2007, FFF and the beginning of the Hawg of the Log Options

[Ol Captain]

2007

It seems like only yesterday that the world was all in knots about Y2K. The year 2000 was coming! The end was near!! Well, well, well. It is now 2007 so I guess folks will have to find something else to worry about. As for me, I try not to worry too much. I have had much better success simply trusting in my Creator and Sustainer. This year will be no exception.

Today is a great day. Having retired to bed around 8:30 last night I missed the Peach and the Apple drop but I suspected that it would be January 1st when I woke up and I wasn’t disappointed. For many of you today will be full of football and food. I will begin my day at a local eatery called the Waffle House and then I’ll be on my way to pursue my favorite hobby. Is it woodworking, coin collecting, NASCAR, or Carpin’? I thought you’d never ask………….

Today marks the beginning of at least two fun Carpin’ activities. The first is the CAG groups very own FFF or First Fishing Folly http://www.carpanglersgroup.com/cagevents.html Folks from all over the country will be and have been fishing since the ball dropped at midnight in pursuit of the Golden Ghosts in their particular area. There are prizes involved but most of the “contest” centers around just having fun and comparing notes and stories from sea to shining sea.

The second activity that begins today is the Ol’ Captain’s very own 2007 Hawg of the Log competition. This is an ongoing contest that ends on November 1st of this year. The largest Carp caught by a guest of mine while fishing with me at the Hooch Hawg Log will be recognized in rare form in mid November. There are some who have said that I have become a bit obsessed not only with my Carpin’ and with my stories but with this particular contest as well. Perhaps that is true but I’ll just have let you decide for yourselves…….



I was a little concerned this morning about the Carpin’ conditions on the Hooch. We’ve had a lot of rain over the last 30 hours and if my wife had been awake this morning I might have asked her…”How high’s the water, Momma?” But (change of direction) since she was sleeping I headed to the Hooch to see for myself.

As soon as I crossed the bridge I knew that we were in trouble. The river had risen 6 feet since Friday! This picture was taken last week….



While this one was taken this morning……..(Take note of the center bridge piling and the trees to the left of the boat ramp)



I was joined today by Tim “Rouster” Ledford, “Bronco Billy” Turner and the ever popular Mike “Big Bird” Strickland. We tried every trick in the book but with the water this high and fast there were no fish to be had today.





We still enjoyed ourselves but alas, as we ended the day, we still found ourselves Hawgless in Lithia Springs

Happy New Year to you all!
Until next time,

The Ol' Captain

This post has been edited by Ol Captain: Jan 1 2007, 05:18 PM

[Buckeye Bob]

Hi Horace....looks like your log disappeared Sharing the bank with friends, even fishless, is hard to beat. Thanks for sharing and look forward to following the "Hog of the Log" with great anticipation.

[Justin]

Horace and Tim sorry yall did not catch anything but I bet it was nice to spend time on the bank with great friends! One of these days I'll get down in GA and share the bank with ya you guys always look like your having a blast and fishing for fun!! Excellent post as always I love them! Happy New Years to the GA crew!


Justin

[Tommy Robinson]

Ya gave it your best shot gents - what more to ask .

[Rouster]

We knew we were in trouble when we saw a soccer ball drifting down the river instead of the "lucky" basketball..

[macfish]

macfish here. Horace, on days like today do you ever get the feeling like the carp are just under the bank about 20 feet to your left, sitting out of the main current watching you and chuckling at each new, and more frustrated cast? Man, I'm sure they've been pretty close to where I was fishing, but I think their main goal is just to frustrate and discombobulate me. Great to see that even without the Golden Ghost pulldowns ya'll are still keeping your good wits about you. Happy New Year to all! Jonathan

[CarpDaddy]

Horace

Nice ivories! They must come in handy when you need to pop open a fresh can of niblets for those Golden Ghosts...

I have a quick question regarding the Hawg Lawg contest... do you see any favorites emerging at this point in the season? Will the eventual winner be a local guy with secret knowledge of the Hooch... or maybe a carper with an impressive international carp catching resume or maybe a newbie with crazy luck...? Any thoughts O' Tusked Seer?

Have the Vegas oddsmakers posted any early predictions? Inquiring minds need to know!!!!

Carpdaddy

[Ol Captain]

Horace

Nice ivories! They must come in handy when you need to pop open a fresh can of niblets for those Golden Ghosts...

I have a quick question regarding the Hawg Lawg contest... do you see any favorites emerging at this point in the season? Will the eventual winner be a local guy with secret knowledge of the Hooch... or maybe a carper with an impressive international carp catching resume or maybe a newbie with crazy luck...? Any thoughts O' Tusked Seer?

Have the Vegas oddsmakers posted any early predictions? Inquiring minds need to know!!!!

Carpdaddy

There seems to be a feeling from the lunatic fringe that the Taker of the Tusks may not be a local boy. The proof, as they say, is always in the pudding!

Come see us!

[Guest_Copperhead_*]

Nice story and from the pics , look yall had a nice day.

[K-1]

My worst nightmare ... an event with no fish. Sorry to hear that ... try to always have an alternate location and tell everyone to be ready to move. The biggest error I see around here "Tennessee" is the failure to "move" when the carp conditions aren't right.

Focus on the carp fishing and not the location ... I believe that a run and gun approach is best. Just my opinion .. but it has paid off for me many times.

A public event is different than a private endeavour ... people like to catch fish and you would like to see them doing just that. Research and pre-baiting are keys to success ... but being flexible is probably the most important thing -Wayne-

[Corey]

No worries Horace, the social aspect is usually the best part. Good efforts on all of you!

[Rouster]

My worst nightmare ... an event with no fish. Sorry to hear that ... try to always have an alternate location and tell everyone to be ready to move. The biggest error I see around here "Tennessee" is the failure to "move" when the carp conditions aren't right.

Focus on the carp fishing and not the location ... I believe that a run and gun approach is best. Just my opinion .. but it has paid off for me many times.

A public event is different than a private endeavour ... people like to catch fish and you would like to see them doing just that. Research and pre-baiting are keys to success ... but being flexible is probably the most important thing -Wayne-

A few things to remember here, Horace HAD been baiting that area in the weeks prior to 1/1 and they HAD been catching fish prior to yesterday....The river yesterday was very high and swift...As far as other venues in this area, well there would not have been too much to choose from...When considering where most of the people live that either were there or were saying until the last day that they would be there, the river and Sweetwater Creek Lake would have been the only realistic options...And when considering that a front went through that day, there was really NO reason to think things would have been much different at Sweetwater based on past history.....I do not want to speak for Horace, but I think that this was mainly an informal gathering of friends that planned to get together that day for a relaxing day of fishing and fellowship on the river. Since yesterday was 1/1 and some of us are in CAG, it was registered it as an FFF event. I know there are places where folks routinely catch carp in excess of 20 pounds, but there just are not many places that fit that description (paylakes closed yesterday), in metro Atlanta (other than the occasional big fish from a park lake). Everything considered, he did what he should have done and did it well.

[mr_fitzz]

Next time

[bigbird]

we did all we could do. we showed up. we put out a lot o bait and we talked and napped. WE HAD A GREAT TIME. that is what fishing is all about.

big bird