Ol Captain
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Posts posted by Ol Captain
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Nice pics
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Well done Tommy!
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Tommy sent a message last night & shared that he'd caught two more after we left! Well done to Tommy!
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House CallWe here at the Captain’s Quarters are always available. We never know when, where or why we will be called into action but (change of direction) we try to always be up for the task.I was contacted recently by Dr. RC Carper regarding a situation involving a young man in his neighborhood. Now don’t get me wrong here. Dr. Carper had done his best but as Dirty Harry once said…”A mans gotta know his limitations”. It seems that young Tommy had been struggling recently in his efforts to bring Cyprinus Carpio to the dock behind his house and he seemed to be in need of some additional instruction.
Time and again they had tried but finally there was only one thing to do. Call in the Specialists!!! Knowing that Tim “Cool Dad” Gill had an Engineering degree and had applied it to developing his patent pending Plug of Perfection, he was the first one contacted.
With Post Graduate work in the field of Oral Gratification as it applies to Carp Slime we called in the master himself! Maximus Relaximus! The Ultimate Carp Hound!!
Along with Max automatically comes the CEO of the Carpio Corporation! “Ol Captain” is his name and Strawberry Grits and Puffs are his game!!
Knowing that we could get to the dock by land as well as by sea we decided since it was an emergency situation that the river route would be the most efficient way to make this house call! In no time we had gone through the steps and we were well on our way!
While RC shared about the effect that Backgammon had on the local economy in the 70’s, Cool Dad was teaching young Tommy how to properly tie a Hair Rig.
While that was going on the Ol Captain already had Puffs and Grits in the water. In short order experience came through on both the Puffs as well as the Grits! Rods bent double, fish came in and Tommy was rewarded with a PB Carp of over 12 pounds plus two other fish as well. Later we presented Tommy with a Carp Anglers Group Sticker for his tackle box!!
By now you are probably asking what motivates us to do what we do. Is it the beauty of nature that we see along the way?
Is it the wonderful people that seem drawn to us week after week and year after year? (Pictured with the Crew today are Tommy’s folks).
Or could the motivation lie in something yet unseen? I thought you’d never ask! Folks, I love nature, fishing and people but I must confess. When Tommy’s Mom brought those Pulled Pork BBQ Sandwiches to the dock around high noon I was really motivated!!
Only God knows where our next adventure will take us. But for today, I’m satisfied that a young man’s day was made a bit brighter because of some Oats, some grits, a couple of guys who love what they do and a very special little dog. Want to know more? Then come see us!
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Well done! A tip of the Ol Captain's hat goes here!!
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You have a PM
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When Tim “Cool Dad” Gill, Maximus Relaximus and I left the Captain’s Quarters this morning our goals were simple. We were headed to Salacoa Creek Park in Ranger, Georgia in hot pursuit of some Proper Pull downs. Not only that but we wanted to reacquaint ourselves with a couple of old friends and hopefully make some new ones as well.
We had no idea that 12 hours and at least 35 Carp later our very own Master of the Lick and Release would be suffering from his own version of the Foggy Morning Breakdown!
Three anglers were to meet us at the park when we arrived.Barry Shildneck:
Lance Clements:
And John Torchick who had come all the way from Tennessee just to meet you know who……….
We began catching fish within minutes of our arrival and by 5:00 we had caught 35-40 Carp weighing somewhere between 3-39 lbs each!!! We even had 4-5 Mirrors in the mix!!Lance caught fish:
Barry caught fish:
John caught fish:
Cool Dad caught fish and even the Ol Capatin caught a few…
There were even times when it seemed like we all had a fish!
If that were not enough we had several guests from the GON Forum to “Come see us” today as well! First of all Alan Short came by to visit. Rarely do we have many tall guests and it was really nice to see “eye to eye” with Alan today! Even the Carp Hound had to look up to Alan!!
Our next guest was John Wiley pictured here with Barry:
Not only did John come by but he stayed with us most of the day. Before it was over John even got into the act!
