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Wednesday, February 27, 1985
Wildlife Federation pushes for later season
The Georgia Wildlife Federation will continue to work
for a later, not shorter, deer season even though the
immediate threat of establishing it by legislation is over,
federation Executive Director Jim Morrison said.
Under a recent agreement between the Department of
Natural Resources and Rep. Don Oliver, D-Chicka
mauga, Oliver agree not to introduce his bill this year to
change Georgia’s deer season.
Any changes will be made by regulations set by the
Board of Natural Resources, after public hearings before
board members, DNR biologists, legislators and mem
bers of a special advisory committee, and public opinion
surveys.
The DNR holds hearings every year. The difference
will be “we are going to be there and we (legislators) are
going to hear what is going on,” Oliver said.
Don’t discount tents
for family excursions
I bet the people that make a living producing
and selling tents get tired of the treatment they
get on the television and the movies.
A tent almost always plays a role of comic
relief. They are presented as leaky, unreliable, difficult
to assemble objects bent on making the camper
miserable.
As a result I feel that many
people tend to shy away from
tents and, as a result, camping
altogether. This is a shame,
especially when you consider how
far tents, the materials they are
made of and how they are erected
have come.
Camping in this country got its
start right after World War 11.
Ater millions of G.l.’s who spent
many hours out in the field
decided they would try camping
after they returned to civilian life.
This was also at a time when
millions of pieces of war surplus camping materials were
readily available. While much of the surplus camping
equipment was very good and reliable, the same could
not always be said for the tents of that period.
A large family size tent was heavy, difficult to erect,
more often than not leaked, had numerous stakes, poles,
and lines that all had to be properly attached. And they
stunk. It’s no wonder that campers turned to R.V.’s and
trailers by the thousands when they became available.
There is nothing wrong with this type of camping and I
go camping in this manner whenever possible. If your
budget does not allow for the price of an R.V. or trailer,
that does not mean you cannot get out in the woods this
spring. Just as the campers of a generation ago turned
from tents, they are now investigating them anew for
several reasons.
One of these reasons is of course the cost of R.V. or
trailer camping. While these things are mighty nice, they
also tend to cost quite a bundle.
If you are just now considering camping for you and
your family you might not want to invest a large sum of
money in something you might not like after all. You also
could possibly not be able to go more than two or three
times a year and and this certainly makes it difficult to
justify the expense.
If you think you would want an R.V. or trailer, there
are some places that rent them. A good way to try before
you buy.
Trailers also require a vehicle capable of easily pulling
them. This is something not many of todays econo-boxes
can do.
Another reason is the crowding that afflicts nearly
every public campsite in the state. There often are just
not enough places available to handle all the campers
that arrive in an R.V. or trailer.
Equipment abounds for today’s bass fishermen
By Lefty Kreh
Th« News
Wander around any tackle shop, or
browse through the many fishing
catlogs, and the beginner, or even
experienced angler, may be over
whelmed by the multitude of lures
that are sold for the express purpose
of catching bass. They come in a vast
assortment of sizes, colors, shapes,
materials and can be used on the
surface, mid-depths or deep down.
When you consider that you may
want to catch smallmouth or large
mouth bass, and that you may have to
fish clear or cloudy waters, waters
that are choked with grass or other
lure-snagging cover or quiet bays and
fast rivers; the selection of the right
lures can become difficult to someone
who hasn’t vast experience in fishing
in many places.
Fortunately, you can stock your
tackle box with nine basic lures in
several sizes and colors that will
virtually allow you to fish anywhere
under almost any bass fishing condi
tions and do pretty well.
To make this selection let’s start
I
TED
HIGGINBOTHAM
Outdoors columnist
with the top, for during the warmer
months bass are frequently surface
feeders and in some areas where
weeds can be a problem, fishing the
small clear spots with a surface lure
is often the most productive way.
The BUZZ BAIT (3) is a modified
spinnerbait that when reeled fairly
rapidly will stay on the surface. It’s
whirling blade, churning the surface,
creates a sound that causes many
bass to strike. It works well on large
mouth ponds and lakes, as well as
rivers holding smallmouths. Color
doesn’t seem important, but the bait
should ride easily on the surface
when retrieved and perhaps two
weights, V 4 and Vi ounce, should be
stocked.
