhoun (-404) 629..1f71
J. D. Atchlton, Malor
Deputy Chief, Southern .....,. Metter (912) ..,_UM David Oauld, Malot
Supervlear of Caaetal Pllhertea lrunawlck (912) 261-1112

FEATURES

Record-Busters I .

. Bob Wilson 2

Rockfish Fever .

. Dean Wohlgemuth 6

Georgia's Okefenokee-A Photo Feature

10

Wild Trout For Wild Streams . . Aaron Pass 14

Crappie Fever .

. Marvin Tye 17

DEPARTMENTS

Sportsmen Speak .

19

Sportsmen's Calendar

20

ON THE COVERS

ON THE COVER: Georgia' Okefenok.. Swamp Ia a place of beauty, myatery, and aurprl11. To the caauol vlaltor It II a place of awe.J naplrlng alghll ond clo11 con tact with nature . To all but a very few It h a place of myllery. For the angler the awamp Ia a continual aurprhe, at he never knawa what kind of fhh will dart aut from beneath the Illy poda to atrlke hla balt-a fat latty warmauth, a largemouth bau, a hard fighting chain pickerel, or a powerful bowfin.

ON THE lACK: Sun11t In the Okefenok11 Swamp algnala the end of the day for flahermen and other vlalton to th awamp. Regulatlona atlpulate that vlalton mutt leave the awamp by nightfall, with the only exception being reglatered traveler on the canoe tralla, who mutt apend the night at 11tabllahed campalt11. The Okef fenok11 remain a truly wild place with certain Inherent dangen.

gama h GliB ~ ~ GEORGIA

I

April 1972

Volume VII

Number 4

Georgia Game and Flah Ia the official monthly magazine of the Georgia Game and Flah Department, publlahed at the Department' officii, TrlnltyWahlngtan Building, 270 Waahlngton St., Atlanta, Georgia 30334. No advertlalng accepted. Subacrlptlona are $1 for one year or $2.50 for thr11 yean. Printed by Wllllama Printing Company, Atlanta, Ga . Notification of addreu change mutt Include old addreu label from a recent magazine, new addreu and ZIP code, with 30 daya notice. No aubtcrl ptlon requ11t1 will be accepted without ZIP code. Artlcl11 and photograph may be reprinted when proper credit given. Contribution are wei come, but the edlton auume no reaponalblllty or liability for lou or damage of artlcl11, photographa, or lllullratlona. Second-clan pottage paid at Atlanta, Ga.

Jim Couch Photographr
len Gunn Aucllo-VIauala

JtUILIC RILATIONS STAPP Phone 656-3530
lob Wilton Managing lclltor
Marvin Tye Jtreu S.rvlclt
Aaron Pau Special Jtubllcatlona
Margaret Howard Circulation

EDITORIAL

We're Depending On You

Somewhere in the Ogeechee River a number of small striped bass are swimming around with small red plastic tags streaming behind their dorsal fin. These are important fish. Of course, to a fisherman, every fish he catches is important, but these tagged stripers are special.
Biologists know that striped bass, also known as rockfish , normally live their adult lives in salt water, ascending rivers to spawn. Recently however, it was discovered that these fish could live their entire lives in fresh water reservoirs. Mass production of striped bass fingerlings has permitted heavy stockings in selected lakes. Fishermen are now beginning to catch keepersized stripers from some of these lakes.
What about the tagged fish in the Ogeechee? Well, the biologists hope to learn more about the activities of the striped bass when they are free to travel up and down a river system, have access to rich estuarine waters, and can even migrate out to sea.
Will these fish remain in the Ogeechee, perhaps with occasional forays into the food-rich estuarine areas? Will they disappear from the Ogeechee until a few return as adults to spawn? Where will they tum up? No one knows. Most will simply disappear without a trace, perhaps food for a larger fish or through some other natural cause. Some however, will be caught by fishermen.
If successful fishermen report their catches of the tagged fish, and if the results show that the stripers stay in the river system, a whole new stocking program may be developed. It may be possible to stock striped bass in rivers in order to boost populations. If it all works out, it could mean more exciting and satisfying fishing.
It all depends on you. Yes, you out there with a fish with a small piece of red plastic behind its fin . Simply by taking the time to report your catch, you may be instrumental in improving striped bass fishing for millions of anglers to come. We're depending on you.

ATTENTION FISHERMEN

In an attempt to increase the size of the striped bass (rockfish) population in the Ogeechee River and also provide more and better striped bass fishing for Georgia anglers, biologists with the Georgia Game and Fish Commission are stocking thousands of striped bass fingerlings into the Ogeechee River. Each of these fingerlings has been tagged with a small plastic tag so that fishery biologists can better evaluate the success of this operation . Each fisherman who catches one of these tagged striped bass can play a major role in determining the success of this effort by providing the following information:

Information Needed

Person to Contact

1. Length of fish

Randy Geddings

2. Weight of fish

Fishery Biologist

3. Where caught

Ga. Game & Fish Dept.

4. When caught

P.O. Box 86

5 . Color of tag

Richmond Hill, Ga. 31324

Phone: Richmond Hill

756-3336

Savannah

233-2383

Your cooperation will be greatly appreciated!

1

RECORD BUSTERS!

The new state record white bass displa yed here by J. M. Hobbins is only 3 ounces short of the world record mark. The new state record will be inscribed on the white bass trophy provided by Pflueger.

Photo by Jim Couch

By Bob Wilson
Records came tumbling down as the enries to the 1971 Georgia Big Fish Contest were verified. New records were posted for four species and three of the new record-holders will receive fine rod and reel outfits as prizes.
The state record for Iargemouth bass, which is also the world record, still belongs to George Perry of Brunsw ick with his catch of a 22-pounder way back in 1932. The 1971 winner in the black bass category was Mrs. Annie Malcolm of Hampton, who entered a 16pound, 4-ounce largemouth, that mistook a black Fliptail for a meal. Mrs. Malcolm will win an Ambassadeur

5000 reel and a matching Garcia rod, and will have her name engraved on the Georgia Black Bass Trophy, provided by Garcia .
It is a popular misconception that an angler has to travel to remote waters that are seldom fished if he wants to catch really large fish . Mrs. Malcolm landed her trophy in her back yar.d, at Talmadge Lake, during a break in house-painting . If you think that was just luck, the runner-up in this category, a 14-pound , 11ounce specimen was caught by Erik Buchhardt of Hampton in the same lake.
The Pflueger trophy for the largest white bass entered will be inscribed with the name of J. M. Hobbins of Atlanta . On June 6, 1971, he pulled a recordshattering 5-pound, 1-ounce white bass from Lake La-

