FTF:
BCHunter and JAG ~
2/11/2006
Congrats BCHunter and
JAG!!!!!
On June 2, 1932 - George Perry decided the weather was too
bad for farming. It wasn't very good for a Church steeple in
Jacksonville, Georgia either. Strong winds or possibly a small
tornado cause the steeple to come crashing to the ground that
afternoon.
Storm clouds or not, George went
fishing that Thursday afternoon. At 20 years of age, George owned
one Rod & Reel and two lures. He was fishing with a friend -
from a homemade boat - in a dead oxbow lake off the Ocmulgee River.
Known as Montgomery Lake, it was then and now just a small wet spot
in South Georgia Swamp Land, a few miles east of
Jacksonville.
George cast into the dark waters. Reeling in line, everything
came to a stop! Thinking he couldn't lose that lure (these were
Depression Times, by the way), George pondered how he could
retrieve the lure - for surely it was hung on something. “I thought
I had hooked a log”, Perry recalled. “ It was heavy and
cumbersome.”
But as it began to move…George saw it was not a log. What was on
the end of his line was a Large Mouth Bass the likes never seen
before or since.
The pair drove 16 miles to a grocery store in Helena, the fish
and George were the talk of the county that weekend. An hour or so
later the bass was weighed on certified scales at the Post
Office.
Twenty Two pounds and Four ounces
The weight was verified and submitted to Field and Streams
magazine for a contest that was being conducted. George was awarded
prizes with a total value of around $75.00.
These were Depressions Times, by the way.
Today, if you are lucky or skilled enough to catch a Large Mouth
Bass that weighs more than 22 pounds and 4 ounces….AND break the
World Record that has endured for 73 years now…you could be awarded
up to $8 million in cash, prizes and countless endorsements
depending on the type of tackle you are using.
So what ever become of the little hole of water? Well, if you
could get to it by foot – then you are less than 800 feet from the
center. The deepest portions are little more than knee high. The
cache, of course, has a Fishing Theme. Come and see where the BIG
ONE lived! Cast a line if you are so inclined (with the proper DNR
license) ~ and if you can find water deep enough.
And what ever became of that big o'FISH. The Perry family had a
fish fry on Friday AND Saturday night.
These were Depressions Times, by the way!
Do not, I repeat, DO NOT venture into this area without
proper preparation. DEET or similar brew is essential. This is
South Georgia swampland after all. The walk to the cache is on
established pathways – and except for the last 30 feet, no bush
whacking. Once you log you find, I will email you requesting info
regarding your find!!!