Five Key Things from Day 2 on Lake Chickamauga
DAYTON, Tenn. – As was the case on Day 1, Saturday’s second qualifying day at B&W Trailer Hitches Stage Four Presented by ATG x Wrangler on Lake Chickamauga proved why this Tennessee River impoundment is one of the most popular tournament fisheries in the country. There were several big bass placed on SCORETRACKER®, and some anglers in the field caught them exceptionally well.
A handful of anglers were on the fish right from the start, including Edwin Evers, who caught 23 bass for 74 pounds, 14 ounces. Evers also had the Berkley Big Bass of the day with an 8-9.
But while Evers and a handful of Group B anglers made it look easy, it wasn’t such an easy day for most of the anglers in the field. Increased fishing pressure and the light current flowing through Chickamauga proved to be a challenge. Here are five key things we noticed on the day.
KVD Lurking
The day belonged to Evers – most fish caught, Berkley Big Bass and a lead of 18-2 – but right behind him is a TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority) legend, Kevin VanDam, who’s won on both Kentucky Lake and Lake Guntersville.
Even with the sizable gap between him and Evers, VanDam made up some ground late in the day and fished with a vengeance. VanDam is widely seen as the best tournament angler in history, and he’s a proven hammer on the Tennessee River.
Even if VanDam can’t chase down Evers when Group B returns to the water on Monday, he’ll still be an angler to watch closely if he can advance to the Championship Round.
Fishing Pressure and Quality
Chickamauga is a destination fishery that draws anglers great distances for their shot at the big largemouth that live here. It is also host to frequent tournaments, as they hold them nearly every day of the week.
There were even more boats on the water than usual on Day 2 – thank you, Saturday. The heavy traffic has anglers grouped up (both locals and the Bass Pro Tour field) and divides the fish among a large number of boats. The pressure is something to watch as the tournament progresses.
Looking at the numbers, there was a decrease from 271 bass on Day 1 to 264 on Day 2. If you take out Evers and VanDam, who combined for 45 bass, the remaining 38 anglers landed 219 (or an average of less than six bass per angler).
Current Flow
According to local pro John Murray, the current levels have significantly subsided over the last week on Chickamauga and are now at a crawl. This has made fishing more challenging overall and if the flows (in cubic feet per second) increase, the fishing quality should theoretically improve.
While the predicted current numbers are published online, Murray says there is no guarantee that the schedule will be accurate, and also no real rhyme or reason for the time of day when the Army Corps of Engineers releases water to generate current. Murray said that the current was starting to crank up around the time Group A wrapped up Friday afternoon.
The TVA has detailed information online and the projected flows for Day 3 are nearly identical to Day 2, before increasing on Monday. That could bode well for Group B when they return for their second qualifying day.
Finesse vs. Reaction and Shallow vs. Deep
There are many ways to catch fish right now on Lake Chickamauga, and both the techniques and locations where the anglers are fishing run the gamut. The data shows everything from frogs and ChatterBaits up shallow to drop-shot rigs and deep-diving crankbaits away from the bank.
So far, anglers fishing offshore are prevailing, and moving baits are catching the lion’s share of the bass for the leaders in both groups. That could surely change if the fishing quality takes a nosedive and a finesse approach becomes more critical. On the other hand, the shallow bite is producing some big fish but does not appear to be the way to the win this week.
Pro Circuit Watch
Four anglers are fishing this event from the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit after qualifying based on their finishes at the April stop on Lake Murray.
Tai Au and David Williams fished Group B, and both have work to do if they expect to advance to the Knockout Round. They finished their first day on the water in 36th and 40th, respectively.
Au landed two bass for 4-11 and Williams had one for 2-12.
Matt Becker ended Day 1 in sixth place; Evan Barnes finished 40th.