“Fishing should be good and I think the fish are getting ready to get up in the grass,” said Kizziah, who worked a frog Friday and Saturday in another tournament on the lake, finishing just out of the money in 38^th place.

First place was 36 pounds for a two-day total in this past weekend’s tournament, but Kizziah said weights should be up considerably for the CBA tournament Saturday.

“There were 360 boats in the tournament this past weekend, plus another bunch that launched out of the lower end of the lake, so the lake won’t be nearly as crowded this weekend and weights should be up. I’d say it will take probably 23 1/2 pounds Saturday.”

Another reason, he said, is that cooler weather is predicted this week, along with the chance of some rain early in the week, which should lower the water temperature and make the fish more active.

First place in CBA tournaments pays $2,000. Fishermen must fish seven of the 12 regular season events to qualify for the year-end Classic November 2- 3. 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,

Some fishermen will be fishing Saturday to make their seven tournaments and qualify for the Classic, but one will be fishing to lock down his third points championship in the history of Chattanooga’s oldest open team tournament trail.

Rogne Brown, a tournament pro and a fishing guide on Chickamauga, Nickajack, Watts Bar and Guntersville Lakes for two decades, is leading the points this year by a fairly comfortable margin. Brown teamed with his nephew Michael Neal to win the points title in 2008 and 2009. Neal missed a tournament this year so he is not eligible to share in the title, Kizziah said.

“Unless something happens to cause Rogue to bomb out he pretty much has it wrapped up,” said Kizziah, who noted that the points champion will have all his entry fees paid for 2014 with the exclusion of the Classic next year.

Brown is a formidable angler on Chickamauga. He and Tim Saylor of Morristown weighed in a five-fish limit at 44.31 pounds in a tournament run by Neal, who is an FLW pro and runs the tackle shop at the Dayton Boat Dock. Brown’s and Saylor’s nearly 9-pound average, which was a lake-record, included the big fish of the tournament at 10.57 pounds.

Brown and Neal won the February CBA tournament and he and George Brown also won the June night tournament and the July day tournament.

“This year has gone really well for the CBA,” Kizziah said, “and the Classic payout probably will be the most we’ve ever paid. Our tournament payouts have got bigger every year and hopefully that will continue as long as we keep our sponsors on board and the anglers keep participating.”

Chattanooga Bass Association

Sat, Oct 12, 2013

Chickamauga Lake

Chester Frost Park

Call Justin Medley 423-667-5054

www.cbatournament.com