Now folks, in my opinion, I have saved the best guest for last! Our next guest was 5 year old Connor Gillespie who brought his Mom and Dad to see us today. Connor had seen pictures but by the time Ol Cool Dad and the Captain were finished, Connor got a full dose of Proper Pulls Downs and Lick & Release!!
Connor was such a great student that he soon passed his new found skills on to his Dad, Derek Gillespie!
Folks, make no mistake about it. Today was a very special day. We hope that one day Ol Connor will look back and remember a day spent with a few old guys at Salacoa by morning, up from Redbud Road.We dearly love what we do. If you have any doubts just come see us!
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Well done!
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A Day in the Shade with the Son!Thursdays at Tanyard Beach have been very special so far this year. Each week seems to pan out better than the week before. Last week we met the Warraks and had a blast but even as special as that day was today was even more so!When Tim “Cool Dad” Gill, Maximus Relaximus (The Ultimate Carp Hound), and the Ol Captain pulled out of the driveway this morning I just knew that this day would be one that I will never forget! As you know, we live for the journey and when I explain who the other party was in the truck today I think you will understand.We use to fish together quite a bit when he was a lad. Back in the day we gigged frogs, set trotlines, and fished for Cats and Bream and camped out around a pond owned by Harry and Evelyne Harris.
We spent many an hour enjoying this lake and visiting my dear friend and mentor, Harry Hemperley, who lived across the lake. But that has been over 30 years ago and a lot can change in 30 years.For instance, back then my son Chad might have to strain to hold up a stringer of fish but today he came well equipped for the task!
To make today even more special, Max and I were not only blessed to have Chad and Cool Dad on board but we also were privileged to host Pete “Cornbread” Ellis as well! Cornbread has been a Benchmark or Standard for over 40 years in the local paylake circuit and it was just so cool to see him and Cool Dad talking about life, catching fish and sharing strategies throughout the day.
But I can assure you that THEY were not the only ones catching! Max, Chad and yours truly did far more than just enjoy the light breeze and shade of the day!
While Cornbread and Cool Dad were pulling in the fish the LaFavor’s were doing their part as well!
I’d say 15-20 fish were actually brought to the net today. Also, as an added bonus we had others drop by via our “come see us” invitation. Rich “Matthew 6” Thomas came by as well as Fred “FM Bear” and his colleague “D” from work! “D” Wanted to learn a bit about what we do plus Fred has been yearning to make a personal contact with the Ultimate Carp Hound. Neither one of these men went home disappointed!
I have a realtor friend who once told me “I thought that I was a salesman until I met you. Anyone who can sell a Carp can sell anything!” I’m not sure about all that but we did round up a few to join us for our “Team Shot” today.
From L-R we had “D”, Rich Thomas, Fred and Max, Cool Dad, Cornbread, OC and Chad “Big Daddy” LaFavor.I may forget a lot of things but I just don’t think I’ll ever forget today. It was truly a Day in the Shade with the Son!!!
Folks, there is so much more to Carpin’ with the Captain than just catchin’. To find out more you will just have to come see us!
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I can only imagine. Wow!
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I’m not sure why but the Crew and I have always done well on the 5th of May. With temperatures predicted to be in the mid to upper eighties today we decided to head west into Alabama for a day of Oak Tree Carpin!
Carpin under this particular Oak is almost magical! The ground is level, you aren’t far from the restrooms, truck or water fountain and the wonderful shade that it provides can be so relaxing…..
Not only that but this venue is known for some Commons as well as some unusually large Grass Carp (White Amur)!We came in two trucks today. While Jim “Hatman” Hatter and Bobby “Carp Chaser” Cochran were heading west in their truck, Cool Dad, the Ol Captain and the Ultimate Carp Hound (Maximus Relaximus) were heading west in ours. Tim and I planned on leaving by 5:00PM and Bobby and Jim were planning on fishing into the evening. After a hearty breakfast at Shoney’s Breakfast Bar we soon were gathering and setting up on the bank. (L-R: Bobby, Jim & Tim)
I was excited just to be out plus I wanted to try out a few improvements that I recently made to the Ol Captain’s Carpin’ Cart.
