Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 2B
THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30, 2008
Outdoors With Skipper
Plenty of fun fishing with neighbor friend
I had been fishing with a
preacher friend and his
two boys a few weeks ago.
As we were loading up to head
home, I met a fellow standing
by his truck. He asked how we
had done? I asked him where he
was from, and he replied,
“Homer.”
“Oh, where do you live in
Homer?” and he said, “at the
golf course.” “ Well, it so hap
pens I live across the street.”
From that conversation, we
have had two good fishing trips
together. Being retired, Len
Camden can go when I can go,
and he loves to hunt and fish as
I do.
It’s great to have a neighbor
who enjoys everything that you
enjoy. Well, during our first
trip we went to the Soque, and
fished the private property area.
I wanted Len to catch a nice
trout, as he hadn’t caught a big
one before.
It wasn’t long before we both
were hooked
up with some
of the stock
ers that we
had recently
put in. They
leaped out
of the water,
and we both
had fish on
at the same
time. We
wanted to get
a bigger one though.
I hooked up with about a five
pounder and was able to land
him. Now, I felt real bad, that I
had caught it instead of Len. A
bit later, I hooked into another
one around the same size, and
felt even worse about hooking
it. I even had to ask Len to net
it for me. I was really feeling
awful at this point.
It was time to head back to
Homer, with me feeling terrible
about my catching the two big
ones.
I teased him about how bad
I felt about the trip, and he
replied, to the effect he could
tell I was all torn up about it.
We laughed.
We went again last Friday so
that I could show him some of
the trout spots that I like to fish.
From Moccasin Creek, to
Helen, to Unicoi, as we made
the rounds. We found some left
overs at one of the spots, and
ended up with 12 trout for the
frying pan. Len loves to eat
trout, so he went home with a
couple of meals for him and his
wife, Pat. We had a great time
together and look forward to
many more.
We are planning a camping
trip up at Lake Burton in the
next couple of weeks. I appreci
ate meeting up with Len, and
feel it wasn’t just by chance,
particularly after losing my dear
friend, Dr. Blumer, last year.
We’ll keep you posted on our
trips together, and yes, I will let
him catch a big one, cause I just
hate feeling so bad.
By the way, when trout fishing
how about a little courtesy for
the other person fishing next to
you?
Had a call from a reader,
about fishing recently over at
the Broad River. Seems the guy
next to him was cleaning the
fish and throwing the heads in
the water right next to where he
was fishing.
How about a little kindness
and consideration? Don’t hog
the guy’s spot next to you. Give
him some room, and don’t keep
over the limit of eight fish a
day. If you have an outdoors
story, give me a call.
Skipper Smith is an outdoors
columnist for The Banks County
News. His column appears
weekly. Let him know about
your hunting or fishing adven
ture at 706-677-1520.
FISHING TIME
Len Camden gets into the action during a fishing trip at the
Soque.
skipper
smith
Get your record catch recognized by state DNR
Each year, the Georgia
Department of Natural Resources,
Wildlife Resources Division
(WRD) recognizes anglers for
outstanding and state-record
catches.
Submit a clear photograph of
the fish for proper identifica
tion and length verification (the
photo should at least show the
entire length of the fish and the
ruler or tape used to measure the
fish).
In addition, a photo of the
angler with the fish is also
required. Complete an applica
tion and submit with photos.
State record applications must
be received within 90 days of
the catch.
Information regarding angler
awards and state record fish can
be found on the WRD website
at www.gofishgeorgia.com or
in the Georgia Sport Fishing
Regulations Guidebook avail
able at all WRD offices.
Middle School Baseball
BCMS players prepare for next level
BY CHRIS BRIDGES
At the middle school level, it’s not
always about wins and loses.
Banks County Middle School
baseball coach Kelby Cronic knows
that. One of his objectives is to pre
pare his players for the next level.
The BCMS baseball team recently
completed its 2008 season and the
players had a season of learning,
their coach said. While having bat
tle cancelled games due to weather
conditions and other factors, the
middle school Leopards were able
to take the field for eight contests.
“It’s tough on the players to prac
tice and then the games be can
celled,” Cronic said. “The players
start to lose a little interest in play
ing. Despite the cancellations, we
did do very well on the field this
year.”
The BCMS coach had several
players turn in standout seasons
including Jacob Blalock at the plate.
Blalock led the team in batting aver
age, stolen bases and doubles. He
only struck out one times in 53 plate
appearances.
“You knew that Jacob was going
to find a way to get on base,” Cronic
said.
Tanner Thompson was also a lead
er at the plate and from his catcher
2008 BCMS Baseball
Player Grade
Jacob Blalock 8
Avery Chastain 8
Chad Day 8
Jameson Flynn 8
Tyler Hewell 8
John Morgan 8
Jonah Thomas 8
Gregory Cannon 7
Tyler Hellmeister 7
Billy Hudgins 7
Tanner Thompson 7
Thomas Ward 7
Head coach: Kelby Cronic
position behind it.
“He is a solid line drive hitter and
a standout catcher,” his coach said.
“Actually, he is also a great infielder
but he knows the game very well
and that’s what you need behind the
plate. I think he’s going to do big
things at the next level.”
Defensively, Billy Hudgins also
made several big plays for the
BCMS team.
“If the ball went to him, it wasn’t
getting through,” Cronic said. “You
could bet that he was going to get
dirty.”
Other players who stepped up
this spring for the middle school
Leopards included Jameson Flynn,
who continued his progression on
the baseball diamond.
In addition, Tyler Hellmeister was
the team captain doing as much on
the field as well, his coach said.
“We learned from this season,”
Cronic said. “By the end of the sea
son I saw what every coach wants to
see and that was the players helping
each other. They were picking up
their teammates who made mistakes
and telling them what they saw.”
While Cronic says he would have
liked for the team to have posted
more wins, there is more to a middle
school season than victories and
defeats.
“I have heard some people whis
pering in the background saying
we had a bad season,” the coach
said. “But in my eyes we didn’t.
As a middle school coach, my job
is to teach these kids and get them
ready for the high school level. We
spent half our season fixing batting
stances and swings, showing pitch
ers the value of hitting their spots,
games situations and fundamental
baserunning. Yes, winning is great,
but I can send them to the high
school level ready to play then los
ing doesn’t matter because they win
in the long run.”
Region... continued from page 1B
BIG DAY
Banks County High School's Alex Gailey had a big day at the plate
Friday against Oglethorpe County. Photo by Lyn Sengupta
Following play in the region
tournament Thursday, the
Diamond Leopards will begin
preparing for the state play
offs. It will be the first time
since the 2001 season BCHS
will compete at state. Led by
coach Michael Williams, the
Leopards advanced to the sec
ond round of state that season
but have not been back since.
Williams is now an assistant
principal at BCHS.
The opening round of state,
which will also be a two-of-
three format, begins Friday,
May 9. The higher seeded
teams will host the series.
Teams from Region 8-AA
will be matched up against
Region 6-AA in the open
ing round of state. Some of
the schools competing in
6-AA include Greater Atlanta
Christian, Wesleyan and Holy
Innocents. BCHS would have
to finish first or second at the
region tournament to host a
state series.
See a preview of the state
tournament in next week’s
edition.
Custodian Position
Banks County Board of Education
Deadline for receiving applications May 9, 2008.
Contact:
Banks County
Board of Education
P. O. Box 248
102 Hwy. 51 South
Homer, GA 30547
706-677-2224
The Banks County News
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