By Skeet Reese
2009 Bassmaster Classic champ
As published on Bassmaster.com

June 1, 2010
Let's go racin'

2009 Classic champ Skeet Reese I told you last week that Kim and I were going to get a chance to go to the Indy 500, and what an experience it was.

We were supposed to have an easy travel day Thursday, but with flight delays we didn't get into Indianapolis until nearly two o'clock in the morning Friday, and we had to be at the track at eight that morning.

Last year, my friend Robbie Floyd, a television announcer for Indy Racing League, set it up for me to go to Sonoma for the race there. I met Brian Barnhart and Kevin "Rocket" Blanch and took them fishing on Clear Lake. They invited me to the Indy 500 as a guest of IRL, and Kim and I got to do a lot of different things.

Rocket took us through the pits, and we met Mario Andretti and A.J. Foyt and a bunch of other people and personalities with the teams and the league. It was amazing. After our tour, Rocket took us out to what they call the trench, a long walled area about four feet wide that separates the track from pit row, and we got to watch some of practice from there.

I've been around NASCAR a little bit, and that is amazing, but there is nothing like the speed these cars can reach when they are going around that huge oval racetrack.

Many of them reached speeds topping 220 miles per hour on the straightaway, and until you see that in person, there is no way to describe it. We got to see it in person, up close on the final practice day. It took Kim at least a half an hour to unwind from the intensity of the speed, noise and intensity of the trench. We were only 10 to 15 feet away from cars going more than 200 miles an hour. It was no joke.

We went back to the RV and hung out with friends and folks, tailgating and enjoying the festivities of Indy, and that was a lot of fun in itself. On Saturday, my older brothers Jim and John flew in, and we took them to the race. We don't often get to do many things together because of schedules, and it was great for Kim and me to share the trip with them.

The race was a blur. There were too many things to tell in the short space I have here, but we got to watch the race from the hospitality suite overlooking the Penske and Ganassi pits. It was great to have the air conditioning to hang out in because from what I've heard, it was one of the hottest Indy 500 races in history.

It was kind of a bittersweet ending to the race when Mike Conway crashed in the last lap. His car went airborne and came to pieces as it hit the catch fence. It was scary for everyone until we found out he suffered broken bones in his leg (and a fracture in his back, we later learned). Until we found out he was OK, it put a damper on the end of the race.

They took what was left of the car off the track on a crane, and the little pieces of the carbon fiber body were carried off in buckets.

I'm home for a few more days, then off to Kentucky Lake. Two more regular season events to go!

May 25, 2010
Ouch!

I'd like to tell you all that I didn't see that one coming, but the truth is, I knew that there was a chance for a lot of us to have a bad tournament at Clarks Hill.

I was just hoping it wasn't me. It was, and it kind of stings a little.

After the first day of practice, I felt like I could do OK — not spectacular, but enough to fish on Saturday. Then after the second and third day of practice I felt like it could be a tough tournament.

I never found the groups of schooling fish that some of my competitors did in practice, and I tried to grind it out, but this time it didn't work out for me. I was scrambling most of Day 1, and I caught fish on a Berkley Hollow Belly swimbait, an original mop jig and a Carolina Rig.

My only problem was, I only caught three keepers, and that bothered me more than not making the cut. I'm a professional angler, and since I do this for a living, I expect to catch five keepers every day. I didn't, I wasn't happy about it, and I made some adjustments to try and change it the next day.

I picked up my Wright & McGill Co. Swimbait/Carolina Rig Rod and went to throwing a Carolina rig exclusively for the first time in a long time. The trick to getting my limit and moving up on the second day was to downsize the rig.

I spooled my reel with 12-pound-test Berkley 100% Fluorocarbon main line, downscaled my sinker to 3/4 ounce, tied on a 10-pound-test leader of the same line and put a five-inch watermelon red flake PowerBait Finesse Worm on a 1/0 TroKar Wide Gap worm hook and got my limit.

I actually caught more than my limit on Day 2 — as many as 30 fish, but a lot of them were small. I probably only caught 12 or 13 keepers. It was enough to move up 20 places, but I still missed the cut to Saturday, and I wasn't happy leaving that many points on the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year table.

You only get so many opportunities to compete on this level, and we've got two tournaments left this year, then it's time to get ready for the postseason. That will be the competitive focus, and the postseason is the ultimate goal.

I'm looking forward to the break we have for a couple of weeks here. Kim and I are getting ready to go to the Indy 500 next weekend, and we're really looking forward to that.

Outside of that, I'll spend as much time with the girls as I can, I'll work out to try and keep the edge, and put in some time on the business getting ready for ICAST. It's a busy time in and around tournament schedules.

We've got some exciting things happening in the Reese family these days, there's a lot to look forward to, and we'll share more about them when we can.

 

May 18, 2010
Tornadoes and random thoughts

I left Guntersville last week and went to Oklahoma to learn to navigate the Arkansas River without the time pressure of the practice. I'm glad I did because people are going to break some stuff up there. As far as navigation, it could be worse than Iowa last year.