2

nier . This beauty is just three ounces shy of the world record mark of 5-pounds, 4-ounces. Not quite a world record, but still a new state record, and good enough to win Mr. Hobbins a new Pflueger Supreme rod and reel outfit.
Another Pflueger outfit will be awarded to Mrs . Shirley lavender of Athens, for her 4-pound, 4-ounce black crappie that set a new state record for that species and also carried the crappie category in the contest. Mrs . lavender is certain to have impressed her three boys with her skill as an angler. The fact that such a large crappie came from a pond as small as Acree's lake near Athens has impressed some fishery biologists. It may not have been the catfish that she was fishing for, but Mrs. lavender's fish set a new state record and won her a nice prize.
A 3-pound, 1-ounce redear su11fish , also referred to as shellcrackers, pulled from McKenzie's lake by John S. Reid of Montezuma is also a record-breaking prize winner. Reid used a Garcia rod and spinning reel and a traditional P,ink worm to catch the fish that will win another Garcia rod for him as well as an Ambassadeur 5000 reel. That makes at least one fisher-

man that will probably smile when he hears people talking about fishing falling off in mid-summer, as last August 8 was the date of what will have to be a memorable catch.
While there is no prize category for bowfin in the contest, John F. Maddox of Phenix City, Alabama, has won the distinction of having landed the largest fish of that species caught in Georgia. The 15-pound, 12ounce bowfin was caught in Walter F. George Reservoir on June 4, 1971 . Mr . Maddox will receive a Master Angler's Certificate listing his fish as the current Georgia state record.
A real trout fisherman would probably leap at the chance of trading his favorite rod and reel for the chance to land a 12-pound, 9-ounce brown trout, but David Harper of Ellijay didn't have to make any kind of deal, and his fish won the rod and reel prize for the trout category. It's not likely that Mr. Harper will be using his Pflueger Supreme baitcasting outfit for regular trout fishing, but perhaps he knows where there are some more big ones.
The Altamaha River is widely recognized as one of the cleanest, most scenic rivers in the southeast. It comes

Mrs. Annie Malcolm proved that it is not necessary to travel great distances to catch big fish . From this spot in her back yard, she landed the 16 pound, 4 ounce largemouth bass that took first place in the black bass category and won her a rod and reel prize.

Photo by Bob Busby

3

In the photo on the right, M rs. Sh irley Lmender of Athens seems quite pleased with her state record black crappie of 4 pounds, 4 ounces, and who could blame her.

Photo by Jim Couch
David H arper puts th e finishing to uches on his m ounted 12 poun d, 9 otm ce bro wn trout. A talented taxiderm ist, it's a sa fe bet that Harper's m ounted troph y is a fin e exam ple of th e art.
John S. R eid displays his record-shallering 3 pound, 1 ounce redear sunfish. R eid used th e traditional pink worm to catch th is beauty.

Photo by Jim Couch
as little surpr ise then, when it produces prize-winni ng fish . Kermit Deloach of Claxton catches his share of fi sh in the Altamaha , but the 37-pound channel catfish he pul led in on July 11 , 1971 was only two pounds shy of the current state record, and a pretty sure bet to win the prize in the catfish category. The Ambassadeur 5000 reel and Garcia rod that he will receive as his pr ize wi ll come in handy if Mr. Deloach ties into ma ny more fish that large.
All qualifying entries to the Georg ia Big Fish Co ntest receive Master Angler's Certificates. Fishermen w ho want to enter the ir catch are strongly urged to ca refu ll y read and complete the official entry fo rm. A photograph of the fish is very important for proper identifi cation, and sometimes the fish must be examined by a qualied fishery biologist for proper verification. Fish can be safely stored in a freezer if wrapped in new spaper or cloth and placed in a plastic bag.
There are b igger fish out there waiting to be ca ug ht by a sk il lful angler, and even smaller fish have been winn~rs in years past. Good luck and good fish ing .

"M ine won third prize in the big fi sh contest!"
4

Minimum Weight for Certificate

State Records

World's Record

Sibs. 10 lbs.

BASS, FLINT RIVER SNIALLMOUTH

6 lbs., 15 ozs.-James Lewis,

Cordele, Flint River,

Feb. 20, 1967

No Record

BASS, LARGEt.'OUTH

22 lbs., 4 ozs.-George Perry,

Brunswick, Montgomery Lake,

June 2, 1932

Same

Second-17 lbs., 14 ozs.-Nickie Rich,

Marietta, Chastain's Lake,

April27, 1965

Sibs. Sibs. 20 lbs. 21bs. 31bs. 1112 lbs. 8lbs. 20 lbs.

BASS, SMALLMOUTH

6 lbs., 5 ozs.-Jackie R. Suih,

Fry, Lake Blue Ridge,

December 11, 1969

11 lbs., 15 ozs.

BASS, SPOTTED

7 lbs., 8 ozs.-Donald Palmer,

Cleveland, Little Tesnatee R.,

May 20, 1969

8 lbs., 8 ozs.

BASS, STRIPED
63 lbs., 0 ozs.-Kelly A. Ward, Dublin, Oconee River, May 30, 1967

Same

BASS, REDEYE (COOSA)

2 lbs., 10 ozs.-John R. Cockburn, Jr.,

Dalton, Jacks River,

July 4, 1967

6 lbs., V2 az.

BASS, WHITE 5 lbs., 1 oz.-J. M. Hobbins,
Atlanta, Lake Lanier, June 16, 1971

5 lbs., 4 oz.

BLUEGILL

2 lbs., 15'12 ozs.-J. Terry Cantrell,

Atlanta, Okefenokee Swamp,

August, 1965

4 lbs., 12 ozs.

BOWFIN

15 lbs., 12 ozs.-John F. Maddox

Phenix City, Ala., W. F. George

June 4, 1971

16 lbs., 12 on.

CARP

35 lbs., 6 ozs.-Aibert B. Hicks, Sr.,

Atlanta, Sweetwater Creek,

April 17, 1967

55 lbs., 5 au.

151bs.
151bs.
31bs.
31bs.
151bs. Any Weight
51bs.
41bs.

CATFISH, CHANNEL 39 lbs., 3 ozs.-Ben Patrick, Tifton, Patrick's Lake, July 4, 1969

58 lbs.

CATFISH, FLATHEAD 51 lbs., 15 au.-Hoyt McDaniel, Suches, Lake Nottely,
June 2, 1969

66 lbs.

CRAPPIE, BLACK
4 lbs., 4 ozs.-Shirley Lavender, Athens, Acree's Lake, June 1, 1971

5 lbs.

CRAPPIE, WHITE

4 lbs., 4 ozs.-Charles McCullough,

Decatur, Lake Hartwell,

April 27, 1968

5 lbs., 3 ozs.

GAR, LONG NOSE Na Official State Record 50 lbs., 5 ozs.

MUSKELLUNGE

38 lbs.-Rube Golden, Atlanta,

Blue Ridge Lake,

June, 1957

69 lbs., 15 ozs.

PICKEREL, CHAIN (JACKFISH)

9 lbs., 6 ozs.-Baxley McQuaig, Jr.,

Homerville,

February, 1961

Same

SAUGER No Official State Record

8 lbs., 5 ozs.

lV2Ibs. SUNFISH, REDBREAST No Official State Record

No Record

21bs.

