“Pretty Dam Good!” is what Skeet Reese the 2009 Bassmaster Classic champion with 54 pounds 13 ounces had to say when asked what it felt like being the first West Coast Angler to win…
“Pretty Dam Good!” is what Skeet Reese the 2009 Bassmaster Classic champion with 54 pounds 13 ounces had to say when asked what it felt like being the first West Coast Angler to win. Skeet had had a run at a classic win back in 2007 when Boyd Duckett beat him by just a few ounces. That same year Skeet was Angler of the Year, as with all the elite anglers there are two crowns most sought after, the Angler of the Year and Bassmaster Classic Champion. After being devastated in 07′ Skeet has been on a mission to win the Classic. “Every bass angler wants to be the Bassmaster Classic Champion; this definitely brings validation to my career.”
The key to his success was confidence in a 200 yard stretch. It consisted of lilly pad stems on the edge of a drop off with scattered stumps in the pad stems and out on the drop off. Reese worked the 3/8 ounce Lucky Craft Redemption spinnerbait through the stems and flipped Crazy Legs Chigger Craw to the scattered wood. Reese said that a major factor to his success was using spider wire line with his spinnerbait pattern, “when I would hook a good fish the spider wire would cut through the pad stems and I didn’t have to worry about loosing fishing to the cover.” Reese also commented that the Bio Sonix definitely made an impact on catching fish.
After day two I asked Skeet what he thought he would need to win and how he was going to do it. “I will need 20 pounds and it’s going to be won in the last 2 hours of the Classic”. Skeet went on to say, “With the front that went through and a cold morning tomorrow, the afternoon bite is going to be best”. As it turns out Skeet didn’t catch a fish in his last two hours of the event which made him very nervous. He said that he knew he had around 16 pounds but just didn’t know if that was going to be enough unless someone stumbled.
When asked about sitting on sage for the Super Six, Reese said, “During the weigh in I was an absolute mess, I just wanted to get the fish on the scale! I knew it was close and could go either way. I honestly figured myself for 15-16 pounds and 16-2 is what I needed.”
According to Skeet he didn’t do very much pre fishing. Using the traditional topo map, internet fishing reports and electronics he found these fish quickly, liked the area and felt it held the fish that could win it. He also didn’t want to have to lock through, as he felt that would cost him at least two hours of fishing time each day, “That’s time without baits in the water.” So he made up his mind to stay in pool 5. Although he made some adjustments throughout the event in conjunction with the weather changes he stayed in the same area all three days.
Starting three days of competition off listening to a variety of Snoop Dog, Savage, and M&M to get him pumped up, Skeet Reese was able to maintain confidence in a single stretch and scratch out the Classic winning stringer. When asked how this will affect his drive in the future now that he has both the Angler of the Year and a Classic win, he replied ” that it will make him work harder, winning these titles are like a drug, you want more!”
