Clifford Pirch has the big bass of the day, so far, a 5-pound, 4-ounce largemouth he caught while fishing inside a marina. That would be a considerable drop from the previous days’ big bass, which were 10-5, 9-12 and 7-12, respectively. It would be an indication of how tough the bite has been at Chickamauga Lake today.
Pirch thinks the last two days of cold weather have backed the bass off the banks, according to photographer Andy Crawford who is following Pirch this afternoon. Pirch has been alternating between a glide bait and a drop shot worm. The 5-4 came on the drop shot. He’s got one other small keeper.
No matter what happens this afternoon, the 46-year-old Pirch is having a great season. He was 38th at the St. Johns River, 8th at the Harris Chain and 11th at Santee Cooper. With this top 10 finish, Pirch will be 3rd in the AOY standings when the points become final after today.
