Ol Captain
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Posts posted by Ol Captain
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"Carpalicious"........I like your style. Well done!
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had a great time. 2 of the finest southern gentleman I have ever met. and 1 cool dog!!! Thank You for having me.
If you haven't made the trip I would highly recommend you go see them!!!
good work...
Aw Shucks Rod. You are the best!!!
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An Ongoing DebateThere are people firmly planted in both camps. Some say that the Ol Captain’s Strawberry Grit bait is far superior to his opponent’s over publicized “Plug of Perfection”. Others say that Carp tremble with fear at the mere whisper of the word “Plug”. For years now there has been an ongoing debate between Tim “Cool Dad” Gill and the Ol Captain on this very subject! In fact, not since the Lincoln –Douglas debates of the 1850’s has a subject been battered about with such fervor!It had to be done. A decision had to be made on the best bait between these to world class Carp anglers and there was only one way to deal with it. We had to call in an expert!! Picking the expert was really the only thing we could agree on and after a short phone call we lined up Mr. Rod Mills of Cincinnati, Ohio to come to the Deep South and settle this argument once and for all. Now folks, Maximus Relaximus (The Ultimate Carp Hound) has met Rod before and he is a pretty good judge of character. When I told Max that Rod was coming to town to settle this debate, Max got all giddy with excitement!
“Rodman” Mills is known throughout our great country and beyond for his “Good Work” so we felt like acquiring his services would be fairly simple. Rod has several trademarks. For instance, he is the only Carp Angler in the country that has a 14k Gold Carp Bracelet proudly displayed on his right wrist.
He is also one of the very few that brews his own fresh coffee right on the dock whilst waiting on a Proper Pull Down.
Not only that but Mr. Mills certainly recognizes a big White Sucker when he sees one!!
So the stage was set. We were to meet at Overlook Park at 9:15AM this morning which is known to some as the second shift. After descending the Pathway to Proper Pull Downs rods were set up and the decision hung in the balance.
Both opponents tried to lure the judge’s way of thinking. Cool Dad tried to sweet talk Mr. Mills with a visible display of the Plug of Perfection.
Both the Captain and the Carp Hound tried to gain ground for their side with special photo opps.
Finally, Rod said there was only one way to settle this debate & that was to take it to the field! Mano to mano! The bait that caught the first Cyprinus Carpio today would be declared superior once and for all!!!So we baited and we waited.
Finally a pole went down!! According to the predetermined plan our guest was to bring the fish to hand and the Hound was to give it his seal of approval!!
But (change of direction) the question remains. Whose bait caught the fish? Was it on the Ol Captain’s Strawberry Grits and Puff or was it that stinkin’ Plug of Perfection??? I thought you’d never ask………..
I’m no sore loser so I must congratulate my opponent. I will also be taking applications for a new Carpin’ partner so if you are interested just let me know
In the meantime folks, if you want to have fun Carpin’ with the Captain then Come see us!!!
Rod: It was great to have you with us today! We had a wonderful time!!
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Just a thought- if anyone would like to spend some bank time at this venue, let me know. It is about 10 minutes from the house so baiting would be no problem. We could accommodate three or four where nmt2f and I fished; a couple on the other side of the boat ramp. I'll take some pix and do some pacing to give you carpers an idea of the space available. Not a lot of boat traffic on the ramp as there is a bigger ramp and parking area on the south side of the river. However, we do get some swimmers during the summer days.
Send me a PM and we'll coordinate our calendars. If you are traveling a distance, there are several motels at Exit 25 and Exit 27 which is very close- about 10 minutes also. Also, plenty of restaurants from fast food to very nice chain restaurants as Longhorn and Outback. Trip Advisor would give you the info you would need.
nmt2f, maybe we could work out a deal with the Hampton Inn- just mention carp fishing for the special rate. There was a motel in Etowah, TN that gave a certain rate for trout anglers on the upper Hiwassee; the manager was a fly fisherman.
Sounds like a great place for a "Road Trip". How far is it from Powder Springs, Ga?
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Well done guys! Looks like a great venue!!
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Great job!
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Wow! Well done!
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Well done!
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The Sun rose on a Monday HomecomingWallace Dam and Wallace Dam dock lie on the Oconee River just off of State road 16 between Eatonton and Sparta, Georgia. Wallace Dam is a hydroelectric dam owned and operated by Georgia Power/Southern Company. The dam not only creates electricity but it also creates Lake Oconee. The dock sits on the west side of the river below the dam in an area labeled “Wallace Dam Tailrace Fishing Area”.We were introduced to this dock quite a few years ago by our good buddy Shawn McNew and since that time it has become like a home away from home or a home court to this Ol Captain and the Crew. Although it is at least 120 miles one way from the Captain’s Quarters I have found that a 240 mile round trip in a day for a Proper Pull Down or a Lick and Release means absolutely nothing to Maximus Relaximus the Ultimate Carp Hound.
