Three weeks after yielding record daily and tournament weights for Major League Fishing's newly structured Bass Pro Tour, Chickamauga Lake will host the established FLW Tour for its sixth event of the 2019 season.
Like the 80-angler MLF Stage Four of April 9-14, won by three-time FLW Tour angler of the year Andy Morgan, next week's tournament - May 2-5 - will be based in Morgan's hometown, Dayton. This will be the fifth visit to Chickamauga in the 24-year history of Fishing League Worldwide's top series, and 168 pros are scheduled to take off the first two days from the Dayton Boat Dock, where a Family Fishing Expo will be held from 2 to 6 p.m. Thursday through Sunday.
The FLW Foundation is sponsoring a free fishing derby that Saturday from noon to 2 p.m. for anyone under 18 years old and Special Olympics athletes.
A new area pro, Miles Burghoff of Hixson, leads the FLW Tour in angler of the year points as well as the rookie of the year standings, with just two regular-season events remaining. Buddy Gross of Chickamauga, Georgia, is eighth in the AOY standings.
Naturally, they are hoping to score well on their home lake.
"This tournament is going to be one of the most fun events that we have all year," Burghoff said in an FLW release. "Dayton, Tennessee, is the most bass-friendly town that I have ever been to and the best bass-fishing community that I have ever seen. It's going to be great fishing and great crowds all week."
He expects a variety of strategies will work but adjustments will need to be ongoing with the standard five-bass daily limit in effect.
"We're going to have guys that fish the ledges and do great, and we'll have guys that avoid the ledges and fish shallow that will do great," Burghoff said. "I think the key will be having multiple options. I don't think you can win off of one spot very easily. It's possible, but there are no secrets on Chickamauga - especially offshore. In order to win, you're going to have to stay fluid and have a few backup plans ready to go.
"We're hitting the lake perfectly, and there will be plenty of fish well into their summertime patterns. I think it'll take at least a 15-pound-a-day average to make the top-30 cut to fish the weekend. I think it'll take a four-day total of 87 to 88 pounds to win. It could be a little high, but it's Lake Chickamauga and we're going to crush them."
Bassmaster Classic will return to Birmingham
Following the Bassmaster Classic's recent record attendance and economic impact in Knoxville, the B.A.S.S. organization announced this week that the event's 50th version will be held March 6-8, 2020, on Lake Guntersville with Birmingham as the host city.
"It's fitting that the golden anniversary Classic be held in Alabama, where B.A.S.S. was founded more than 50 years ago," CEO Bruce Akin said in a B.A.S.S. release. "Our plans are to make this the most spectacular celebration of bass fishing in history.
"Throughout the current Bassmaster Elite Series tournament season, we are celebrating 'The Year of the Fan' - our way of saying 'thank you' to the millions of bass fishing fans who make this sport so great. The celebration will culminate at the Classic here in Birmingham."
"We are thrilled that the Bassmaster Classic will be returning to the Birmingham region once again," said John Oros, president and CEO of the Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau. " We expect that the economic impact of the event will equal or exceed the $32 million spent in hotels, restaurants, attractions and retailers this past year in Knoxville."