Being Monday morning there were no other Carp anglers on property when we arrived. We were not alone however because there were at least two families milling around. While one was in the Pole position the other group was gathering near the picnic tables.
After a while things settled down and once again the waiting game began. But waiting isn’t so bad when the scenery is nice and the friendship and shade is even better.
It is funny to me how you can sit all morning with no runs and then two poles go down at the same time!! Now, I’ve caught a fair amount of Mirror Carp in my day but the following fish upped my Personal Best Mirror to 19 lbs, 11 ozs!!
As I was gloating over my Piebald Proper Pull Down I looked up the bank to see what the commotion was all about!!! When I looked I saw Cool Dad holding this beast of a Silver Bullet! Not only is this fish a beauty but at 36 lbs, 10 ozs it qualifies for a PB Grass Carp for Tim “Cool Dad” Gill! We were all so proud of this fish!!
Amazingly enough these two almost simultaneous runs resulted in a new PB for both anglers!!!Now Cool Dad and I wondered if Jim and Bobby would cash in on other carp after we left. Sure enough Jim contacted me about a 27-6 Grasser that he’d brought to the net but unfortunately, pictures were unavailable at Press time.Folks, when the weather is hot in Atlanta you might want to head west on 1-20 in search of a certain old Oak Tree.
Under it you may just find a handful of old guys with a little dog who is “half a dog tall and a dog and a half long.” Once you are there you will be assured of a good time. All you have to do is come see us!
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Very cool, Horace. Was this 18 pounder the first carp Uncle Joe caught? If that is the case, this is quite the case.
First ever Jerome!
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Well done!
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When it comes to Carpin, I am a simple man. I primarily fish a simple paylake rig.
I almost exclusively use the same bait each outing and I love fishing with a very special friend.
Even my special friend enjoys the simple things in life.
We may not catch all the fish in the sea but we dearly love what we do and what we do best is introduce other people to what we do.Today’s story involves Mike “Outerbanks” Marsh, Michael Warrak and his soon to be very famous, Uncle Joe Warrack. Our venue was the old Tanyard Beach in Acworth, Georgia and this is how things unfolded this afternoon……….Mike Marsh and I are in the same Sunday school class at County Line Baptist Church in Lithia Springs, Ga. He has fished with us before but as we talked, we realized that it had been almost a year to the day since we’d fished and it was at this very same venue!Now before 4:00 Pm this afternoon I had never seen Michael and “Uncle Joe” Warrak before in my life. Michael and I had chatted a time or two via PM’s and such and he shared recently that he and Joe might come by and see us today so we were looking forward to that possibility. Neither Michael nor Joe had ever caught a Carp before and they didn’t know a good Strawberry Grit bait from Bacon and Eggs so the stage was set for the Ol Captain and Max to serve up a helping of “Puffology 101” with a little L&R on the side.It was an afternoon session and it was “Outerbanks” who put this first Gold on the mat!
Not long afterward the Ol Cappy’s pole lit up and young Michael Warrak was on it like a Carp Hound on slime! He played it like a pro and soon he has his first Carp ever in hand!
As a side note this fished weighed somewhere between 4-49 lbs.Well, next it was the Captain’s turn and as I played my little Golden beauty, Mike Marsh hit again with what we call an Allatoona Weirdo!
So that is 4 fish caught and 1 more to go. Uncle Joe had been very patient. He had already seen what Strawberry Grits and Puffs could do but there is seeing it and there is feeling it!! He was close to the Ultra light rig when it went down. One minute it was setting at an angle and the next minute the rod, line and the rope holding it to a peg were purely horizontal! And then the fight was on!!I waded out to net her and when I saw her roll I knew that she was a money fish! After seeing her thickness I predicted in my mind that she’d go 14-15 pounds. After seeing her pre-spawn belly roll again I knew this first Carp ever of Uncle Joe’s would be one for the record books!! So what did the did the scales reveal about Joe’s new Tanyard Beach Standard? I thought you’d never ask!! Well done and a tip of the Ol Captain’s hat goes to Uncle Joe Warrak and his 18 lb, 8 oz 1st ever and personal best Carp!!!!