Another lure that works well on the
surface, but does double duty, by
being able to fish well just below the
surface, is the RAP ALA-TYPE plug
(5). This is a minnow imitation
usually in gold or silver finish, that
floats high (many are made from
balsa wood). The lip causes it to dive
when retrieved.
For surface work the rod tip is
manipulated in short twitches, caus-
In addition, he said he has asked the DNR to undertake
“some sort of a statewide survey” to gauge deer hunters’
feelings on the start of the season.
“The only constriction we’re placing on it is that any
changes we make don’t increase the buck harvest,” Leon
Kirkland, director of the Game and Fish Division, said.
“We are adamant for the later season. We’re not
willing to cut the length of the season. We want a muzzle
loading season,” Morrison said.
“I think the public hearings are going to determine
what the average hunter would like to see,” said Oliver,
whose bill has more co-sponsors than the 91 votes needed
to pass it in the House.
“My personal opinion is they would rather have 30 days
of good hunting rather than 45 days with more than half
of it being mediocre or something less,” Oliver said, “I
There are private campsites such as the K.O.A. lodges
that are excellent but they are not always where you
want them to be. Tent campsites, on the other hand often
have plenty of spaces even in the most popular parks. I
have seen convential campers turned away from parks
when the tent sites were barely half full.
If you are still doubtful of the reliability of tents
nowadays, don’t be. Tent-making technology has
surpassed anything else in the camping field to the point
that tents produced 10 years ago seem centuries away in
development.
You can forget about leaky, heavy smelly canvas. A
popular material for tent construction today is taffeta
nylon, a strong, lightweight, water resistant material of
very high tear strength and abrasion resistance. Tent
floors, often considered a luxury on the old surplus
models, are made in six-ounce oxford cloth.
As for all the stakes and guide ropes you would have a
hard time finding a tent that employs them anymore.
Tents today are often free standing with a frame that
supports it better than any stakes or ropes could. Buy the
way, if you long for the good old days and wish to pound
stakes, you must not have tried to drive one in a rock
hard Georgia clay campsite lately.
The poles themselves are one of the best features of
todays tents. Generally made of aluminum they are
lightweight and easy to handle. Aluminum poles don’t as
a rule rust, rot or snap just when you need them the most.
For people like me who tend to forget things like a
major part of the tent frame these poles are shock
corded together. This not only makes them easier to
assemble and more rigid but also makes it hard to leave
a vital part behind. Grab one part of the pole and you
grab them all.
If all this has you interested in tent camping, there are
a number of good choices out there.
A family tent that is one of the most innovative and
visually striking I have seen is the Eureka Starburst, a
10-foot by 10-foot tent that is roomy, well ventilated and a
breeze to put up. The Starburst goes for around $495.
A great family tent that sells for around S2BO is the
Eureka Great Western. This is a standard family size
tent that is of convential design and floor plan that has a
10-foot floor and comes with canopy.
A good midsize tent is the Jansport Dome. The
Jansport comes with three pole sections and is easily set
up even in a high wind. For two or three persons plus a
generous amount of gear it is an excellent choice.
The Trax Prima dome is a similar size tent to the the
Jansport, holds two or three campers plus gear and sells
for around $l2O-$l3O.
For the solo hunter or trout fisherman there is the
Eureka Crescent one man tent. This ingenious tent is
basically half a dome tent that will keep a lone camper
warm and dry under some of the worst conditions.
Weighing just four pounds it does not take up much space
in a boat, jeep or backpack.
ing the lure to resemble a crippled
baitfish, struggling on top the water.
It can be deadly, and often is used
when fish are easily frightened. The
silent struggles frequently cause the
bass to strike. It works well on both
species. The lure can also be used as
a swimming plug, just under the
surface.
Along with the Rapala-type plug,
three other lures can be fished well in
the mid-depths to take bass under
almost all conditions. The SPINNER
BAIT (6) is one of the most versatile
of bass lures. In smaller sizes (Vs and
Vi ounces) it is deadly on small
mouths, and in slightly larger sizes, it
has taken a toll on largemouths.
The best spinnerbaits have a snap
swivel that allows the angler to
change the blade. The blade size and
shape determines the underwater
vibrations given off, color, and how
deep the lure will run. Wise anglers
cairy either several sizes of spinner
baits in various colors, or a selection
of blades. The lure can be fished in
the heaviest cover and rarely tangles
and it’s a fish-catcher.
