About 20 years ago, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency launched an experiment. They began introducing Florida-strain largemouth bass into Lake Chickamauga to mix genes with resident northern-strain largemouths. The intent was to determine if this 60-mile-long Tennessee River reservoir just north of Chattanooga had the right conditions to improve the fishery through hybridization of aggressive northern bass with larger-growing Florida bass.
Two decades later, the program is an unequivocal success. Chickamauga is now one of the best bass fisheries in the world, producing fish that weigh into the teens and some five-fish tournament limits in the 40-pound range.
The hype is warranted, but the new spotlight on largemouth bass has overshadowed world-class fishing for other species on the big river from Chickamauga down through Chattanooga. Scenic City Fishing Charters runs guided trips all over the area for largemouth bass as well as for smallmouth bass, catfish and crappie, and spring is a fantastic time to fish for all of them.
Owner and guide Richard Simms says the fishing heats up with water temperatures this time of year. So whether you’re a novice seeking a good time or a seasoned veteran looking for the fish of a lifetime, right now is THE time to have lines out in the Tennessee River.
Here are Simms’ best spring bites: