Inaugural ‘Bill Dance Giant Bass Open’ set for Saturday, Sunday in Dayton, Tennessee

Staff Photo / Mike McAtee of Henderson, Ky., and Jody Moore, of Hixson, fish from their boat during the Fishing League Worldwide Bass Fishing League Regional Championship tournament in October 2018. The first-ever Bill Dance Giant Bass Open, launching from Blue Water Marina in Dayton, is set for Saturday and Sunday. Staff Photo / Mike McAtee of Henderson, Ky., and Jody Moore, of Hixson, fish from their boat during the Fishing League Worldwide Bass Fishing League Regional Championship tournament in October 2018. The first-ever Bill Dance Giant Bass Open, launching from Blue Water Marina in Dayton, is set for Saturday and Sunday.

By Ben Benton October 20, 2023 7 min read

The amateur youth and adults fishing in the Bill Dance Giant Bass Open this weekend on Chickamauga Lake in Dayton figure to benefit from an innovative statewide program named for the Tennessee bass fishing legend.

The event this weekend presented by Bill Dance Signature Lakes launches from Blue Water Resort and offers multiple opportunities for amateur anglers, including youth, to win cash prizes throughout the two-day event, according to tournament spokesperson Shane Frazier.

With his trademark white and orange Tennessee ball cap, Dance, 83, has been a fishing legend since the late 1960s, when his fishing television show first aired in 1968, according to biographical information on Dance’s website. His show continues to air nationally several times a week on the Outdoor Channel and World Fishing Network.