TNCBA #1 Schedule Change!

Well winter storm Octavia has enjoyed re-arranging everyone's plans and the TNCBA is no exception. Due to temperatures well below freezing and a wintry mix in the forecast for this Saturday the TNCBA's tournament director and tournament committee has determined that it would be in the best interest of every competing angler to postpone the February 21st event. Safety is our primary concern in this decision.

*The tournament director and tournament committee has decided to move TNCBA #1 to February 28th and change the fishing time to 8am-4pm. We hope that this time change will take advantage of the warm temperatures of the afternoon and improve the bite.

Cherokee Practice Report 2.7.15

Conditions-

Water Temp: 40 - 43 degrees

Air Temp: 32 warming to 60 degrees

Skies: Mostly Sunny

Notes:

We put in at 25-E at 10 am and began fishing between the ramp and Falls Creek. The water between Macedonia and Falls Creek was stained with 1-2' of visibility. We focused on channel swings and bluffs for the first three hours catching three keepers, one on a jerkbait and the other two coming on a jig. 15-20 mph winds moved in at this point and the bite shut down for a few hours. We ventured into the back of German Creek with no success and found water that was two degrees colder than the main lake. After German Creek we hit main lake banks and channel swings near Gilmore's. The water clarity from Macedonia down to Gilmore's had about two more feet of visibility. Our final keeper of the day came around 4:30pm on a jerkbait. One major note is that all of our fish came on banks that were in direct sunlight. The baits we caught fish on are below:

Lucky Craft Pointer 78 (Chart. Shad) ; Lucky Craft Pointer 100 (Chart. Shad) ;Strike King Structure Jig (Grn. Pumpkin Crawl)

Lucky Craft Pointer 78 (Chart. Shad) ; Lucky Craft Pointer 100 (Chart. Shad) ;

Strike King Structure Jig (Grn. Pumpkin Crawl)

I plan to get out one more time before our tournament and I will post another report.

Here comes the 2015 TNCBA season!...Are you ready?

     Well anglers, in exactly one month the first boat will be launched into Cherokee Lake for the start of the TNCBA 2015 season. At this point the anticipation is about to explode from my veins! If I don't get back on the water soon, I may have to make a stop by Pet Smart and buy some fish to put in my bathtub so that I can do some fishing. There is nothing like the start of a new season. With a clean slate and everyone tied atop the AOY standings, each angler is hoping to get off to a great start at the first tournament of the year, I know I am. Every year since I have fished the TNCBA I have never been able to earn more than 92 points in the first tournament of the year. That is goal number one for me heading into the 2015 season, I want to walk away from Cherokee with no less than 95 pts. My season long goal is to bring a fish to the scales in every tournament.
 Goals are always a great way to keep your attitude up beat and help you push yourself, so before February 21st rolls around write down some goals for the 2015 TNCBA season and check them off throughout the year.

     After the close points race that we had in 2014, lets do a little arm chair fishing and make some predictions for the 2015 AOY race:

1. 2015 TNCBA AOY Champion - Crockett

-This has to be one of the hardest outcomes to predict this year. We have a stacked house gunning to be angler of the year. If we look at the model for consistency the obvious choice would have to go to Crockett. Crockett is a title contender every year and he is always there at the end. With one or two things going his way in 2014, he would have had his name on the trophy once again. Crockett is hard to bet against and I look for him to string together consistent top 5's, and mix in 2 or 3 wins that will propel him to the 2015 TNCBA AOY.

2. The Contenders - Legg / K. Harvey / Gobble

- If there is anyone that has rivaled the consistency of Crockett it would have to be Steve Legg. I think it is safe to say that there is no one more deserving of the title than Legg. Legg is consistent, and can put together hot streaks like no other angler in the club. If Crockett falters my money is on Steve Legg in 2015! The next two anglers are relatively new comers to the AOY discussion. Kelsey is on a roll from 2014 and if he keeps up this momentum into 2015, he will be a force to reckon with throughout the year. Had we added back in the two drops for 2014, Kelsey would have smoked every other angler in the standings. A little bit higher average finish and Kelsey will definitely be in the mix in October. Gobble is my third contender for this season. He has won the AOY title before and although he had a little bit of an off year, I look for Gobble to bounce back to his old form in 2015. Gobble knows how to grind it out when the fishing turns tough and after the past couple seasons, it looks like these lakes are bottoming out in their cycles. Look for Gobble to make another push for his second AOY.

3. The Dark Horses - Pope / Oiler /B. Harvey

- Pope is a recent new comer to the TNCBA, but if time on the water translates into success then Pope will definitely be near the top of the leader-board on a regular basis this year. Pope spends more time on the water honing his skills than any other TNCBA angler and that is sure to translate into results. I expect Pope to make the biggest jump in the standings from 2014 to 2015. Another dark horse for the 2015 season is Oiler. Oiler is the kind of angler that you don't see coming until he slaps you right square in the face with a sack of bass! Oiler had a strong 2014 season, finishing 5th. Look for Oiler to build on his results from last year and make the other contenders sweat come October. Bob Harvey is my final dark horse for 2015. Bob is more pumped about this TNCBA season than I have ever seen him before. Bob has had strong starts in the past, but for Bob it all comes down to the 2nd half of the season. If Bob can put it all together in 2015 he may be the last man standing at the end of October.

 Well, I guess that is enough arm chair fishing, now its back out to the garage to finish maintenance on my reels and organize my tackle. Get out there on the water boys and stretch a line. February 21st will be here before you know it...are you ready?

 

TNCBA Classic Results

-An utterly frigid morning eventually lingered its way into an absolutely beautiful day. The fishing came in flurries throughout different parts of the day, but most anglers reported catching their quality fish early in the day.

-TNCBA anglers also reported catching fish using several different techniques. There was a very sporadic Long-A bite that anglers had success with during different parts of the day. There were also fish caught on shallow to medium running crankbaits on the upper end of the lake, but the majority of anglers that were down lake reported catching their fish on a Damiki setup in about 25' - 50' of water. 

-When all the ice had finally melted from the rod guides and the cold weather gear had finally been escaped, the 2014 TNCBA year wrapped up with one of the closest finishes of the year. Ryan Pope was able to edge out David Crockett by 4 tenths of a pound with 3 fish for 10.7 lbs. Crockett finished 2nd with 10.3 lbs

*Congratulations to Ryan Pope...The 2014 TNCBA Classic Champion!*

(Check our gallery for more photos.)

TNCBA All-Star Final

Wiley Gobble takes the top spot with a 17 in. SM, which gave him 6 paper fish points. Cody Dison finished second with a 13 in. LM, which gave him 2 paper fish points. Steve Legg finished third by breaking the tie for third with the most weight throughout the day.

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Congrats Wiley, your 2014 TNCBA All-Star Champ... 

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