RE: NANFA-- Macon (GA) collecting report (long)

Chip Rinehart (crin_at_glassmaster.com)
Wed, 7 Apr 2004 09:30:19 -0400

Great report Steven! Time to load up the car and head over to SC where
we've been finding filleting sized (well, 3 to 3 1/2") lined topminnows
(Fundulus lineolatus) over the past month.

Chip in SC

-----Original Message-----
From: Steven Ellis
Sent: Wednesday, April 07, 2004 9:06 AM
To: nanfa_at_aquaria.net
Subject: NANFA-- Macon (GA) collecting report (long)

Hi All

This past Saturday, the NANFA GA Region kicked off the spring
collecting
season with a visit to the central part of the state. After two straight
years
of beginning in Okefenokee we decided to give the great swamp a rest and
explore other areas. We met at the McDonalds in Forsyth, GA, at the
appointed
time of 8 AM and lingered until 8:45 for late arrivals before assembling the
caravan for our first stop. The group consisted of: Charles Ray (Auburn,
AL),
David Ramsey (Lawrenceville, GA), Laura Burbage (Athens, GA), Michael Wolfe
&
his son Andrew (Athens, GA), Paul Harney (Clermont, GA), Geoff & Julie
Kimber
with sons Daniel, Noah, & Samuel (Lexington, KY), and Steven Ellis
(Kennesaw,
GA).

It was a day of perfect weather, excellent company, and surprisingly
few
fish. The trip was intended to contrast differences in collecting above and
below the fall line, but apparently the fish didnt get the memo. None of us
had any recent prior experience at the target sites and my higher
expectations
were based on past successes in neighboring areas. It was only the second
organized collecting trip for Laura. We delighted in her enthusiasm and in
imparting some of the tricks of the hobby that have become familiar to the
rest of us. In return, she shared her expert knowledge of plants.

Yellow Creek (Ocmulgee drainage)  Just south of Forsyth, GA, on GA Highway
42.

In terms of actual numbers, our first location was probably the most
productive. Although it wasnt immediately apparent from the bridge, the big
surprise was the clarity of the water. It would have been fine for
snorkeling
if the water had been just a bit warmer. David measured the water
temperature
at 57F. It was a narrow stream with a substrate of muddy clay covered by a
layer of sand. There was not a lot of overhanging vegetation. The grassy
banks
led directly to an open forest not yet clogged by a lot of undergrowth.
Beavers had constructed an impressive dam just upstream from the bridge. One
of the potential reasons for the scarcity of fish became apparent when a
small
herd of cattle joined us in the creek. We left shortly after their arrival.
In
that location we collected/observed:

Bluegill
Redbreast sunfish
Spotted sunfish
Largemouth bass
Turquoise darter (females only)
Grayfin redhorse
Bluehead chub
Yellowfin shiner
Ocmulgee shiner

Water temperature 57F
TDS 29
pH below 6
Nitrates 0
Phosphates 0

Vegetation was restricted to the upper banks of the stream and above. Very
shady system.

HERBS:
(low density at this site)
Sedges (Carex sp.)
Christmas fern (Polystichum acrostichoides)
Various mosses
Dwarf St. Johns wort (Hypericum mutilum)

SHRUBS:
Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica)
Red buckeye (Aesculus pavia)
Canadian serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis)

TREES:
Red Maple (Acer rubrum)
Box elder (Acer negundo)

VINES:
Trumpet honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens)

Little Tobesofkee Creek (Ocmulgee drainage)  2 miles south of Yellow Creek
on
GA Highway 42.

A little wider and somewhat less muddy than Yellow Creek, Little
Tobesofkee Creek better illustrated the descent from the fall line. Just
upstream from the bridge where we entered was a multi-level waterfall
crashing
over a stone face into a sandy pool below. It was very similar to the one we
discovered at Panther Creek on our 02 Tallulah Gorge trip. Michael and
Andrew
anchored the seine against the current while some of the rest of us kicked
into it expecting a fair catch of darters. If the darters were there they
skillfully eluded us. Seining the wide pool beneath the falls Michael and I
only captured about three shiners and a chub. Further downstream, Charles
bagged some juvenile madtoms. We were uncertain of the species but since
only
two were in range they had to be either speckled or tadpole madtoms. The
creek
also bore evidence of cattle. At that site we collected/observed:

Bluegill
Redbreast sunfish
Largemouth bass
Turquoise darter (females only)
Grayfin redhorse
Bluehead chub
Yellowfin shiner
Ocmulgee shiner
? madtom
? lizard

Water temperature 55F
TDS 27
pH below 5
Nitrates 0

Vegetation was restricted to the upper banks of the stream and above.
Somewhat shady system.

