The Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour continues its 2025 season next week, May 1-4, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, with O’Reilly Auto Parts Stage 4 at Lake Chickamauga and Nickajack Lake Presented by OPTIMA Batteries.
Hosted by Chattanooga and Fish Tennessee, the four-day tournament – which begins on Chickamauga before transitioning to Nickajack for the Knockout and Championship Rounds – will feature 66 of the world’s top professional anglers competing for a $150,000 top prize, crucial points in the Fishing Clash Angler of the Year (AOY) race and coveted qualification spots for the Heavy Hitters all-star event and REDCREST 2026.
"Our community is proud to host the MLF Bass Pro Tour Stage 4 event on the incredible waters of Lake Chickamauga and Nickajack Lake,” said Brant Donlon, sports sales director for Chattanooga Tourism Co. “Home to some of the best fishing in the Southeast, we’re excited to once again showcase our vibrant destination to the angling world."
The star-studded field will feature top pros and local fan favorites, including previous Lake Chickamauga champion and Dayton, Tennessee local,
Andy Morgan, reigning Fishing Clash AOY and Harrison, Tennessee local,
Jacob Wheeler and REDCREST 2025 Champion
Dustin Connell.
Also competing are Tennessee pros
Matt Becker,
Brandon Coulter,
Ott DeFoe,
Nick Hatfield,
Jake Lawrence,
Michael Neal,
Wesley Strader and
David Walker, each looking to leverage their home-state experience on the fisheries.
The tournament will feature the MLF catch, weigh, immediate-release format, in which anglers catch as much weight as they can each day, while also feeling the pressure and intensity of the SCORETRACKER® leaderboard. The tournament is being filmed for broadcast later this year on Discovery.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Major League Fishing’s Bass Pro Tour Stage 4 to our beautiful corner of Tennessee,” said Dennis Tumlin, Chief Customer Officer at Tennessee Department of Tourist Development. “With world-class fisheries like Lake Chickamauga – a Bill Dance Signature Lake – and the scenic waters of Nickajack Lake – part of the Fish Tennessee program – Tennessee offers an unforgettable experience for both professional anglers and fans alike. We can’t wait for our outstanding lakes and community to be showcased to audiences across the country.”
The Bass Pro Tour last visited Lake Chickamauga in 2021, when Kalamazoo, Michigan’s
Kevin VanDam added another major victory to his impressive record, with Wheeler finishing close behind in second. Prior to that, in 2019, Morgan ran away with a Bass Pro Tour win on Lake Chickamauga, boating 80 pounds of bass on Championship Sunday to distance himself from the final-day field by nearly 20 pounds and take home the top prize of $100,000.
While Wheeler hasn’t taken home a Bass Pro Tour win on Lake Chickamauga or Nickajack Lake, the Tennessee resident and long-time Chickamauga standout said he is excited about the unique challenges and opportunities that await on both Chickamauga and Nickajack Lakes, and the potential for producing trophy-sized bass.
"What’s really cool about going to Chickamauga this time of year is there’s always a chance for a double-digit fish," Wheeler said. "We’ve seen some 11- and 12-pounders caught in practice already this year on social media. It’s a transitional time, so there’ll be fish in all phases – spawning, post-spawn, maybe even some pre-spawners."
With fish spread across various patterns, Wheeler believes anglers will have the freedom to fish the entire lake without being confined to specific zones.
"In a five-fish format, you usually have to fish certain zones to target the bigger fish, but with our format and a smaller field, guys can spread out and fish the whole lake. You could advance from anywhere," he added.
Shallow-water tactics are expected to play a major role, although Wheeler is quick to point out the unpredictability of dominant patterns this time of year.
"I don’t necessarily know what the dominant pattern’s going to be. I really feel like this tournament is going to have a lot of different looks. Everyone won’t be doing the same thing," Wheeler said. "It’s just that time of year – you’ve got to fish by the seat of your pants and figure it out as you go."
When the field shifts to Nickajack Lake for the final rounds, Wheeler believes the game will change considerably. Describing Nickajack as a "mini-Lake Guntersville," he emphasized its mix of smallmouth, spotted bass and largemouth, along with significant grass cover.
"Chickamauga gets a lot of press, but Nickajack could be a hidden gem next week," Wheeler said. "It’s got a different look and fishes very differently. I don’t think you’ll be able to take a pattern from Chickamauga and just expect it to work on Nickajack."