SUNFISH, REDEAR (SHELLCRACKER)

3 lbs., 1 oz.-John S. Reid,

Montezuma, McKenzie's Lake,

August 8, 1971

4 lbs., 8 ozs.

15" or 21bs.

TROUT, BROOK

3 lbs., 12 ozs.-Barry Lowe,

Lithonia, Moccasin Creek,

April 12, 1969

14 lbs., 8 on.

18" or TROUT, BROWN

51bs. 18 lbs., 3 ozs.-William M. Lowery,

Marietta, Rock Creek,

May 6, 1967

39 lbs., 8 ozs.

24'' or TROUT, RAINBOW

61bs. 12 lbs., 4 ozs.-John Whitaker,

Ellijay, Coosawattee River,

May 31, 1966

4 lbs., 2 ozs.

2 lbs. PERCH, YELLOW Na Official State Record 4 lbs., 3112 au.

5 lbs.

WALLEYE
11 lbs., 0 oz.-Steven Kenny, Atlanta, Lake Burton, April13, 1963

25 lbs.

lib. WARMOUTH No Official State Record

1 lb., 2 on.

GEORGIA BIG FISH CONTEST

The Georgia Sportsmen's Federation or non-resident, may enter the contest by

and Georgia Game & Fish Magazine spon- completing the official affidavit.

sor a big fish contest for the State of 5. Fish must be caught on sporting tackle

Georgia during each calendar year.

and be hooked and landed by the entrant.

Shortly after the first of each year, rod and reel sets will be given to the angler catching the largest fish in any one of six categories: black bass, white bass, crappie, bream, mountain trout, and catfish. In addition, the angler catching the largest black bass each year will have his name engraved on the Garcia Black Bass Trophy, and the winner in the white bass category will have his name engraved on the Pflueger White Bass Trophy.
Entries made on fish caught after December 31 will be entered in next year's contest. Entries should be made as soon as possible after the fish is caught. The deadline for entries in the contest is January 15.
How To Enter
1. Have fish weighed, measured, and entered at any official Georgia Sportsmen's Federation Weighing Station or any office
of the State Game and Fish Commission. If no sl!ch station is available, have the f1sh we1ghed and measured in the pres-

6. Fish must be caught in the State of Georgia during the legal angling season for the species taken.
7. Angler can submit as many entries as he wishes. Certificates will be awarded for all fish surpassing the minimum standards in the chart regardless of the year caught, but contest prizes will be awarded only in the general black bass, white bass, crappie, bream, mountain trout, and catfish categories for fish caught this year. Awards will not be given for specific species within these categories such as the largest white crappie, black crappie, etc. due to the difficulty of exact identification of the species in these categories. I~ the event of a tie, duplicate awards Will be given.
8. Clear sideview black and white or color photographs of the fish, preferably with the angler, must be submitted with each entry which become the property of Georgia Game & Fish Magazine.

e_n~e of two witnesses who sign the of- 9. Affidavits should be mailed to Big Fish

fiCial entry blank or a facsimile.

C_ontest,_ <:Jeorgia ~arne and Fish Maga-

2. Before the affidavit can be accepted, the truth of the statements must be attested before a qua Iified officer such as

zme, Tnn!ty-Washmgton Street Building, 270 Washmgton Street, Atlanta, Georgia 30334.

a notary public, justice of the peace,

sheriff, municipal clerk, postmaster, mem-

ber of state or local law enforcement

agency, wildlife ranger, etc.

3. There is no entry fee for the contest.

4. Any Georgia licensed angler, resident HOW TO MEASURE A FISH Girth: should be mHS
ured around the largest part of the body as shown irt

diagram. Length: Measure along a flat surface from the extremity of the mouth to the extremity of the tail.

PRINT OR TYPE ALL INFORMATION
Kind of Fish_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Weight..___lbs.___ozs. Length___ins. Girth____ins. Bait used__________ Type Tackle_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Rod Brand_ _ _ _ _ _ _ Reel Brand _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Line Brand _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Test.___ Where caught (Name of Lake or Stream)______________________
Location of Lake or Stream (County or Nearest T o w n > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Date Caugh~-----------------------------------------Angler_____________________________________________________________ Home Address__________________________________________________

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

Telephone Numbers: Business:_____________

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

Fishing License Number:_______________________
"I hereby swear that the above statements are true; that in taking this fish I complied with the contest rules, fishing regulations, and that the witnesses hereto saw this fish weighed and measured. I consent to the use of my nan.e in connection with the Georgia State Fishing Contest."

(Signature of person who caught fish) We, the undersigned, witnessed the weighing and measuring of the fish described above and verified the weight and measurements given. 1. Signature_____________________________________________________________
Address_____________________________________________________________ 2. Signature_____________________________________________________________
Address_____________________________________________________________
Sworn to and ascribed before me this_________,day of__________________, 19_____
-------------------=-:-----------,......------------- Title:_________________ (Signature of a qualified officer-See Rule 2) Send all entries to: Georgia Game & Fish Magazine, Trinity-Washington Street Building, 270 Washington Street, Atlanta, Georgia 30334.
5

More rockfi sh fever on th e way! This may look like a hospital scene, where fever is treated .. . and in a way it is. But it isn't the fish that have the fever, it's the anglers that will enjoy th e benefits of these efforts. Department biologists are tagging striped bass fingerlings which will be stocked into the Ogeechee River. Biologists hope that stocking th em there will give th em a hominginstinct, and that they will return to the Ogeechee when they spawn . Th e tags will help to prove th e success of the effort.
Photo by Bob Wilson
By Dean Wohlgemuth
A fever has been burning within a few people in our state for quite some time now.
It isn't the fever that accompanies Hong Kong flu. It seems to be a malady, up to now, affecting primarily those persons employed by the Georgia Game and Fish Department who are in some way involved in one certain, very special program.
The fever can be very contagious, but it requires rather close contact to spread. It spread rather slowly from word of mouth, but actual contact has been made in some instances now, and that contact has created a much more rapid spread.
You might call it "striped bass fever," or perhaps you prefer to refer to the species involved as rockfish, or maybe stripers. But don't confuse this fish or this fever with a species that is closely related, known as the white bass, or by some Georgia anglers, as

