John Cox was one of the pre-tournament favorites here. He’s won three tournaments at Chickamauga Lake over the past three years, including a Bassmaster Open and an FLW tour event last year. But those events were in the spring, and Cox had a tough practice this week, just like everyone else.
“That’s number five!” said Cox as he boated a 2 3/4-pounder at 2:01. “Man, I’m telling you, it’s a miserable grind.” His unofficial BASSTrakk total of 12-10 has him in second place.
It’s particularly miserable for someone like Cox, who has caught numerous big bass from Chickamauga over the years. The 35-year-old DeBary, Fla., resident has a one-that-got-away story from The Chick, as well. It came in the May 2019 Bassmaster Eastern Open that he won with 66-5 over three days.
“It was the biggest bass I’ve ever hooked,” Cox said. “I didn’t think it was a bass until it ran in front of the boat. It looked three feet long. I caught a nine-pounder after that, and it felt like a baby compared to that one.”