Ol Captain
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Posts posted by Ol Captain
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We all need a tune up or a “make over” from time to time. A small change here and there can be both practical as well as refreshing. Just a little tweak can add an extra boost of energy to our lives.Now before you go wild and think the Ol Captain has tipped his Topsail and gone out and gotten a tattoo, tuck, implant, etc please read on!!Several weeks ago my beloved Carp Shark was admitted to “Fish-On Fabrications” http://www.fishonfabrications.com/ in Cartersville, Ga. She was complaining about a sharp pain and weakness in her ribs. One of her thwarts was a bit out of place and her old worn out sagging seat was in dire need of a transplant.
Knowing there is no one better in the area I placed her in the master surgeon’s hands. Dawson Mion is to marine aluminum as Picasso is to canvas. He revived her many years ago from certain death and this cosmetic yet practical visit will be like icing on the cake!
I was contacted the other night and the “doctor” said the patient was ready to be discharged! I was so excited but from years of experience and wisdom I knew that one doesn’t just hop into a truck and go get a canoe. You must savor the experience! To do that you must round up Maximus Relaximus (The Ultimate Carp Hound) and your dear friend Tim “Cool Dad” Gill and make an event of this thing!! Not only that but usually when we get together an “event” of this magnitude usually involves food!Just a few miles from Dawson’s place lies Emerson, Georgia and the beautiful Etowah River. Right off the main road is Doug’s Place which has been in business since Grant fired General Lee.
Now folks, you pick up your canoe and I’ll pick up mine. But I can tell you right now that old canoe looked mighty fine after I had these vittles tucked under my belt. I don’t know how it is in your world but my attitude immediately improves when I am presented a late of Pinto beans, Creamed corn, Turnip Greens and Cornbread.
After eating we met Dawson at the appointed hour and when I saw the “Shark” my heart swelled with pride!! New rivets as needed, two new seats and a new thwart were all in place. Cracked ribs had been welded and folks it was everything I knew it would be and so much more!!
But the inspection wasn’t complete until Cool Dad conferred with Mr. Mion and the Carp Hound walked through with his Punch list.
With all that being done it was time to load her up and head back to the Captain’s quarters.
Folks, when you are 63 every day should be an adventure! But I can assure you of one thing. In my opinion, if the Good Lord allows it and things play out like I think they will, you ain’t seen nothing yet!!! There are adventures on the horizon in 2016 like you have never seen before. All you have to do is come see us!
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Your organization and fun is second to none. Although a bit competitive it is tempered with lots of fun to go along with it. I love reading about the people , the prizes and the contests! Keep up the great work and Merry Christmas to you all! (Or "Y'all" as we say here in Georgia.)
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Black Friday Buffs and a little bit OGold
I gave him a choice. I told Maximus Relaximus (The Ultimate Carp Hound) that we could either go to the Mall and shop with a million of our closest friends or we could drive up to Rome, sit up in the mud, enjoy some unseasonably warm weather and try for some Buffs and Carp at the now famous Buff Hole. Obviously, Max and I didnt go to the Mall.
The Buff Hole has been our go to spot now for over a year. With only one exception in over 30 trips we have caught fish and where I come from that is pretty consistent. Max and I have cruised this part of the river so many times that it is beginning to almost feel like home to us.
Because of our special guest both my canine friend and I knew that today would be one for the books. This time last year my son Chad was fighting a battle with Cancer. Because of Gods mercy and some excellent doctors the only concern we had today was whether to use corn on the hook or go with the usual puffs and strawberry grits. As Chad topped the rail above our heads and settled his 65, 290 plus pound Cancer free frame into his chair on the upper terrace I couldve cared less if we caught a fish or not. All I knew was my son was well and he was spending some time with me today.
Max and I worked the lower deck while Chad Big Daddy LaFavor stayed high and dry up in the cheap seats and guarded the lunch pail :biggrin3: Not only did we have a great time together today but we caught some fish as well! We wound up catching 4-5 Buffs and one Common Carp. Max doesnt care for Buffs but you can see from the Full Extension that he was overdue for some post Thanksgiving Lick and Release. He claimed that he had to do something to get that Sweet Potato Soufflé taste out of his mouth.
