Bill Babb is the Outdoor Editor for The Augusta Chronicle.FILE/STAFF

Augustan finds his paradise along Savannah River

Web posted June 21, 1998

By Bill Babb
Outdoor Editor

``I've loved this river all my life,'' said Bob Baurle, lifting yet another larger-than-hand-sized bluegill aboard during a Friday morning fishing expedition down the Savannah River.

``It's paradise to me. I love to watch the wildlife like great blue herons and wood ducks, and the occasional bald eagle.''

The 74-year-old Augustan's life is touched daily by the river since he owns and operates Lock and Dam Bait & Tackle just outside the entrance to New Savannah Bluff Lock and Dam and Park.

During the several trips the writer has accompanied Baurle, the former is amazed by the latter's knowledge of just where to catch large bluegills, shellcrackers and redbreast sunfish.

``That looks like a good place,'' said Baurle, pointing to an area along one of the river's high banks that seemingly didn't differ from the rest. ``There's a deep hole (deep meaning 10 to 15 feet) here and the fish ought to be stacked up.''

Nine times out of 10 he'll be right. Sometimes there is a 10th time, but ``that's just part of fishing. Come on, there's another good spot just down from here.''

He applies the phrase, ``just part of fishing,'' as getting his hook snagged on an unseen root or log, or over-casting his cricket- or worm-baited rig so that it snares a tree limb or vine. Trying to tug it free usually means popping the fishing line and having to re-tie a hook and pinch on a split shot or two.

Baurle enjoys sharing the river and fishing knowledge with friends, including 78-year-old Finley Peel of Belvedere, S.C., who helps mind the store.

``Finley and I have been fishing buddies for more than 50 years and we still get along.''

Visitors new to the store can hardly believe it, listening to the constant flow of bickering between the two.

But it's all tongue-in-cheek, done mainly for the benefit of their listeners.

On Friday, Baurle had some difficulty locating the area where he and Peel each caught limits of bluegills and redbreast sunfish the day before. It was suggested that he mark their favorite holes by signs reading: ``You're too late! Bob and Finley fished here!''

``Some years ago, I did just that to Jimmy Smith (who died last year). I posted signs reading `Jimmy Smith's Shellcracker Hole,' and `Jimmy Smith's Eel Hole,' and `Jimmy Smith's Catfish Hole.' I also put one next to the public boat ramp. It said, `Jimmy Smith's Private Landing. Keep out!'

``He got mad!''

Baurle uses two types of fishing outfits: An ultralight spincasting reel and rod and a fly rod and free-line spincast reel. He rigs the ultralight with a small, bright-red barrel slip cork so that he can control the depth of the bait, generally a cricket or wax worm-cricket combination. The yellow-white wax worm gives the bait visibility.

He slides a small egg sinker onto his fly rod monofilament, pinches on a split shot sinker about six inches above the No. 10 long-shanked hook to hold the egg in place, He'll push the hook's barb through the center of a Louisiana pink worm, or a hybrid version of the same species, then pitch the bait downstream and let it sink to the bottom.

After that, it's just a matter of keeping an eye on the fly rod tip and making sure that the rig doesn't get pulled out of the boat by a hungry fish.

Baurle also enjoys easing along one of the river's many high banks and ``pitching'' an artificial bait called a ``BeetleSpin'' into an eddy. That's an area of water flowing in the reverse direction of the river current.

He's likely to hook anything from colorful redbreasts to unexpected largemouth bass to unwanted mudfish. The last-named are powerful living fossils with teeth to match. No grabbing a mudfish by the lower lip like a bass if one wants to keep his thumb and fingers intact.

The river's future will brighten once lock and dam renovations are completed. Construction and unusually rainy late winter and early spring conditions teamed to make a shambles of the annual spring shad fishing season.

The moratorium against catching and keeping striped bass and hybrid bass below the lock and dam may be raised in year 2000 or maybe later. A striped bass in the 40-pound class was among those caught and released by fishermen this year, one indication that species may be on the upswing.

While Baurle has caught uncounted thousands of fish over the years, sometimes his imagination runs away.

``You know, I've been fishing this river since the 1930s and I can't help but believe I caught a world record bream during that time.

``I remember thinking that huge fish had only one eye until I walked around to the other side and saw the other one!''