The FLW Series will visit Chickamauga Lake in Chattanooga, Sept. 15-18 for the final stop of the Eastern Division circuit. Hosted by the Greater Chattanooga Sports Committee, the tournament will feature as many as 300 top bass anglers casting for top awards up to $50,000 in the Pro Division and a Ranger 177TR with a 90 horsepower Evinrude or Yamaha outboard in the Co-angler Division.
“There’s going to be guys that catch them really good,” said Goodwill pro Wesley Strader of Spring City, Tenn. “It might be a struggle for a lot of the guys. It’s just that time of year. If we were here three or four weeks later when it cooled off a little bit more it would be phenomenal.
“The fish are kind of in limbo right now,” Strader added. “They’ve been hammered out deep over the summer.”
Strader said the presence of hydrilla in Chickamauga could have an effect on the tournament. Strader said popular baits for the event will be jigs and worms for deep bass, as well as the occasional crankbait and topwater bait.
“The guys that catch them deep won’t get many bites,” Strader said. “Maybe five or six bites a day. But they’ll be decent ones.”
Strader said he predicts the winning weight to be around 15 pounds a day.
“Somewhere in there,” Strader said. “Maybe a little more. Maybe a little less.”
Anglers will take off from Chester Frost Park located at 2318 Gold Point Circle North in Hixson, Tenn., at 7 each morning. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday’s weigh-ins will also be held at Chester Frost Park beginning at 2:30 p.m. Saturday’s final weigh-in will be held at Chester Frost Park beginning at 4 p.m.
Fans will be treated to a Family Fun Zone at Chester Frost Park prior to Saturday’s weigh-in from noon to 4 p.m. Activities in the Family Fun Zone include a rock-climbing wall and assorted fishing-themed games. All activities are free and open to the public.
In FLW Series competition, anglers are also vying for valuable points to qualify for the 2011 Forrest Wood Cup, the world championship of bass fishing.