Chickamauga Lake, Tennessee
May 15 - 17, 2026 | $160,000
Event Details
Minn Kota Tennessee Big Bass Classic Presented by Fish Dayton - $155,000 GUARANTEED PRIZES & PAYOUTS
3 DAY EVENT
May 15th - 17th (Friday-Sunday)
May 15th - 17th (Friday-Sunday)
Entry Fee
Three Day $250 | Two Day $175 | One Day $125 | Youth $75 (Entry fees are per angler)
Location
Chickamauga Lake, Tennessee
Chickamauga Lake, Tennessee
Weigh-in Site
Dayton Boat Dock 175 Lakeshore St., Dayton, TN 37321
The start time (first cast) will be announced the week of the tournament.
GUARANTEED OVERALL GRAND PRIZE: $58,570
2026 NITRO® Z18 rigged with a Mercury® 150 L Pro XS® FourStroke
Minn Kota® Ultrex® QUEST™ 24V, 115-lb thrust, Bow Humminbird® XPLORE™ 9, Console Humminbird® XPLORE™ 9, Hot Foot® throttle, genuine two-tone cover, NITRO® trailer w/powder-coat finish & GALVASHIELD® Impact corrosion & chip protection, tandem-axle upgrade w/2 brakes, 18" black tire/wheel upgrade with spare and fiberglass fenders. To learn more about NITRO® boats, visit the website at Nitro.com.
Guaranteed Total Hourly Paybacks: $63,525
1st: $1,000
2nd: $500
3rd: $300
4th: $250
5th: $225
6th: $200
7th: $175
8th: $150
9th: $125
10th: $100
Youth Division Total Payback: $600
1st: $300
2nd: $200
3rd: $100
Early Entry Prizes: $37,500
Abu Garcia Veritas® 7'6" Casting Rod - Value $149.95
Click here to see the rod.
Early entry prizes go to the first 250 two or three-day online entrants. One-day and youth entries are not eligible for an early entry prize.
Early entry prizes may be picked up on the day listed below or during any tournament day. Please don't call our offices about early entry prizes. There is a prize counter at the top of each event page. Prizes are gone when the counter shows zero. We will post the date the counter goes to zero on the site. *Another angler may pick up your early entry prize if you cannot attend.
Early Entry Prize Pick-up
Thursday, May 14th, from 4-6 pm at Dayton Boat Dock. You may also pick up prizes on any of the tournament days.
Early Entry Prize Features
Minn Kota® Ultrex® QUEST™ 24V, 115-lb thrust, Bow Humminbird® XPLORE™ 9, Console Humminbird® XPLORE™ 9, Hot Foot® throttle, genuine two-tone cover, NITRO® trailer w/powder-coat finish & GALVASHIELD® Impact corrosion & chip protection, tandem-axle upgrade w/2 brakes, 18" black tire/wheel upgrade with spare and fiberglass fenders. To learn more about NITRO® boats, visit the website at Nitro.com.
Guaranteed Total Hourly Paybacks: $63,525
1st: $1,000
2nd: $500
3rd: $300
4th: $250
5th: $225
6th: $200
7th: $175
8th: $150
9th: $125
10th: $100
Youth Division Total Payback: $600
1st: $300
2nd: $200
3rd: $100
Early Entry Prizes: $37,500
Abu Garcia Veritas® 7'6" Casting Rod - Value $149.95
Click here to see the rod.
Early entry prizes go to the first 250 two or three-day online entrants. One-day and youth entries are not eligible for an early entry prize.
Early entry prizes may be picked up on the day listed below or during any tournament day. Please don't call our offices about early entry prizes. There is a prize counter at the top of each event page. Prizes are gone when the counter shows zero. We will post the date the counter goes to zero on the site. *Another angler may pick up your early entry prize if you cannot attend.
Early Entry Prize Pick-up
Thursday, May 14th, from 4-6 pm at Dayton Boat Dock. You may also pick up prizes on any of the tournament days.
Early Entry Prize Features
- Powerlux® 100 delivers a 15% stronger* and 5% lighter** rod, while remaining lightweight and well balanced.
