My dog Rip loved to go fishing with me

BoatUS: Tips on Boating with Dogs
from The Fishing Wire

ALEXANDRIA, Va.,- Some dogs were born for the water, others less so. The key to boating with dogs, says Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS), is taking it slow and making safety #1. Here are eight tips to get you started:

Before you go:

Get a good fitting life jacket and have the dog wear it a few times around the home before they get on a boat. Any pet life jacket should have a handle to easily lift the animal out of the water. Here’s a buying guide for dogs of all sizes: www.BoatUS.com/doglifejacket.

Have a special ID tag with the name of the boat, marina, slip number and cellphone number on it just in case. If the dog gets lost, it’s a lot easier for the person who finds them to get them back to you quickly.

If there is any chance you’ll be going to Canada and Mexico, make sure you have current rabies vaccine and other shot documentation with you as dog tags are not acceptable proof of immunizations. It is also a good idea to check with customs because the rules and requirements often change.

Getting started:

Familiarize the dog with the boat slowly – don’t just get on the boat and leave the dock right away. Ideally, bring the dog to the boat for the first time without leaving the dock, and let give them a chance to sniff around and get their sea legs. It may help to start the engine so they are used the sound.

Plan for falls overboard, either from the boat or dock. If the dog falls overboard underway – or jumps in – you may be able to circle back and retrieve Fido just like a fallen water skiier, pulling up slowly, cutting the engine and luring the dog to the swim platform with a treat. If you don’t have swim platform, smaller dogs may be lifted over the side by their life jacket handle, but bigger dogs may require a different solution. If a dog falls off a dock, know that seawall bulkheads may prevent the animal from a self-rescue.

Bring plenty of water and make sure there’s some place the dog can get out of the sun and stay as cool as possible. Know the symptoms of dog heat stroke. While seasick dogs may vomit, that’s also one sign of heat stroke. Rapid, loud or difficulty breathing, extreme thirst, thick saliva, disorientation and a bright red tongue and pale gums are a few of the others.

If you’re going to be out on the boat for more than a few hours, plan on how your dog will relieve themselves, and pick up after your dog, no matter where they go. If you see where someone else didn’t pick up after their dog, pick it up for them. You don’t want to give any opportunity to show why dogs shouldn’t be allowed in your marina, and your boating friends will love you for it.

Does your boat’s insurance policy cover pets? All BoatUS policies do. For more information go to BoatUS.com/insurance/pets.

About BoatUS:

Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) is the nation’s leading advocate for recreational boaters providing its over half-million members with government representation, services such as 24-hour on the water boat towing as well as roadside assistance for boat trailers and tow vehicles, feature-packed boat insurance programs, money-saving benefits that include marina and West Marine shopping discounts, and vital information that improves the boating, fishing and sailing lifestyle. Its member-funded BoatUS Foundation is a national leader promoting safe, clean and responsible boating.

I can see daddy sitting in the big soft green recliner, feet propped up and newspaper across his lap, watching “Jeopardy” and checking the sports at the same time. The recliner sits in the living room of what is now my place at the lake, since the chair has been empty for 12 years.

We joined the Raysville Boat Club in 1966 when I was 16 years old. I am not sure why daddy decided to join the club. Mama and I both loved to fish, and our best friends, the McGahees, joined at about the same time. Our families already camped together at Clarks Hill often and Mr. Hugh had taught me to water ski when I was 11, something I was fanatical about as a teenager.

Daddy didn’t ski and didn’t really like to fish but he bought a nice ski boat to keep at our dock and put a pop-up camper at the boat club. We stayed there almost every weekend, even though he had to dive the 22 miles back to the farm to take care of the chickens, hogs and cows each day. Those were wonderful days filled with skiing, fishing and eating fantastic food cooked by mama and Miss Mary for me.

Daddy loved to fry fish and he was good at it. We would have big fish frys at the lake on a cooker he and Mr. Hugh made from an old tire hub, tubing and rebar. I can still see him standing over the big black pot, fork in hand, carefully watching the fish until they were cooked perfectly or until the hushpuppies turned over and browned just right.