With three days of practice split between two lakes, Wheeler said strategy will play a major role.
"Some guys will spend all their time on Chickamauga, while others will try to get a leg up on Nickajack. There’s a lot of strategy, and that’s what makes these split events fun – it challenges us as anglers to adapt quickly."
As for predictions, Wheeler expects it to take 50 pounds of bass to make the Knockout Round cut from Chickamauga, while advancing from the Knockout to the Championship Round on Nickajack Lake could require upwards of 100 pounds.
Anglers will launch at 7:15 a.m. ET Thursday and Friday from Chester Frost Park, located at 2277 Gold Point Circle N. in Hixson, Tennessee. The takeout Thursday and Friday will be held at the same location beginning at 3:45 p.m. On Saturday and Sunday, anglers will launch at 7:15 a.m. ET from the Tennessee Riverpark, located at 4301 Amnicola Highway in Chattanooga. The takeout Saturday and Sunday will be held at the same location, beginning at 3:45 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and takeout events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the
MLFNOW!® live stream and SCORETRACKER® coverage at
MajorLeagueFishing.com.
On Friday, May 2, MLF fans are invited to a Meet & Greet featuring MLF pros Brandon Coulter, Fred Roumbanis and Terry Scroggins from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Cigars International Superstore, located at 495 Camp Jordan Parkway in East Ridge, Tennessee. Attending fans must be 21 or older to enter the store.
On Saturday and Sunday, May 3-4, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. MLF welcomes fans of all ages to visit Ross’s Landing at 201 Riverfront Parkway for the
MLF Fan Experience & Watch Party. Fans can watch the pros live on the
MLFNOW! big screen, enjoy free food, enter to win hourly giveaways, listen to live music and cheer on their favorite pros. The first 50 kids 14 and under will receive a free Abu Garcia rod and reel each day. The event also includes a meet and greet with Paw Patrol's Skye and Marshall, a youth fishing derby presented by Hardee’s and a casting contest. The Bass Pro Tour anglers will be on hand both days to meet and greet fans, sign autographs and take selfies.
The O’Reilly Auto Parts Stage 4 at Lake Chickamauga and Nickajack Lake Presented by OPTIMA Batteries will feature anglers competing with a 2-pound minimum weight requirement for a bass to be deemed scorable. The MLF Fisheries Management Division determines minimum weights for each body of water that the Bass Pro Tour visits, based on the productivity, bass population and anticipated average size of fish in each fishery.
The 2025 Bass Pro Tour features a field of 66 of the top professional anglers in the world, competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country, for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the annual Heavy Hitters all-star event and the REDCREST 2026 championship.
The full field of anglers will compete in the two-day Qualifying Round on Thursday and Friday on Lake Chickamauga. After the two-day Qualifying Round is complete, the pro with the heaviest two-day total will advance directly to Sunday’s Championship Round on Nickajack Lake. Anglers that finish 2nd through 20th will advance to Saturday’s Knockout Round on Nickajack Lake. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed, and the remaining anglers compete to finish in the top nine to advance to Sunday’s Championship Round. In the final-day Championship Round, weights are zeroed, and the highest one-day total wins the top prize of $150,000.
The
MLFNOW!® broadcast team of Chad McKee and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action live on all four days of competition from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET.
MLFNOW!® will be live streamed on
MajorLeagueFishing.com , the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app and Rumble.
Television coverage of the O’Reilly Auto Parts Stage 4 at Lake Chickamauga and Nickajack Lake Presented by OPTIMA Batteries will premiere as a two-hour episode starting at 7 a.m. ET, on Saturday, Oct. 11 on Discovery, with the Championship Round premiering on Saturday, Oct. 18. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on Discovery, with re-airings on Outdoor Channel.
Proud sponsors of the 2025 MLF Bass Pro Tour include: 7Brew Coffee, Abu Garcia, Athletic Brewing, Bass Force, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, BUBBA, E3 Sport Apparel, Fishing Clash, Grizzly, Lowrance, Mercury, MillerTech, Mossy Oak Fishing, NITRO, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Power-Pole, Rapala, Star brite, Suzuki and Toyota.
For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the Bass Pro Tour, visit
MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at
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YouTube.