Even Lake Chickamauga seemed to be in a giving Saturday as it served up its late-summer best for anglers in the NoogaStrong Memorial Bass Tournament out of Dayton. Though fishing on the Tennessee River chain typically enters the doldrums in early September, the winning stringer of 21 pounds, 1 ounce brought in by Walmart FLW Tour pro Wesley Strader and his partner, Cary Smith, proved it’s not set in stone.
Likewise, the big lake produced a 21-pound stringer for brothers James and Jared Patmor – the runners-up – and a 9-pound, 4-ounce big-bass winner for local angler Wes Hardin. Thirty-five limits were taken to the scale and more than a half-ton of bass were weighed.
Starting with the $2,500 Strader and Smith won, the charity event paid 45 places. At the awards presentation, however, Strader and Smith announced they were donating their winnings back for the families of the victims. Every other team that won cash followed suit. With that, the money raised by the event exceeded the goal established by organizers. The proceeds will be donated to the families of those murdered at a Chattanooga-area recruiting center in July.
“We passed our goal of $25,000, and that doesn’t include other monies raised through raffle drawings and donations,” says Tournament Director Shane Frazier of the Chattanooga Bass Association. “We also had 269 boats registered with 258 actually fishing, which is a record for an open boat tournament on this lake. Everyone who worked to make this event successful, including the anglers who participated, can be proud of themselves.”
Strader, who also donated the proceeds from the sale of autographed replica fishing jerseys like the one he wears in FLW tournaments to the event, spent the day flipping Zoom Z-Hawgs weighted with 1-ounce Reins tungsten weights into heavy grass. He and Smith culled several times.
Hardin caught the lunker of the tournament early in the morning on a Z-Man ChatterBait. The Patmor brothers fished Stanley Ribbit frogs – black and red early in the day and black and green later when the midday sun was overhead. Brandon Roop and Brent Tharpe, who placed third, fished a variety of soft plastics, frogs and jigs.
Walmart FLW Tour pros acquitted themselves well in the tournament, which drew a large crowd of spectators from as far away as Knoxville. Behind Strader, Jason Lambert – who was fishing as a co-angler with local stick Greg Lamb – wound up in fourth while Alex Davis and Bill Potting were sixth, Ramie Colson, Jr., and Joe Wilson were 18th and Forrest Wood Cup champion Brad Knight and his partner, Dusty White, were 21st.
NoogaStrong Tournament Results
1 |
Wesley Strader |
Cary Smith |
5 |
21-1 |
|
2 |
James Patmor |
Jared Patmor |
5 |
21-0 |
|
3 |
Brandon Roop |
Brent Tharpe |
5 |
19-14 |
|
4 |
Greg Lamb |
Jason Lambert |
5 |
19-7 |
|
5 |
John Mantooth |
Anthony Correll |
5 |
19-5 |
|
6 |
Alex Dasvis |
Bill Potting |
5 |
18-13 |
|
7 |
Anthony Nash |
Josh Tramel |
5 |
18-10 |
|
8 |
Steve Everett |
Eddie Calbaugh |
4 |
18-5 |
|
9 |
Dustin Bailey |
Ronny Davidson |
5 |
18-2 |
|
10 |
Jack Dunaway |
Randy Harris |
5 |
17-13 |
|
11 |
Jayme Copenhaver |
Adam Dysart |
5 |
17-9 |
|
12 |
Alex Key |
Wayne Key |
5 |
17-6 |
|
13 |
Cole Sands |
A.J. Barnes |
5 |
17-0 |
|
14 |
Nathan Bell |
Tom Swartout |
5 |
16-6 |
|
15 |
Tom Helton |
Matt Jenkins |
5 |
16-2 |
|
16 |
Greg Moore |
Chris Bullock |
5 |
16-1 |
|
17 |
Chad Reel |
Kevin Burnette |
5 |
16-0 |
|
18 |
Ramie Colso |
Joe Wilson |
5 |
15-14 |
|
19 |
James Williams |
Stan Dickert |
5 |
15-9 |
|
20 |
Brian Hatfield |
Amanda Vincent |
5 |
15-3 |
|
21 |
Brad Knight |
Dusty White |
5 |
14-15 |
|
22 |
James Hutcheson |
Kenneth Moore |
5 |
14-13 |
|
23 |
David Perron |
Bob Vicars |
5 |
14-12 |
|
24 |
Justin Shoemate |
Wayne Shoemate |
5 |
14-4 |
|
25 |
Lucas Phillips |
Gregg White |
3 |
13-15 |
|
26 |
Will Bates |
Ben Curry |
5 |
