Auburn , Calif. – For Skeet Reese, the home he shares with Kim and the Girls has long been his place of solace, between events and during the offseason. However, wrapping up his calendar year as reigning Bassmaster Classic Champion has proved to be an eventful and busy one.
“I usually get to spend a lot of time at home in the offseason, but it's definitely been busy this year,” Reese said. “I've had more meetings and traveled more this year than usual, but you only get so many opportunities to capitalize on a title like Bassmaster Classic Champion.
So, what kind of things can a reigning Champion find to do in the offseason? Work and fun are on the agenda, and Skeet has done a little of both.
Lowrance Winner
Lowrance Electronics held a contest for anyone who purchased a new HDS fishing system for their boat in 2009. The purchase of the unit automatically entered them in a drawing to spend a day on the water with Reese on his favorite body of water; Clear Lake , in northern California .
Virginian, Jerry Aldheizer won the drawing and flew to California for his outing with Reese, and immediately told the Elite Series pro that he was looking forward to trying swimbait fishing. “We spent the day throwing six-inch swimbaits on my Wright & McGill Co. Swimbait Carolina rig rods,” Reese said. “We caught more than 20 fish from three to six pounds.”
Aldheizer left happy after his memorable day, returning to his home around Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia , but was phoning his friends to tell tales before he even got out of the Lucky Craft Big Rig at the airport.
Mexico
The second week of November was filled with a business / pleasure trip to Puerto Vallarta with Pure Fishing CEO John Doerr and his son Ian; who turned 21 while on the trip. The trio enjoyed days on the water fishing for Dorado and Tuna, and enjoyed the company around a table with food and drink while they discussed business.
“I really enjoyed my trip with John,” Reese said of his time with the head of Pure Fishing. “John has a great outlook on the business of fishing, and we shared a lot of fun, and some tremendous insights. We think a lot alike when it comes to business, and that made it enjoyable.”
Another thing that made the trip enjoyable was the fact that Ian was celebrating his 21 st birthday on the trip. “Ian caught a 90-pound tuna, and we celebrated his birthday in grand fashion,” Reese said. “Food, drink, fishing, business and fun; it was a great trip.”
Skeet with a Giant Dorado |
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Ian spent his 21st birthday fishing with Skeet |
Bass Jam ‘09
In the middle of October, Reese went to the brick and mortar store of his sponsor, www.monsterfishingtackle.com , aka Outdoor Pro Shops in Rohnert Park , Calif. for their inaugural Bass Jam show. Reese performed seminars and hosted his Skeet Reese inc. booth at the show as well.
“Bass Jam was organized very well, especially when you consider that it was their first show,” Reese said. “I think the concept will only get better with each year, but that doesn't really surprise me. Ken Elie has always done a great job of running his store, and his new store is no different,” Reese completed. “He is finishing his new building, and it is huge. I think it will be the largest fishing only retail store in the country when he is done.”
Dominic
The week after Bass Jam, the Reese's met up with a young man they met at a northern California outdoor expo who had just been diagnosed with Leukemia; his name is Dominic Ramos. The young Ramos had completed his treatments and was itching to go fishing. Who better to fishing with than a Bassmaster Classic Champion? “We took Dominic to a little pond at our neighbor's house and caught bass and bluegill,” Reese said. “He had a great day, caught a few fish, and shared some laughs along the way.”
Despite the fun that Dominic had while fishing with the Reese family, Reese said the joy was theirs. “We started out trying to bring a little smile to his day, but I think he brought more to ours,” said Reese in conclusion.”
Dominic lands this bluegill during a day of fishing with Skeet
Steelhead Fishing
Along with all of the activities listed above, Skeet has enjoyed one of his favorite pastimes, steelhead fishing. The winter run steelhead of the Trinity River provide an opportunity to enjoy a style of fishing that is totally set apart from his job as a professional bass angler.
“I've always loved putting on the waders and going after steelhead,” said Reese. “The light line, and hard pulling fish make it a challenge to land them. Even the smaller fish can give you a real thrill; I look forward to going every year.”
Skeet fights a nice Steelhead on the beautiful Trinity River
