TNCBA Reel Talk: Recent Episodes
Cody Dison
Your hosts, Cody and Kelsey from the TN Christian Bass Anglers, give you their perspectives on everything bass fishing in the East TN Region. Listen in as they recap tournaments, discuss Bassmaster Fantasy Fishing, present tips and tricks, and share stories from the Bass Club's fishing adventures.
It all comes down to this...its a close race in both the Rapala 5 and Drain the Lake! The question this week is how much does the lake play and will the weather allow anglers to unlock the smallmouth riches?
With only two tournaments remaining for the Bassmaster Elite series, our fantasy fishing points races are coming down to the wire. Lake Champlain offers multiple ways to catch fish and offers the chance to compete with both species. This event could lead to some dark horses showing out!
It's May on the Bassmaster Elite Series and that means we are getting into the post-spawn. Lay Lake is along the Coosa River so big spotted bass will play this week and as temps continue to rise there will be a shad spawn that makes some anglers look like heroes early in the morning. Current will also play a big role in this weeks event, and the anglers that play it right will capitalize in the afternoon. The big decision is, which locals do you choose and which low percentage guys do you pick to try and sneak ahead of the field?
After an explosion of fish catches on Lake Murray, the Bassmaster Elite Series rolls over to Santee Cooper where they are sure to bring some monster bass to the scales. Santee Cooper is a shallower lake than Murray and should be further along into the post-spawn phase. A lot of anglers will be in play as sight fishermen will be looking for the straggling spawners, shallow junk fishermen will be looking to capitalize on a shad spawn, and off-shore anglers will be looking to dial in the bass that spawned early in the year and have made an early move to their summer time haunts. Make sure you tune into Bassmaster Live to catch all the action starting April 27th!
I don't know if you have heard, but it's BASSMASTER CLASSIC WEEK! Boys and girls I think it is going to go off this weekend in Knoxville, TN and it is time to get those fantasy fishing picks in before the Classic anglers hit the water in the morning. Listen in as I talk about what I expect to go down on the TN River with the biggest championship in bass fishing on the line.
The Bassmaster Elite Series is pulling a back-to-back this week as they leave Okeechobee and head straight for Lake Seminole. Snyder and Dison sit down to talk about their dumpster fires from Okeechobee and discuss their picks for what is sure to be some great fishing this Thursday-Sunday. Be sure to get those picks in before Thursday!
It is time to get those picks in and fire up the fantasy fishing season! The elite series kicks off next week down in Florida on the famed Lake Okeechobee. Join me and Snyder as we talk about our pick and what we expect to see unfold.
This Saturday the TNCBA Classic qualifiers will be launching their boats into a rapidly changing Watauga Lake. Heavy rains last week and the first reel cold front of the Fall has left Watauga in flux. Anglers are sure to find certain sections of the lake much more productive than others, but which sections of the lake will hold the key to TNCBA Classic victory? Local Watauga hammer, Kevin Stevenson, and I sit down to briefly discuss the current conditions of Watauga Lake and discuss what we think will be the prevailing patterns on November 19th!
It all comes down to this...one final tournament to decide the 2022 TNCBA Angler of the Year. The three man race will be decided on Watauga Lake this Saturday as the TNCBA wraps things up with the TNCBA Classic. A gap has formed between the top three and the rest of the field, but the potential for big bass and lots of bonus points could wreck havoc on the point scenarios. Let's dive into all the possibilities!
It all comes down to this, the final regular season event of the year and after the final fish hits the scales Saturday, we will crown our 2022 TNCBA Team of the Year. Its a three race between Hodges/Lester, Legg/Rice, and Crockett/Oiler, and a Tough Fall Transition can lead to fireworks at the scales.
The ninth event of the season is approaching quickly and the Fall Feed is starting up. Topwater should be in play, but transitioning bass will still make it a challenge. Here is a quick report from Saturday, October 15th.
This past weekend I fished the Big Bass Tour on Douglas Lake. Would I fish another one? My answer is a resounding...
The calendar has rolled over to October and the cool weather has arrived. The TNCBA has just three tournaments remaining to determine the angler of the year and there are many different directions the points could go. There has also been some great schedules released for local tournament trails. Finally, we talk a little bit about the Big Bass Tour happening next week on Douglas Lake.
The Boone Lake tournament is coming up Friday night, September 16th and it looks to be a grinder!