Here are a few shots from our catches today:
Chad and I laughed and talked and sent photos back and forth for 4-5 hours and the time flew by like so many minutes. Finally, it was time for Chad to hop the rail and for Max and me to paddle back to the truck. As we glided downstream my heart swelled once again knowing that as Chads father I am so blessed and I knew that this Black Friday trip would be one that Ill never forget.
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Well done Rob! Glad to see your post!!
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High Water at the Buff Hole!!!!!It had been a while since our last adventure and we both were getting a bit restless. With Thanksgiving season on the horizon and leaves scattered all across the yard Maximus Relaximus and I both knew that our trips (at least our canoe related trips) were numbered for this season. Not only that but we have had a ridiculous amount of rain in our area for the last few weeks and we knew the rivers were high and possibly out of their banks. But (change of direction) after reading a recent post by fellow Carp angler Tony Locke we just knew in our hearts that we had to head to Rome and give our beloved Oostanaula River a go even if there was high water at the Buff Hole.With the Carp Shark in the shop for repairs and upgrades we chose to go alone in the Carp Shark’s sister ship, the “CS Too.” Not long after daylight we were cocked, loaded, and ready to go.
Rome is a bit over an hour from the Captain’s Quarters and as we arrived we could see that the river was up. We knew we would be fishing some slack eddy water once we reached the Buff Hole so we unloaded and set sail for the task at hand. With “The Hound” keeping his eyes peeled for danger I knew our chances for a safe arrival were better than average.
Space was a bit tight but we managed to find a high spot almost directly above the Buff Hole which lies just yards out past the large drain.
We settled in on a small high grassy area hoping it might be billed later as the “Pinnacle of Proper Pull Downs.” Little did we know at the time that over the next few hours that we would not only see some of our good friends from Rome but we would also bring several Carp and Buffs to the net including one Buff that weighed in at 15.8 lbs!!!
What a great session we had! It was made even greater by some very special friends who came by to see us. Now folks, everyone that visits the Buff Hole doesn’t come in a canoe. From time to time we have guests that come over the rail above us and walk down to visit the most famous Carp Hound in the world.Our first guest was Miles Threadgill who is a college student in Rome. We met Miles on a previous trip to Rome and in my opinion; this young man is a keeper!
Our next two guests were Maeve and Anthony Johnson. We have fished with Anthony several times and we were so glad that Maeve took the time to bring her Daddy down to see us!
Max digs Chicks so he was really flattered that Maeve chose to come by to meet him.Around 3:00 PM Max and I packed up and started paddling back toward the truck. The afternoon walkers were above us on the old trestle and as I looked up from the CS Too I wondered if their day had been even half as good as ours.
Folks, we keep it simple and plain and we have a whole lot of fun. I think you might enjoy it too but in order to do that you will have to come see us!
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Tony:
I certainly recognize but I have never fished "The Snagpit." I want to applaud you on your many Rome adventures and successes there. I was privileged to see you catch your first ever Buff I believe when we went and since then you have put on Clinic after Clinic. Rumor is Rome is that the Carp and Buffs in Rome tremble when they hear that a certain proper Englishman is coming to town.....come Heck or High Water! Well done!
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Good Evening Ladies and Gentlemen!!!
This announcement and video are both red hot and right off the press!!! It seems that the Ol Captain and his faithful sidekicks (Tim “Cool Dad” and Maximus Relaximus) have made plans to head north in Oct 2016!!! That is correct! We have paid our dime and we are going to ride the ride!!
What? The 2016 Connecticut Carp Open
Where? Hartford, CT
When? October 9-Oct 14, 2016We are so excited that we have put together the following video for your viewing pleasure: https://youtu.be/QJ32FsTEmvQ
Folks, come see us in Connecticut!!
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Wonderful! A reminder of what our first love of Carp fishing should be all about...............fun!!
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Put me in Coach Rink!!
I would be honored to register for the FFF 2016!
Horace LaFavor
Ol Captain
Georgia
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He even pre-baited a bit!
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Beautiful fish! Well done to all!
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Nice fish!
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It is official! My partner will be Tim "Cool Dad" Gill!!