"stripes." The striped bass is actually a cousin of the white bass, but the white is strictly a freshwater fish while the striped bass originally is a saltwater dweller . . . that is, until the past decade or so.
To clarify, let us point out that the sea-going striped bass always bas spent a good portion of his life in freshwater. Each year be makes a pilgrimage from the sea into freshwater rivers to spawn. Then, someone closed the gate on him. Dams cut off the striped bass' return to the ocean in an instance or two, and be learned to adapt himself to living his entire lifespan in freshwater impoundments. He even reporduces in some rare instances where landlocked.
This strated the fever. Some Georgia fisheries biologists got a good case some six or seven years ago. This writer must admit to having a .case of the fever, very badly, for at least that long . . . and it continues to grow more acute with every advance made in the Georgia striped bass program.
Now, it is possible for any angler in the state to catch a landlocked rockfish from a Georgia impoundment. This is the cause of the quicker spread of the fever, because you can't come out of a tussle with one of these rascals without being severely bitten by the bug . . . you just have to come back for more.
You've read in the past three years in this magazine that the Game and Fish Department was working toward producing striped bass in Georgia reservoirs, and that in a few years you'd be catching them.
Well now, the time has come Although they're not being taken in great number or fantastic sizes yet, some are being taken with fair frequency, with consistent catches of 5 or 6 pounders. In a few more years, they should be a lot more prevalent on stringers, both in numbers and in size. Even so, right now, you can catch striped bass large enough to keep - the minimum legal size is 15 inches.
A big bruiser with a huge appetite, the striped bass can be taken virtually any season of the year by varying methods. It is because of his monstrous appetite that the whole program began in Georgia.
You see, not only is the rockfish

Millions of striped bass eggs remain
suspended in these jars for hatching.
Th ey must remain afloat from 48 to 72 hours to hatch. From here, the tiny fry will go into nursery ponds to be raised to a 11ize of fi ve to eight inches, then th ey'll be stocked
into public waters.
counted on to provide a new and exciting game fish, but equally important . . . if not more so . . . the rock was introduced to Georgia lakes to improve the fishing for other freshwater species.
A prime factor in fish production revolves around the rough fish populations in those waters. For example, the largemouth is a voracious predator, and with his huge mouth, he can handle rather large forage fish.
Yet, be bas limitations. In some lakes, populations of gizzard shad and other rough fish are considered underutilized because excessive numbers get too large for the bass to eat. The rough fish then begin to crowd the bass for space, eating the eggs and also eating some of the aquatic life that is vital in the food chain of bass or other preferred species.
The striped bass can eat larger rough fish and more of them. So, by introducing them, the rough fish population can hopefully be brought under control and provide better habitat for other species.
In Georgia, the striped bass program got its real beginning about 1966. In that year, some 250 striped bass were introduced into Lake Blackshear. These were large fish for the most part, ranging up to 30 pounds in size. It was hoped that these fish would reproduce naturally in that

Jake, providing a self-sustaining population.
That same year, some striped bass fingerlings were released into Lake Seninole. At that time, Georgia had no facilities for hatching striped bass, a fairly new technique, so the Game and Fish Department was dependent upon the South Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission to provide newly-hatched fry. Some fry were obtained in that year, and were placed in rearing ponds to be grown to a fingerling size. The ponds were adjacent to Lake Seminole, and when the fish reached the desired size, the dam was opened into Seminole to allow the fish to move into the lake.
It was estimated that some 25,000 fish were released at that time. A few years later, a few more fingerlings were stocked into Seminole, but the total amount of fish placed there was something less than one per acre.
Blackshear received additional fish in 1968 and in 1971 when some five fingerlings per acre were stocked. There bas been no proof that the first fish stocked reproduced.
Oddly, the first catch reports came from a lake some 200 miles away, Lake Burton, in the northeast Georgia mountains! Some of the fingerlings were reared in ponds there in 1966. Aftter being netted out, the ponds were flushed into B u r t o n .

7

On ce the striped bass have reached the size for stocking, th ey are seined from nursery ponds, put 011 a hatchery truck, a11d take11 to th eir permanent home ... and soon will be big enough to hit a lure!

Though it is not known how many, a few stripers were flushed into the lake, and in the past year or so, anglers occasionally hauled in striped bass up to 15 pounds.
Then, the first really big boost to striped bass came in June of 1969. In that year, as part of a cooperative project of the Southern Division, American Fisheries Society, a Federal research project began. Two Georgia lakes were stocked with fish provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Lakes Sinclair and Jackson received more highly concentrated stockings of striped bass.
Sinclair received 75 ,000 striped bass fingerlings , two inches long, to give the lake five fish per acre. This stocking was done in June, while Lake Jackson was stocked in winter, also at the rate of five fish per acre or a total of 25,000 fish . These fish were five to seven inches in length. The purpose of these stockings was to compare the benefits to be derived from early stocking of two-inch fish with stocking larger fish later in the year.
Each lake received stockings of the same amount of fish at the same times of the year for two con ecutive years.
By last year, it became apparent that stocking two-inch fish in June, when the shad spawn came off, was the preferred technique. By that time, Sinclair anglers were getting striped bass with some amount of frequency, while catches from Jackson were sporadic, if not rare.
Therefore, Jackson was stocked by the department in June 1971 , with two-inch fish in an effort to produce more significant results. Within a year or two, these fish should be showing up on stringers.
Results of the stockings in these lakes were gathered in two ways. Biologists began monthly netting studies in the two lakes to find how many

and how large striped bass they could catch. Also, creel census studies were made to determine how many fish anglers were catching.
Netting studies have shown that in Sinclair, approximately 60 to 70 percent of the stripers now exceed the 15-inch minimum size limit, and thus are now of harvestable size. Some fish have been taken by net of up to six pounds, and some reports from anglers include fish of about that size. However, the average fish is about 3\12 pounds.
Both lakes will continue to be stocked until such time as studies show the ideal amount of fish for these waters has been achieved. Population and netting studies will show how many striped bass are in the lakes, and what effect they have had on the fish population. At that time, stocking will be either reduced or stopped, depending on these studies.
While initial stockings in Georgia were fish that came from South Carolina all fish tocked in the state last year were Georgia-born.
Succes ful experiments in striper hatching at the Richmond Hill Fish Hatchery gave impetus to the program and made it possible for the Department to build its own hatchery. Georgia ranked as the fourth state to succes fully hatch striped bass.
Biologist put the new hatchery into full operation for the first time in 1971. It produced some nine million fry la t year. Large stripers were taken from major rivers, primarily the Savannah and the Ogeechee, by

Photo by Bob Wilso n
u e of shocking devices. The stunned fish were injected with hormone and taken to th e hatchery where they were kept until they were ready for spawning. Eggs were stripped from the females, fertilized by sperm stripped from males, then hatched. The fry were rai sed in hatchery ponds to the proper size for stocking, then the fish were transported to their new, permanent homes.
The hatchery is in operation again this year. Just how many fish will be produced will be determined largely by how many brood fish can be captured from sea-going bass making their spawning runs up the rivers. Most of them come from the Savannah River, where pollution renders them undesirable for eating.
In an open river situation, it can be difficult to obtain enough fish to provide brood stock for the hatchery. However, biologists hope that in a year or two a good supply of brood fish will always be available, assuring top production each year.
This will be accomplished by depending on Sinclair and Jackson to yield brood fish. This closed environment will make it easier to take large fish in sufficient numbers to assure full production. Fish in these lakes should reach 10 pounds in a couple more years.
A more reliable source of brood fish will put the program at full scale, and assure annual sizable stockings in several major lakes.
At present, four lakes will .get the most attention; Jackson and Sinclair