It all comes down to this, the final Bassmaster Elite Series event of the year on the Mississippi River. The points race is tight and we should be treated to a power fishing packed tournament. Don't miss any of the action Friday through Monday, and be sure to check in on the points each day after the scales close!
Dison talks about the biggest unknown of the 2022 Elite season as the anglers head for Lake Oahe in South Dakota. This will certainly be a fun one to see how it plays out!
Dison and Snyder discuss how the Elite Series event on the St. Lawrence River will playout. This year they are launching from Clayton, NY (*Closer to Lake Ontario) and the Canadian side is open...this could mean monster bags. Will we see a century belt be claimed with all smallmouth? Be sure to set your team and tune in to Bassmaster Live Thursday-Sunday!
Kelsey and Cody talk about how Guntersville and Douglas played out. These two June tournaments forced anglers to make adjustments throughout the tournament.
The guys down at Guntersville discuss their practice and how they think the tournament will playout.
Snyder, Dison, and Harvey sit down and discuss their strategy for the upcoming Elite Series event on Pickwick Lake. This should be a ledge fishing event, but shallow water anglers will play. The question is who? With only four tournaments remaining, every pick is crucial!
Join Kelsey and Cody as they discuss what went down on a stingy Watauga Lake and look forward to what will hopefully be a TN River smackdown on Lake Guntersville June 9-10.
Following the shad spawn the bank bite can begin to slow down and while not all bass will leave the bank, a large population will follow the bait out to deeper water. These schools of bass out deep can lead to some great fishing in the Summer heat. Kelsey and Cody talk about their approach to fishing off-shore in this tips, tricks, and how-to.
The swim jig is a versatile bait that can be used around all sorts of cover to target bass that are healing up from the spawn. Join Cody and Kelsey as they discuss approaches and adjustments that will help you fish this bait throughout the water column and skip it into those tight places!
The Bassmaster Elite Series is back after a break and they are headed to Texas, land of the giants. Join Dison, Snyder, and Harvey as they discuss their predictions and picks for what should be another shot at the century mark for Bassmaster Elite Series anglers!
When these threadfin start bump'n, the bass start thump'n! As bass begin to wrap up the spawn, God brings them a recovery meal in the form of a shad spawn. Shad will move around cover in the shallows as the water temperatures rise into the 70's, and you better be in the right place to capitalize early! Join Kelsey and Cody as they discuss their thoughts on the shad spawn and how they approach it.
On this episode of TNCBA Tips, Tricks, and How-To, Kelsey and Cody talk about one of the Harvey's favorite post-spawn techniques...the Floating Worm. The floating worm is an erratic presentation that draws bass out from cover.
As the spawn begins to fade into the post-spawn you will start to find fry guarders and bass hanging around cover to heal up. The pop-r is an excellent bait that can hang out in the strike zone and aggravate bass until they strike. Join Kelsey and Cody as they discuss one of their favorite top water baits in the post-spawn, the pop-r!
Join Kelsey and Cody as they look back at the South Holston tournament and preview the next TNCBA event in May on Watauga.
Through the spawn and into the post-spawn it can sometimes be important to slow down and take a finesse approach. The subtle action and slow fall of a wacky rigged stick bait can be exactly what you need to entice a bedding bass or fry guarder. During this how-to video Kelsey and Cody talk about their basic setup and approach to the wacky rig.
As the weather stabilizes and bass move on beds, it's important to be efficient as you are searching for these spawning areas. Waking the Long-A can be a great way to expose bass that are moving up and the top water action will be sure to get your heart thumping. Kelsey and Cody talk about their setup and modifications as they wake the Long-A in the Spring.
As the full moon in April rolls around, it's time to reach for that little green worm and go after bedding smallmouth on these highland reservoirs of East TN. The majority of time you are not able to look at these smallmouth when they are on the beds, so it is critical to dissect an area once you get bit. Listen in as Kelsey and Cody discuss the basics of their approach as smallmouth begin to move on to beds on lakes like South Holston.
Join Kelsey and Cody as they discuss the events of this past weekend and look forward to our next event on South Holston Lake.
The Bassmaster Elite Series is coming to the state of TN this week and a cold front will be here to greet them as they set out on the waters of Chickamauga Lake. Cody and Kelsey sit down to talk about their picks for what is sure to be a tournament where adjusting to the conditions will be critical!
Glides and big swimbaits are their own niche within the bass fishing world and as bass move shallow, these baits can show and/or catch the biggest bass in the lake. Glides and big swimbaits will play from now all the way through the post-spawn. During this video Cody and Kelsey discuss some basics and how they use these baits as a search tool.
