IF YOU LIKE BASS . . .
Then take the trip we took last weekend—Brother, the bass are waiting. You'll need
your car, and it's a long ride, but to the confirmed fisherman, that's a small price to
pay for real sport.
We're talking about Lake George, Florida, about 85 miles south of Jacksonville. Look
ing at the map. Lake George seems to be the headwater of the St. John's river, one of
those screwball streams that flows north.
The lake is a big one, about 150 milesof
shoreline, and not too deep. The water
is warm and dark, the bottom sandy, and
mile after mile of shoreline is covered in
water hyacinths. Large bass in the lake
will run 10 to 15 pounds, no kiddin',ond
THAR'S BASS IN THEM HYACINTHS
THE MAN IN THE PALM SAYS "HELLO"
the record is 21 pounds! (We still think
they pulled out a cow!) Like most game
fish, the bass are smart—but they can be
out-thought, believe usl At one point,
we watched and photographed at least a
dozen big lunkers feeding on dragonflies,
and without the slightest exaggeration,
they would jump at least two feet out of
the water. Our excursion was a spur-of
the moment affair and we were ill prepar-
ed(al I we had was I ive bait and a few deep
running plugs) but one man using crickets
on a spinning rig caught eight big ones in
an hour.
If your long suit is cane-pole fishing, you
can't beat Lake George. Years ago,ships
used to sail down the St. John's to Lake
George to pick up the citrus fruit crops,
and the ruins of the old pilings are still
there. These areas abound with blue-gill
bream and red-eared shel I-crackers, fine
pan fish. This at least we were ready for.
BE SURE TO TAKE YOUR CAMERA
and the fishing was fine. Practically ev
ery cast into the pilings will net you a
fine table fish. Detailed information on
facilities may be had by writing the Flor
ida Chamber of Commerce, Tallahassee,
but we'd like to put in a plug for Trail's
End, a small fishing camp operated by W.
F. Johnson, a retired engineer. He has a
few boats, motors, and has a really beau
tiful cabin which can handle eight people
in a pinch, four very comfortably. Mr.
Johnson doesn't really care much about a
large clientele, but is only interested in
a congenial group of real sportsmen .You
can write him direct for information. The
address is: W. F. Johnson
Trail's End
Georgetown, Florida
To get to Trail's End, take U.S..17 South
from Jacksonville to Satsuma, then fol
low Florida 309 to the end. We would
like to say that seldom have we had a
more enjoyable trip, which is due in large
measure to Mr. Johnson's cordial hospi
tal ity.
CLOSER TO HOME .
Is Santee Cooper Dam, a favorite fishing
spot for local anglers. Located some 35
miles south of Sumter, S. C., there are
two fine fishing lakes. Lake Marion and
Lake Moultrie. Formed by a dam across
the Santee River, there is heavy under
water growth, ideal for bass and bream.
Les Watson is a confirmed Santee fisher
man, as the accompanying photos show.
Together with Walt Rollick and George
Willard, a real fishing spree was staged.
Boats, motors, bait,and guide service are
readily available at any one of a dozen
commercial camps. Les and his cohorts
have found that the best way is to get on
U.S. 52 to St. Stephens, S.C., then take
State Rt. 45 to Wilkerson's Landing. When
you go, be sure to obtain a fishing map
showing navigable channels. The lake is
full of stumps which can sure be rugged on
outboards. Don't miss Santee Cooper
it's well worth the trip.
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