How-To

Lester’s top fall lures for Chickamauga and Nickajack

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Cooler weather, active bass and two lakes meandering through Chattanooga, a top east Tennessee tourism destination. A weekend vacation here is the perfect fall getaway. Pack your suitcase and make your plans for prime fishing on Chickamauga and Nickajack lakes, both on the Tennessee River.
Cooler weather, active bass and two lakes meandering through Chattanooga, a top east Tennessee tourism destination. A weekend vacation here is the perfect fall getaway. Pack your suitcase and make your plans for prime fishing on Chickamauga and Nickajack lakes, both on the Tennessee River.
Leave the lure packing to Bassmaster Elite Series pro and Tennessean Brandon Lester. He attended the University of Tennessee Chattanooga, and grew up in nearby southern middle Tennessee. He fished both lakes for fun, also winning tournaments on both lakes. “When I wasn’t in class, I was fishing. And sometimes when I should have been in class.”
Leave the lure packing to Bassmaster Elite Series pro and Tennessean Brandon Lester. He attended the University of Tennessee Chattanooga, and grew up in nearby southern middle Tennessee. He fished both lakes for fun, also winning tournaments on both lakes. “When I wasn’t in class, I was fishing. And sometimes when I should have been in class.”
Everything you need is about to go inside this empty tacklebox. Lester will fill it with top picks for fishing two of his favorite lakes during fall.
Everything you need is about to go inside this empty tacklebox. Lester will fill it with top picks for fishing two of his favorite lakes during fall.
<b>Lure Details:</b>River2Sea Whopper Plopper 110, Bone. “The 110 is a good mix of the features with the 90 and 130 models. It’s not too big and not too small. Just right for fall on the Tennessee River.”
Lure Details:River2Sea Whopper Plopper 110, Bone. “The 110 is a good mix of the features with the 90 and 130 models. It’s not too big and not too small. Just right for fall on the Tennessee River.”
<b>How to fish it: </b>“It’s a good choice for covering water when looking for active fish that are always on the move. Fish it around the edges of grasslines, where the bass will be hiding to ambush passing baitfish.”
How to fish it: “It’s a good choice for covering water when looking for active fish that are always on the move. Fish it around the edges of grasslines, where the bass will be hiding to ambush passing baitfish.”
<B>Lure details:</b> Heddon Super Spook Jr., Bone. “It matches the size of the baitfish being fed upon by hungry largemouth in the fall. The fish are always roaming and looking for baitfish.”
Lure details: Heddon Super Spook Jr., Bone. “It matches the size of the baitfish being fed upon by hungry largemouth in the fall. The fish are always roaming and looking for baitfish.”
<B>How to fish it:</b> “I keep this outfit rigged and ready whenever the bass begin schooling on the surface and feeding on bait. The action can erupt at any time, and this is a good rig to grab and cast right into the feeding action. This lure is slower and louder than the Whopper Plopper, making it a good option.”
How to fish it: “I keep this outfit rigged and ready whenever the bass begin schooling on the surface and feeding on bait. The action can erupt at any time, and this is a good rig to grab and cast right into the feeding action. This lure is slower and louder than the Whopper Plopper, making it a good option.”
<B>Lure details: </b>3/8-ounce swim jig, white, with 3-inch X Zone Lures Mini Slammer. “It’s a swimbait-style trailer that mimics shad. The action of the all-white package does the same thing, imitating a slowly swimming baitfish, just ready to be ambushed by a bass.”
Lure details: 3/8-ounce swim jig, white, with 3-inch X Zone Lures Mini Slammer. “It’s a swimbait-style trailer that mimics shad. The action of the all-white package does the same thing, imitating a slowly swimming baitfish, just ready to be ambushed by a bass.”
<B>How to fish it:</b>“Just simply cast it out and slowly wind it back. Fish it around the edges of grasslines, and the open areas between them.”
How to fish it:“Just simply cast it out and slowly wind it back. Fish it around the edges of grasslines, and the open areas between them.”
<b>Lure details: </b>1/4-ounce Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap, Chrome Blue Back. “Yet again, it mimics the size of the shad. The lighter 1/4-ounce size allows it to be fished in 1- to 2-feet of water.”
Lure details: 1/4-ounce Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap, Chrome Blue Back. “Yet again, it mimics the size of the shad. The lighter 1/4-ounce size allows it to be fished in 1- to 2-feet of water.”
<B>How to fish it:</b> “Just cast it out and wind back in. Slow. What I’m looking for are bass in the backs of the creeks, feeding on shad. What I like about the lighter weight bait is it can be fished in super shallow water. Back in my team tournament days I won a lot of tournaments on Chickamauga with this pattern in the fall.”
How to fish it: “Just cast it out and wind back in. Slow. What I’m looking for are bass in the backs of the creeks, feeding on shad. What I like about the lighter weight bait is it can be fished in super shallow water. Back in my team tournament days I won a lot of tournaments on Chickamauga with this pattern in the fall.”