When the crappie were in the bushes bedding in the spring daddy would fish with us. We would take the big ski boat to a cove and tie it up and drown minnows in the surrounding bushes, catching dozens of fine eating fish. We also had a 12 foot jon boat would sometimes pull to the cove to be able to more around better.

I can still see daddy in the back of that boat one day, fishing near mamma and me in the big ski boat. Daddy moved wrong and tipped out of the boat head first. The water was only a couple of feet deep and he stood up, water dripping from him and a half broken soaked cigarette dangling from his mouth. All of us laughed so hard we probably scared every crappie for miles.

Daddy figured out how to make a platform on the front of that ski boat to mount a foot controlled trolling motor and pedestal seat. He would drive to where we wanted to fish and crawl over the windshield, then perch up there and move us around to the perfect fishing spots. And he never fell off!

It was difficult for daddy to relax. He was a hard worker, running a farm and Dearing Elementary School as its principal. He could not fish just for fun, he had to be catching something to eat. That he could enjoy.

We often ran trotlines, jugs and bank hooks at night and caught a good many cats. We also put out baskets baited with meal cake and caught an amazing number of fish in them, often more than I wanted to clean.

We had a great cleaning system. Daddy and mama would scale the crappie and I gutted them. I could keep up with the two of them once I realized I could cut at an angle from the top of the head to just past the vent. Almost all the guts came out with one slice and there was no waste of meat since there was nothing but rib cage there.

The mobile home I now call mine has a screen porch running its length on the front. Daddy, Uncle Slaton and a couple of other friends built it. I helped some since by then I was doing construction work during the summers between college years. That porch is well built, it is now on the third mobile home on the lot. When the mobile home got too old we would detach the porch, move the trailer out, move a better one in and reattach the porch.

One event really stands out in my mind that shows how much daddy wanted me to be happy. We were camping on Clark’s Hill when I was about 12 years old. The campsite was on a point about 300 yards from a bridge and I wanted to fish under it at night so bad I couldn’t stand still. Daddy agreed to take me.

Our only boat was an old wooden skiff that was very hard to paddle and uncomfortable to sit in. Right at dark we loaded lanterns, rods and reels and I think daddy probably told me to put the minnow bucket in the boat. He rowed us to the bridge and tied up and we realized the minnows were still on the bank. He did not complain, just untied the boat, rowed back to get them, rowed back to the bridge and we fished. I have no idea if we caught anything or not but I cherish that night.

When I go back to the boat club now there are ghosts there. Daddy and mama are always around. It is very bittersweet, but I would not give up those memories for anything. If you have kids, or if your parents are still alive, make some memories this summer. They will last a lifetime.

Georgia Summer Striper

From our coast to the mountains fishing is good in the summer months and some of the best fishing this time of year is also near activities sure to please any family desires. Check out these possibilities this summer.

June

Augusta may not seem like a place with a lot of activities but what is available in the area might surprise you. No matter what the fishermen in your family likes to catch, you can find a wide variety of possibilities. And the history of the area has been highlighted by preservation efforts. If you want more active experiences you can find them, too.

Lake Thurmond is only a few miles away and it is the biggest lake in the southeast. From bass and crappie to catfish and stripers, the lake is full of fun to catch fish. Several guides in the area will take you out and show you what to do, and they provide all the equipment you need so you don’t have to pack it. Or you can bring along your tackle and explore on your own.

In June bass hit topwater baits early around shoreline cover like stumps, rocks and hydrilla. Soap Creek, Fishing Creek, Germany Creek and Lloyd Creek are all good. For crappie fish standing timber near creek and river channels with jigs and minnows. Sight fishing for schooling hybrids and stripers is good during the day. Look for them on offshore humps and ridges.

If you want to catch a smallmouth bass you probably don’t think of the Augusta area but the Savannah River downstream of the Thurmond dam has cool enough water to allow the illegally stocked smallmouth to thrive. You can wade the rocky shoals and catch them on fly or casting tackle. You have to be careful due to the release of water at the dam since it can rise fast, but if you pay attention it is a lot of fun to wade and fish.

