Fans rise early to watch start of bass tournament

The rising sun glistened on water and light fog rose from Pickwick Lake this morning as the Stren Series championship bass tournament got under way.

About 25 spectators stood along the shoreline at McFarland Park to watch the 386 anglers competing in the tournament head onto the Tennessee River for a day of fishing. Among them was Laura Hoogenboom of Twinsburg, Ohio, whose son Kevin is competing in the co-angler division of the tournament. Co-anglers fish from the rear deck of a bass boat piloted by a competitor in the pro angler division.

Laura Hoogenboom said watching the anglers take off one at time from the dock to race to fishing spots on Pickwick and Wilson lakes was exciting. It was her first time to watch a tournament take off. Her son began fishing in Stren Series this year.

She said it was not difficult to wake up before sunrise to watch the take off, which began at 6:30 a.m. “There was no way I was going to miss Kevin his first championship. Plus, I am an early riser anyway so being out here this early was not a problem.”

The tournament, which features top Stren Series anglers from throughout the America, continues through Saturday. Weigh-in today and Friday begin at 3 p,m. at McFarland Park. Saturday's weigh-in begins at 4 p.m. at Walmart in Florence.