Mudfish Rodeo

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The Mudfish Rodeo originated in the early1980's in the SER. This annual spring fishing expedition ventured to various exotic spots in Florida and south Georgia with varying degrees of excitement and success, but always a mudfish was caught. Wingate's Lunker Lodge in south Georgia (snakebite, tornados, and gorgeous babes) and the state park at Salt Springs, Florida (the attack of the killer raccoons) are memorable. Usually, the cabin fever of winter, along with the everyday joys of OIG, made everyone anxious to escape the office at the first sign of spring despite the unpredictable weather. The muster roll usually consisted of some combination of Dean Moser, Jack Tatum, Kyle Evans, Glenn Parsons, Carl Sruggs, Billy Brown, Lee Huttenbach, Jeff Thomas and Harold Green. When we were younger and more resilient, there was a lot of tent camping so not much advance planning was necessary. Tents + unpredictable weather = excitement. However, age and stiffening joints have since mandated more luxurious accommodations with the accompanying upgrade of facilities visited. Four walls, a roof, mattresses, electricity and indoor plumbing are now a must.

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This soiree underwent a hiatus of several years when most of the participants were scattered by the fickle winds of OIG. However, the affair finally resumed in 2001 at Lake Weiss (billed as the crappie capitol of the world) in north Alabama. Other locations since have been Lake Walter F. George at Eufaula, Alabama, Lakes Hartwell and Oconee in Georgia, Rondeau Bay in Erieau, Canada and the farm ponds around Vidette, Georgia. The biggest fish came from the farm ponds!

All the photos here are from the 1986 excursion to the paradise known as Bass Island at Wingate's Lunker Lodge on Lake Seminole outside Bainbridge, Georgia.

(Click on any photo to enlarge)


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Dean Moser, head honcho
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Kyle Evans
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Glenn Parsons who would come from D.C., and later Raleigh
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and yes, there were also fish