Sammy Lee knows fishing. The Birmingham, Alabama resident spent most of his life hauling in big bass for fun and profit, with decades of experience working on the pro fishing tourney circuit, hosting his weekly “Tight Lines with Sammy Lee” radio show and helping anglers of all abilities enjoy the sport.
So when Sammy Lee tells you the fishing on Lake Chickamauga is good, you can believe him.
“My lord, has there been a better big-bass lake in the world in the last two years as Chickamauga?” Lee said. “It’s phenomenal. I am so pleased.”
Lee was in town in October as Yamaha Marine announced their newest line of outboard motors for 2015, and he reflected on how much the fishing has changed in the Chattanooga area.
“When I was fishing professionally back in the 70s, 80s and early 90s, I fished a number of tournaments on Chickamauga,” he said.
“If you had a five-bass stringer that weighed 15 pounds back then you had big stringer that day. If you bring in five today that weigh 15, you’re probably not in the top 50.”
Lee said there are several reasons for the phenomenal growth at Lake Chickamauga-which has been ranked as a Top 10 bass-fishing lake by Bassmaster Magazine for the past two years-but he gives most of the credit to the return of underwater plants providing cover and food to grow big bass.
“I think the growth and maturity of the fishery has in large part been because of the grass species,” he said. “You’ve got a very fertile, rich waterway. You’ve got habitat for (fish) to hide in. You have nutrients in the water for them to feed on and grow in, and look at what you have now.”
In addition, Lee said that better understanding about how to protect the ecosystem and the work of governmental agencies such as the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency has also played a bit role in making this area a destination for anglers from across the country looking to land big bass.
“Good legislation, good conservation and good catch-and-release practices develop quality fisheries,” Lee said. “We’ve seen this all up and down the Tennessee River.”
GEAR UP FOR 2015
Yamaha has introduced a boat motor that could stay in your family for many years.
The new eight horsepower motor, available in the 2015 line-up, can be used for smaller boats and is light enough to easily haul and store in your basement or garage.
“You take an engine like the eight horsepower engine we’ve just introduced,” Yamaha Marine president Ben Speciale says. “We call that a ‘life engine’ because it’s something you may buy and keep forever and you never need to replace it.”
The little motor is perfect for smaller duck-hunting boats or for use on small ponds or backwater areas. It has improved controls, a folding tiller handle and rear-resting pads that allow the engine to be stored more conveniently.