As a retired law enforcement officer, Ken Vicchio used to nab the bad guys. Now he just wants to nab some big old bass.

Vicchio, who retired from the Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Bureau after serving as an officer with the Detroit Police Department, has been fishing competitively for the past four or five years and currently is atop the standings in the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Volunteer Division.

“I’ve never led the BFL after three tournaments,” said Vicchio after practicing Wednesday for the Volunteer Division tournament on Tennessee’s Lake Chickamauga. “I won Cherokee one year and have come in third a couple of times. I just missed going to the All American a couple of years back when the top six went.”

And that, said Vicchio, is why he and many others fish the BFLs.

“We all fish this so we can go to the regional and hope to qualify at the regional to go to the All American. That is our Classic, our goal Everyone’s goal is to go to the All American. I’ve never made it. I’ve come close, so maybe this is my year. I’m sure going to try.”

Vicchio finished 4^th in the Volunteer BFL on Watts Barr in March, 19^th on Douglas Lake in April and 5^th on South Holston Reservoir in May to take over the points lead. He tested the tournament waters 10-12 years ago in the old Red Man circuit as a non-boater and he fishes the Tom’s Marine Team Trail on Douglas and Cherokee Lakes. He began fishing the BFL when it was the old Mountain Division before it became the Volunteer Division.

But he has little experience on Lake Chickamauga.

“I am not familiar with the lake. The last time I fished it was the BFL last year,” he said.

Wednesday was his first opportunity to practice on Chickamauga – and he made the most of it.

“I caught a couple of good ones today so I am just going to hone in on the little pattern I developed,” he said.

That pattern means fishing deep.

“The water is really warm. The water temperature is in the 80s and the fish are deep, for me anyway. You can always catch some shallow fish, but I could not get on the shallow fish. I caught a few today 20 to 25 feet deep. I think they are already in their summer pattern.”

And, if the fish are deep, Vicchio is going to be fishing a jig.

“It’s no big secret. Everybody knows that if I catch them that is the way I am catching them,” he said. “It’s just a matter of location, being in the right place when they are there.”

No matter the outcome, Vicchio plans to have a good time this week.

“I am having a ball. There are a lot of people in east Tennessee who have gone really well fishing and we still have some pros fishing the BFLs here. It’s kind of fun fishing against them, a good barometer of your fishing skills,” he said. “I heard someone say if you can compete against them, you can compete against anybody – and I believe them.”

 

Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Volunteer Division

Chickamauga Lake

Dayton Boat Dock

Sat, Jun 4, 2011

www.flwoutdoors.com