Director Capt Jake Davis (615) 613-2382 or sctnbassnation@gmail.com
Tennessee B.A.S.S. Nation Conservation/High School Awarde
October 27, 2020
Tennessee B.A.S.S. Nation Conservation/High School Awarded 2020 FishAmerica Foundation/American Sport Fishing Association Grant
Winchester, Tenn. — In July 2020, the FishAmerica Foundation solicited projects from grassroots nonprofit organizations conducting projects designed to improve sport fish populations, aquatic habitat, or water quality. Tennessee B.A.S.S. Nation is excited to announce they have been awarded the 2020 FishAmerica Foundation grant for their Statewide Lake Habitat Rehabilitation and Clean Waters Project.
“Competition for funds was extremely tough with 25 proposals requesting over $550,000 in total, 10 times more than we had available. We are able to support four of those projects, including Tennessee B.A.S.S. Nation High School/Conservation,” stated Andy Loftus, FAF Grants Manager.
Tennessee B.A.S.S. Nation is incredibly grateful and excited to receive the 2020 FishAmerica Foundation grants. The organization also extends a huge thanks to Brunswick Public Foundation for assisting with funding projects across the country, such as the 2020 Tennessee B.A.S.S. Nation Statewide Habitat and Clean Waters Project.
Tennessee waters affected by the grant are Kentucky Lake, Percy Priest, Normandy Lake, Woods Reservoir, and Tims Ford Lake. Work will be completed by an all-volunteer force, including Tennessee B.A.S.S. Nation high school members. All work will be directly supervised by TWRA Fisheries Lake Managers, TWRA Fisheries Assistant Chief Henegar, and Tennessee B.A.S.S. Conservation Director Captain Jake Davis along with the help of B.A.S.S. Nation High School Coaches and Advisors. Habitat structures will be comprised of five-gallon buckets, PVC, secured in place with concrete, cement block for the “Christmas For Fishes” projects, and more than 35,000 4-foot wooden stakes for deployment at low water levels during the winter drawdowns.
Habitat and lake clean-up workdays will start in November 2020 and run through February 2021. Placement will be determined by TWRA Lake Mangers and the Tennessee B.A.S.S. Conservation Director. The GPS coordinates of each site will be recorded by TWRA and posted on their website as public information for all anglers’ use and benefit.
Tennessee B.A.S.S. Nation has an extremely active group of youth anglers from the junior level through high school and college. Tennessee B.A.S.S. Nation High School/Youth is the largest youth fishing organization in the country. This group consists of 1416 high school anglers and 337 junior anglers. Tennessee B.A.S.S. Nation is a Statewide “TN Promise” service hour provider, allowing college students and college-bound students to gain much-needed volunteer hours toward the Tennessee Promise Scholarship requirements.
Further information on the 2020 Tennessee B.A.S.S. Nation Statewide Habitat and Clean Waters Project can be found at www.sctnbassnation.com or by contacting Captain Jake Davis at sctnbassnation@gmail.com or 615.613.2382.
Contact: Captain Jake Davis, TN B.A.S.S. Nation High School/Youth and TN Conservation Director, 383 Oak Circle, Winchester, TN 37398, 615-613-2382 or sctnbassnation@gmail.com
Site Co Fairview Handicap Fishing Pier at Devils Step Ramp,
By David Lowrie, TWRA Outreach Spec
Fairview Handicap Fishing Pier at Devils Step Ramp, Tims Ford Lake is now open and dedicated to people with disabilities.
From March 17 through April 2 several groups came together and built a new handicapped accessible fishing pier on Tims Ford Lake. Spearheaded by local fishing guide and Tennessee BASS Nation Conservation Director Captain Jake Davis, the volunteers completed the project while following the required social distancing guidelines currently in place.
“We limited the number of people that could help at any given time and we battled heavy rains. Because of that a project that should have taken four or five days took three weeks, but we got it done. I want to thank everyone that made this possible,” said Captain Davis.
Davis stated that all the money to cover the materials for the project through donations.
Austin Jones/DJ Drake earn National Championship Berth
Date of Event: Sunday, 26 January 2020 Location: Toledo Bend, Many Louisiana
Franklin County High School BASS Team members Austin Jones and DJ Drake earn the first seat to the 2020 BASS Master High School National Championship with their 5th Place finish, while competing in the Mossy Oak BASS Master Central Open held on Toledo Bend Reservoir, Many Louisiana , Sunday 26 January 2020. Sixteen High School Teams and Four Junior teams from across Tennessee made the 600-mile trip this past weekend to Toledo Bend Reservoir in Many La. Captained by Scotty Powers, Austin and DJ had one day of practice to find their fish and put a plan together. With water temperatures hovering around 54 degrees, Jones and Drake found their fish in 15 foot of water using a 6XD Crankbait and A Carolina Rig. At the end of the day Sunday, Austin and DJ found themselves with a five fish limit weighing in at 15-1 and finishing 5thplace in a 180-team field comprised of High School anglers from across the country. Winning the first seat for Franklin County to the 2020 BASS Master High School National Championship this coming summer. Sixteen High School teams from Tennessee BASS Nation High School and four Junior Teams. TBN BASS Nation High School/Youth anglers earned a total of three seats to the National Championship. All four Junior teams representing Tennessee placed in the top ten of their 50 boat field. Joining Drake and Jones at the National championship will be Jaxon Sullivan - Spencer Milholen Scotts Hill High School Anglers 5 / 11 - 15 in 13th Place and Tanner Scruggs - Storm Cline Anderson Co. 5 / 11 - 9 in 14th Place. Only the top ten percent of the field earn seats to the National Championship in the BASS Master High School Open events. TBN High School and Junior’s next stop for Central Region will be 15 Feb 2020 on Normandy Lake and State level event 22 Feb 2020 on Nickajack Lake. Additional Information: Contact Central Tennessee BASS Nation Director Capt Jake Davis at 615-613-2382 or sctnbassnation@gmail.com or visit www.sctnbassnation.com .