We pulled out of Cool Dad’s driveway around 5:00 AM this morning. As we headed east we were thinking the many trips and the years gone by since our inaugural visit to Hwy 16. We thought of fish caught, breakfasts eaten and new friends made over the years along this route. We haven’t been back in a while so today was a type of homecoming for us. Just like the butterfly below, nothing stays the same. Why even Max was much leaner back then and just like the rest of the Crew, his white whiskers are also beginning to show a bit.
The sun rose this morning on this special Wallace Dam Homecoming.
But by the afternoon came I was able to gather the Crew for our traditional team photo. From L-R are Bobby “Carp Chaser” Cochran, James “Daddy” Holley, Tim “Cool Dad” Gill, Jim “Hatman” Hatter and yours truly with the Carp Hound.
It was a wonderful day. The weather and the bank talk were both picture perfect. Traditionally, October has always been a pretty good month for us at this venue and today’s homecoming was no exception!
We had a fine day and pulled into the drive long before dark. Folks, I’m not sure what gets you excited but I do hope you are passionate about something. As for this Ol Captain, I get pretty pumped about good friends, a beautiful sunrise, and a sleepy eyed Carp lickin’ dog. If you want to know more then come see us!
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My Day with “Daddy” HolleyMy guest today was James “Daddy” Holley. James obviously isn’t my real Dad because first of all at almost 72 years of age, he is only 10 years my senior. Secondly, he was no where near Jacksonville, Florida in the early 50’s . We actually call James “Daddy” as a term of endearment and respect and because he is the elder statesman of the Ol Captain’s Crew.
Over the past 6-8 years James and I have fished together on many occasions but today would be his first time aboard the “Carp Shark”. I wasn’t surprised to find out that he was seaworthy but he was seaworthy indeed! In fact, I haven’t seen skills like this since I saw Kirk Douglas run the oars in the 1960 movie “Spartacus”.
As we left the ramp I begin to ponder as I often do. With James being 71 and me being ten years younger (plus the Ultimate Carp Hound’s 8 seasons) the three of us represented a total of 140 years of ups, downs, heartaches and handshakes.
I was almost overwhelmed with that thought alone and our day had only begun. We put in at Heritage Park in Rome and soon we were setting up on the Oostanaula River right below a beautiful area below the Forum in downtown Rome, Georgia. While James had his pod, I was fishing Paylake Style with my trademark Puffs and Strawberry Grits for bait.
Not long after setting up “Daddy” brought a nice Channel Cat to hand.
Shortly thereafter the Ol Captain hooked into Solid Gold!!! It was him for a while & then it was me. It was me and then it was him. After an epic battle the fabulous fish escaped but I’d estimate his weight to be somewhere between four and forty nine pounds.By noon all was still once again and we began the waiting game.
We had lunch and at least one of us dozed off for a while. After not getting any more action we decided to pack up and cruse downriver and fish under the trestle for the remainder of our trip.
By 4:00 PM and no more action we decided to pack up and head for home. Some would say that we had a bad day fishing. I guess you could say that if you hadn’t noticed the Morning Glory or the volunteer Tomato plant growing in the rocks nearby.
I might say that too if I hadn’t thought about the 140 yrs of experience paddling up and down a beautiful river in a 50 plus year old canoe.
I might have said it was all a waste of time until I saw the bales of hay on the hillside as we made or way toward home. To some it was a blank but to me it was time well spent to be with my dog and a good friend of mine. But I guess at our age that is just how we roll…….
We are learning to appreciate each day to the fullest and if you’re interested in a bank side lesson you may just want to come see us!
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Well done to everyone! Hope to see you guys soon.
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It’s what we doThe main characters in today’s tale were James “Daddy” Holley, Tim “Cool Dad” Gill, Maximus Relaximus (The Ultimate Carp Hound) and of course, the Ol Captain.
The setting of our adventure was the lower or southern part of Lake Allatoona along Glade Road in Acworth, Georgia.
Our intent today was to get out and enjoy a beautiful fall day. We all needed to have some time together enjoying a day on the bank just doing what we do. And what we do and have done for years fell perfectly in line around mid morning!As James, Max, Tim and I were talking over the peaks and valleys of life we noticed a grandfather/grandson combo over to our left. We found out later that our new friends were Paul and his grandson Clark who live not terribly far away from today’s venue.
