photo by FLW
It is a huge day for the Chattanooga bass fishing scene.
Once again major league bass fishing returns to the waters of Chickamauga Lake, thanks to the FLW Series Pro event that began at first light Wednesday. First place winner will take home $50,000.
Chickamauga Lake was on the verge of becoming a bass tournament paradise in the late 1980's, on par with the famed Guntersville Lake that has gained a national, if not a worldwide reputation. But something drastic happened on Chickamauga. Beginning around 1990 all the aquatic vegetation died... and for a while, the bass fishing went with it.
A huge controversy raged as 99.9 percent of all fishermen blamed TVA spraying for the demise of Eurasion milfoil in Chickamauga Lake. Scientific review was never able to prove, or disprove, that theory.
Regardless of who was, or wasn't to blame, we got a huge black eye in the national bass fishing community. Numerous major national magazines wrote about how Chickamauga Lake's bass fishing had "been destroyed." The lake that once played host to the BASS Classic, also known as "The Super Bowl of Bass Fishing," suddenly seemed to have the plague.
In reality, the bass fishing was not "destroyed." It was just altered and the anglers who knew how to adjust their techniques and patterns continued to catch bass. And in the last decade some aquatic vegetation has returned. The weights taken in local bass tournaments have rivaled the weights taken in the 1980's.
With the combination of the two, the national bass fishing community is finally beginning to see the light... and today's tournament proves it.
Here is how Rob Newell, writing for the FLW website, describes it:
"In the bass-fishing world, Lake Chickamauga has the undue distinction of living in Lake Guntersville’s shadow. In a way, it’s like being the bookworm brother of a star athlete.
Guntersville’s stellar reputation as a phenomenal bass fishery is so strong that rabid bass anglers blow right past Lake Chickamauga on I-75 in a race to G-ville’s promised land of grass and bass. As a result, Chickamauga, located about 90 miles from the famed fishery, gets much less attention.
But that could change a bit this week after FLW Series pros put Chickamauga through the paces to see what the lesser known lake has to offer. Granted, fishing is not going to rev up past Guntersville’s gauge, but some might be surprised by Chickamauga’s productivity.
For starters, grass, mostly in the form of hydrilla, has come on like gangbusters in Chickamauga over the last year. Just a casual glance at the lake with a basser’s eye reveals acres and acres of inviting “mats” that grow out to 6 to 8 feet of water.
Secondly, with other famed TVA impoundments nearby, it’s been a while since a national-level tournament has really tested Chickamauga in the fall.
After sampling his home lake during practice, FLW Tour powerhouse Andy Morgan of Dayton, Tenn., noted he was shocked at how much the lake has changed in the last 12 months.
“I only practiced two days, but after seeing how different the lake is, especially with all the grass, I wish I had practiced another day,” Morgan said. “I have not really kept up with this old lake in the last few years; I knew the grass had come back some, but I had no idea it was so thick in so many places. Initially I thought grass would not be much of a factor in this event, but after two days out there, I’m going to have to reconsider that prediction: The grass bite could be strong here this week.”
What alarmed Morgan the most about the sudden influx of grass was the lack of bites he experienced off his sweetest structure spots.
“I eased around, checking some of my good offshore places, and every time I’d look up I could see lines of matted grass just a 100 yards away,” Morgan explained. “After a while I began to realize that the bass I was looking for have found a new place to dwell.”
Morgan is accompanied by a host of other local anglers in the event, but says this tournament is ripe for seeing some surprises.
“There are some guys in this event who have done their homework offshore – some sure-enough sticks that should do well,” he said. “But with all this grass, it would not surprise me to see a few of these out-of-towners resurrect that grass bite with an overlooked technique.”
As for top weights, Morgan believes Chickamauga will produce a couple of bags in the high teens today, perhaps even one breaking the 20-pound mark.
“Fifteen pounds per day should allow a man to fish Saturday, easily,” Morgan estimated.
FWC berths up for grabs
With Chickamauga being the final event in the FLW Series Eastern Division, 10 pros will be the first to secure berths in the 2011 Forrest Wood Cup this week. John Cox of Debary, Fla., currently leads the Eastern Division points race. Those in the bubble positions in the points include Andy Montgomery (8th), Anthony Gagliardi (9th), Scott Martin (10th), Shin Fukae (11th) and Randall Tharp (12th).
Logistics
Anglers will take off from Chester Frost Park located at 2318 Gold Point Circle N. 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.
Wednesday’s conditions
Temperature at takeoff: 68 degrees
Expected high temperature: 92 degrees
Water temperature: 83 degrees
Wind: calm
Day’s outlook: sunny, warm