DJ Drake and Austin Jones with 5 fish wieghing 15.1 for 5th Place finish
2019 Tennessee B.A.S.S. Nation Conservation Lake Clean Up
Saturday, 23 November 2019 Time: 9am to 3pm Location: Tims Ford Lake and Percy Priest Lake
2019 Tennessee B.A.S.S. Nation Conservation Lake Clean Up
Date of Event: Saturday, 23 November 2019
Time: 9am to 3pm
Location: Tims Ford Lake and Percy Priest Lake
POC: Capt Jake Davis, TN BASS Nation High School/Youth and TN Conservation Director 615-613-2382 or sctnbassnation@gmail.com
On 23 Nov 2019, Central Tennessee B.A.S.S. Nation High School in conjunction with the Tims Ford Council, Fate Sanders Marina, Franklin County Waste Management, Franklin County TN Litter Education, TWRA and TVA completed the first of several lake cleanup days for the 2019-2020 Winter on Tims Ford Lake and Percy Priest Lake in Rutherford County.
Event organizers will be providing trash bags, gloves and picker up tools. TWRA and area BASS Nation High School Bass Teams provided boats to transport folks to areas of high concern and to deliver trash back to the dumpsters.
Event organizer Capt Jake Davis, Central Tennessee BASS Nation Director said “This was an amazing job completed by a concerned citizens from across Central Tennessee.” Ninety percent of the trash the crews picked up during this event came from drainage ditch areas and causeways. We need residents to become more educated on the damage being done when they throw their empty beer bottles, cans and tires out alongside the road. Please it is just as easy to throw garbage out at home or at a proper disposal station which is provided by the county governments. The Tims Ford segment consisted of over 60 individuals mostly from the High School and Youth BASS Teams from Franklin County, Warren County, Lincoln County, Coffee County High School Teams with help from Motlow State Students filling TN Promise hours and half dozen Tims Ford Council Members. On Percy Priest at Fate Sanders Marina, the High School Fishing teams from Mt. Juliet, Beech High School and Backwoods Bassin provided over 90 individuals to remove trash from the shorelines.
All total the Tims Ford Crew and Percy Priest Crew removed an estimated Twenty-Five thousand pounds of trash this past weekend from these Tennessee Reservoirs.
Central Tennessee BASS Nation High School/Youth and Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency are planning to host several more events to cleanup the area lakes and to restore habitat for fish and wildlife alike. These will take place on Tims Ford, Normandy and Percy Priest Lakes between 1 Dec 2019 and 1 April 2020… Additional Information: Contact Tennessee BASS Nation Conservation Director Capt Jake Davis at 615-613-2382 or sctnbassnation@gmail.com or visit www.sctnbassnation.com
TBN HS/Juniors and Motlow students team up to help Tims Ford
Community Service/TN Promise OPPORTUNITIES
Lake Clean Up/Habitat Restoration Projects:
Lake Clean Up/Habitat Restoration Projects:
AFTCO/CTN Tims Ford Lake: On going until 1 April 2020, work days are varied and Major Project days are posted on Facebook page contact Capt Jake Davis sctnbassnation@gmail.com or 615-613-2382
Mt Juliet Fishing, Symrna, Beech Fishing (Percy Priest and Old Hickory)
Scheduled Lake Clean is 23 Nov 2019 9am to 3pm, headquartered at Fate Sanders Marina . This is an outstanding opportunity for us to give back to our resources on Percy Priest and Old Hickory Lake. So, let’s put all we can into this and make it happen mark your calendars and we will see you there. Details, address, and times closer to the dates will be available at www.sctnbassnation.com and the Mt Juliet Fishing team Facebook page.
Coffee County Youth Bass, Tullahoma High School Bass, Franklin County Bass Teams (Tims Ford Lake)
Scheduled Lake Clean Up, 23 Nov 2019, Headquartered out of Devils Step ramp from 9am to 3pm
This is an outstanding opportunity for us to give back to our resources on Tims Ford Lake . So, let’s put all we can into this and make it happen mark your calendars and we will see you there.
Habitat Restoration and Lake Clean up: Between 1 Nov 2019 and 1 April 2020, we will be conducting Lake Clean Up on Normandy Lake and Tims Ford Lake. We will be conducting Habitat build days making Bamboo Habitat Structures, constructing spawning benches and collecting Christmas Trees for placement in Woods Reservoir, Tims Ford and Normandy Lakes. We will be working on this everyday that weather permits between 18 November 2019 and 30 March 2020, Proposed days are 20, 21, 27, 29 Dec and 2, 4, 5 January 2020... Best to contact Capt Jake via email or text a day prior sctnbassnation@gmail.com or 615-613-2382