8

will continue to be the center of interest for a time, but Blackshear will al o be restocked during 1972. When these Jakes are brought along, attention will be turned towa rd Seminole.
Not all the wo rk will be done in Jakes and on landlocked fi h. Some 30,000 fin gerl ings were kept at th e Richmond Hill hatchery, earm arked fo r a new program, th at of improving spawning run from the sea. Th e fi sh will be tagged, then released into the Ogeechee River, an ideal spawning tream. Anglers will be asked to return tags to the Department to help determine the success of the program .
The idea behind thi s effort is to investigate increas ing the populations in the state's rivers. The fi sh will hopefully be " imprinted" .. . that is, they are expected to go to the estuaries or the sea, then when it comes time to make spawning runs, they will return to the native streams. Similar programs have been highly successful with other species, particularly salmon, in other parts of the nation.
The Ogeechee estu arine area has excellent habitat and abund ant food , and is one of the cleanest rivers in the country, therefore it was selected fo r the study. It already has a substanti al spawning run , but not as large as the Savannah.
The Altamaha also has a good spawning run. Striped bass may go upstream as far as 200 miles on the annual upstream voyage. Some go essentially as far as free-flowing river allows them to migrate. Some continue on an upstream voyage after spawning in the lower reaches of the rivers, according to Glenn McBay, Assistant Chief of Fisheries for the Department. H e sa id that it is also believed th at Georgia rivers which are open to the ocean actually contain some stripers all year long.
McBay said th at the rockfish possibly follow schools of herring upstream after spawning, and as long as food is plentiful and temperatures favorable the fi sh may stay in fresh water for prolonged periods.
Striped bass seem to prefer turbulent water near deep holes, sand bars and rocky bottoms for spawning grounds . The bouyant eggs are released in the water and remain afloat until hatched. E ggs remain aflo at for perhaps 48 hours or even up to 72 hours, depending on the water temperature, before hatching. Ideal tern-

perature for spawning is about 60 to 65 degrees.
Striped bass usually begin their spawning run about the last week of March, depending on weather and temperature. The spawning sea on u uall y lasts onl y about three weeks, but co ncentrations of striped bass in the rive rs may last fo r several more week-s before most of the fis h begi n moving back to th e sea.
Actually, the stripers begin congregating in estu arine areas, the mouths of the rivers where they'll later run , three or four month s before beginning th e upstream movement . At that time, they can be caught with some

regularity, although this seems to be pretty much an unheralded fi shery at the present time.
It may be some time befo re tremendous striped bass are taken from o ur lakes, but b ig ones can be caught in run s up the rivers. Each year, fish in the 30-pound cl ass are caught. The la rge t recorded Georgia catch of a striped bass came from the Oconee Rive r nea r Dublin, in 1967 . A 63pounder was caught by Kell y Ward of Dublin, th e biggest fi sh known to Georgia offici als ever to be caught in fresh water.
Th at kind of si ze ought to give striped bass fe ver to any angler.

Tagged stripers are released into th e Ogeechee River. Th ese particular fish will not be

landlocked, and are expected to go to th e ocean for most of their life. Fishermen who land

a striped bass with a plastic tag attached should report th eir catch to the Gam e and Fish

D epartm ent. Only a very sm all percentage of th e stripers hatched were used for this

project. M ost were stocked in fresh water lakes.

Photo by Bob Wilson

GEORGI~S
OKEFENOKEE

G eorgiils Okefenokee S wamp and Su wanee River, which has its headwater th ere, provide th e visitor with strikingly beautiful se ttings .
Boats are available at Stephen C. Foster State Park for visitors who cruise the still waterways of th e Okefenokee, but swimming and dabblin g one's feet in the water is not recomm ended .
12

13

WILD TROUT
for
WILD STREAM
By Aaron Pass

Photo by Bob Wilson

D oes a wild trout really fight harder, jump higher, and taste better than a freshly stocked fish from the hatchery truck? Legions of trout fishermen say he does, and they feel the wild fish to be a more worthy adversary. The true fascination of wild trout fishing is inadequately explained in terms of a better fight or better taste. Apparently the pursuit of wild trout in their wild habitat and the competition with all the naturally acquired skills of survival adds as much quality to the sport of trout fishing as the artificiality of the "put-and-take" stocking situation takes away.
The word "quality" is getting a great deal of use by

conservationists and environmentalists in these ecologyminded days. The phrase "High Quality Environment" is used to describe those remaining areas of unspoiled natural beauty. "High Quality Recreational Experience" is the terminology used to describe those pleasurable activities which take place in, and are usually limited to, such areas. The canoeist on a wilderness river, or the hiker in a remote mountain pass are enjoying high quality recreational experiences. Wild trout fishing along a pristine, wilderness stream would be an angling equivalent to these high quality activities.
That such angling is high quality can scarcely be

14

denied by any fisherman fortunate enough to have experienced it, but it is becoming increasingly high in value also. If a high demand increases value, and scarcity also increases value, wild trout fishing must then be doubly valuable these days. Just as the streams that hold wild fish decrease in number, the demand for high quality trout fishing is growing. In the past halfcentury most of the pressures exerted on Georgia's trout streams have had a detrimental effect. The inroads of progress and development with the attendant problems of pollution and habitat alteration have had their telling effect on the wild trout fishery. Erosion and siltation were the primary agents, for as the silt settled on the spawning gravels, it impaired the wild trout population's ability to reproduce itself.
As the natural capacity for trout reproduction decl ined over the years, the amount of fishing pressure continually increased. Streams capable of maintaining a wild trout population are now comparatively few, and the demand for this resource is steadily growing. This increased pressure on wild trout fishing has now become a critical factor in the deterioration of wild trout fishing.
Due to this growing demand for quality trout fishing and in response to the need to protect this diminishing resource, the Georgia Game and Fish Department bas become increasingly involved with wild trout. Recently,
The brook trout is the only trout native to the eastern part of the country, but has steadily declined due to a variety of environmental factors. The restoration of this species is one of the management systems under the wild trout program.
Photo by Aaron Pass