Folks, we may not catch all the fish in the sea but we dearly love what we do and what we do best is introduce other people to what we do. If you want to know more you will just have to come see us!!
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Great job guys! Well done!!
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I have heard through the years that a friend who will help you in a time of need is a true friend. I found myself in need yesterday afternoon. I was in between a rock and a hard place. A quandary if you will.Here was my situation. I had loaned out my truck to my son Chad while his ride was in the shop. I knew today was going to be nice and Max and I were itching to go Carpin’ but I had no transportation. I wanted to get out because after all, we hadn’t been since Monday.What I needed was someone with a truck who would pick up me, my cart, and the Ultimate Carp Hound this morning and take us Carpin’ and then bring us back to the Captain’s Quarters no later than 4:40 PM this afternoon.
After being turned down by a few acquaintances I finally called my friend Tommy “Karp Katcher” King and shared my request and problem.
When I called I said something like, “Tommy, I’m in a bit of a jam and I could really use some help”. Tommy replied very seriously and said something like “Ol Captain, How can I help and does this problem or situation involve Maximus Relaximus?” I told him that it did and immediately we decided on a time and the adventure was set. Little did I know that young Tommy had a secret agenda. That’s right folks! After reading recently about the forming of the Carpio Corporation it seems that Tommy was actually trying to get in with the Boss and land a position! Once I figured that out I set up a test.Once we got to our spot I set up a challenge for this so called “Karp Katcher”. I set 4 rods out and my goal was to give Tommy and opportunity to handle 10 runs. I thought if he can get 7 or 8 out of ten to the net we might just consider him to be Corporate material!
The test was to end promptly at 3:00 PM. Shortly after getting set up Tommy had a run and it was soon Tommy 1- Fish-0.
Over the next 6 grueling hours I must confess that the cream rose to the top!Seems like every time I looked up, Tommy had one on the line!
Out of 9 runs Tommy put 8 fish on the bank! It was a mixed bag of Commons, Carp/Goldfish Hybrids and even one Mega Million Minnow!
Watching the “Karp Katcher” in action was a thing of beauty! Due to the nature of the test I was only allowed to touch the poles one time today. About midday Tommy had to go to the Piney Woods Lounge and while he was pulling down so was his Carp rod!! Fortunately, the CEO of the Carpio Corporation was on hand to immediately take up the slack!
In closing, the staff has been notified that as of today, Tommy King can pull his chair right up beside the Ol Captain himself! Because of one friendly gesture in the early hours of the morning Tommy has gone from rags to riches! I’m not surprised though because as they say, a friend in need is a friend indeed. What started out a a tight situation turned out fine by placing Tommy right beside the Ol Captain and the Hound. If you’d like a crack at this honor then make your plans to come see us soon!
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Twas just a normal work day!Many of you know how Mondays are and we at the Carpio Corporation feel your pain. We usually start each week with a Staff Meeting and today was no exception. I’d like to take a moment if I may to introduce our leadership team for April 2014. I will list them from L-R giving names as well as their job description:
Kevan Butler- Air Cargo/Load MasterOl Captain-CEO and Public RelationsJames Holley- Head of Security and CounselingJim Hatter- Transportation and FinanceMatt Holst (in front with Max)- Chaplain and Spiritual AdvisorRich Thomas (back row)- Health and Medical LiaisonTim Gill- Rail Cargo and Safety CoordinatorMaximus Relaximus- Oral Research and Stress ManagementAfter the morning agenda was covered each employee was dismissed and expected to report directly to their work stations.
Here at the Carpio Corporation we expect no less than eight hours work for eight hours pay. Soon everyone had their tools in hand and the work day had finally begun.
Being company men, we here at the Carpio Corporation are not afraid of work. But sometimes we find ourselves in too deep. But those are the times when we pitch in and often double if not triple the work load! We love our jobs!!
