Scrapbook – August 2020

Julia Hobbs, of Cataula, says, “I have been bass fishing lately and wanted to share my best catch ever! I know there’s bigger fish in the pond, but for me this was pretty awesome. Here’s to many more!”

Great to see a beautiful smallmouth bass from Lake Blue Ridge. Brandon Myers, of Marietta, caught this 20 3/4-inch bronzeback while fishing with Lake & Stream Guide Service on Memorial Day.

Gordon County produced this 20-lb., 11-oz. double-bearded gobbler for Matt Rymer in April. It had 1.5-inch spurs.

This Macon County 10-pointer netted 129 4/8. Steve Waters, of Warner Robins, shot the 240-lb. buck Oct. 30 as it worked a scrape.

GON member Mike Cain, of Winder, caught this big rainbow trout May 4 in the Hiwassee River. “Didn’t weigh it or measure. Took pic and put it back in the river,” Mike said.

Ryan Allen, of Covington, shot this buck with a bow but didn’t get a pass-through. Three weeks later, the Jasper County 8-point gave Ryan a second shot while he hunting with his rifle.

Christian Hughey, of Forsyth, killed this gobbler on private land in Talbot County on opening weekend.

Michael Worley got this Glynn County 8-pointer with his muzzleloader last season on Oct. 14.

A series of grunts and the rattle bag drew this Clayton County 8-pointer into bow range for Scott Mask, of McDonough, on Oct. 27.

After dropping the kids off for trick or treating on Halloween, Paula Tillman, of Norman Park, slipped off to the deer stand for a quick hunt. Twenty minutes later this Mitchell County 10-pointer came out behind a doe.

This Ben Hill County 9-pointer was chasing a doe the morning of Nov. 11 when Robert Caldwell, of Tifton, got his shot and made it count.

Michael Clement stopped by Lake Olmstead in Augusta before work on May 6 and caught this 1-lb., 13-oz. shellcracker on a small Rooster Tail. He got it weighed and verified by DNR and earned an Angler Award.

We’ve seen more pictures this year of folks fishing in neighborhood ponds and lakes than we can remember. Jolynn, Jade and Jeremiah Boggs admire a nice bass caught by their Nana Doreen Wanco on June 8 while fishing in a Bartow County lake in Cartersville.

Josh Blackston celebrated his Cook County gobbler with Wyatt and Emy.

Congrats to Chelsey Bell on her first gobbler. The big Oglethorpe County bird had 1 3/8-inch spurs, an 11-inch beard and weighed 24 pounds. Chelsey’s dad, GON member Johnny Bell, called the gobbler in. “We’ve had tons of close encounters over the years but finally closed the deal this April,” Johnny said.

Cason Bedford, of Cedartown, killed this Polk County 10-pointer during the 2018 season. He recently got it officially measured and submitted to GON’s new online Georgia Deer Records, where it ranks No. 18 all-time for Polk County with a net score of 129 3/8.

Scott McClure, of Canton, with his 9-pointer from Cherokee County.

Robin Waldrop, of Dacula, spotted this Gwinnett County 10-pointer chasing and grunting on Nov. 10 last season.

GON Hunt Advisor Richie Green and his cousin Keith “Smitty” Smith had a good night on the Ocmulgee River July 3 with some limb lines loaded with bream. The biggest flathead was 41 pounds.

Congratulations to Aubrey Beatty, who got her first buck Nov. 9 while hunting in Sumter County.

Sean Fitzgerald saw this Ben Hill County buck two prior days in a cotton field. On Nov. 14, he called the buck in with an estrus can and grunt.