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PACE 2B THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS THURSDAY, AUGUST 21, 2008 Outdoors With Skipper A true passion for sport of crappie fishing T om Ellison, living at the time at Corkscrew in Florida, a part of the Big Cypress Swamp down near Immokalee, was deer hunting in Homer with a friend. Finding the folks so friendly and liking the area, Tom decided to move on up here. Three years ago he did just that. I had passed by where he was living many a time, and observed an unusual boat with an unusual motor sitting beside his house. What caught my attention was that on the back of the boat was a “Mud Buddy” motor, designed for use in shallow water. I happened to run across a picture on a web site dedicated to Crappie fisher men, and it was of a similar boat. The picture with the highway behind it looked real familiar. I e-mailed the person and it turned out to be Tom. After a phone call, I stopped by and we had a great visit. Tom had used the boat down in Florida for fishing and gigging frogs in Fisheating creek. The boat which is a Gator Trax and 18' long will run in 8” of water. Tom now uses it for crappie fish ing at night. His favorite spot is Lake Russell up in Cornelia. Fishing from dark till two or so in the morning, and using Brinkman underwater lights to attract minnows around his boat, he usually can come up with twenty or so nice Crappie. Asking about some interest ing things that happened back in Florida, as the area he was in is full of fish and wildlife. He took me inside his house and on the walls were five big black boar hog heads. Big tusks were sticking out of each of their mouths. Tusks that would put you up a tree, if the hog decided to come after you. He told me of walking through tall palmettos in Florida, and hearing something around five feet away. He figured it was some small pigs, as he saw something black, and ignored it. He came back the same way and it was still there, hard to make out through the palmettos. All of a sudden it took off and ran up an oak tree. It turned out to be around a one hundred pound black bear. Tom and the bear had been only feet apart through the thick growth. Well, I figure it is a lot less stressful fishing for Crappie up here in North Georgia, than tangling with hogs and bears. Though he might find a bear or two up here rambling around in the woods. Tom glad to have you in Homer. If you have an outdoors story, give me a call at 706-677-1520. Skipper Smith is an outdoors columnist for The Banks County News. His column appears weekly. Let him know about your hunting or fishing adventure at 706-677-1520. skipper smith UNIQUE BOAT Tom Ellison of Homer shows off his tool of the trade when it comes to crappie fishing. Previously, Ellison used the boat in Florida where he lived. Football camping TEAM BONDING The Banks County High School football coaches took the team members to a lake home of Peggy Ethridge after the scrim mage game last friday. The 16,000 square foot home on Lake Hartwell, was designed by Ethridge and her late husband, Ray Ethridge. The plan was to have video game, pool and ping pong championships. The coaches challenged the players and 54 Leopards attended the all-nighter. Bo Garrison, Anthony Seabolt, Sandy Roberts and the Homer Baptist Church helped provide the meals, and Chad and Lori Hope, and Mark and Cindy Autry helped prepare the meals. Other BCHS Leopard supporters contributed to the trip as well. A devotion lifting up Cody Gowder in prayer was also given. Team bonding and fellowship were the main goals of the get together as well as having good old fash ioned fun, BCHS head coach Blair Armstrong said. Banks Archery Club to host 3-D tournament Aug. 23 VICTORYLANE Maysville's Joey Love took home his 15th first place trophy of the year Saturday night with a victory at Lanier National Speedway. Photo courtesy North Georgia Sports Media The Banks County Archery Club will host a 3D Archery Tournament Saturday, Aug. 23, at 150 Harden Bridge Road, Commerce. Shooters will draw down on 20 McKenzie targets. There will be two money classes (Open Money and BHR) and eight trophy classes (Open Trophy, Senior Class, Hunter Class, True Novice, Women’s Class, Youth Class, Traditional Class and Cubs). Registration is from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Entry in the trophy classes is $10, but kids 12-under shoot for free; entry for the money classes is $ 5 00 OFF Ticket Of s 2(T 0 Or More. Valid with coupon Mon.