Shad spawn? Schooling bass? Bedding bass? Transitional bass somewhere between the beds and ledges?
Choose from one or all, depending on your fishing strengths. All of the above are in play on “moving day,” aka Day 2 on Lake Chickamauga. Swinging for the fences is a given on a day when all but the Top 12 leave for home.
Shaw Grigsby, who yesterday sacked 25 pounds of mostly bedding bass, was trying to decide between targeting the schoolers or going back for more bedding bass. After yesterday, the best of those fish got picked off the bed. But maybe not. Grigsby plans to do both. At least that’s what he told me this morning while eating breakfast.
So does leader Hunter Shryock and the other leaders. Brandon Lester, 9th after Day 1, summed up how it goes in this scenario when we spoke yesterday.
“This is the kind of place where there is so much habitat that you can do it all, especially when the bass are in all phases of the spawn. You don’t have to run far to find different bites and habitat.”
The layout of the lake is the key. Chickamauga fishes more like a river than a lake. That concentrates the bass habitat and makes patterning fish easier than on a sprawling lowland impoundment.
It’s highly unlikely the anglers will get much sunshine to find the bedding bass. On the flip side, the wind driving the front into the area will spark a reaction bite.
Stay tuned. It’s going to be an interesting day on the Chick.