The ACTION-TAIL JIG (7) is one of
Forsyth County News
think it’s only fair to the average hunter to go ahead and
do it this way.”
The bill would delay the start of the gun season from
late October to early November, because of warm
weather in October and perceived changes in deer
breeding habits. The gun deer season now starts the first
Saturday after Oct. 19.
Morrison said he wants the bow season to start the first
Saturday in October and run through the Friday before
gun season. That would be either the first or second
Saturday in November. The gun season would start in
November and run through December, then be followed
by a special season for muzzle-loading rifles.
The change would not affect the southern season,
which now runs through December.
Oliver said his bill was not a threat to take away DNR
lgal . Jm *
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Staff Photo Kirk Duckworth
Paul Tuohy points out the headroom available in the Eureka Starburst tent
the most effective lures that a fisher
man could use for a variety of bass
fishing situations. The stimulating
vibrations given off by the pulsating
curly or fan tail of the soft plastic tail
draws strikes. The plastic body
comes in a host of colors, including
some of the most realistic imitations
of baitfish ever seen. By using heads
of different weights (x 6, Vs, V», % are
the most preferred) the depth and
speed of the lure can be controlled on
thp retrieve
The PLASTIC WORM (8) is cer
tainly the single best lure for large
mouth bass. It can be fished on the
surface, at mid depths, or crawled
along the bottom and more large
mouths have been taken on it than
any other artificial lure.
The angler should carry this lure in
several lengths: 4,6 and Bor 9 inches.
There are a vast array of colors, but
if you have blue-black, black, green
and chartruse for starters, you won’t
be far wrong. The most important
factor in a plastic worm is the design
of the tail. Those that will wiggle at
the slightest movement are generally
the most effective fish-takers.
authority, but it was a move to demonstrate public
interest and to spur negotiations which led to agreement.
“The whole purpose is to show public opinion, to
change it (the deer seasons) by regulation, to do it the
right way,” Oliver said.
There are about 350,000 licensed deer hunters in
Georgia. The herd is now about 850,000 animals, com
pared with only 33,000 in 1952.
Oliver’s bill was accompanied by political pressure
from the federation and a petition drive to convince
legislators the seasons need changing.
“We’ve got about 35,000 hunters across the state who
have signed” the petitions, said J.P. Green of Lilbum. He
said the 80-degree weather often found in October “is just
too warm for deer hunting.”
Two lures should be considered for
fishing deep for both small or large
mouth bass. The DEEP-DIVING
CRANKBAIT (2) and the PIG-AND
JIG (4). These two lures will usually
do the job when the fish are deep.
The deep-diving crankbait is sold
by almost every major lure manufac
turer, and most models work well. I
suggest having several that will run
Red Man Trail opens on Lanier
The 1985 Red Man Tournament
Trail has already begun in a trio of its
15 divisions, but competition in the
Bulldog Division will not begin until
this Sunday, when anglers will take to
Lake Lanier for the first of six divisio
nal events.
The Lake Lanier competition will
start fishermen in the Bulldog Divi
sion on a road that could lead to the
Red Man All American
Championships in November, the
winner of which will pocket a SIOO,OOO
prize.
Shaw Grisby, 28, of Gainesville,
Fla., captured 1984’s top prize.
at least eight feet or deeper and that
come in a minnow finish, chartruse
color and one that resembles the
color of a crayfish.
Finally, you will have to fish in the
weeds at some time for bass and that
means using a WEEDLESS SPOON
(9). They come in many shapes and
styles, but you probably should carry
a few in V», % and % ounce.
Dates for the other five Bulldog
Division events, and their respective
registration deadline dates, are:
Lake Seminole, April 14 (April 3
deadline); Lake Eufaula, May 5
(April 24); Lake Sinclair, June 2
(May 22); Lake Oconee, July 14 (July
3); and West Point Lake, Sept. 8
(Aug. 28).
One hundred percent of all entry
money is paid back in cash awards
along the trail, and each tournament
winner is guaranteed at least SI,OOO.
The top 24 anglers from each divi
sion will advance to one of three
regional tournaments in October.
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