Pat Schlapper made a big Chickamauga Lake statement just before 10 a.m. It’s one likely to have lasting effects throughout this four-day tournament for him. And that statement was a 10-pound largemouth. Big bass like that one are what this lake is known for, and it’s why 5-bass limits topping 30 pounds and, occasionally, 40 pounds, aren’t out of the question.
When you see a 10-pounder this early in the four-day tournament. and in the month of April, it will put fish-to-the-last-minute fuel in every angler here, especially, of course, Schlapper. Reportedly, he wasn’t sight-fishing. The Wisconsin pro has a 2-2 and a 3-3 to go with it for a 15-5 total, which has him among the leaders.