Jensen Beach , Fla. – One of the fortunate things of being a professional angler is that your fun and your work often intermingle. Such was the case for 2009 Bassmaster Classic Champion Skeet Reese as he travelled with sponsor Wright & McGill Co. for an appearance in Florida .
When Reese, Wright and McGill's Marketing Manager, Chris Russell and Ryan McCullough, who is responsible for Wright & McGill's large retail accounts were finished with their tour of Gander Mountain stores in Florida ; they did what any angler would do for fun, went fishing.
For a guy who chases black bass for a living Reese enjoys big water fishing. He frequently goes on tuna trips, and chases any gamefish that he can get his hands on. When Pure Fishing's Scott Dubiel, who until 2009 was the Field Manager for Pure Fishing's Elite Series support, referred the trio to Jensen Beach guide George Gozdz of Flat Lined Charters, they went.
“Byron Velvick fished with George last season on his Going Coastal show,” Reese said. “They caught tarpon, snook and goliath grouper. After hearing he and Scott talk about it, I knew I had to go.”
The trip was set for an evening as they had finished their days work at Gander Mountain , and right off the bat, McCullough hooked a big tarpon. After more than an hour of fighting the leaping fish, they pulled it aboard, and estimated its weight at 120 pounds. “I wanted to catch one too, but despite the fact that they were exploding on mullet all around us, we never hooked another one,” Reese said.
Next was the numerous docks that surround the inlet, and after rigging up with Berkley Gulp shrimp, they proceeded to catch many snook. “The biggest fish was around seven pounds,” Reese reported. “We caught a bunch of them, but then it was time to hunt the giants.”
As Gozdz piloted his vessel and his four guests towards the bridge spanning the Indian River inlet, he created a stir in the group by wondering aloud if it was safe to fish for the goliath grouper because of the combination of darkness and wind. “George said that it could be dangerous, especially if someone fell out of the boat,” Reese said. “We all looked at each other when he said the fish were big enough to eat an overboard angler.”
It was Reese's turn to first pick up the heavy saltwater rod and Penn International reel spooled with 300-pound braided line and 400-pound-test steel leader tipped with a five-pound amberjack for bait. “I pitched that thing over to the piling and let it sink,” he said. “Then the rod nearly jolted from my hands and the fight was on. It was all I could do to squat and pull with all my might trying to get that fish from under the piling.”
Eventually he did, and he fought the fish to the boat. “We landed it with a Boga Grip, and let me tell you, it goes where it wants to,” said Reese excitedly. “It was a small one at around 90 pounds; I'm told they can grow to be bigger than 600 pounds.”
Reese said he suffered one casualty during the fight, he revealed that the button on his shorts was ripped off by the butt of the rod during the fight, causing them to fall down. “My shorts would fall down after that creating a full moon over the lagoon,” he said. “Somehow, I ended up with a lamprey on my ass at one point, and I'm not quite sure how it got there.”
Then it was Russell's turn on the bridge pilings, and when he got bit, the fish turned and snapped his line; o so they thought. “The thing broke the steel leader and kept going,” Reese said. “They absolutely live up to their names; I can't wait to go back again.”
“We had an absolute blast,” Reese said. “My thanks to Scott for introducing us, and to George for hosting us so enjoyably and professionally, I'd recommend him to anyone looking to fish the area.”
George Gozdz and his Flat Lined Charter service can be visited on the web at: www.flatlinedcharters.com .
