“It’s going to be a curve ball for the anglers. Last night at 6 o’clock Chickamauga was as high as it’s been in 35 year, maybe as high as it has ever been,” he said Tuesday. “The water is milk chocolate colored and 5 to 6 feet up over the banks.”

Medley said the Tennessee Valley Authority, faced with a record flood, is moving 185,000 cubic feet of water per second – equivalent to 1.9 million gallons of water per second – through the system.

“By tournament time the TVA will have the lake down to normal pool, but the water is full of debris. Yesterday it looked like you could walk up the river on treetops and logs. And I’ve seen buoys in downtown Chattahoochee in the treetops.”

That could spell disaster for anglers who don’t observe extreme caution, he noted.

“There are docks and pieces of docks floating down the river and there is a lot of stuff just under the surface, so it’s hazardous. There will be some lower units bashed up if guys are not careful.”

By Saturday medley said TVA should have the water flowing down to about 80,000 to 100,000 cfs, but the flooding is going to have a definite effect on the fishing – and the fishermen.

“It’s hard to predict a pattern, but one that will not work will be the deep bite. All the big bags were being caught out of deep water, but fishing the river ledges is out of the question now. So it probably will be a flipping or a grass bite Saturday.”

That being said, however, Medley noted that everybody is going to be in the same bot in Saturday’s tournament.

“The guys will show up, trying to get their points and qualify for the classic. It doesn’t mater how much these guys have been able to practice. They don’t have much of an edge on anybody.”

First place in 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 guaranteed by TowBoatUS. 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.

After Saturday’s tournament the schedule includes July 27 (night), August 10, August 24 (night), September 14 and October 12, with the Classic Nov. 2- 3.

Chattanooga Bass Association

Sat, Jul 13, 2013

Chickamauga Lake

Chester Frost Park

Call Justin Medley 423-667-5054

http://www.cbatournament.com/