For a more relaxed outing the McDuffie Public Fishing Area about 30 miles away has stocked ponds where you can catch bass, bream and catfish. Fishing from the bank is good and some of the ponds have handicapped access, to anyone can catch fish there. Kids will love the ease of catching bluegill there and you can fish from the bank to make it more fun if they want to explore.

This month the fishing is good at any of those three options.

For the historian in the family August has a rich past. You can tour old mills that have been renovated into shopping areas so the shopper in your family can have fun. Boat tours of the canal gives you a good view of the mills and the remains of the Confederate Powder Works, where most of the gunpowder for the Confederacy was produced.

The Lock and Dam Park on the Savannah River has interesting history and good hiking trails, as well as the chance to see how nature can be restored at Phinizy Swamp. Wildlife viewing is good there and you can fish there, too. Another park on the canal has history, trails and offers access to the river for smallmouth fishing.

For baseball fans, the minor league Augusta Greenjackets play 12 home games this month. Eating out is always a highlight of summer vacation and you can find local restaurants that serve anything you want. There are lots of Southern favorites and other places offer everything from fast food to find dining.

The Morris Museum of Art is the first one dedicated to highlighting Southern Art, and other cultural activates range from ballet to theater. Augusta is the home of James Brown and you can find clubs with everything from jazz and blues to country and rock.

Golfers won’t be able to play around at famed Augusta National, home of the Masters, but there are about a dozen courses open to the public in the area. There are also several tennis courts open to the public in Augusta. Wildwood Park on Thurmond offers something a little different, with three championship disk golf courses, where you play with Frisbees. It also offers camping, boat ramps and bank fishing as well as picnic areas

July

Everybody likes the beach and Jekyll Island is a family vacation destination that is sure to please. Its long beaches are not crowded in many areas and you will be sharing them with other families, not rowdy partiers. You can fish for saltwater and freshwater fish in the area and there are many tours and adventures available.

You can catch anything from sharks to redfish in saltwater near Jekyll Island and the rivers give you a chance for freshwater species, too. Some big sharks are caught from the Jekyll Island Pier each year and you can join locals in trying to hook one. The pier in St. Simons Island, just across the bay, also offers good fishing the there is lots of shopping and dining near it.

Charters will take you into the bays and river mouths for tarpon, flounder, weakfish and redfish. Or you can go off shore for mackerel, tripletail, tarpon and Jack Crevalle. The charters provide all the equipment you need or you can bring your own. Surf fishing for whiting and other species can be good, too.

For freshwater fish like bass and bluegill, you can bring your boat and put in at Two Way Fish Camp and go up the Altamaha or choose a public ramp. There are also freshwater guides that will provide anything you need for those species. For fun with the kids you can find bank access at several bridges and catch saltwater cat and other species that bite readily.

For lots of action, go to area boat ramps and parks and bait up with bits of shrimp. Any kind of fish in the water will eat it and you can catch a wide variety. Usually the best fishing is when the tide first starts going out or coming in. Use fairly small hooks and enough weight to keep your bait on the bottom.

If you want to play tennis or golf several public courts and courses are available, and kids and adults have a lot of fun at the putt putt courses. There are miles of bicycle paths on the island and you can rent one at several hotels for a ride. Or you can hike the trails. Just bring good bug spray!

Wildlife viewing is great. Ever seen an alligator? If you hike the trails you are likely to find a pond with one sunning on the bank. Birding is great with many species here in July. And you can hike the beaches early in the morning and see tracks sea turtles make coming in to lay their eggs overnight. Just don’t disturbed the nests.

As you would expect, seafood is fresh and tasty here. Shrimp are cooked right off the boat and other kinds of fish and shellfish are common in the local restaurants. Some of them offer the best chowders you can find. Or you can find southern cooking to find dining in Brunswick and on St. Simons and Sea Island.

Tours of the old homes built by some of the richest families in the US back in the early 1900s have been restored and offer a fascinating glimpse of how they lived. You can even stay at some that have been restored as hotels and others have meals available. The hotels are fairly expensive but there is a campground on the island it you prefer that option.

