As people drive through Union County, they find a common theme.
Whether it be in Big Ridge as they drive through the state park, or as they move toward Hickory Star and sit on the swings watching boats come in from a long day of basking in the sun or throwing bait into the water.
They may even cross the bridge and look out into the beautiful scene painted for them as they watch the sunset.
Union County has one of Tennessee’s greatest natural resources at its fingertips—Norris Lake.
According to the American Sportfishing Association, Tennessee is home to half a million acres of lakes that 1.7 million people utilize for fishing.
Out of that acreage, Norris Lake expands to 34,200 acres of clean waterways that are used by fishermen and families every day, whether it’s on the 4th of July as the boats gather together to watch fireworks or a crisp spring morning as the bass boats race to find the biggest catch of the day.
Union County now has something new to look forward to, the Bill Dance Signature Lake Program.
The Tennessee Vacation website states that this program will make Tennessee a best-in-class destination for anglers worldwide for every skill level.
Bill Dance, a name many are familiar with, is a professional bass fisherman. Practically a superstar in the eyes of many dedicated fishermen. Dance has served as an ambassador for the state of Tennessee for over five decades, always appearing with his University of Tennessee hat.
Dance started the tradition of wearing a University of Tennessee hat after Doug Dickey, the football coach for the University of Tennessee in the late 1960s, sent him some in the mail.
Dance had put in a good word to a recruit from Georgia and later ended up with some orange hats added to his collection. Since then, he has had his good luck charm with him for every catch.
Dance’s love for Tennessee has since grown with every lake visited. He has even received an honorary doctorates degree from the University of Tennessee, calling it one of his biggest catches yet.
Dance’s program includes 18 lakes across the state. Out of those lakes, 13 state parks are touched and 39 counties are included, with 22 of them being in economic distress.
The biggest question for community members and lake goers alike is, what should we expect? The Bill Dance Signature Lake Program will develop nine large reservoir access points that could be managed in a variety of different ways.
Next, the program will improve the management of fisheries in order to offer anglers of all skill levels and ages an opportunity to experience high quality fishing in the state of Tennessee.
Along with this comes the creation of advanced facilities that will enhance the overall experience for lake goers.
In order to achieve these goals, the Bill Dance Signature Lake Program will engage in private-sector partners for sponsorship and related contributions.
Tennessee Department of Tourist Development Commissioner Mark Ezell, a seventh-generation Tennessee native, is one of the biggest pieces to this project puzzle with the commissioner being in charge of branding the overall tourism in Tennessee.
“Tennesseans love to fish, and more importantly, our great lakes are part of what make our state so special,” Ezell said.
“Bill Dance Signature Lakes will enhance fishing for anglers through increased stocking, habitat and fisheries management, as well as improvements to public facilities like docks and parking. We believe this important investment in our lakes and the support of Bill Dance will make Tennessee a top destination for both recreational and competitive anglers, increasing tourism and driving new revenue streams in our lakeside restaurants, lodging and attractions.”
With this new program coming upstream there are many things to look forward to. Whether you are a local marine business owner, fisherman, or simply enjoy visiting the lakes, there are many things in store for the coming years.
I believe Dance put it best in an interview with Governor Lee when he said, “You can bet your favorite lure this project will definitely have a ripple effect for a mighty long time.”