As CEO of Carpio Corporation it pleases me to know that my men give their all to their jobs! Not task is to great or too small. We are simply in it for the long haul and we do our best each and every day! Even on Monday!!
Folks, you might not have had as much fun at your work today as we did at the Carpio Corporation. If not perhaps you need to take some time off and come see us!!
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Well done guys!
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Thanks and Happy Easter to all. Come see us!
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As always a great read and great pics too. Photo #8 please enlighten me on what's needed to make that improvised bivy. That is a sweet deal. Looks like an easy up and some PVC pipes, but I figured better to ask the Ol' Captain as you were there to see it first hand. Max's bivy is sweet too but I'd be a bit cramped in that one.
It's just an easy up 10x10 cover. We leave the back legs short and pull the front ones out a bit longer. Good for rain/sun. Max had it made but there is only room for 1 in there
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Obviously it doesn’t happen very often but some days everything falls into place!!!Today started out fairly normal. Cool Dad met Max and I here at the Captain’s Quarters at a predetermined time and after tossing a few things in the back of my truck we were soon on our way.
Our first destination was Striper Soup in Acworth, Ga. I had given a young man some money for two Rod Stands a while back and he had agreed to drop them off with Chef Shawn McNew earlier today. It had been a while since the $ changed hands so I was very anxious to get these stands. I had paid him in advance for two stands and when I got to the Bait Shop he had dropped off not two, but four Rod Stands as well as two bottles of bait flavor!!
This was truly a bonus that was completely unexpected (and appreciated) and I knew then that this would not be just an ordinary day. If you are not familiar with Paylake Style Rod Stands this is basically how they work. They are made for baitcaster rod and reels. The reel sits in a cradle and when the Carp makes a run the reel rotates in the cradle as the line goes out!! It is really cool to see this work!
There is also a large adjustable wing nut that allows you to adjust the horizontal arm to any position that you desire.As if the rod stands weren’t enough, another cool thing happened on the way home as well. Sometime last year I flipped the Carp Shark (My Canoe) and I ruined my phone and my camera was damaged as well. Nowadays most folks take pics with their phones but that’s just not my style. I have taken over a zillion fishing related pictures with my FujiFilm J10 Camera and I am comfortable with it. I have struggled with my camera for the longest time and finally I found one on Ebay and won the bid!! When we got back to the house it was in the mailbox!! Camera, battery, charger and chip. Total cost on Ebay including shipping? $15.25!!!
Well, that let’s you know about the beginning and the end of our day now I will proceed to fill in the middle. Cool Dad and I knew it would be raining by early afternoon so we were prepared. We set up camp with all intentions of staying as dry as possible. Maximus Relaximus came prepared as well by bringing his own personal Bivvy.
As always, as the day went by, guests soon arrived. David “Double D” Dodway came by sporting his fine Euro Gear. I still hold to the opinion that David is the best Carp Angler in Georgia. I have seen on many occasions where he caught fish when no one else could. Here is David pictured (L-R) with Cool Dad and our other guest from the GON board, LaMon Ware.
David would have been a great school teacher because he is quick to share what he knows with anyone who expresses interest. He spent time with LaMon today and shortly thereafter, Lamon tasted Solid Gold using David’s Euro gear!!
Now while all that was going on Cool Dad and the Carp Hound weren’t exactly twiddling their paws. No Sir! While LaMon was learning Cool Dad was catching and The Ultimate Carp Hound was steadily practicing Lick & Release!
I shared in the beginning that some days everything seems to fall into place. If that is the case, then what about the Ol Captain’s catch? I had already got twice as many Rod Stands as expected plus flavors. I was to get home to a fine replacement camera that cost very little but what about fish?? Did the Ol Captain’s heyday continue by putting some Gold on the bank?? I thought you’d never ask……..
Folks, it truly doesn’t happen very often but occasionally you have a day where everything seems to fall into place!If you want to find out more about what we do, then why not come see us?
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Wow! A great day indeed!
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Great job!!
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Well done Tommy!!