Q and A with 2007 Bassmaster Angler of the Year Skeet Reese Question: I am planning to buy a 7'6" Lamiglas Skeet Reese blank, can you throw DD22's and Swim-Baits on these rods or do you recommend another blank? Thanks in advance, Carlos Answer: Hi Carlos, thanks for your question, the Lamiglas SR765R Long Cast Special was designed specifically for throwing deep crankbaits like a D20, DT 16 or the DD22 like you mentioned. I wanted a rod that would handle throwing those big, deep diving crankbaits while minimizing the fatigue associated with a long day of grinding those offshore ledges. As for swimbaits, you might be able to throw some of the smaller, treble hook swimbaits, like the Real California, or any of the small four to six inch baits that are out on the market today. You might be able to get away with the 765R for Paddletail type swimbaits like a Berkley Hollow Belly, but would only throw them on braided line. The rod would handle casting those baits, but would have a tough time setting the hook. For swimbaits, I use two rods. For Ospreys and lighter suspending baits, I use a 765 XFT medium heavy Lamiglas pitchin' stick. This rod will handle those baits very well. For BIG baits like a Huddleston or some of the larger wood baits, you need a rod to handle them. The XC 807 Swimbait Special is the choice of a lot of the big bait specialists out there, and is mine for the big bait as well. Question: Skeet, What's up man!? You mention in your Bio that one of your favorite baits is a Redemption jig. Don't hold out me, when is this thing coming out and when can we get our hands on it? I assume it's a Lucky Craft product, right? Do me a favor and have LC make a 1/8 or 1/4oz for them bitty bass here in Ohio !  Thanks, You Da Man! Good Luck in the Classic,  John, Akron , Ohio Answer: Thanks for all of the well wishes John, and you're right; the Redemption Jig is a collaborative project with Lucky Craft. We have been working on it for the past year or so, along with the Redemption Lures spinnerbaits; which should be on store shelves any time now. The Redemption Jig will have both a structure version as well as a flipping model. I have been testing these jigs for quite a while now, and when we get them exactly where I want them, we will release them to the dealers. We are not too far off, even with our early versions of it, which isn't hard to imagine when I'm working with a manufacturer like Lucky Craft. Their commitment to excellence truly is a great thing when going through R&D for a project; they care about getting it right as much as I do. As far as sizes go right now, we have plans for 1/4 through 1 ounce, but if we find a need for the lighter finesse sizes, I'm sure we would be open to putting it in. Thanks for the interest, and I hope you like them as much as I have liked the prototypes (when I finally let them out of my hands that is…). Question: I am having trouble with my main line snapping off, I use 15lb for my main line and also use a Lindy Weight any suggestions on what I'm doing wrong would be appreciated, those Lindy Weights can get pricy when the line breaks. Thanks, Kenneth Answer: Well, for such a short question Kenneth, it certainly is a loaded one, as there are many factors that go into effective Carolina rigging. The whole world saw the effectiveness of the Carolina rig at Falcon Lake last year as the Elite Series anglers used it to destroy records and basically put on a “rigging show.” The Carolina rig can be deadly, but can be a heartbreaker if things go bad. There are three considerations to me, and they all depend on water clarity and type of structure or cover I am fishing. I usually “rig” on a Lamiglas XFT 764 pitchin' stick, but the line I use will depend on the water clarity. I usually like to go with 30-pound-test Spiderwire Ultracast braided line whenever possible. I find that it really helps me to get a good feel for the bottom with its low stretch and sensitivity and those same properties allow me to load up on the fish really well without having to set the hook like a “big swinger.” When the water is really clear, I will use Berkley Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon, usually around 15-pound-test as a main line. The clarity of fluorocarbon helps me avoid spooking fish, but still has good feel for reading the bottom as I retrieve. The leader material is ALWAYS fluorocarbon for the reasons I mentioned above, clarity helps you get more bites. Leader size will vary again by conditions, but a good rule of thumb in to use 10 to 15 pound test for most situations. I always like to use the heaviest line possible, and if I found myself using less than 10 pound line, I would most likely be split-shotting on a spinning rod. For sinker types, I use a standard bullet weight around grass, an egg sinker for clay or light gravel bottoms, and a little trick I've learned over the years, is that if the fish are aggressive, like in pre-spawn, I like to use brass and glass, it sets those aggressive females off. One other specialty sinker I use is from my days fishing salmon and steelhead in rivers while I was growing up, which I've applied to my bass fishing as well. For rocky bottoms, I use the parachute cord type “Slinky” weights a lot, as they get hung up less on the bottom and allow me to fish heavy rocks more efficiently. As far as you're breaking off Kenneth, try checking your knots and make sure you're line is fresh, and check for frays often, I hope you get it figured out and catch a bunch a' bigheads on your lake. Skeet Reese is a Bassmaster Elite Series pro, the 2007 Bassmaster Angler of the Year with career earnings that total more than $1.5 million. Reese has qualified for 10 Bassmaster Classic appearances, and has finished in the top 10 40 times, including three wins in BASS competition in an 11 year career. Reese is a 39-year-old California native who resides in Auburn , Calif. with his wife Kim, and two daughters; Leamarie and Courtney.