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Knoxville, Tenn. –
Ft. Loudoun – Tellico Lakes was the site of Mark Davis’ first and only win on the Wal Mart FLW Tour. The Tour’s first stop to the Tennessee Valley Authority lakes resulted in Davis making the finals in 3rd place with 30 pounds, 4 ounces of bass. His day three weight of 19 pounds, 13 ounces put him in the lead by nearly eight pounds over his second place competitor. Despite weighing only three fish on the final day, the Mount Ida, Ark. pro finished with 27 pounds, 11 ounces to grab the victory.
However, that was 2007, and that tournament blasted off in March when the bass population is strongly in preparation for the spawn. In 2008, Ft. Loudon – Tellico’s residents will be in a much later stage of their annual cycle; and the fishing should be tough.
Ft. Loudoun is a 14,600 surface acre body of water that was dammed in 1944 as a flood control and water storage reservoir. Tellico was also built as part of that flood control and storage plan, but was finished more than 30 years later in 1979. Tellico is 15,560 surface acres and is connected to Ft. Loudoun via a canal.
The pair of lakes holds all three species of black bass that anglers typically target during a bass tournament, but they all fall under different size regulations. For a spotted bass to be considered legal it must measure 12 inches, a largemouth must be
14 inches, and a smallmouth must meet the 18-inch mark to be taken for a ride to the weigh-in.
As the Wal Mart FLW Tour launches their boats into the clear waters of this eastern Tennessee waterways, the stakes are climbing as anglers only have two more events to qualify for the Forrest Wood Cup, and the Land o’ Lakes Angler of the Year Title hangs in the balance.
Andy Morgan of nearby Dayton Tenn. holds a seven-point lead over Glenn Browne, who stands in second place between former Angler of the Year Clark Wendlandt and former Forrest Wood Cup Champion Luke Clausen. The tension could not be any higher as the stakes are high, and despite the enormity of these two bodies of water, it could get much higher.
Many of the anglers that The BASS ZONE spoke to after the practice rounds said that more than half of the field would wind up crowding into a few areas of the lakes as the bass seem to have gathered onto outside ledges where the tournament will most likely be won.
Yelas: Not Confident
The 2007 Land o’ Lakes Angler of the Year said that he had a difficult practice, and that he was not able to find the types of fish it will take to win in his pre tournament scouting. “I had a tough practice this week,” the Corvallis, Ore. Pro said. “I think it is going to take 11 to 12 pounds a day to make the top 10, and I had a hard time finding that.”
Yelas reported that the lakes are fishing much like any Southern impoundment would in the summertime, and that it will take a mixed bag to win this week. “I think the winner is going to have found a mixed bag that will include some of those big smallmouth these lakes can produce,” he said. “It will take targeting the ledges to find them, and I think a crankbait is going to be key; there’s not much chance of anyone winning shallow.”
Canterbury: Fishing his Strengths
The current Duracell Rookie of the Year leader, Canterbury has had two top 10 finishes in his rookie season. However, that was a different time, and those were entirely different conditions. “I’m going to fish to my strengths and stay shallow here,” Canterbury reported. “I’ve caught a handful of good fish in my practice, and only a couple of them were deep, so I am going to stay shallow and do what I do.”
The rookie pro said that the pair of lakes should fish small as the fish seem to be on precise areas. “I think a lot of these fish have seen a lot of lures, and a fair amount of them have been caught,” he opined. “From what I’ve seen, most of these guys will be bunched up looking for opportunities to catch the same fish.”
He also felt that smallmouth would be a key to winning. “Finding a four or four and a half pounder will be key each day, the best largemouth I’ve caught shallow has been three and a half pounds. I don’t think I can win up there, but I think there’s enough to make a top 10.”
Suggs: Timing is Key
Bass fishing’s first instant millionaire said that there are going to be three factors that will determine the outcome of the week; boat draws, timing and traffic. “So many guys have found the same schools of fish that getting an early boat number is going to be a big factor,” said the 2007 Forrest Wood Cup winner. “If a guy can get on his best spot, he’d better not leave because you can bet someone is waiting to get on it.”
Suggs said that there is a brief activity period in the morning, but also said that the current is only happening in the afternoon, so being in the right place at the right time is crucial. “Timing is going to be critical,” he said. “Being there when the fish get active is going to make someone very rich, very quickly.”
He, like many others related that 11 to 12 pounds a day was going to have a good shot at making a top 10, but that there were chances to get bigger as a bonus. “I haven’t heard of anyone running around chasing 18-inch smallmouth, those are bonus fish, but I’m sure we’ll see some of them this week.”
Woo: Scraping for a Limit
As a veteran angler, Daves has seen tournaments under a variety of conditions, but he sees something this week that will make this tournament tougher. “Tellico has gotten really clear, and has slacked up a lot,” he said. “I think you’ll see around 95 percent of the field fishing in Loudoun, and that will make it tougher.”
Like the others, Daves thinks that traffic is going to be a major factor in the outcome of this event. “I think some guys, who get early blastoffs, will do really well, and those who don’t will struggle,” he said. “Smallmouth will not be as big a factor as last year because the spawn is over, but there will be some nice one’s caught. I’m going to stay shallow and try to gut it out.”
Browne: Staying Shallow
While he currently stands in striking distance to overtake Morgan for the lead in the Angler of the Year race, Browne is focusing on fishing his strengths. “I’m going to stay shallow and grind it out,” the Berkley pro said. “There are so many boats that have found the deep schools, that I feel like I need to fish my style to avoid the traffic.”
That means he will focus on largemouth, and not gable on the big smallmouth that could push someone to victory here so quickly. “Boat number is going to be key, and from what I saw in practice there are two boats waiting to get on a spot that someone is fishing, so I’ll do what I’m comfortable doing.”
“I’m just going to go out and do my best, hoping I don’t have a major blowup this late in the race.”
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