My family loves the beautiful lakes in Georgia for fishing and swimming. Our favorite is the close-by OTP Lake Allatoona with its abundant wildlife, freshwater fish, clean beaches and boating docks.
However, if you enjoy fishing and happen to be traveling I-75 to Florida, you might want to make a fun rest stop and check out the Go Fish Georgia Education Center in Perry, Georgia (Exit 134). My hubby and sons are avid outdoorsmen (fishing and hunting), so they really wanted to see this facility when we traveled south.
Our visit began with an 8-minute movie, which shows lovely footage of Georgia lakes and extols fishing as a wonderful excuse to get in the great Georgia outdoors and spend some quality time between family generations. I can attest to that fact whenever I watch my father-in-law, husband and sons fishing together; it is great to see that generational comradery.
The Go Fish Georgia facility is new and very clean. Information about fishing will keep the fishermen and wanna-be fishermen entertained, while children and adults alike will enjoy the hands-on artifacts. My children liked the fishing simulators using a real fishing pole and line, and it was quite funny to watch them and others “fight” with the simulated fish onscreen! Not as easy as it looks!
The museum also has a boat simulator and a hunting and shooting simulator, which seemed to be very popular with all the visitors. Three screens with several different hunting/shooting games are available for first-come, first-served fun.
After trying our fishing and hunting skills on the simulators, we took a walk outside along a path that houses the aquarium. The path is a simple one, but it displays fish from different areas of Georgia lakes, including alligators, turtles, and even an albino catfish. Incidentally, I had to reassure my 7-year-old that the alligators only live in south Georgia lakes (i.e., the Okefenokee), not Lake Allatoona!
Our last part of the visit was actually fishing in a pond! Different-sized fishing poles are provided along with hot dogs for bait (kids will be warned not to eat the hot dogs, as the bait goes back and forth between coolers and the hot sun for several days). Quite a few people were out fishing around the pond during our visit, but the pond is quite large, so everyone has plenty of room to fish.
Scoop tip: If you visit on a hot day, try fishing on the dock and let your line drop as close to the shadows of the dock as possible. Fish tend to stay either on the bottom of the pond or under shadows to stay cool on hot days. When my children were getting frustrated with no bites, my husband told them to drop their lines under the dock, and they did get some nibbles!
Altogether, my family spent about an hour and a half visiting the Go Fish Georgia Education Center. Admission prices are very reasonable at $5 per adult, $4 per senior and $3 per child. You can also shop their extensive gift shop, which showcases fishing gear, toys, t-shirts and books.
If you happen to be going to Florida or are in this area, stop by this center and enjoy “goin’ fishin’”! Follow their Facebook page for the latest information and tell them Scoop sent you!
Connie Briggs is a contributing writer to Scoop OTP. Originally from Florida, she grew up in Cherokee Country and has lived for 9 years in Canton with her husband and three children. Currently, she is a Graduate Teaching Asst. at KSU while pursuing a Master’s of Professional Writing Degree.
Search
Latest Posts
