National Guard FLW College Fishing is headed to Lake Chickamauga Sept. 18 for the third of four stops in the Southeast Division series. Forty collegiate teams will be competing for a top award of $10,000 to be split evenly between the school and bass fishing club.
“It’s just a tough time of year to fish Chickamauga,” said Goodwill pro Wesley Strader of Spring City, Tenn., who just caught a potential record breaking spotted bass on the Ocoee River. “Guys will be catching them deep, shallow, and in mid-depth ranges; there should be a lot of schooling fish and you’ll either be a hero or you’ll zero.
“Spooks, swimbaits, jigs, big worms will all catch fish; guys who are fishing deep will have the most success with a big jig or a big worm. Chickamauga is such a diversified lake that you can fish anyway – crank sandbars, fish docks, flip lay-downs or brushpiles; plan to fish your strength and you should do all right.”
Anglers will take off from Chester Frost Park located at 2318 Gold Point Circle North in Hixson, Tenn., at 7 a.m. Weigh-in will be held at the marina beginning at 2 p.m. Takeoffs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public.
Schools competing in this week’s tournament include:
Athens State University
North Alabama
Auburn University
North Greenville
Austin Peay
South Alabama
Clemson University
South Carolina
Coastal Carolina
Southern Mississippi
Columbus State University
Southern Polytechnic State University
Erskine College
Tennessee Tech
Faulkner University
Trevecca Nazarene University
Florida Gulf Coast
Troy University
Florida State College
University of Alabama, Birmingham
Freed-Hardeman University
University of Central Florida
Georgia College and State University
University of Florida
Georgia Southern
University of Georgia
Jacksonville State University
University of Montevallo
Kennesaw State University
University of Tennessee
Lagrange College
University of South Carolina, Upstate
Libscomb University
University of Tennessee, Chattanooga
Middle Tennessee State
University of Tennessee, Martin
Mississippi State
Young Harris College
Morehouse College
The top five teams from each tournament will qualify for the regional championship where the first-place team wins $25,000 cash for their school and a Ranger 177TR bass boat for their fishing club. The top five teams from each regional advance to the national championship where the first-place team wins $50,000 for their school and $25,000 cash and a Ranger 177TR bass boat for their fishing club.
FLW Outdoors provides boats and drivers for each competing team along with travel allowances. All participants must be registered, full-time undergraduate students at a four-year college or university and members of a fishing club recognized by their college or university.