danger zones...dont have to worry about badin too much. Just watch the no wake zones. Badin is a deep water lake for the most part. There is a old dam under water right at the trussel going up river to the dam. Stay out of the buoys on the left. You can go around them on the left just dont get in them. About 2-3 buoys there where the head of the old dam was at.

 Really you will see teams run up river and you will see teams run down river. Most likely it will be won from somewheres unexpected....lol. It always does. Everybody has a chance at it. You might see somebody catch some nice fish the week before and post them on here....it still dont mean nothing in a tourney. Trust me, I been there. I fished the NCCATS in 2006. I prefished all week...never caught a decent fish all week. Finished second in the tourney and had big fish at 49.3lbs. We just got lucky. With a two fish limit ...you can can win it in the last 15 minutes of the day so never give up. I will tell you this though...you can learn more at one of these events than you can fishing a month solo. We got a good group of folks fishing these events and they share information after a event is over with. Now as for me ...which way will i go? I cannot answer that myself right now....lol. I havent been on badin since the late spring.

As for the ramps. Old Whitney ramp would be closer for you. Thats where most people put in at. The main reason is because Alco ramp is on the southern end of the lake.  Alot of people fish from the dam to the gap. It's more confenident at old whitney. Theres a resturant in New london and one in Badin. But most of the guys on this site are catching bait and fishing before daylight, no time for breakfest.  Thats what cheese crackers are  for. Just ask the master cracker himself. CATFISHRUS. I've never been able to accuire a taste for them myself. I just can't see eating out on the water. Not with shad scales and guts everywhere, plus catfish slim. At night you might mistake your jam for catfish slime. I bet that would taste wonderful.

Welcome GoodTimes, your at the right place to ask questions, but may not get any answers to after tournament. these are some serious catters here and just being able to meet and fish against them is a honor, you will learn a lot. I'll try to answer any question you may have so feel free to pm me anytime.
You know me on the other site as {seabee}.

I'll be out there this weekend, 24 pontoon boat, with a gaint livewell in the middle of the boat, pirate flag on back, I had to down size my pirate flag...it interupted my fishing
If you put in at old whitney any water you see from there is a good area go under tressle to get to dam that area also ok. Dont mean to knock the rest of the lake because that guy caught that 50lbr prefishing for nccats in the deep section near Alcoa last year, A freind of mine juggs on the other side of lake near fishtales marina and he catchs decent fish to.
from old whitney cross the lake and to the left is Blue Heron resturant. that is where tournement will start hopfully. The slips next to marina are "day slips" anybody can pull in. I think there is like 10 slips 2 boats in a slip. It is no overnight parking so all slips should be empty 6-7am
I will be heading to lake today after work so probably wont be back online till sunday night, vhf 68
call me when you get out there catfishrus.

 Hey goodtimes you know you eating high on the hog when you reach over and pick up a rusty can of beenee weenees in the middle of santee and have lunch without a spoon and have to drink them. Then you reach over and get a nice cold drink out of the cooler with the fish in it. Then you look over at your partner and tell him ...I know we on the fish ...I can smell them.

heck no, two coolers, thats a waste of ice, plus that fish slime is a great skin moisturizer, i'm kinda partial to the viennas with pocket knife which i prolly just cut the bait with and washed of in the lake water