I had that same exact thought a few years ago and went ahead and made the trip. It's well worth it!! 2 years ago my buddy and I cracked em. We had at least one over 5 each day for 4 days, and very solid numbers of fish to go with it. Last year wasnt as good, but we did get one just under 7 on a spinnerbait in one of the many small creek arms. The cabins are amazing and are literally right next to the boat ramp, Maryville isnt anything special but its got everything youd need (walmart, gas stations, places to eat, etc). I think there are a lot of tournaments that start on that lake the end of march and pretty much every weekend for the rest of spring and summer... so the earlier you could go - if its not frozen over - is best to avoid that pressure.