13-11 |
|
27 |
William Marler |
Jackie Smith |
4 |
13-9 |
|
28 |
Stoney Johnson |
David Craft |
4 |
13-7 |
|
29 |
Greg Passmore |
Kirk Wells |
5 |
13-1 |
|
29 |
Chuck James |
Jimmey Rose |
5 |
13-1 |
|
31 |
Tim Delk |
John Delk |
5 |
12-14 |
|
32 |
Steven McMillan |
Erine Gravett |
5 |
12-12 |
|
33 |
Derrick Clark |
Lynn King |
4 |
12-9 |
|
34 |
Larry Erwin |
Tyler Bain |
5 |
12-6 |
|
35 |
Brian Spangler |
Tracey Penney |
5 |
11-12 |
|
36 |
Jenny Nevans |
Shawn Strader |
4 |
11-10 |
|
37 |
Mark Shrun |
Sam Morgan |
5 |
11-9 |
|
38 |
Wes Hardin |
Jason Cook |
2 |
11-8 |
|
39 |
Steve Barnes |
Billy Venedetti |
5 |
11-4 |
|
40 |
Andy Parkinson |
Mitch Oliver |
4 |
11-3 |
|
40 |
Casey Hitchcock |
David Olinger |
4 |
11-3 |
|
42 |
Gary Runyon |
Keith Runyon |
4 |
11-1 |
|
43 |
Sam Lemons |
Steve Duncan |
5 |
10-15 |
|
43 |
Glenn Day |
Chris Highland |
4 |
10-15 |
|
45 |
Gary Smith |
Allen Tadlock |
4 |
10-13 |
|
46 |
Robby Crosslin |
Greg Worsham |
4 |
10-10 |
|
47 |
Marvin Ervin |
William Ervin |
4 |
10-8 |
|
48 |
Matthew Pyatt |
Chris Carden |
4 |
10-7 |
|
49 |
Keith King |
Randy Preston |
4 |
10-4 |
|
50 |
Andrew Hicks |
Mark Jenkins |
5 |
10-3 |
|
51 |
Chuck Lowe |
Mickie huehes |
4 |
10-1 |
|
52 |
Austin Meeks |
Austin Wyatt |
3 |
9-14 |
|
53 |
Allen Varner |
James Ray |
4 |
9-8 |
|
54 |
Greg Shaver |
Larry Brooks |
3 |
9-5 |
|
55 |
Chase Hicks |
Kacie Hicks |
3 |
9-3 |
|
56 |
Howie Burger |
Sexton Long |
2 |
9-1 |
|
57 |
Matt Gowan |
Mark Beeler |
3 |
8-15 |
|
58 |
Troy Redwine |
Kolby Redwine |
2 |
8-13 |
|
58 |
Tavin Napier |
Kyler Hagler |
4 |
8-13 |
|
60 |
Mark Morgan |
Drew Massingill |
3 |
8-10 |
|
61 |
Will VanEtten |
Chris Shouse |
3 |
8-8 |
|
62 |
Glen Uren |
DeWayne Ensley |
4 |
8-7 |
|
62 |
Trevor Phipps |
Chris Dodson |
4 |
8-7 |
|
64 |
J.B. McMillon |
BoBo Richardson |
5 |
8-6 |
|
64 |
Josh Norris |
Billy Norris |
3 |
8-6 |
|
66 |
Jim Thompson |
Jim Thompson Jr |
4 |
8-2 |
|
67 |
Quintin kale |
Chuck costic |
3 |
8-0 |
|
68 |
Michael Watkins |
Chris Bowen |
4 |
7-14 |
|
69 |
David Moore |
Mack Hall |
2 |
7-12 |
|
70 |
Anthony Vintson |
Katie Vintson |
4 |
7-11 |
|
71 |
Robert Smith |
Michael Hatton |
4 |
7-5 |
|
72 |
Ben Biller |
Dustin Vaughn |
3 |
7-2 |
|
73 |
Tyler Price |
Hunter Cox |
2 |
6-13 |
|
74 |
Kenneth Bradshaw |
Rick Camp |
3 |
6-10 |
|
75 |
Rob Leavitt |
Eric Stanbery |
2 |
6-7 |
|
76 |
Bryan Ainslie |
Gavin Ainslie |
3 |
6-2 |
|
77 |
Jesse Burnett |
Lin Burnett |
2 |
5-12 |
|
77 |
Brandon Harris |
Joe Scealf |
2 |
5-12 |
|
79 |
David Stokes |
Josh Revis |
2 |
5-11 |
|
80 |
Greg Morrow |
John Morrow |
2 |
5-10 |
|
80 |
Daniel Helton |
Matt Shelton |
2 |
5-10 |
|
82 |
Steven London |
Tom Perry |
1 |
5-9 |
|
83 |
Rick Worley |
Tyler Worley |
2 |
5-7 |
|
84 |
Ben Graves |
Robert Gibson |
2 |
5-6 |
|
85 |
J im Kester |
Jim Keister jr |
2 |
5-2 |
|
85 |
Brandon Bryant |
Sam Carris |
2 |
5-2 |
|
87 |
Gabe Keen |
Trevor St. John |
2 |
5-1 |
|
87 |
David Baskette |
Scott White |
2 |
5-1 |
|
89 |
Carl Knight |
Carl Knight |
2 |
4-15 |
|
89 |
Nathan Beard |
Brian Oxendine |
3 |
4-15 |
|
91 |
Travis Shrader |
Steven Lowery |
2 |
4-9 |
|
92 |
John Boyd |
Jerry Cornwell |
2 |
4-8 |
|
93 |
Kayla Tipton |
Kasey Hunley |
2 |
4-4 |
|
94 |
Travis Lawson |
Travis Lawson |
1 |
4-2 |
|
95 |
Brien Bates |
Hank Weathers |
2 |
4-1 |
|
95 |
Jordan Young |
Kevin Foy |
2 |
4-1 |
|
97 |
Lane Holsonback |
Tyler Chumley |
2 |
3-13 |
|
98 |
Brandon Moore |
Matt Clay |
1 |
3-8 |
|
99 |
Jeff Walker |
Caleb Luzader |
1 |
3-1 |
|
99 |
Jordan Bolton |
Harley Owens |
1 |
3-1 |
|
99 |
Brandon Gaylor |
Rodney Gaylor |
1 |
3-1 |
|
102 |
Chris Engelage |
Soldier |
1 |
2-11 |
|
103 |
Ricky Miller |
James Rogers |
1 |
2-9 |
|
103 |
Joseph Sanders |
Johnathan Peck |
1 |
2-9 |
|
105 |
Bobby Kilgore |
Marty Barnes |
1 |
2-7 |
|
106 |
Michael Lamb |
Eric Morrison |
1 |
2-0 |
|
107 |
Ronnie Richie |
Hunter Richie |
1 |
1-3 |