Auburn , Calif. – Like many sectors of the economy, 2007 Bassmaster Angler of the Year Skeet Reese is feeling the impact of the economic downturn that has the country, and the world on edge. While he is one of the sport's best compensated endorsers, Reese, along with his sponsors are feeling the pinch, and they are taking steps to make the best out of a difficult situation.
“Everyone is feeling the pressure these days,” Reese revealed. “Companies are finding that sales are slow this year, and the projected budgets that they had in place have been reduced, and then cut again to try and make ends meet; and it is affecting everyone.”
Reese has seen how the instability has resulted in reductions to his sponsorship portfolio, as well as how it has impacted his friends and competitors in the business. Despite being a three-time Bassmaster winner who has earned more than $1.4 million in his career, he is making adjustments to make his 2009 Elite Series a more cost efficient one; here are some of the ways he's doing that.
Towing
Despite the size of his Ford F650 Supertruck tow vehicle, Reese said that his towing mileage is approximately the same as the SUV he has towed with prior to the 2008 Elite Series year. “I make sure the engine is tuned up and the tires are fully inflated so that there is as little drag on the efficiency of the vehicle as possible. Every working part of the truck is properly lubed and aligned, which saves mileage.”
Air Travel
Reese leaves his Auburn , Calif. home in February for the Bassmaster Classic and his vehicle doesn't return until after the season is over. He will park the Lucky Craft rig near the next tournament on the schedule and catch a flight home when there is a substantial break between tournaments. “As Kim and I have looked at ways to manage the costs of running my business, air travel is one of the costs I have to watch. We do that by booking as many of the flights early so that we don't pay high costs of late booking on airfare.”
Lodging and Teamwork
Like many of the Elite Series pros, Reese shares a room to help cut costs while on the road; he rooms with fellow Elite Series pro John Murray, of Phoenix , Ariz. “Sharing the costs of hotel fees is another way to reduce expense, but it also helps us during practice to find out what areas of the lake are good, because while I'm fishing one way, John fishes another, and it helps us eliminate some areas, which also helps reduce costs.
Working with Sponsors
Reese also tries to provide additional value to his sponsors in light of a tough economy. “Their budgets are stretched, and in some cases, people have lost their jobs, so I have tried to find ways to help. The economy has affected everyone, I have taken reductions, which is one of the ways I can a part of helping the team. I've also spent as much time as I could trying to help them with marketing and promotions whenever possible, whether it is with new products or campaigns even if it means going the extra mile. All of us need to work together right now.”
Fuel for Practice
No matter how efficient the Mercury ProXS 250 on the back of his Champion 210 Elite Skeet Reese Edition is it cannot beat the mileage he gets by towing his boat to the lake with his truck. For practice, Reese often tows his boat to areas of the lake not in proximity to the official launch ramp. “By towing to another ramp, I can save on some of the expense of running an outboard all the way across the lake. Outboards burn fuel, even those as efficient as my Mercury, and practicing this procedure I can utilize some of my fuel budget more effectively.
Food
While he certainly enjoys good food in restaurants all over the country, Reese knows that eating at sushi bars or steak houses every night would put a serious damper on the budget. To combat the effects of both high costs and the propensity for eating a lot of bad meals on the road, Reese grocery shops and eats from “base camp” most of the time. “I am able to meet both my budgetary and my health goals by shopping for a lot of what I need when I pull into town, I snack on trail mix, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with water while I'm fishing, and prepare as many meals for myself as I can when back at the room; I have to eat out sometimes, but at least I am watching how I spend overall.”
As you can see, even a Bassmaster Angler of the Year, and a BASS millionaire works to conserve funds while he is fishing the Elite Series schedule. By applying some of these practices to your game plan, perhaps you might be able to fish more than you had planned in this difficult economy.
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.