-Thurs. only. La Hacienda Commerce La Hacienda Braselton 173 Steven B. Tanger Blvd. 5391 Highway 53 706-335-7458 706-654-0070 | The Original Mexican Restaurant! Not affiliated with any other restaurant. | KEEP AMERICA BEAUTIFUL GET A HAIRCUT ^ Wood's o I——I 1441 North ^ Hwy 98 - lla Road 1- CO £, th ens Commerce's Only Barber Shop Family Haircare Bill Wood. Owner Walk-Ins Welcome Wood Barber Shop 581 lla Road, Lot#l, Commerce (706) 335-5392 • Mon.-Fri. 8-6 /■ N Banks County Commissioners SURPLUS PROPERTY AUCTION The Banks County Commissioners will hold a surplus property auction on Thursday, September 4, 2008 at 5:30 p.m. at the Banks County Courthouse located at 144 Yonah/Homer Road. Items to be auctioned include office furniture and furnishings. For more information, please call the Commissioners Office at (706) 677-6200 or you may view the surplus list at www.co.banks.ga.us. V ✓ Local Racing Love grabs win No. 15, Hills goes 3-for-3 $20. Concessions and a practice range will be available, and club T-shirts will be given to the first 25 people to register. For information, call Melba Miller at 706-335-4675 or visit www. bankscounty archery club. com. That's right... EVEN small ads CAN GET ATTENTION Let us help you market your business. MainS treetNews.Com BY BRANDON REED As much time as he’s spent there, you'd think Maysville’s Joey Love could set up shop in Lanier National Speedway's victory lane. Love grabbed win number 15 of the year Saturday night in the Outlaw Modified Division, holding off Chris Holbrook for the victory. Mark Wilbanks, of Lula, won his second Truck Division race of the year at Lanier Saturday night. Braselton's Shane Sawyer finished third in the Pro Late Model event, behind winner Shawn Simpson and second place finisher Rodney Benefield. Jefferson’s Bobby Hill picked up another win Saturday night in the Hobby class at Toccoa Speedway. It was Hill’s third win in a row at the dirt track. Commerce's Ty Lowe was hoping to pick up another victory this week end, but trouble gave him an 18th place finish instead Friday night. One race after picking up his first career GAS win, Jefferson’s Nick Potts earned a second-place finish at New Senoia Raceway Saturday night. Potts was flagged as the third- place finisher but was moved up to second after Chris Dilbeck was disqualified for refusing a post-race engine inspection. The finish was Potts ninth top 10 finish in nine events in 2008. Dacula's Russell Fleeman finished ninth. Rookie of the Year contender T.J. Reaid picked up the win, the first of his GAS series career. Former Jefferson resident Ryan Crane had a rough weekend in the Chill 100 at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Fla., Friday night. After starting seventh, engine troubles pla gued the number 10 Ford, and Crane finished in 23rd. Senoia’s Bubba Pollard picked up the win. Lilburn’s Ken Butler III improved on a bad qualifying run to finish 13th in Sunday’s Allen Crowe 100 for the ARCA series at the Illinois State Fairgrounds, a race run on a one-mile fairgrounds dirt track. Watkinsville's John Wes Townley finished 15th, while Suwanee dri ver Michael Phelps finished 17th. Nine-time ARCA champion Frank Kimmel broke a year-long winless drought by leading 83 of 102 laps to take the victory. Sugar Hill’s Kurt Johnson made it to the Pro Stock semi-final round of Sunday's NHRA Toyo Tires Nationals in Reading, Penn., but made it no further, as he red-lighted against Jeg Coughlin, who went on to win. Kurt’s father, Sugar Hill resi dent Warren Johnson, lost in the first round to Dave Conolly. W & W METAL ROOFING “We Got You Covered” Residential • Commercial • Agricultural • Ship Anywhere In The USA • We Stock Your Metal Needs • Visit Our Showroom www.wwmetalroofmg.com 706-654-5836 imm 30 Year Paint 4 Hwy. 60 / Candler Hwy. • Pendergrass, Ga. Warranty Sales Service Installation COMING SOON Ar ^ ^Christian OOKSTORE & COFFEEHOUSE 417 Pottery Factory Drive • Commerce, GA Right behind Zaxby’s www.booksncaffeine.com GREG PAYS MORE PLATINUM * SILVER * DIAMONDS Greg Reeves Fine Jewelry 613 Hawthorne Ave., Athens • Mon.-Sat. 9-6 FREE APPRAISALS • FREE STONE REMOVAL ASK FOR GREG 706-369-0000 Bring in this ad with your broken or unwanted jewelry to receive an additional $20 cash.