Smallmouth Bass, Chester Frost.For 35 years, the Chattanooga Bass Association has been helping anglers of all ages and experience levels get a first taste of competitive fishing. The 2012 CBA season will end in October with its final open tournament of the year on Oct. 6, followed by the two-day CBA Classic Oct. 27 and 28.
The CBA conducts all of its tournaments on Chickamauga Lake, with launches and weigh-ins at Chester Frost Park.
“The fishing is getting great out on the lake in recent years,” said CBA president Justin Medley. “Everyone thinks of Lake Guntersville (in Alabama) as the premier lake in this area, but we’ve been smashing Guntersville on fish size recently.”
The CBA conducts open tournaments each month from February through October with day and night tournaments held June, July and August. The tournaments are open to all anglers with special divisions for junior anglers and a novice class for those new to competitive fishing. In 2012, Medley said that CBA tournaments have had between 40 to 99 boats entered in the monthly open tournaments.
The season wraps up with the CBA Classic, which is open only to those who have competed in at least seven open tournaments this year, and a $10,000 first prize will be awarded to the winner. “One of the unique things about these events is that anyone can compete at any level and have a chance at success,” Medley says. “And it’s one of the most rewarding tournaments for all types of fishermen.”
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For more on the final events of the 2012 Chattanooga Bass Association in October or to learn more about how to get involved in CBA events in 2013, check out the CBA website at cbatournament.com.
In addition to the fun and excitement of the competition of the CBA bass fishing tournaments, the organization also is working with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Association to aid in conservation efforts to keep the local fish population healthy for the next generation of anglers.
“The CBA is at the forefront of what is happening in the Tennessee River system,” Medley explains.
TWRA researchers take tissue samples from some of the fish caught at CBA tournaments throughout the year to determine genetic changes in the bass as well as the number and weights of fish being caught.