<B>Lure details:</b> Squarebill crankbait in 1.5 size and shad color. “Any brand will do, just choose the color pattern that looks like a shad.”
Lure details: Squarebill crankbait in 1.5 size and shad color. “Any brand will do, just choose the color pattern that looks like a shad.”
<B>How to fish it:</b> “I use the squarebill around channel swing banks or when encountering isolated laydowns in the creeks. Being a crankbait makes it ideal for covering water. And you can’t beat the strike appeal when it deflects off wood and rock.”
How to fish it: “I use the squarebill around channel swing banks or when encountering isolated laydowns in the creeks. Being a crankbait makes it ideal for covering water. And you can’t beat the strike appeal when it deflects off wood and rock.”
<B>Lure details:</B> 3/8-ounce Z-Man Chatterbait, with 3.25-inch X Zone Lures Muscle Back Finesse Craw, all white. “The trailer adds a very enticing swimming action with the already proven action of the bladed jig.”
Lure details: 3/8-ounce Z-Man Chatterbait, with 3.25-inch X Zone Lures Muscle Back Finesse Craw, all white. “The trailer adds a very enticing swimming action with the already proven action of the bladed jig.”
<B>How to fish it: </b>“Fish it around grassline edges and open areas around grass, which are the same places for fishing the swim jig. The bladed jig adds more of a thumping action. Switch to this when the swim jig won’t get bites.”
How to fish it: “Fish it around grassline edges and open areas around grass, which are the same places for fishing the swim jig. The bladed jig adds more of a thumping action. Switch to this when the swim jig won’t get bites.”
<B>Lure details: </b>Spro Dean Rojas Bronzeye Frog 60. “It’s the frog everyone uses on the Tennessee River system.”
Lure details: Spro Dean Rojas Bronzeye Frog 60. “It’s the frog everyone uses on the Tennessee River system.”
<B>How to fish it: </b>“Fish it across heavily matted vegetation. The thickest mats you can find near fall migratory routes, like creek channel mouths, flats along the main river channel and inside creeks.”
How to fish it: “Fish it across heavily matted vegetation. The thickest mats you can find near fall migratory routes, like creek channel mouths, flats along the main river channel and inside creeks.”
<B>Lure details: </b>X Zone Lures 3.5-inch Muscle Back Finesse Craw, Okeechobee Craw. Rig with a 3/0 Mustad Grip-Pin Max Hook, with 1.5-ounce Mustad Tungsten TitanX Worm Weight. “If I could only go on either lake with one big bass bait, this would be the choice. The increased density of the tungsten transmits more feedback up the line for better strike detection.”
Lure details: X Zone Lures 3.5-inch Muscle Back Finesse Craw, Okeechobee Craw. Rig with a 3/0 Mustad Grip-Pin Max Hook, with 1.5-ounce Mustad Tungsten TitanX Worm Weight. “If I could only go on either lake with one big bass bait, this would be the choice. The increased density of the tungsten transmits more feedback up the line for better strike detection.”
<B>How to fish it: </b>“Edges of thick matted grass, the thickest you can find, and around the same areas as you do with the frog. Big bass bury themselves underneath thick mats for concealment from baitfish.”
How to fish it: “Edges of thick matted grass, the thickest you can find, and around the same areas as you do with the frog. Big bass bury themselves underneath thick mats for concealment from baitfish.”
<B>Lure details: </b>Topwater buzz-style toad with Mustad UltraPoint Grip-Pin Wide Gap Soft Plastic Hook. “It’s an alternative to the frog. The gurgling sound it makes attracts bass in low light.”
Lure details: Topwater buzz-style toad with Mustad UltraPoint Grip-Pin Wide Gap Soft Plastic Hook. “It’s an alternative to the frog. The gurgling sound it makes attracts bass in low light.”
<B>How to fish it:</b> “Work it over the top of scattered grass. It’s better than the frog for open water, because it has more action, and you can cover more water too. This gives you two options for fishing vegetation with a topwater-action lure. Use it in low light to attract roaming bass early in the morning.”
How to fish it: “Work it over the top of scattered grass. It’s better than the frog for open water, because it has more action, and you can cover more water too. This gives you two options for fishing vegetation with a topwater-action lure. Use it in low light to attract roaming bass early in the morning.”
<B>Lure details: </B>X Zone Lures 5-inch True Center Stick, rigged wacky style on No. 2 Mustad TitanX Wacky/Neko Hook.
Lure details: X Zone Lures 5-inch True Center Stick, rigged wacky style on No. 2 Mustad TitanX Wacky/Neko Hook.
<B>How to fish it:</b> “Use it anywhere when encountering pressured fish or conditions. I use it as a follow up bait when everything else fails.”
How to fish it: “Use it anywhere when encountering pressured fish or conditions. I use it as a follow up bait when everything else fails.”
“What you will find in this box is a lineup of lures capable of covering any situation encountered on your trip to Chickamauga and Nickajack. There are no gaps in the lure coverage for anything from the top to bottom of the water column.”
“What you will find in this box is a lineup of lures capable of covering any situation encountered on your trip to Chickamauga and Nickajack. There are no gaps in the lure coverage for anything from the top to bottom of the water column.”

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