For a long time we did most of our fishing on the bank of that slow, black water creek. You couldn't fill up the cooler, but the fishing was still good. I think Daddy was just hooked on frying catfish with his Coleman stove on the bank of that creek.
Getting Ready
I can still remember coming home from school on a Friday afternoon and seeing Daddy rigging up cane poles for an evening fishing trip. He always bought his fishing poles from Zip Billings, and used simple corks, splicing them with his pocket knife, then wrapping black electrical tape around them. We never bought bait because we could always find plenty of worms behind our dog pens.
Once the truck was loaded, we would drive down the old Macon Darien dirt road and park just before getting to the bridge. We fished between the dirt road and highway 57, making our way down the bank to several deep holes not far from the road. Sometimes we would put in a small paddle boat at the bridge.
Fishing along the bank of Doctors Creek was not for the feint of heart. You had to fight mud, mosquitoes, snapping turtles, and the occasional snake. And if you got hung up in a deep hole, there was nothing to do but put on a new line, hook, sinker, and cork.
Frogs & Catfish
My favorite memory of Doctors Creek was the night we went frog gigging. We had caught a mess of small cats before dark, then climbed into the boat and started gigging frogs. Uncle Gene was paddling, Daddy was doing the gigging, and I was holding the flashlight.
It didn't take long before we were back on the bank frying catfish and frog legs for supper. I wasn't old enough, but a cold beer sure would have been good, too. How can you ever forget a meal like that.
Quick History Lesson
I was surprised to learn that Doctors Creek was most likely named after an Indian Chief called Captain Alleck, who lived in the 1700s. "Doctor" is the translated version of the Creek word "Alleck." Over the years, Captain Alleck lived on several spots along the creek, and became somewhat instrumental in helping the Governors of Georgia settle boundary line disputes with the Creek Confederacy.
Mike Griffin, an old Ludowici boy from way back.
PS - All of my stories are true, mostly true, or maybe just made up :)
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