The bass fishing season kicked into gear late last month in nearby Lake Guntersville, and a full season of competitive fishing awaits both professional and amateur anglers throughout the Chattanooga area this year.
Sometimes called the "Super Bowl of bass fishing," the Bassmaster Classic was held Feb. 21-23 and was launched out of City Harbor in Guntersville, Ala., with some of the nation's best pro fishermen competing for one of the sport's top prizes.
The Classic serves as a warm-up for Bassmaster's second visit to the Tennessee Valley this summer - The Bassmaster BASSfest. The BASSfest will be held on Chickamauga Lake on June 11-15, and will be the sixth stop on the Elite tournament series
In a story on the Bassmaster website, B.A.S.S. co-owner Jerry McKinnis said of the event that will be launched out of Dayton, Tenn., "Other than the Bassmaster Classic, this could be the biggest tournament there has ever been.
Similar to the Classic, there will be plenty of activities for spectators and casual fishermen throughout the week, as well as a collegiate tournament as part of the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series.
UTC Anglers Kick Off Season
The competitive bass fishing club at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga recently launched its 2014 season.On March 8-9, the club will host the Moon Pie Open collegiate tournament as part of the Tennessee Collegiate Bass Fishing Trial.The TCBFT is a tournament series run by the UTC Bass Team, and series events regularly attract teams from colleges and universities across the Southeast.To learn more about the UTC Bass Club, visit utcbassfishing.com.