Photo by Aaron Pass
A wild brook trout comes to net, or in this case, to hand in pristine surroundings of a wildern ess trout stream . Such angling is undoubtedly high quality sport.
all the efforts in this area have been consolidated into a full scale management program. The initial aim of this program was to preserve as many streams as possible which still retained the potential to produce wild trout fishing. The program now includes maintenance of wild trout streams, work toward reclamation and renovation of abused streams, and a program of restoration of the native brook trout fishery. While the program bas been developing for several years, it bas recently received a shot in the arm. A portion of the revenue from the sale of the trout stamp is being used to assist the wild trout program.
Strictly speaking, the term "wild trout" would have to mean a fish spawned, reared , and living in completely natural conditions, free of the influence of man. In the wild trout management program the term may refer to three distinct management systems: stream-reared, stream-bred and native trout management. The system chosen for any given stream depends on that stream's ability to maintain that system.
The stream-reared system utilizes the highest degree of human intervention, and to some minds, artificiality. Trout fingerlings are stocked into water which will not allow adequate natural reproduction but will allow good survival. While they are not wild fish by a strict definition , these stocked fingerlings grow into what are wild trout for all practical purposes. Being stream-reared, they face all the natural dangers and develop the same skills and caution necessary for survival.
Stream-bred management is the classic type of wild trout management. This system is utilized on streams which support a healthy breeding population of rainbow, brown or brook trout. This system may consist merely of an abatement of stocking, provided that the other wild-trout stream criteria are met. Occasionally stream improvement structures are built to upgrade the wild trout potential or a barrier may be built to prevent
15

Encouraging natural reproduction is an important aspect of ll'i/d trout management. This spawning box is being used experim entally to provide more areas to silt-free spawning gra vels.
Photo by Aaron Pau
Th e water flowing over this splash dam cuts a small pool in the stream bed. This creates a trout holding area where form erly there was a shallow barren run.
Photo by Aaron Pau
This fish barrier blocks th e passage of rough fish or stocked trout into wild trout streams. These are constructed on streams where th ere are no falls or oth er natural barriers.

contamination of the stream by rough or stocked fish . Native brook trout management is another feature
of the wild trout management program. The brook trout was once the only native trout of eastern streams, but is so dependent on very cold and clean water that its range has vastly decreased. As encroaching civilization caused detrimental changes in the mountain streams and the more competitive brown and rainbow trout were introduced, the native brookies retreated to the small headwaters tributaries. The native trout management system provides for the identification of those relatively few streams with a native trout potential , and the adoption of management techniques for this unique fishery . The streams are renovated or reclaimed, competing species are removed, and then restocked with a wild strain of the southern brook trout.
The abatement of stocking is one of the prime management measures in the wild trout program. Under the stream-bred and native trout systems, both of which rely on natural reproduction , no hatchery fish are stocked. The absence of stocking prevents contamination of the wild population and allows the stream to establish a natural carrying capacity. The absence of catchable-size stocked trout also causes a significant drop in fishing pressure on a stream.
The relief of heavy fishing pressure is another important factor in the wild trout management concept. Since most of the public trout streams in Georgia are small and relatively infertile, they have low carrying capacities. Heavy, unrestricted fishing might so deplete the breeding stock that natural reproduction would be inadequate to maintain the population. Fisheries management personnel feel that the regulation of fishing pressure is essential to effective wild trout management.
The amout of road access plays a great role in determining the amount of fishing pressure a given stream receives. Limited vehicular access is in fact, one of the major criteria for designating a stream for wild trout management. It has been estimated that the abatement of stocking and limited access can cut the fishing pressure on a stream by as much as eighty per cent. Those streams which do have road access but meet other wild trout criteria may be aided by other methods. The road may be closed to all but foot travel, or if this is not possible the stream may be regulated to protect the fishery. A minimum size limit on fish or an artificials-only restriction helps to limit angling pressure on very accessable streams.
Water quality and temperature are critical factors on any trout stream, but they" are doubly important on a self-sustaining wild trout stream. Land use practices in the watershed can greatly affect these two factors and ultimately they affect the stream itself. Special emphasis is necessary on those watersheds containing wild trout streams to protect them from destructive logging and road building activities which could destroy the natural conditions on which the trout depend.
Protection is in fact the key word in the wild trout pro ~ram . The streams must be protected from too much fishing pressure and any environmental practices which would destroy their natural balance. It is only by such protection that the high quality resource of wild trout fishing can be maintained.

16

CRAPPIE

FEVER

By Marvin Tye
Photos by the Author

When the water in Georgia's large impoundments warms to about 64 degrees, the state's crappie anglers get an overwhelming case of fishing fever. The only way to remove the symptoms is to go out and try to catch a limit of this tasty gamefish.
Such a feat is not overly difficult to accomplish. The male fish generally guards the nest and will attack anything that comes near. A jig or small minnow that is fished properly will entice a strike just about every time.
When the crappies spawn, they usually seek out brush piles, piles of debris or weedy or sandy bottom in two to six feet of water. Of course, they can be found in slightly deeper or even shallower depths. This is only a general rule.
The best natural bait for crappie is a small minnow, about an inch long. Worms, various larvae and insects such as crickets will also take their share of this game fish, but the minnow fisherman will usually be the most successful live bait man.
The weighted fly or jig is so successful for crappie fishing that it is sometimes called a crappie jig. Perhaps the main reasons for this are that the jig resembles the small minnows upon which the crappie feed and it can be retrieved in a straight line with no built-in action. For some reason, crappie seem to prefer such
a retrieve. For those of you who are not fa-

~

.
. ... . ~

I .-..___ ,

.,''

,, . -

.

'

On light tackle, the crappie can be a lot of fun to catch. He is also valued as a food fish and can be found in large numbers in many of Georgia's impoundments.

17

Harold Barber unhooks a nice crappie that he cought trolling on Lake Jackson . Barber uses a jig of his own design, called a Hal Fly, and consistently catches large numbers of crappie.

miliar with the crappie, it is one of our largest panfishes. There are two species found in Georgia, the black crappie and the white crappie. The white seems to be somewhat more abundant here than the black. The state record black crappie weighed 4 lbs. , 4 ozs. and was caught by Shirley Lavender at Aker's Lake on June 1, 1971. The state record white crappie also weighed 4 lbs., 4 ozs. It was caught by Charles McCullough at Lake Hartwell on April 27, 1968. As a comparison, the world record black crappie weighed an even five pounds and the world record white weighed just three ounces more.
Anyone who catches a crappie of either species that weighs three pounds or more is eligible for a Master Angler's Certificate in the big fish contest sponsored by the State Game and Fish Department.
The two species can be distinguished to some degree by their colors.