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Back in the early spring of 2006 I participated in The ATC Carp fishing tournament in Austin, Texas. Pete Ellis and I drove many miles to fish in this two day event. We even stayed an additional day to fish Emma Long with some new friends that we made while in Austin. Pete caught a couple of fish but after fishing three whole days this Ol Captain did not even catch a cold!
It has been over nine years since that trip and it remains one of the most enjoyable memories of my almost 63 years of life. How can I say this when I drove that far and spent all that $$ without catching a fish? I thought you'd never ask.......
For several days I rubbed shoulders with some of the best people and the best Carp anglers across the country and beyond. I recognized many of them from the CAG Forum (this was pre-Facebook) and to my surprise, many of them also recognized me!! It was so cool to me to be sitting in a hotel lobby many miles from home and someone say..."You are the Ol Captain! I sure do enjoy your pictures and stories!" Folks, that was like saying "Amen" to the preacher!! Since that spring we have been privileged to fish with several of these same guys and have hosted many of them here in our home in Georgia.
I have added a couple of important arrows to my Carp Angling quiver since those days. My skills and techniques as an angler have improved a bit but my best addition has been a little dog that I rescued from the Pound about 7 years ago. He started out as just "Max" but through our stories and his passion for "Lick and Release" he has become well known as Maximus Relaximus - The Ultimate Carp Hound!
Recently, Max and I were saying that neither of us are getting any younger. We both have white hairs on our chin and are a bit stiff legged in the cool of the morning. We have decided that it may be time for us to get out while the gettings good and participate in another Tournament! We have scouted around and the lot has fallen on the Connecticut River in Hartford, Connecticut!! I will have a two legged partner ( to be named later) as well but be it known that the Ol Captain and Maximus Relaximus will be in Hartford next Oct 2016 (Good Lord willing) for the Connecticut Carp Open Tournament!
Fellow anglers: Please don't be intimidated by this announcement. We plan on fishing mostly days and getting a room at night. We are not hard core at all. We are coming to make new friends, take a few pictures and share our experiences with the world through our stories. If you have never met the Ol Captain or witnessed L & R (Lick and Release) you might just want to make your plans now to come see us in October!! 1,000 miles or so one way means absolutely nothing to a Carp Hound so don't tell us about how far you'd have to come. Just come on and lets have some fun together!! Who knows, I might even catch a fish this time!!
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Well done! Great post-event coverage!
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Great job Brad!
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You don't have to be wealthy to be rich
"Cool Dad" Gill and I were talking just the other day about the future. We decided that there will come a day when our kids put us in a Home we will sit on the porch and slobber and reflect on our lives. As we sit there we will overhear some of our peers saying "Man, I wish I had done that or I wish I had gone there." While they are talking that talk Ol Tim and I are going to be saying..."Remember the time we went there? How about the time we did that?" We believe the man was spot on when he said "Get busy living or get busy dying." You don't have to be wealthy to be rich but you do need to set some personal goals or have an ongoing "Bucket list" to be successful in this endeavor.
For some time now I have wanted to take my beloved canoe (The Carp Shark) to the Apalachicola River in Chattahoochee, Florida.
I've wanted to paddle this river where I know in my heart that native Americans once paddled way back in the day. I wanted to cruise along under the remnants of the old Victory Bridge that was built across the river almost 100 years ago. I've wanted to investigate the Lock where boats travel from Lake Seminole through the lock and then on to Apalachicola Bay 100 miles to the south.
I also wanted to see if we could land old Cyprinus Carpio from the bow of the boat as well. Many times in the past while fishing from the West Bank we have gotten a fish on and then they get hung up in the snags just off the bank. Our plan was to have the canoe in position so that said angler could get in the bow with his rod and a partner (and possibly a little dog) could maneuver the boat past the snag, thus freeing the fish. After being free the angler in the bow would be able to play the fish and eventually bring him alongside. In the early days our forefathers would have called this a Nantucket Sleigh Ride.
You might be thinking..."You guys are too dang old to even be thinking in those terms!" Well, all I can say is that our Crew this week ranged from 62 to 73 years of age and during these past 4-5 days we were boys again.
Our Crew this week consisted of from L-R Jim "Hatman" Hatter, O.D Forrester, Tim "Cool Dad" Gill, a little dog that needs no introduction and of course, yours truly.
