Lake Chickamauga played host to the Tennessee Student Angler Federation High School State Championship this past weekend. Even though an unusual cold front was working its way past the lake, the anglers seemed anxious and ready to get out on the water. With morning temperatures in the low thirties and the wind blowing stronger than normal, for this time of the year, the kids still managed to bring a lot of quality fish to the scales.
Taking the title of Tennessee High School State Champions was the West TN team of Caleb Griffin and Bryson Bailey with a limit of fish that tipped the scales to 16-13 pounds.
Coming in second place was the team of Bryson Sims and John Holloway from William Blount High School with 10-02 pounds.
Rounding out the top three teams was the all-female team of Addison Young and Emma Rae Slone from Upper Cumberland High School with 9-04 pounds. Addison and Emma also took Big Bass Honors and a two-hundred-dollar Lew’s gift card for the Big Bass of the event, a 6.11 lunker. Miss Emma said that was her personal best and biggest bass that she had ever caught. Congratulations Emma!
Rounding out the top five finishers were the teams of Garrett White and Tanner McClain, from Rhea County, with 9-01 pounds and Elijah Kelley and Hunter Slone of White County, with 8-15 pounds.
With the recent rains around the Chickamauga area, the water was rising and there was plenty of new cover in the water and most all anglers said they caught their fish in less than five feet of water. The normal baits this time of year produced once again with soft plastics, jigs, spinnerbaits, swimbaits, chatterbaits and rattletraps all catching fish.
Full Results from this event can be seen HERE and all the pictures from the Junior Anglers and High School Anglers can be seen on our Student Angler Federation High School Facebook page.