Like a hundred times before we all knew what would happen if one of our poles went down! We would get the kid's attention and then say….”Grab that pole!” Why would we offer a fish that we might have waited on for hours to a complete stranger? It’s just what we do.The question now was whose pole would go down first? Would it be Grits and Puffs, the Plug of Perfection, or would it be Daddy’s special Tucker Blend that he was trying out today? We waited a bit more and like I've seen so many times in the past, the "Plug" accounted for the screaming run!! We yelled for young Clark, he played the fish like a pro and soon we had made a couple of new friends by simply offering up a "rough" fish to an unsuspecting young angler.
I knew Clark was my kind of guy because Max soon gave him the Carp Hound’s seal of approval.
To some it may be a waste of time to give a fish away but we don’t mind because that is what we do. We hoped for more fish but as the time passed we had only one more Carp to hit. Paul and Clark had long gone home and another pole went down! Who caught this second fish and last one of the day? I thought you’d never ask….
Life to us isn’t very complicated. We enjoy every time we are able to get together on the bank. We love sharing what we do with others that happen to come our way. After all, it’s what we do.We will be back to Glade Road off and on throughout October. If you get a chance why not come see us?
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Wow! Great day in my opinion!!
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Love you posts and pics. Well done!
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Colorado Springs? Hmmmmm. There is the possibility that my grandson will be bumped up in the Rockies minor league system and play next season in CS. Need to check on a CO non-resident license.
I'm glad to hear that he is doing well. He called our church recently to thank us for the card we sent. Class act.
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John: I thoroughly enjoyed the video. I may have to add a Carp Quest adventure to my bucket list for the Ol Captain & the Carp Hound!!
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Very nice pics! I love seeing your area & the history of it you provide.
Great job on getting the kids out to enjoy what nature has to offer. Most kids today never get that opportunity.
Thanks. I guess I should have put this in the "Other Species" area but it probably doesn't matter that much. BTW, Milledgeville was the capital of Georgia through the end of the Civil War. Then it was moved to Atlanta. It is a beautiful area.
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Return to Rooty CreekRooty Creek is located near Eatonton/Milledgeville, Georgia. It runs quietly under Pea Ridge Road and eventually spills into beautiful Lake Sinclair. It was there that my middle grandson (Gage “Frog” Brown) and I experienced a historic adventure a little more than a year ago when he was only five years of age. Now than he is a mature young man of six we decided to return to Rooty Creek but today we didn’t go alone.
Who joined us on this return to Middle Georgia’s answer to the Tropical Rain Forest?
I thought you’d never ask………..We have been discussing our return now for months. After careful planning and scheduling we added Gage’s younger brother (Carter “Tadpole” Brown) and their Dad (and my favorite Son in Law) Chris Brown to our guest list this morning.
Gage and I had been describing Rooty Creek for almost a year to them and they seemed to be almost excited about the trip as we were. We remembered a few of the places where the water rippled over the rocks and as we shared, we could also see in our mind’s eye a few of the deeper pools as well.
We had even read about a place upstream where at one time there must have been a dam of some kind with a small tailrace and mill. We didn’t make it that far last year but the four of us didn’t miss it today!
This Ol Captain’s role today was more of a reporter/observer than participant but what I saw really opened my eyes!! Based on my observations there is more than one way to enjoy a few hours on Rooty Creek! One approach is the focused, no nonsense approach. This strategy was personified by both Carter and Chris.
While Carter and Dad pretty much played it by the book Ol Gage decided to get in there amongst ‘em!
I suppose once a fella turns six he often throws caution to the wind!! If you know Gage you understand that he can identify more animals than a National Geographic Zoologist. But it is one thing to see them in a book and quite another to see them up close and personal!
Now, I’ll have to admit, both strategies paid off with big dividends. While Gage was Noodlin’ , Carter and Chris were giving that Spider Man rod & reel a workout and it seems to me that fun was being had by all!
And in the final analysis, isn’t that what really matters? You give this Ol Captain a hot summer day, a box of worms, some crickets and snacks and I’ll show you a fine time. You keep your electronic games and give me a handful of Doritos to eat with worm dirt under my ol fingernails and I’ll be just fine. In time some boys will boast about what level they are on in some stupid game while these boys (I hope and pray) will be ready once again to return to Rooty Creek! If you don’t have a clue about what I’m talking about you need to come see us!
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My guests today included the ever popular Tim “Cool Dad” Gill, Maximus Relaximus (The Ultimate Carp Hound) and newcomer Radu “Worldwide” Ghelmez.
