Tournament director Justin Medley has predicted an “absolute barn burner” for the Chattanooga Bass Association’s first tournament of the year on Chickamauga Lake Saturday – and with good reason.

“There have been tons of fish over 8 pounds and a good many fish over 10 pounds caught in Chickamauga in the past few weeks. There was a dogfight on the lake last Sunday in a 19-boat tournament. Four bags over 30 pounds were weighed in and three fish over 10 pounds were weighed in.”

The Chattanooga Bass Association tournament will be the first tournament on the lake this year with the caliber of fishermen it draws regularly, so the weigh-in should be really impressive, he said.

“We expect to see some really heavy weights. It will probably take 35 pounds to win the tournament and 30 pounds to even get in the top 15.”

Anglers can weigh in largemouth bass at least 15 inches long and Kentucky spotted bass at least 12 inches long. Each contestant may also weigh one smallmouth bass at least 18 inches long. The big fish in a tournament will win 60 percent of the big fish pot with 20 percent paid to anglers who have the biggest fish in the other two species.

Medley said between 80 and 100 boats are expected for the season opener.

“Everybody is ready to get the season started. This is our 36^th consecutive year and it’s an open event. We are attracting anglers from more than 150 miles away. Even people who don’t fish will be at the weigh-in Saturday at Chester Frost Park.”

First place in the CBA tournaments pays $2,000. Fishermen must fish seven of the regular season events to qualify for the classic at the end of the year. At the classic first place is guaranteed $10,000. Last year more than $60,000 in cash and prizes was awarded at the classic, Medley said.

The tournaments are family-friendly, he noted, with special divisions for adult-youth teams and new teams.

“Both the new and youth teams will compete against other new and youth teams. The youths in youth teams get to fish at half the entry fee and the highest finishing youth team in an event wins free entry into the following tournament The same applies to the new teams. The highest finishing new teams get free entry into the next event.”

The Chattanooga Bass Association requires a one-time $50 process feet for each participant who wants to receive points towards entry into the year-end classic and receive year-end prizes and new team prizes. The entry fee is $120 per boat for each tournament, $60 for a youth division team.

A youth division team must have one participant who is 16 years or younger at the time he purchases his process number. A new team is one that did not compete in more than one CBA open event during the 2012 season.

The Chattanooga Bass Association is a non-profit community service organization founded by community leaders in 1976. It was designed to offer a top quality open fishing circuit to Chattanooga and surrounding areas; while enhancing Chattanooga’s economic growth and recreational potential.

Chattanooga Bass Association

Sat, Feb 23, 2013

Chickamauga Lake

Chester Frost Park

Call Justin Medley 423-667-5054

www.cbatournament.com