Dolphin and marsh tours by boat are a family favorite and readily available from local marinas. Eco tours of Raccoon Key give you an idea of the importance of marshes to the environment and you will see a lot of different kinds of wildlife.

More active opportunities are kayak tours and horseback riding by local companies. The kids are sure to love the local water park and can spend a full day there having fun. Shopping can be very active from some and there is plenty to keep even the most avid shopper happy in the area.

August

Need to cool off from the summer heat? The mountains around Helen and Unicoi State Park offer good places to catch fish and beat the heat. And the family can go rafting on rivers, try a zip line, hike, shop and find many other things to do if they don’t want to fish.

Most folks think of trout fishing when they head to the hills in North Georgia and it is good, but there are other species to catch, too. For trout you can choose to hike up smaller streams and try for native bookies, a real challenge, or catch stocked fish in bigger waters like the Chatooga River.

Lake Blue Ridge is not far away and offers your best chance to catch a smallmouth bass in a Georgia lake. You will need a boat to fish it. Cast small topwater plugs on main lake points early in the morning and late in the day then back off and fish a jig head worm 20 to 30 feet deep. You will also catch a lot of spotted bass doing this.

For the kids, a trip to the Burton Fish Hatchery on Moccasin Creek feeding Lake Burton is in order. Kids and seniors over 65 years old can fish in the creek and there are special ponds with trout available there, too. You can also put a boat in Lake Burton and have fun catching spotted and largemouth bass and hybrids. Bluegill fishing is also very good on the lake.

The State Park at the hatchery also has canoe rentals, picnic areas, swimming and hiking. A tour of the hatchery is also interesting to most family members. For something a little different, you can download GPS coordinates and go on a Park or History Geo tour.

Unicoi State Park is a great destination. You can rent a cabin, stay in a lodge room or camp. Picnic shelters are in the park and good food is available in the dining room and there are a lot of activities in the park. Fish the local lake or streams, hike trails and visit Anna Ruby Falls. The park lake also has a swimming beach. You can rent canoes and kayaks for a day on the water or just sun and swim.

Want to play tennis or golf? Several courts are in the park or nearby, and there are a lot of choices for public golf courses. If you want to be even more active, bring your mountain bike and get a permit for the trails that will test your endurance. Birding is good in the area and you can also see plant species specific to the mountains.

Kids will love a tour of the Cabbage Patch Kids Baby Land General in nearby Cleveland. Shoppers will enjoy all the stores in Helen and it has been designed to resemble an Alpine village in Europe, so expect to find many types of beer and food there.

If you have never tried a zip line, you should visit Chattooga Ridge Canopy Tours about an hour’s drive from Unicoi. You will get safety training then zip through the tree tops and over a small lake while hanging from a cable and harness. Exciting and fun for all over the age of ten. The guides will tell you about the flora and fauna of the area and you get to examine the trees from a close-up view seldom seen.

The same company and many others in the area offer rafting on the Chattooga River. What better way to cool off in the summer heat than getting splashed by cold water as you shoot the rapids. Kids love it and adults find it exciting.

If you ever wanted to go prospecting for gold and gems, head over to Dukes Creek Mining Company between Helen and Cleveland. The folks that own the company will give you instructions on panning for gold and gems and help you identify what you find. It is great fun for all ages.

There are wild bears in the North Georgia mountains but you don’t wan tot get too close to them. If you want to see bears up close and safely, try the Black Forest Bear Park and Reptile Exhibit in Helen. Warning, some people are disappointed and some hate it because wild animals are penned up.

But many love seeing bears and there are usually some cubs that will make you want to take them home. Kids and adults can enjoy this experience and it is not very expensive. Just be prepared for the smell of animals and the fact they are penned up.

No matter where you want to go in Georgia, or want you want to do this summer, you can have a great vacation.

I was happy with this keeper bass that hit a Zoom Mag 2 worm

Along about 15 years or so ago I was surfing around on the internet looking for fishing information. I came across a website called “The Mining Company” and a whole bunch of articles about fishing. I was living in the Atlanta area, and as it turned out lots of these articles talked about fishing in the local area. So I book marked the site and came back to it quite often.