HERBS:
Sedges (Carex sp.)
Sensitive fern (Onoclea sensiblis)
Various mosses
Common violet (Viola sororia)

SHRUBS:
Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica)
Red buckeye (Aesculus pavia)
Canadian serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis)

TREES:
Red Maple (Acer rubrum)
Box elder (Acer negundo)

VINES:
Trumpet honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens)

Tobesofkee Creek (Ocmulgee drainage)  GA Highway 74 approximately 15 miles
west of Macon

Determined to hit the third site above the fall line before lunch, we
headed further south on GA Highway 42, then east on GA Highway 74 until we
came to Tobesofkee Creek. Both of the creeks we had just visited drain into
this one just a few miles upstream of where we worked it. This one was very
wide (by comparison), deep in places, and possessed a significantly stronger
current. The water clarity was not great and, according to Geoff who braved
it
without waders, it was colder. Less than ten feet out from the bank in the
deeper water the combination of moderate current and an unstable bottom made
it difficult to safely wander out too far. Broken shelves of stone allowed
us
to cross in just a few places. Otherwise, most of the work was done with
dipnets close to the grassy banks. Species collected/observed there
included:

Bluegill
Warmouth
Redbreast sunfish
Spotted sunfish
Christmas darter
Grayfin redhorse
Bluehead chub
Yellowfin shiner
Ocmulgee shiner
Eastern river cooter

Water temperature 56F
TDS 28
pH below 6
Nitrates 0

Vegetation was restricted to the mid banks of the river and above. The mid
banks supported wetland species, but the upper banks and surrounding forest
were sandy and dryer. Since this was a wider river, sun-loving plants were
on
the banks.

HERBS:
Sedges (Carex spp., Cyperus spp., )
Rush (Juncus effusus)
Woolrush (Scirpus cyperinus)

SHRUBS:
Too busy collecting fish

TREES:
Too busy collecting fish

VINES:
Greenbriar (Smilax rotundifolia)
Blackberry/dewberry (Rubus sp.)

Before we packed up the gear and headed south in search of barbecue for
lunch, we said goodbye to the Kimber family who had already been on the road
for a week enjoying spring break. We planned lunch at Perry, GA, and jumped
on
I-475 near Macon with that intent. In the lead vehicle, I noticed after
awhile
that the Michaels jeep was missing from the caravan but since nobody was
flashing lights or anything I plodded on toward Perry. Just before we got
there I saw the blur of a fast-moving jeep in my rear-view mirror as it
re-joined our group.

At the second exit in Perry, with semi-accurate directions from a local
store clerk, we found a Sonnys Barbecue. We also learned that Michael &
Andrew had stopped for gas when the rest of us had entered the freeway and
set
a new land speed record catching back up to us. We enjoyed a fine meal and
attempted to convert Laura (a native Bostonian) to good ol Southern sweet
tea, but she just wasnt having any. :-) Michael & Andrew decided to bail
out
after lunch to make sure they were home in time to watch GA Tech (Michaels
alma mater) eliminate Oklahoma State from the NCAA Tournaments Final Four.

Beaver Creek (Flint drainage)  18 miles south of Ft. Valley, GA, on Barrons
Lane just east of GA Highway 49.

Beaver Creek was our final stop of the day and the only one below the
fall line. As expected, the water was muddy. Descending beneath a bridge
sporting the words, I Love Pam, we did not immediately find any easy way
into the water. Standing atop the ruins of a former bridge, Charles could
not
even find the bottom with the full length of his dip net. I didnt fare any
better from the bank.

Laura, Paul, and I cut through the brush and moved upstream where the
creek split into several forks. It was more shallow there but the mud at the
bottom was treacherous. False bottoms gave away suddenly with a rush of
bubbles to the surface and dipnets quickly became walking sticks. There were
no visible cattle but we did see wild hog tracks in the mud near the water.
It
would have been extremely difficult to employ a seine under such tough
conditions so we all opted for dipnets.

I found Charles downstream from the bridge. He had found a small
drainage
ditch from the roadside that provided him an alternate entrance to the
stream.
Where it joined the water heavy siltation from the road formed a sandbar
that
reached halfway across the stream. Obvious recent widening of the road
appeared to have had an adverse affect on the creek. More deep water and
tricky mud made collecting tedious in this area as well. We
collected/observed:

Bluegill
Warmouth
Redbreast sunfish
Spotted sunfish
Blackbanded darter
? darter
Pirate perch
Bluestripe shiner
Gambusia
? madtom

Water temperature 58F
TDS 31
pH below 6
Nitrates 0

Floodplain area. Shrubs along the lower banks. Very shady. I was tired at
this point and dont remember much. Heres what I remember...

HERBS:
Sedges (Carex spp.)
Lizzards tail (Saururus cernuus)
Common violet (Viola sororia)

SHRUBS:
Likely Missouri River willow (Salix eriocephala)

TREES:
Too tired to notice.

VINES:
None

With daylight growing scarce, we loaded up and headed back to I-75 for
the trip home, with the exception of Charles, who turned west toward his
beloved Alabama. David Ramsey provided the water measurements and the plant
report is courtesy of Laura Burbage. Thanks to all who made the trip so much
fun. The trip pictorial should be available by the end of the week.

All the Best,
Steven A. Ellis
GA NANFA Rep.
Kennesaw, GA

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/"Unless stated otherwise, comments made on this list do not necessarily
/ reflect the beliefs or goals of the North American Native Fishes
/ Association"
/ This is the discussion list of the North American Native Fishes Association
/ nanfa_at_aquaria.net. To subscribe, unsubscribe, or get help, send the word
/ subscribe, unsubscribe, or help in the body (not subject) of an email to
/ nanfa-request_at_aquaria.net. For a digest version, send the command to
/ nanfa-digest-request_at_aquaria.net instead.
/ For more information about NANFA, visit our web page, http://www.nanfa.org