The black crappie is, of course, darker colored than the white and has black irregular spots over a silvery background. It is mottled in appearance and has black or greenish-black coloring on the dorsal and anal fins. The white is lighter in color and has several dark bands extending down from the back.
The most positive means of identification are the fins . The black crappie has a dorsal fin, the base of which is as long as the distance from the front of the dorsal to the eye. The dorsal fin of the white is proportionately shorter. Most white crappie have six dorsal spines and most black crappie have seven. The number can vary. The black crappie has a deep blue eye with a golden circle around the iris. The white crappie's eye is lighter in color.
The crappie is also known as a papermouth because of its tender mouth . Other names that this fish

goes by are speckled perch, calico bass, goggleye, sac-a-lait and tinmouth.
According to Game and Fish Department Fisheries Chief Leon Kirkland, crappie can be found in all of Georgia's major reservoirs. He lists Lakes Lanier, Allatoona, Clark Hill, Sinclair, Jackson, Walter F . George, Blackshear and Seminole as the best bets for the angler.
Of course, the best time for fish ing for crappie is during the spring spawning season. At that time limit catches of 50 fish are not unusual. The best tackle to use is light spinning gear. This is true not only because it is more fun than other types of tackle, but because heavier tackle might tear the hooks out of the crappie's tender mouth. A large crappie caught on ultra-light tackle can provide a spirited fight.
At certain times of the year when crappie are in shallow water, they can be caught on streamer flies. During the hot summer months, the most effective way of taking a limit is to suspend a lantern or other bright light above the water to attract insects. These in turn attract minnows which draw the crappies. The night fisherman who uses a small minnow or jig has an excellent chance to score.
If you fish a live minnow under a floating bobber, you must have it at the proper depth to catch fish. If this is only a couple of feet below the water, you can attach the float the desired distance from the hook and be in business~ If the fish are deeper you should use a sliding float and tie a length of rubber band or cord onto your line in order to suspend the book at the desired depth. Tying a simple overhand knot in the line would also position the hook at the desired location, but it would also weaken the line. A set float can also be used when fishing a jig if you want to retrieve it only a couple of feet below the surface.
When the crappie strikes, you should let the float go completely under and strike lightly. A hard strike could tear the hook out of the fish's mouth.
During the late summer months and again during the winter crappie can be found in deep holes in most lakes. The answer to fishing for them is to get your bait or lure down to the fish's level. A depth finder can be

18

helpful in locating crappie habitat and the fish themselves.
There are three locations on Lake Allatoona and one on Clark Hill where the angler can fish inside a floa ting building through a hole in the floor and catch crappie in the winter. This sort of fishing can be especially enjoyable on a cold, rainy day. On other lakes, you can simulate these locations by fishing inside a boat house when the water temperature is high enough for the crappie to be in such shallow water.
Two of the fishing houses on Lake Allatoona are located at Wilderness Camp on the north shore of the lake a short distance from Ga. 20. The other similar facility on Allatoona is

located at Red Top Mountain State Park. Ralph Pritchard of Lincolnton operates a fishing house of this type at Clark Hill. At most of these locations, the fisherman pays a daily fee for fi shing privileges and can also purchase bait and tackle on the scene. These three " indoor fishing houses" are the only ones that we know about in the state. If any of you readers know of others, please pass the information on to us.
The crappie is a fine game fish, known for its value as a food fish, more than its fighting ability. When you sit down to a dish of fried crappie, you will probably forgive him for his lack of power on the end of the fishing line.

Whe 11 conditions are right, a string of crappies can grow in a hurry. Th e fish should be taken home, cleaned promptly and cooked as soon as possible. Th ey make a tasty treat.

ALLATOONA STOCKING?

read, several months back, in a newspaper

or magazine, that you were going to do some

restocking of bass in Lake Allatoona . I would

like to know if this has been done and when

we can expect some better bass fishing in this

lake.

I have been fishing this lake for about 12 or

15 years now and for the last 5 or 6 years it

has been getting worse and worse. I would cer-

ta inly like to see something done to improve

the bass fishing on the lakes where the fishing

has declined and I certainly would say Alia-

laona is in this category.

Also, could you please tell me where I could

get a topographic or quadrangle map of Alia-

laona that has the bottom contour shown? I

received one from U. S. Geological Survey and

it only shows the pool level and nothing below

the surface . All the others I have seen of this

lake are the same way.

W. H. Cason

Rome

Stocking of Allatoona with bass fingerlings an

an experimental basis is planned far this June

in an effort Ia determine if bass populations can

be increased by supplemental stocking af finger-

lings. There is always an adequate supply of

naturally-produced bass fry in a large reservoir,

but predation and competition with other species

result in high mortality. The experimental stock-

ing is designed ta determine if 1'h Ia 2-inch

fingerlings will have a higher rate af survival

and what number of such fingerlings would

have to be stacked to improve the bass fishery.

WANT DEER ARTICLES

We, as Georgia sportsmen, would like to see

a special section set aside in GAME & FISH

Magazine on the whitetail deer of Georgia. We

would particularly like Ia see articles that deal

with the biological, physical development of the

deer plus general habits of deer in Georg ia.

Your few articles on deer since 1969 have been

primarily concerned with trophy deer or indi-

vidual hunting trips. The one exception was an

article by Dick Whittington in the December,

1970 issue " How Many Deer." Studies done on

deer would be very interesting and educational

for Georgia's sportsmen to read about.

Other information we thing would be of in-

terest would involve maps showing by section

the number of deer killed during a big game

season and the number of hunting licenses and

big game stamps sold in Georgia each year.

We are all avid readers of the GAME &

FISH Magazine and realize you have limited

budgets and personnel, but urge your consider-

ation in this matter. John W. Brosious

William Ralph Bray

Steve Vand.egriff

Robert C. Bills

Gary Patterson

Dul uth

MORE SMOKEY BEAR

enjoyed your article " Do Forest Managers

Have a Smokey Bear Complex?" very much .

If possible, could you please send me 10

copies of this for our Science Education Depart-

ment.

Betty Komerek

Science Education

Tall Timbers Research

Station

Tallahassee, Florida

Additional copies are on the way .

19

Sportsman's Calendar
PUBLIC FISHING AREAS McDuffie-March 1 through October 31, 1972. Arrowhead-April 1 through October 31, 1972. Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays only.

Wilkes, Lincoln, Taliaferro, Warren, McDuffie. Columbia, Chattahoochee, Houston, Marion, Muscogee, Talbot, Wilkinson, and Stewart counties. Bag limit, one turkey
gobbler. April 10 through April 15, 1972, on the
Clark Hill Wildlife Management Area. Bag
limit one turkey gobbler. April 17 through April 12, 1972, on

Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge. Bag limit one turkey gobbler. Permit required (application for permit required prior to March 29, 1972); avialable from Refuge Manager, Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge. Round Oak. Georg'a 31080.
April I through April 16, 1972, on Fort Stewart Military Re~ervation. Bag limit one turkey gobbler. Permit required; avail-

SPRING TURKEY SEASONS
South Georgio
March 20 through April 15, 1972, in Ben Hill. Brantley, Coffee, Charlton, Dodge, Pierce, Telfair, Wilcox, Camden, that portion of Clinch and Echols counties lying east of U.S. Highway 441 and south of Georgia Highway 94. Bag limit is two turkey gobblers.
April 3 through April 8, 1972, on Bullard Creek Wildlife Management Area. Bag limit one turkey gobbler.

Middle Georgia
March 25 through April 22, 1972, in

able at checking station or Provost Marshal's Office, Fort Stewart, Georgia.

