Forty-two anglers representing six different colleges were represented in the Feb. 20 premier event of the 2010 Tennessee Collegiate Bass Fishing Trail (TCBFT), hosted by the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) Bass Anglers Sports Club.

The event was held out of Tims Ford State Park and anglers headed out into water temperatures in the low 40's and sunny bluebird skies.

The majority of participants guessed that the winning weight would be somewhere in the 12-17 pound range in the weeks before the tournament. However after a pretty rough week of weather (with snow and temperatures in the high 30s) leading into the first qualifier of the 2010 TCBFT, most anglers expected tough conditions.

They were right. At the end of the eight hour event, only seven boats out of the field of twenty-one brought keeper fish to the scales.

MTSU’s Nolen Spencer and Tyler Barnes took first place with three bass weighing 7.65 lbs, anchored by Tyler’s big fish of the tournament which was a 3.61 lb smallmouth.

Shane Adams and Alex Martin, also representing MTSU, finished in 2nd with two keepers weighing 4.60 lbs edging out UTC’s Robby Crosslin and Brandon Lester, in third place, by only .02 pounds.

UTK anglers, John Young and Brad Cooper, finished 4th with two keepers weighing 3.80 lbs.

Complete results HERE.

The top three finishing teams were awarded plaques for each angler and the top four finishing teams received cash prizes totaling $425. Additionally, Tyler Barnes was awarded a new custom rod from Joe’s Custom Rods for the big bass.

While they weren't in the top two places, UTC anglers brought in more weight than any other competitor school with 13.17 lbs.

Winning Strategies from the Top 3 Finishing Teams

MTSU’s Nolen Spencer and Tyler Barnes with 3 keepers weighing 7.65 lbs (Big Bass of 3.61 lbs) - Barnes said, “After a rough practice day we figured out that jigging and throwing a Carolina rig was not producing fish. We knew we need active fish that would hit a crankbait and for that we needed warmer water. So that was our game plan going into the tournament. Once we found the warm water, we were catching fish but no keepers. The pocket we were in was too far from the main channel, so we keyed on 48-52 degree water on pea gravel banks close to the main channel. We threw Rapala Shad Raps #5 and #9 across points and flats in 8-10 feet of water getting as close to the bottom as we could (hitting it when possible). All three of the keepers hit the #9 and all between 11:00 and 12:00”

MTSU’s Shane Adams and Alex Martin with 2 keepers weighing 4.60 lbs -
Adams said, “First of all the bite was tough. High bluebird skies with very light wind told us right off the bat that it wasn’t going to be a good day. So we figured if we couldn’t pull them out for the early morning bite we would have a better chance in the afternoon because of the rising temperatures. The water warming just a few degrees would change the bass’ behavior. Unfortunately we hadn’t had a bite at all up until the last hour before weigh in. I noticed that the wind was picking up and blowing into two bluffs on the state park side. We pulled up to the bluff and spotted a school of shiners about the size of two basketballs cruising along the surface. From that we figured that the bass were not far behind. So we rigged up a drop shot with ¼ oz weight and zooms baby bass fluke minnow. We fished in about 20 to 25 feet. On my fifth cast I pulled out a 19 inch 2.90 lb smallmouth. My partner cast in the same spot and pulled out a 15 inch 1.7 lb Kentucky bass. We fished the spot hard but unfortunately time was running out and we had to weigh in. We came in second but were happy with it considering we didn’t think we would have any fish at all. Just proves you shouldn’t give up because your luck can change within 5 minutes.”

UTC’s Robby Crosslin and Brandon Lester with 2 keepers weighing 4.58 lbs - Lester said, “In practice on Friday, I started out in a place where I knew the water was going to be a good bit warmer and in the first thirty minutes of fishing there, I lost a solid four pounder flipping a jig. So that's where I knew we were going to head first thing Saturday morning. The problem was we weren't the only ones that knew about this area and there was another tournament going out of a different part of the lake. Needless to say, that area got a lot of fishing pressure on Saturday. We wound up catching a few fish in there on crankbaits and shakey heads, but only one was a keeper and it was a spotted bass. My partner, Robby, caught our other keeper, a smallmouth flipping a 3/8 ounce Choo Choo Jig in a treetop. It was a pretty uneventful day compared to how it usually is this time of year on Tims Ford, but I did break off two fish with the shakey head that felt heavy. They may have helped and they may not have, but either way it was just one of those days where things really didn't pan out the way we wanted…. But hey that’s fishing.” –

The UTC Bass Anglers are sponsored by: Triton, Mercury, Coca Cola MoonPie, Joe’s Custom Rods (Joe Burns of Cleveland, TN), Lowrance, Industrial Boiler & Mechanical, Equalizer Scales, Industrial Scale Systems, Secret Weapon Lures, Vicious Fishing, Tackle Warehouse, Rejuvenade, Berkley, Scenic City Fishing Charters, Tony Sanders Outdoors, Nichols Marine, Sadler Signs & Awards, Incor Design & Promotions, Boat Seat Buddy, Chattanooga Fish-N-Fun, Chattanooga Fishing Forum, Chattanooga Bass Association, Chattanooga Times Free Press, and the Boat U.S. Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship Series.

Coca Cola provided beverages for the anglers. Joe’s Custom Rods donated the prize for big bass. Tims Ford Marina hosted many anglers, working with the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce to provide all tournament anglers breakfast served before blast-off. Emma’s Lakeside Market in Estill Springs provided tournament participants with sack lunches.

The next TCBFT tournament will take place on Saturday, March 6th on Kentucky Lake in New Johnsonville, Tenn. More information on that event as well as the 2010 Tennessee Collegiate Bass Fishing Trail hosted by the UT-Chattanooga Mocs Bass Anglers can be found on their website, www.utcbassfishing.com.

Tournament Director and Club President, Alex Craw, says the club has made a few changes to the points system. Now each angler may drop their lowest score from the four qualifying tournament.

"If you miss a tournament or have a poor finish you are allowed to remove that score and still be in contention for all angler of the year awards," said Craw. "The angler(s) who finishes first in the 2010 TCBFT will be awarded a trophy, prizes, and bragging rights. They also get to select a Tennessee lake or river that the TCBFT will fish as a qualifying event in 2011!"

Several members of the UTC Bass Anglers Club were represented at the Feb. 20 premier event of the 2010 Tennessee Collegiate Bass Fishing Trail (TCBFT), hosted by UTC.