- ROCS™ (Robotically Optimized Casting System) Guide train for maximized casting distance with lighter lures
- Titanium alloy guides with ultra-light zirconium inserts allow for a lightweight, balanced rod
- Closed-cell EVA grips give greater weather and wear resistance
- Ergonomic Abu-designed reel seat
Event Registration
Registration for an Event closes at 9:00 p.m. on the Thursday before the Event begins for a three-day entry. There will be no morning registration on Friday, Saturday, and/or Sunday of the Event. Participants may register online before the Event or in person at the designated time above during prize pickup hours. Once an event begins, participants who register late online must do so before 9:00 p.m. on Friday and before 6 p.m. on Saturday for the remaining days and must also adhere to the off-limits rules listed in section 6.02. Click here to see rule 6.02
Text System
You may enter yourself in the text system for this event by texting the word "chick" to 833-933-1717. We will enter your number in the system, but some carriers block this type of message, so entering it yourself will prevent the chance of being blocked. Also, if you have previously opted out of our system, you must re-opt in by texting the word start to 833-933-1717. If you opt out, we cannot put you back in the system.
**ANDROID USERS**
If you have an Android and aren't receiving texts from us, you will need to search for the number 833-933-1717 in your text app and accept that it is not spam.
Start Time
Because we host our tournaments at different times of year, we will notify everyone of the start time the week of the tournament. We will notify you via text message. Start time (first cast) for each tournament will be safe light and set by the tournament director. You may launch and be on the water, but you may not begin fishing until we notify you of the first cast. Please do not call our offices regarding the start time. We will post the start-fishing time on this page and text the time the week of the event. You will also be sent a live leaderboard link once the event begins.
Weigh-in Times: All days of the event
8-9 am
9-10 am
10-11 am
11 am-12 pm
12-1 pm
1-2 pm
2-3 pm
Registration for an Event closes at 9:00 p.m. on the Thursday before the Event begins for a three-day entry. There will be no morning registration on Friday, Saturday, and/or Sunday of the Event. Participants may register online before the Event or in person at the designated time above during prize pickup hours. Once an event begins, participants who register late online must do so before 9:00 p.m. on Friday and before 6 p.m. on Saturday for the remaining days and must also adhere to the off-limits rules listed in section 6.02. Click here to see rule 6.02
Text System
You may enter yourself in the text system for this event by texting the word "chick" to 833-933-1717. We will enter your number in the system, but some carriers block this type of message, so entering it yourself will prevent the chance of being blocked. Also, if you have previously opted out of our system, you must re-opt in by texting the word start to 833-933-1717. If you opt out, we cannot put you back in the system.
**ANDROID USERS**
If you have an Android and aren't receiving texts from us, you will need to search for the number 833-933-1717 in your text app and accept that it is not spam.
Start Time
Because we host our tournaments at different times of year, we will notify everyone of the start time the week of the tournament. We will notify you via text message. Start time (first cast) for each tournament will be safe light and set by the tournament director. You may launch and be on the water, but you may not begin fishing until we notify you of the first cast. Please do not call our offices regarding the start time. We will post the start-fishing time on this page and text the time the week of the event. You will also be sent a live leaderboard link once the event begins.
Weigh-in Times: All days of the event
8-9 am
9-10 am
10-11 am
11 am-12 pm
12-1 pm
1-2 pm
2-3 pm
Hotel Information
Fish Size Limits
Largemouth - 15" minimum
Smallmouth - 18" minimum ( 1 per day )
Spotted - no size limit
Largemouth - 15" minimum
Smallmouth - 18" minimum ( 1 per day )
Spotted - no size limit
Participants under 18 years of age must be accompanied by a parent or adult with written parental permission. If the youth angler is fishing with a parent or relative, no consent is needed. (Written parental permission must be provided to Event staff before the start of the Event) Participants under 18 years of age may not fish alone during the Event.
Junior Division for 2026. Participants 12 and under will compete for a top 3 event payout at a reduced entry fee. The entry fee for the entire event is $75 (regardless of the number of days fished), and we will pay three places for the top three bass weighed in during the event. Anglers 13 and over will compete for full payouts and pay full entry fees.
