BILL DANCE GIANT BASS $ 5,000 grand prize for biggest fish , he
OPENS SLATED FOR 2024 that he thinks of as “ fishing towns .” He identifies several of those towns located on or near a Bill Dance Signature Lake – Dayton , Dandridge ( Douglas Lake ), Paris ( Kentucky Lake ), Tiptonville ( Reelfoot ), Pickwick ( Pickwick Lake ) and Watauga ( Watauga Lake ), to name a few .
diversified with a multitude of fish across the state . I love Tennessee , and if you ’ re a fisherman , there are lots of reasons for you to love it , too .”
The Signature Lakes Effect
Dance grew up wading and walking the banks of East Fork Mulberry Creek while on summer visits to his grandparents ’ home in Lynchburg , Tennessee . Those childhood experiences and core memories fueled Dance throughout his life , eventually leading to a career as a tournament angler in the late 1960s and , eventually , the debut of his namesake show on WHBQ in 1968 .
In the seven decades since his days of catching smallmouth on Mulberry Creek , Dance has crisscrossed Tennessee innumerable times and fished virtually every nook , cranny and corner where bass , crappie , bluegill , stripers and catfish swim in the Volunteer State .
Dance emphasizes that easy access to good fishing spots is critical to the overall success of the Signature Lakes program , and that the function of the $ 15 million initiative is as much about facilities as it is about the fish swimming in Tennessee ’ s lakes .
“ You know , there ’ s plenty of good fishing spots in our state if you know where to look for ‘ em , but good fishing starts with good facilities and a well-managed fishery ,” Dance acknowledges .
That ’ s a nod to the entire ecosystem of a Bill Danceapproved “ legendary ” fishing exprience , which includes not only an abundance of fish , healthy habitat and clean water , but functional , well-maintained launch ramps , fishing piers , courtesy docks , restroom facilities and concessions where possible . In the two years since the launch of the Bill Dance Signature initiative , lakes in the program have already been stocked with more than 9 million fish , and have received hundreds of habitat structures to enhance fish survivability . In addition , multiple improvements to boat ramps and parking facilities have already been completed , with future construction of new parking facilities , fishing piers , access points and courtesy docks on the docket .
“ We care about keeping lakes fertile and well-stocked so people can catch fish when they visit , but the fishing experience is about more than that ,” Dance says . “( We need ) good docks , good launch ramps , good restrooms and concessions buildings . People have a good experience and word travels fast : ‘ So and so ’ caught big bluegill at Fall Creek Falls . Well , how big ? My granddaddy caught a pounder , and somebody caught a 16-incher .’ That word gets out and fishermen start talking about it , that generates a lot of interest .”
“ Welcome to my fishing town ”
Just moments before Dance takes to the Giant Bass Open weigh-in stage in Dayton to oversee the awarding of the
BILL DANCE GIANT BASS $ 5,000 grand prize for biggest fish , he
speaks enthusiastically and affectionately about towns throughout the state
OPENS SLATED FOR 2024 that he thinks of as “ fishing towns .” He identifies several of those towns located on or near a Bill Dance Signature Lake – Dayton , Dandridge ( Douglas Lake ), Paris ( Kentucky Lake ), Tiptonville ( Reelfoot ), Pickwick ( Pickwick Lake ) and Watauga ( Watauga Lake ), to name a few .
As he draws an imaginary trail in the air that leads from Reelfoot Lake to the Mississippi River to Kentucky Lake to Pickwick Lake to Dale Hollow Lake to Douglas Lake – calling out each of these lakes ’ best fishing opportunities and some of the Signature Lakes stocking , habitat and facilities-improvements projects accomplished there – Dance emphasizes the importance of fishing to communities around the state . He ’ s proud of that fact that the Bill Dance Signature Lakes could positively affect 39 counties , including 22 that have been identified as “ at risk ” or “ economically distressed .”
Dance embraces the notion that the entire state of Tennessee ( with its halfmillion acre of lakes and deeply rooted fishing culture ) could be viewed as a “ fishing town ” that any angler in the country would be delighted to visit and fish .
“ When you think about it , you could say that the entire state of Tennessee is a fishing town ,” he says . “ What ( makes ) a fishing town ? I think it ’ s a multitude of things . I think it ’ s the people , the location , the history . A fishing town is one of those places that you know is a fishing town when you ’ re there – you can feel how important fishing is to that town . That ’ s the entire state of Tennessee . Welcome to my fishing town .”
WHEN COREY MILES AND CAMDYN CRANFILL crossed the stage at the inaugural Bill Dance Giant Bass Open ( Oct . 21-22 ) with 9.04- and 8.4-pound Lake Chickamauga studs , they became the first-ever grand prize winners in a series of events that will offer generous cash rewards in 2024 to adult and youth anglers throughout Tennessee . Miles and Cranfill were among 318 anglers who competed in the inaugural event , which doled out $ 55,000 in hourly awards and $ 6,5000 in grand prizes ($ 5,000 for Miles , $ 1,500 for Cranfill ’ s youth-division prize ).
Centered around the Bill Dance Signature Lakes , the 2024 Giant Bass Open series will again provide hourly cash prizes for biggest fish in both adult and youth divisions , and will lead to a championship event among the local winners .
2024 BILL DANCE GIANT BASS OPEN SCHEDULE February – Pickwick Lake March – Dale Hollow April – Douglas Lake June – Chickamauga September – Kentucky Lake Championship event – Location and dates TBD INFO : giantbassopen . com tnvacation . com / bill-dance-signature-lakes
DECEMBER-JANUARY 2024 | MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM 55