Described sometimes as old school, spinnerbaits have been proven over the years to catch quality. In this TNCBA Tips, Tricks, and How-To episode Cody and Kelsey talk about small modifications they make during the pre-spawn to go after big bass that are staging up.
Keeping with the cranking theme for March, Cody and Kelsey discuss squarebill crankbaits. Squarebills are masters at coming through cover and the deflections caused by crashing this bait into objects can cause a reaction strike. As bass move shallow, they will start to stage on cover such as stumps and rocks, and that is when these baits dominate.
Its been a controversial bait since it burst onto the scene, but it is a lure that has its place time. And, if you aren't throwing it when its on, your playing catch up. In this episode of TNCBA Tips, Ticks, and How-To, Cody and Kelsey discuss their approach to the A-Rig. This technique will exhaust you without the right setup and approach.
Santee Cooper has been known to set Bassmaster records in the past, will it this weekend? Join Dison as he breaks down his picks solo from stormy Florida. The fish are bound to be in multiple stages and will leave some anglers scratching their heads. Make sure your picks are in as the Bassmaster Elite Series launches on to Santee Cooper on March 17th!
In the world of crankbaits there all kinds of different shapes, styles, and actions, and one style of crankbait that really seems to shine the most in the pre-spawn is the lipless crankbait. Join Cody and Kelsey as the they discuss setups and types of structure they look for to utilize the lipless crankbait.
Its Classic Week!...and the super bowl of bass fishing is visiting a lake that we have had the pleasure of visiting for our club out-of-town tournaments. Hartwell is a lake that has lots of options with spotted bass and largemouth in play, and the weather is setting up for anglers to throw the whole kitchen sink at these bass. Join Dison, Snyder, and Harvey as they discuss their favorites for the 2022 Bassmaster Classic.
As March rolls around, power fishing comes to play...and there's no sweeter sight to my eyes than that of a crawfish colored crankbait hanging from the tip of my rod. This episode of TNCBA Tips, Tricks, and How-To finds Cody and Kelsey discussing cold water cranking as those big girls start to make their push shallow in those lengthening Spring days. Lets get cranking!
This episode of TNCBA Tips, Tricks, and How-To takes us into the world of jerkbaits. Cody and Kelsey talk about some jerkbait basics and setups they like to help you build confidence during this upcoming jerkbait season. With daylight hours lengthening and the water temps slowly rising, this technique is sure to be firing off in the coming weeks as the bass start to move.
The Bassmaster Elite Series is rolling straight into the Harris Chain of Lakes after an event last week on the St. Johns River. This week Dison, Snyder, and Harvey discuss their picks for what could be a sight fishing bonanza on the wake of warm temps and a full moon in Florida.
This episode of TNCBA Tips, Tricks, and How-To with Cody and Kelsey dives into the details of finesse swimbaits. These baits can unlock a stingy bite year around, but they are especially deadly this time of year and are great for matching the forage in our East TN lakes.
In this episode of TNCBA Tips, Tricks, and How-To, Kelsey and Cody talk about selecting the right rod. The rod is an essential tool that, when the right tool is selected, will take on the giant task of landing those precious bass that you will be taking to the scales...so choose wisely!
Dison, Harvey, and Snyder talk bucket picks and drain the lake for Bassmaster Fantasy Fishing as the Elite Series is set to kick off their season February 10th!
A lot of people are interested in fishing tournaments, but are hesitant because of the stress that can come with the prep and crowds that go along with tournament fishing. In this episode Kelsey and I discuss things to research, have in the boat (*we left out weigh-in bag), and practice so that you can relieve stress and have fun when you jump into your first tournament.
The weather outdoors maybe nasty, but its a perfect time to be getting ready for the 2022 tournament season. In this episode of TNCBA Tips, Tricks, and How-To, Kelsey and Cody discuss what things they do to make sure their tackle and gear are in great shape for the season.
The TN Christian Bass Anglers Tips, Tricks, and How-To's are geared towards helping our members be better prepared for the time they spend on the water. In this first episode, Cody and Kelsey discuss essential items that help them stay focused on fishing when the weather turns nasty.
In this episode of tips, tricks, and how-to's, Kelsey Harvey and Cody Dison discuss the dominant winter time technique known as tight-lining. They discuss their setup and approach to a technique that catches a ton of Northeast TN smallmouth in the winter.