Even Bigger Weights Than July Expected For Chattanooga Bass Tournament Saturday
It has been one strange summer for bass fishing in the South – flooded lakes, cooler water temperatures than normal, floating trees and other debris carried by faster currents as lake managers tried to hold water levels at a somewhat safe level by opening the gates on the dams.
And during all that the fishing in most lakes has been just fantastic.
For instance, in July Lakes Chickamauga and Nickajack experienced dangerous flooding, yet the Chattanooga Bass Association’s two tournaments that month recorded exceptional catches.
Josh and Jeff Reed won The Heatherly Brothers Const. Open (night) tournament July 27 with a 5-fish limit that weighed 27.11 pounds – almost a 5 1/2-pound average. Two weeks earlier, on July 13, Rogne and George Brown took first place in the Pepsi Open with five that weighed a whopping 32,56 pounds – a 6 1/2-pound average that included the tournament’s overall big fish, a 8.70-pound largemouth.
And, said Chattanooga Bass Association Vice President Allen Lewis, with the lake having settled back down somewhat, the weights in Saturday’s could be even more impressive.
“The biggest effect the flooding had in July was in deep water,” Lewis said. “The water levels came up and pushed the fish into the shallow pockets so the shallow water fishing dominated both the day and night tournaments.”
But now the deep water fishing has improved considerably and there is lots of grass just beneath the surface of the water, he noted, and that could have a major impact on fishing success Saturday.
“The deep water fishing will make a much bigger showing and it will take more weight to win Saturday and in the night tournament August 24,” Lewis said. “This is my own opinion, but I’m looking at 30 to 33 pounds for the win in both the day and night tournaments.”
The Brown team’s win in July pushed Rogne Brown to second place in the points standings, just 19 points back of Adam Dysart and Jamie Copenhaver. An excellent structure fisherman, he now may well be the odds-on favorite to win another Chattanooga Bass points title, Lewis said. Brown won the points championship in 2008 and 2009 and missed a third title by just one point in 2012.
After Saturday’s tournament the remaining schedule includes the last night tournament August 24, with regular tournaments Sept. 14 and Oct. 12 before the Classic Nov. 2-3.
Chattanooga Bass Association
Sat, Aug 10, 2013
Chickamauga Lake
Chester Frost Park
Call Justin Medley 423-667-5054
