the article was originally published in the
. the colbert report has caught wind of this great southern character and is coming down to film him!
one of those "only in the south" moments....
"It was no good this morning. I never got a bite," Kirk said, standing in the shade of his porch off Rogers Road, one of the few dirt roads left in Oconee County. "I reckon it was too hot."
But the previous week, the 76-year-old man had caught the largest fish of his life -- a 40 pound flathead catfish.
"I sold him for $40," Kirk said as he chewed on a wad of J.D.'s Blend tobacco.
Kirk, who is known in this neck of the woods as an expert at training beagles to run rabbits, said he fishes most days at Lake Oconee, especially around the Dyar Pasture area of Greene County.
On the morning of July 12, Kirk went to the lake and set trot lines for catfish, which he planned to check the following morning. He organizes fishing ventures like Tuesday's to avoid the heat. He arrives at the lake before 6 a.m. and returns home by 10 a.m.
"I can't stand the heat. Now I could when I was young, but I can't do it now," he said.
The lifelong Oconee County resident still raises rabbit dogs.
"I raise those dogs pretty good. If it's a deer dog I ain't gonna keep it. If you go rabbit hunting you don't want to have to hunt a dog for three days," he said about beagles that chase deer and disappear in the woods.
Kirk fishes off a boat with a 1958 model outboard motor that he keeps in running shape. Recently it gave him some problems.
"I made the biggest mistake of my life. I went out to crank my motor on my boat and it wouldn't hit a lick. I went and got a set of points to put in it and it still wouldn't hit a lick. Finally I discovered one thing -- I didn't turn the gas on," he said with a laugh. "That's a good story. Tell me I'm getting old."
Kirk has a knack for growing plants, and his garden is filled with onions, tomatoes, okra and beans. He plans to can his abundance of tomatoes.
"I cold-process them in a jar and when you get ready to eat peas, you can take that tomato out and put it in your peas," he said.
While he has had some health problems, Kirk is ready for some adventure if he wins the lottery.
"If I was to hit it, I'd try to fly around the world and back. I wouldn't wear nothing but these camouflage overalls, but I'd get me some new ones," he said.
"Boy, you know what. Going to different places like that -- and they see you with your camouflage overalls on -- lots of women like them."
Kirk chuckled as he described the possibilities, then decided it was time to go inside.
"You know why people can't take the heat?" he asked. "Air-condition has ruined everybody. You know what I mean?"