My main job at the time dealt with the internet and building websites, so I found it quite interesting that this “Mining Company” thing had taken hold. The fishing site was one of dozens of sites under the Mining Company umbrella, covering everything from sewing to cooking and car repair to fishing. The people writing for these sites were called guides, and they “mined” the Internet for information so that you would not have to search. Each site became a veritable plethora (you like those two words?) of specific information.

A few weeks later, the author of this fishing website – his name is Ronnie Garrison – asked if anyone out there had any fish stories. Well, I had a few, so I began writing them and sending them to Ronnie.

Now – I am not the greatest writer in the world, but I do pretty well, especially when it comes to fishing stories. I submitted some stories to him and he posted them on his site. I was thrilled!! I went to work and actually kept his website minimized on my desktop PC to show visitors to my office how I had been “published”. I even contacted my cousin, Jim in Tennessee and put him onto Ronnie’s site. We both loved it!

I think it was just a couple of months later in 1997 that Jim had come to visit me in Georgia. We both had emailed each other and Ronnie numerous times with answers to his weekly give-away quiz, and in the midst of all this discovered that Ronnie lived less than 45 miles from my door.

One thing led to another and Jim and I were invited to fish with Ronnie in Lake Wedowee just across the state line in Alabama. The plan was for us to drive to the public boat ramp and meet him there with his boat. At the time, my boat consisted of a 15 foot Lowe’s aluminum Jon boat. Ronnie was fishing out of a 21 foot Stratos.

We met at the ramp, fumbled through some awkward introductions and left the dock to fish.

At the time, Jim was producing and selling jigs and jig heads. His internet business was blossoming and he brought a number of them with us on that trip.

We actually did catch a lot of fish, most of them spotted bass, and most of them on Jims’ small deer hair jigs. I can remember going several casts in a row and hooking a bass on every cast. It was that kind of day.

After that trip we seemed to be closer to Ronnie, and I was still sending him “Fish Tales” to post on his site. And then Ronnie asked me one day a question that would change my life for the next fifteen years. He asked me who I wrote for.

I was flabbergasted! Write for someone? He said I needed to see about doing some writing, and he gave me the name of two editors. One was and still is with Georgia Outdoor News (GON), and one was and still is with Game and Fish publications of Intermedia Outdoors.

I contacted these folks and after a couple of false starts I began writing as a freelance outdoor writer. I had an article in 8 of GON’s next 12 issues and four of Georgia Sportsman’s next 12 issues. And I applied with the Mining Company and was accepted as their Guide to Saltwater Fishing, where my expertise lies.

That was fifteen years ago. In that time the Mining Company changed names to About.com and was bought and sold a number of times. At one point early on they did an IPO that allowed Ronnie and I and all of the dozens of guides to make a chunk of money with stock options. They went private again after the Internet bubble burst and they are currently owned by a group that is changing the basic way all of the older guides operated and wrote. Sad – I had quite a following when I retired form that position earlier this year. And Ronnie had an even larger following. We both, along with numerous other former guides, are convinced the new owners are making a big mistake by changing the format of the About.com experience. But time marches on.

I became a member of the Georgia Outdoor Writers Association (GOWA), Florida Outdoor Writers Association (FOWA) and the Southeast Outdoor Press Association (SEOPA). At one of my first GOWA conference meetings, my wife finally met Ronnie’s wife, and the four of us remain good friends.

At dinner that night Ronnie’s wife related to my wife how she felt about that first fishing trip that Ronnie took me on with my cousin, Jim. She told him to take a handgun because he didn’t know who we were and we might get him out on the lake and knock him in the head. So, Ronnie was packing that day we fished.

My wife and I began laughing when she related that story to us. It seems my wife told me the same thing! I was packing as well!

Ronnie still writes for a number of publications, and I still get some work from time to time with GON and with Florida Game and Fish. We remain friends, united by writing and fishing. I have moved back to my origins in Florida, and I concentrate on Florida fishing now, most of it in saltwater. Through all of these years Ronnie and I have remain friends, meeting up every year at the annual GOWA Spring Conference. And the push he gave me way back when is still there.

Here’s hoping for another fifteen years for you, Ronnie on this new website!