MANAGED STREAM SCHEDULE

Management Area
BLUE RIDGE

Stream Jones Creek (Artificial lures)
Montgomery

Nimblewill

Noontootla {artificial lures)
Rock Creek

CHATTAHOOCHEE Chattahoochee

Dukes

CHESTATEE

Boggs

Dicks

LAKE BURTON

Waters {artificial lures)
Moccasin

Wildcat

LAKE RUSSELL Middle Broad

WARWOMAN

Finney

Sarahs

Walnut Fork

Hoods Creek

May Sot., Sun
Sat., Sun. Wed., Thurs. Sat., Sun.
Every Day
Sat., Sun. Wed., Thurs. Sat., Sun.
Sat., Sun. Wed., Thurs. Sot., Sun. Wed., Thurs. Sat., Sun.
Sat., Sun.
Sat., Sun. Wed., Thurs. Sat., Sun.
Sat., Sun. Wed., Wed., Thurs.
Wed., Thurs.
Sat., Sun.
Sat., Sun.

June Sat., Sun.
Sat., Sun. Wed., Thurs. Sat., Sun.
Every Day
Sat., Sun. Wed., Thurs. Sat., Sun. Wed., Sot., Sun. Wed., Thurs. Sat., Sun. Wed., Thurs. Sot., Sun.
Sat., Sun.
Sat., Sun. Wed., Thurs. Sat., Sun.
Sot., Sun. Wed., Sat., Sun
Sot., Sun.
Wed., Thurs.
Wed., Thurs.

July Sat., Sun.
Sat., Sun. Wed., Thurs. Sot., Sun.
Every Day
Sat., Sun. Wed., Thurs. Sat., Sun.
Sot., Sun. Wed., Thurs. Sat., Sun. Wed., Thurs. Sat., Sun.
Sat., Sun.
Sat., Sun. Wed., Thurs. Sot., Sun.
Sat., Sun. Wed., Wed., Thurs.
Wed., Thurs.
Sat., Sun.
Sat., Sun.

August Sat., Sun.
Sot., Sun. Wed., Thurs. Sat., Sun.
Every Day
Sat., Sun. Wed., Thurs. Sat., Sun.
Sat., Sun. Wed., Thurs. Sot., Sun. Wed., Thurs. Sat., Sun.
Sat., Sun.
Sat., Sun. Wed., Thurs. Sat., Sun.
Sat., Sun. Wed., Sat., Sun.
Sot., Sun.
Wed., Thurs.
Wed., Thurs.

September
Sat., Sept. I Sun., Sept. 2 Mon., Sept. 3
Sat., Sept. 1 Sun., Sept. 2 Mon., Sept. 3
Sot., Sept. 1 Sun., Sept. 2 Mon. Se t. 3
Sot., Sept. 1 Sun., Sept. 2 Mon., Sept. 3
Sot., Sept. 1 Sun., Sept. 2 Mon. Se I. 3
Sat., Sept. 1 Sun., Sept. 2 Mon., Sept. 3
Sat., Sept. 1 Sun., Sept. 2 Mon., Sept. 3
Sot., Sept. 1 Sun., Sept. 2 Mon., Se t. 3
Sat., Sept. 1 Sun., Sept. 2 Mon., Sept. 3
Sat., Sept. 1 Sun., Sept. 2 Mon., Sept. 3
Sat., Sept. 1 Sun., Sept. 2 Mon., Sept. 3
Sat., Sept. 1 Sun., Sept. 2 Mon., Sept. 3
Sat., Sept. 1 Sun., Sept. 2 Mon., Se t. 3
Sat., Sept. 1 Sun., Sept. 2 Mon., Sept. 3
Sot., Sept. 1 Sun., Sept. 2 Mon., Se t. 3
Sat., Sept. 1 Sun., Sept. 2 Mon., Sept. 3
Sat., Sept. 1 Sun., Sept. 2 Mon., Sept. 3

North Georgia
April 15 through April 29, 1972, in Banks, Chattooga, Dawson, Fannin, Floyd. Franklin, Gilmer, Gordon, Habersham, Lumpkin, Murray, Rabun, Stephens, Towns, Union, that portion of Walker lying east of U.S. Highway 27, and White. Bag limit one turkey gobbler.
April 24 through April 29, 1972, on Blue Ridge, Chattahoochee, John's Mountain, and Lake Burton Wildlife Management Areas. Bag limit one turkey gobbler.
TROUT SEASONS
The Georgia trout season will run from April !-October 7 on all open trout streams and. Dockery Lake. The creel limit will be eight (8) trout per day with eight (8) in possession.
The managed trout streams will be open from April 29 through Labor Day on the specified days noted in the Managed Stream Schedule, below. Those streams not listed in this schedule open and close with the re~ular state trout season (April !-October 7).
The state trout regulations have been significantly changed this season and the angler is advi~ed to check a copy of the Geor!!ia Trout Regulations 1972 for specific details.
NEW GENERAL FISHING
REGULATIONS
There will be a minimum size limit of twelve (12) inches on largemouth bass on all public waters of the state.
Special creel limits:
One (1) tro11t per day on Waters Creek (Che>tatee WMA).
Five (5) largemouth bass per day on Lake Russell.

All trout streams open on Saturday, April 29 and Sunday, April 30. The succeeding fishing days are indicated. Also all trl streams will be open on Monday, May 29 and Tuesday, July 4.

Five (5) each, largemouth and chain pickerel and twenty-five (25) each, bream and catfish on the Suwannee River.

20

Book Review
CAMPER's DIGEST by Cecil Coffey, edited by Bill Wallace, Gun Digest Company, Northfield, Illinois. 320 pages, $4.95.
CAMPER'S DIGEST provides good advice for the novice camper by furnishing basic information on camping and hiking procedures and equipment needed. Instruction is also given in camping techniques involved when really "roughing it." Just about everything is covered, from a check list on sleeping, dining, and clothing needs, to desert camping, wilderness backpacking, and weather prediction.
The majority of the material is interesting and beneficial to the camper, and the chapters on sleeping comfort, camp cooking, safety and first-aid, and campsite selection are especially good. Without knowledge in these areas, the most perfectly planned camping trip could be one filled with sore muscles, malnutrition, poison ivy, and a flooded campsite. Another chapter which should not be overlooked, especially by the hiker, is "Don't Get Lost." Many valuable tips are given to avoid this ever-present possibility and what steps should be taken if one does get lost.
The digest contains a directory section giving basic facts and listing facilities available in the national parks, national forests, and state parks in the U.S. and Canada. Addresses are also given for the state or federal agencies that could give more details on a particular area. Incidentally, the address listed for the Georgia State Parks Department is incorrect and at least two years out of date.
Approximately 20 pages of maps appear in this section, showing in each state the location of the national parks. These maps show cities, county boundaries, and the national parks -nothing else. None provide highway marking and some of the maps do not even include the scale in miles. To say that the Grand Canyon National Park is found in northern Arizona is about as helpful as these maps get.
CAMPER'S DIGEST is full of valuable information for every kind of camper, and I'm sure all but the very experienced could benefit from this book. That is, if you don't mind sorting the information from the filler.
-MH

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