For Cherokee County native Gary Wilson, the big ones just keep showing up.
More than 40 years ago, Wilson made the pages of the Cherokee Scout after nabbing a massive striped bass at Lake Nottely. The old clipping shows a younger Wilson proudly holding up a 35-pound striper, with a caption reading, “This Is The One That Didn’t Get Away.” This catch is what most fisherman spend their lifetime chasing, but Wilson wasn’t finished.
This week, the longtime fisherman found himself holding up a trophy striped bass again, this time weighing 32 pounds. The fish was caught on March 10 at Lake Nottely in Blairsville, Ga.
From a newspaper clipping from the 1980s to another impressive catch in 2026, Wilson’s story is a reminder that great fishing memories don’t just live in the past, sometimes they happen all over again. And judging by his latest catch, it’s safe to say this fisherman, Gary Wilson, still knows how to reel in the big ones.