Weekend outlook

There is usually nothing unusual about a Bassmaster Elite Series tournament being held during a weekend. An exception will be the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year Championship. Beyond the obvious here are the reasons why.

Saturday is an off day as the anglers participate in Bassmaster University at the Elite Expo at the Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds in Hiawassee. Lake Chatuge gets a break from the fishing pressure, or maybe not.

The north Georgia lake is a popular resort, vacation and retiree haven. On top if it all there are supposedly weekend bass tournaments on the schedule. What angling pressure is relieved by the Elite Series pros is replaced by tournament anglers, and on top of that, weekend fishermen just out for the fun. Keep in mind that Chatuge is only 7,500 acres, so it won’t take much fishing pressure to impact the bite.

When the fishing resumes on Sunday it could be under different weather conditions. In the forecast is a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. That is the only hope for improving the fishing. Wind-driven current, sun and clouds. Both combine to stimulate fish movement. Even so slight, any change in the weather will be better than none at all.