For three full days we fished until sundown. We then loaded the truck, ate, cleaned up and slept in our room at a local Fish Camp and started the process again the next day. On Thursday we fished only a half day and stayed on the east bank just for convenience and to allow ourselves time to drive the 4 1/2 hour trip back home.
Did we strike Gold on the Apalachicola this week? I thought you'd never ask.....
This is just a sample of this week's Florida Gold Rush!
Folks, I will take the memories of this week to my grave. To say it was fun is like saying the ocean is deep. It was one for the books and I for one, cannot wait until our next trip.
If you are ever down in Chattahoochee Florida and see my truck parked strategically under the flag pole at Hardee's you can rest assured that another adventure is in progress. In fact, you might just want to drop everything you are doing and come see us because we have found that you don't have to be wealthy to be rich.
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Great job Barry!
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How do I love thee? I can count three ways........
I have been chasing Carp and writing about the same now for about 15 years. Like every other Carp Angler I have been asked the standard questions:
"You fish for Carp? On purpose?"
"What do you do with 'em? You don't EAT 'em, do you?"
There are as many reasons to fish for Carp as there are Carp baits and Carp anglers and that number alone could almost approach infinity. But (change of direction) I can answer why I love Carp fishing by counting three simple ways.
I was reminded yesterday of the importance of friends and the joy of spending time with others. I had the pleasure of spending the day at Salacoa Creek Park in Ranger, Ga with Jim Hatter, Bobby Cochran, Lance Clements, John Torchick and Barry Shildneck.
Jim "Hatman" Hatter is in a class by himself. He can put on a tux and hobnob with the elite. He can discuss finance, politics and the state of the union with the best of them but he can also advise you as to how to get a proper parking spot at a California Wedding if you will give him a listening ear. He is a special guy and that's why I suppose, he had a feather in his cap today.
Bobby Cochran is one of the kindest guys that I have met in a long time. His character is as solid as Stone Mountain and he is content and pleasant regardless of the situation. He is a joy to spend a day with every time and any day.
Jim, Bobby and I spent the day with Lance, John and Barry for a pre-Fish In-Fish In at Salacoa Creel Park yesterday. Everyone brings something different to the table and yesterday Lance brought his canoe and he and I baited up and chatted a while as we glided along our way. In just a short distance I learned more about Lance and a great deal more about the importance of a quality paddle, PFD and a finely made craft. I'm not sure why but I was remiss in not taking pictures of Lance's 1st rate Bell canoe. I learn stuff every time I'm around Lance (and on occasion I even use what I've learned.)
John Torchick is a piece of work. You can tell by his expression that he seems to always have something up his sleeve. He has a repertoire of applicable fun, clean (and fairly funny) jokes for every occasion and he adds a refreshing flair to what we call "bank talk." He is just an enjoyable fellow to be around.
Finally, Barry Shildneck. Barry has a booming Radio voice and is always upbeat and positive. He loves discussing baits, techniques and equipment and he goes out of his way to make sure that everyone around him has a good time.
So Carpin' ? How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.(I love thee for the PEOPLE I meet.)
The second reason I love Carpin' is I have a sidekick that is second to none. Believe it or not, Maximus Relaximus is known and has been held and photographed with not only friends from across the country but many others who live thousands of miles away! In fact, Max was recently recognized by the Carp Anglers Group in a meeting in Chicago (The CCC) for being an outstanding ambassador to the sport! ( I am not kidding folks) His relaxation techniques and Lick and Release have gained him world wild acclaim.
So Carpin' ? How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.(I love thee for the PUP.)
I also love Carpin for the scenery and pictures that I get to take. Im no photographer and I have a cheap old digital camera but I occasionally capture a shot that someone who isn't able to get out and about like we do really enjoys. It is those times that I can say....
So Carpin' ? How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.(I love the for the PICTURES.)
So in closing I haven't even mentioned the fish. But as I reflected over the last 15 years and looked into my Mirror yesterday.......
I can say "Carpin'? How do I love thee? Let me count the ways....
The People
The Pup
The Pictures
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Come see us at Salacoa!!!!!!
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GREAT JOB!
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Max is in. Cool Dad, Jim Hatter and me and possibly a come see us guest or two.
The Carp Shark gets a Face lift!
in Pictures, Stories & Video
Posted
Dawson is 6' 5" or better.