Radu originally hails from Bucharest, Romania but he is currently residing in the Metro Atlanta area. He contacted me several weeks ago about “coming to see us” so we were finally able to put a plan together. He explained that he knew how to catch Carp but he wanted to learn a bit more about the ramifications of Lick & Release. He had heard that the success of L&R was in the follow through but he just wanted to see the proper technique for himself. (He was not denied).
After riding together from downtown Hiram to Rome, Georgia we were set and ready to go! Cool Dad and I wanted to be good hosts. Max was ready to display his “A” game so the stage was set. We offered Radu the first pole to go down which was caught on the Puff and grits and then “Worldwide” took command!!
Not only did our guest catch several more fish but he also caught a personal best Painted Turtle as well!
If that were not enough his rod soon arched to expose an almost immovable beast lurking right beneath the surface!! After playing his drag just right and letting go with a few grunts and groans Ol “Worldwide” banked his first ever Kroger Shopping cart!!
When the smoke finally cleared today Radu shared that he really enjoyed the catching but the initial draw to come see us was the bare feet, the bank talk and the boat ride up the river!
For your information the turtle as well as the fish were all released to be caught another day.
The grocery cart unfortunately, was left flopping on the bank.It was a joy and pleasure to meet and fish with Radu today. He caught it all and Cool Dad and this Ol Captain caught absolutely nothing. We are so upset about that so we are going to get up early in the morning and try it again!! If you happen to be on the river in Rome tomorrow why not come see us!!
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While Ramona was away this morning the Ol Captain and the Ultimate Carp Hound slipped over to nearby Sweetwater Creek State Park on a reconnaissance mission. Why not step aboard the Carp Shark and join Max and me as we tunnel UNDER Mt Vernon Road!!
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Great story and glad to see Max once again - i'm sure he was just following his heritage and finding a nice cool, dark place, to rest from the heat of the day!
I'm glad he finally surfaced! I was worried that he'd gotten his collar hung on a root or something down in a tunnel. I was almost ready to send in Cool Dad!!
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We knew it was going to be hot in Rome today. With temperatures predicted at 97 degrees many would have stayed home in the AC. Being doers instead of talker’s Ol Cool Dad and I decided to press on. Our plan was to set up under the giant Oak that lies just below the old train trestle in downtown Rome. We know from experience that natural shade is better than umbrella shade and we also thought we might catch a breeze or two there in the open where the rivers converge.
It is just a short paddle up the Coosa from the boat ramp to the trestle so in almost no time at all the “SharK” was pulled up and we were getting under way.
As we began setting up Maximus Relaximus (The Ultimate Carp Hound) starting snooping around the base of this giant Oak. Being a Dachshund it is quite natural for him to sniff, dig and explore but this time he crossed the line!!! Before I knew it he was heading for the cave and the last thing I saw was the south end of a north bound Carp Hound!!!
We didn’t think he’d be gone long but he stayed stayed and stayed some more! Even after opening our lunches he didn’t come out!! This is almost always an effective way of getting him to come to you so I began to worry a bit. I even climbed the huge hill above our spot to ask anyone in the park if they had seen my hound!
I spoke with two other bank anglers and gave them my cell phone number. I met with 6-8 homeless guys who made a commitment to bring him to me if he surfaced on the hill. By now I felt like a young parent who had lost a toddler at the mall!!! It was every bit of 30 minutes before my phone rang. It was Cool Dad and I immediately said…”Please say you have him!” and…..he did!!!!When I got back down the hill Max was looking at me like I was stupid and hanging around just like nothing had ever happened.
I don’t know what it was but it seemed that for the rest of the day the flowers seemed prettier and the fish seemed even more plentiful!
On the way home Cool Dad and I talked about the way that Tim saved Max from drowning in Lake Wedowee. We also talked about the time that Dawson Mion saved Max from certain death at the spillway in Acworth when HE was trying to attack two large Pit Bulldogs. I tell ya what folks, Ol Max should have been a cat because he could certainly use the nine lives.But for now, all is well that ends well. It was a great day and we made it home safe and sound. I know that he is a dog that should have been a cat but I am certainly glad to see things back to normal.
Folks, there is a lot more to it than just fishing when you go Carpin’ with the Ol Captain. If you have any doubts you need to come see us for yourself!
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Where is Max?
This video is a lead up for our story to follow. I hope to have a full report to you before the #### crows in the morning. In the meantime…….Did Max return? Did we finally catch some fish? I thought you'd never ask...........
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Thanks to all for the reading and comments!
An ongoing Debate
in Pictures, Stories & Video
Posted
The "Plug of Perfection" speaks for itself