Dayton’s Andy Morgan pulls a fish out of Grand Lake on June 6 on the way to the Walmart FLW Tour points lead.As mayor of Dayton, Tenn., Gary Louallen is proud to be presiding over the city’s visit this week from the top level of FLW fishermen. And he’s very hands-on about it. He took some of the participating pros Saturday to the cabin they’re renting through next weekend.
Previously as a city councilman, Louallen pushed for the town and Rhea County to take advantage of their location on Lake Chickamauga and make a play for better fishing revenue and even big-time tournaments.
The results were major renovations to the Dayton Boat Dock, with Michael Neal taking over the lease to run the facility, and already some big tournaments that used to go elsewhere.
This week it’s the regular-season finale of the Walmart FLW Tour with $125,000 going to the winning pro and $25,000 to the top co-angler. The 330 or so anglers and their families and other followers are filling up the available lodging in Dayton, as well as Spring City’s lone motel and a number of rental cabins and motel space also in Athens, Cleveland, Hixson and Chattanooga.
“The Heartland Anglers Tour fished out of here last October and had 276 boats (552 anglers),” Louallen said Saturday, “and they have committed to come back this October, and their directors are predicting 350 boats. And we have already secured the Bassmaster Regional Classic for September of 2014. That will be 200 boats — five divisions with 40 qualifiers each.”