Posts by Craig James
Fall Fiction: The Trembling Part One
Glen Johnson stood in line at Big Pa’s Bait and Tackle. Drenched with sweat, it was the hottest day swinging a hammer that he could remember in a long time. He figured the only way to end a day this hot would be with a couple of ice-cold Gatorades and a box of worms. While…
Read MoreThe Hunt For A Mature WMA Buck
After listening to Matt Beauregard speak as a guest on the Georgia Afield Hunting Podcast last fall, I knew right away I had to sit down with him for an in-depth story on WMA hunting for our 2021 August edition of GON Magazine. I’ve known Matt for a few years now, (we attend the same…
Read MoreTired Creek Hosts Mattie’s Mission Fundraiser
On July 24, the King of the Kayak Series hosted an open kayak fishing tournament at Tired Creek Lake. The tournament benefited Mattie’s Mission, a non-profit that uses its resources to help in the fight against childhood cancer. The event drew nearly 25 anglers from various parts of Georgia, and more than $1,300 was raised…
Read MoreLife Lessons From A Legend
Last year, I had the opportunity to spend a couple of days at Clarks Hill Lake with bass fishing legend Hank Parker. As a child I spent many Saturday mornings glued to the television set watching Hank share fishing tips, many of which I still use to this day. Making the three hour or so…
Read MoreWe Miss You, Michael
I’ve wanted to write this one for a long time, but finding the words is just flat hard. I’ll just come out and say it. Man, I miss Michael. It’s funny to say that now. As I’m typing these words I can remember a time when we didn’t care for each other in the slightest,…
Read MoreGauging Success
I’ve fished the Satilla River for more than three decades. I have to say the past couple of years I’ve had more success than ever before, and it’s not because I’m getting any better at fishing, I promise you that. Nor have I discovered a new top-secret lure or technique guaranteed to make them bite…
Read MoreTired Creek Bass Record Broken Again
What started out as a test run in their new bass boat quickly turned into the trip of a lifetime for the Parker family from Valdosta. Amanda, Clay and their daughter Ella Kate decided to give Tired Creek Lake a try on May 1, hoping to catch a few quality fish and to enjoy some…
Read MoreSinclair Bass Shallow In May
Chad Carver, a longtime GON reader from Baxley and a Lake Sinclair regular, is a master of catching reservoir fish shallow year-round. I’ve been trying to nail down a story on Lake Sinclair with Chad for a couple of years now, but between his schedule and mine, it took us a while to finally get…
Read MoreOkefenokee Swamp Jackfish, Fun And Simple As It Gets
Deep in south Georgia, down in the grassy black water of the cypress-filled Okefenokee Swamp, you will find a long-toothed killer fish known in the textbooks as a chain pickerel. Down on the Swamp, they’re simply “jackfish” or “jack” for short. No matter what you choose to call them, bottom line is they are biting…
Read MoreWare County 8-Bearded Gobbler Should Rank 5th All-Time
What started as an unlucky run-in with COVID quickly turned into a Ware County hunt of a lifetime for Joey Wildes, of Waycross. “My wife and I had been in quarantine for 10 days, and though we were blessed to not have more serious symptoms, I hadn’t felt like hunting since the diagnosis,” said Joey.…
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