I was there as the tornadoes that pummeled Norman and Oklahoma City were coming through, and I have to say that I was actually really nervous being there for that. I was staying at a buddy's house when it passed us by 6 miles, and we were hunkered down in his cousin's storm shelter. It was a scary situation.

I feel bad for the people who lost property, and especially terrible for the loss of life during that storm. It was a really bad deal. My heart goes out to the people in that area.

Our weather has been weird this year all over the country, and I think it's making the fish act differently as well. I've even heard that the fish in the lakes back home in California haven't done any one thing in big waves like they normally do, and fishing is off the normal pattern.

Here it is almost June and we haven't had any real strings of days at 80 degrees to make the fish group up in what normally is called the Sunshine State.

Weights have been down overall everywhere, and people are having to make adjustments to try and locate quality fish again. It is amazing how much these changes affect the fish.

It was really nice to get home for a couple of days last week after being gone for two weeks for Pickwick and Guntersville. Kim and the girls were happy to see me, and it was great to celebrate the Guntersville win with them.

I spent much of the week just hanging out with them and unwinding, but there is always work to be done. I tried as much as I could to keep things about home for the two days I was there and tried to avoid too much business.

I mowed some weeds around our property, hung out with Kim and the girls and got myself relaxed and ready to go for Clarks Hill.

I am totally looking forward to this tournament being over though. Not because I don't want to fish it, but because Kim and I are going to the Indy 500 together after it's over.

If you've read Skeet's Beat for long, you'll remember that last year I got to go to Infineon Raceway near my home in northern California and see the IRL Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma. I became an instant fan of the sport. My friend Robbie Floyd set that up last year, and I was really glad he did.

The technology behind the cars, the dedication of the drivers and the speed of the whole thing is amazing. I can't imagine what it must look like on the big racetrack at Indy when they can really let those cars run. I'm looking forward to that and to spending some good time with Kim.

Until then, its tournament time. Time to focus.

May 11, 2010
Thanks, Guntersville!

I really don't know what to say now. I certainly didn't plan on walking away the winner on Sunday after Davy Hite took the lead on Saturday.

I fished as relaxed as I have in a while, mainly because I figured that I was fishing for a top three finish. I thought Davy had it sewn up, and I was just trying to stay ahead of John Crews. Both of those guys had big bags on Saturday, and I knew I had to catch them pretty good on Sunday to get as many points as I could for the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year race.

Then, at around noon, I saw Davy running around quite a bit in my area. The thought occurred to me that he might be struggling. If that was the case, my thoughts at that point turned to Crews, that he had the potential to catch another 27 or 28 pounds, so I had to catch a bag myself if I wanted to have a chance.

I caught a couple of big ones late in the day that gave me the 25-pound bag, and I knew I had a shot at least. When I got to weigh-in and saw the bags, I felt pretty good about my chances. I started the morning goofing off with my cameraman. By the end of the day, things got serious, and it just worked out.

It means a lot to win on Guntersville. Every win is special, but to win on that lake is like winning a golf tournament at Augusta. It's hallowed ground. Someone told me that this is something like the 20th tournament BASS has held on Guntersville, and many of the greats have won here. It's one of the most well known lakes in the sport.

I really caught a lot of fish last week, and most of them came on a bait that Rick Clunn designed — the Lucky Craft RC 3.5 DD in Splatterback Shad pattern. I threw them on my 7-10 Wright & McGill Co. Skeet Reese Tessera Magnum Crankbait rod to get extra distance on the cast, and used Berkley Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon to get the bait down deep faster.

I caught a couple of fish I weighed on an original Mop Jig, and a couple of keepers on another crankbait, but the RC 3.5 DD was the main killer. I don't know how many fish I caught on it, but it was a bunch.

Aside from winning on Guntersville, one of the other high spots for the week was to see my roommate John Murray make the cut and get a check. I gave him a little clue as to what I was doing on Day 2, and being the angler John is, he was able to take it and build upon it. I was really happy for him to get going like this.

It was a bummer to be away from Kim and the Girls on Mother's Day, but all in all, I think the Reese family had a pretty good celebration. I guess I'll have to take some of the winnings and buy her a bunch of roses and take her to dinner. She deserves it.

May 4, 2010
Goodbye Pickwick, on to Guntersville

2009 Classic champ Skeet Reese The fourth tournament of the year is behind us, and I was able to continue my task of adding as many points as possible to my total in every tournament this year.

I really wasn't sure what to think heading into the Alabama Charge tournament on Pickwick and Wilson because I had never been on either one of them. Before the event, I probably would have been happy with a top 20, but after figuring them out on Saturday and taking the lead, I wanted to win.

I was not thrilled with the decision to cut the fishing day short because I knew that it was going to affect my ability to lock through to Wilson and have enough time to fish. As the weigh-in was starting, the weather really started coming in. It was probably the right decision in hindsight, but I really wanted to fish the whole day.

But, as it sat anyway, Kevin Short and Cliff Pace had really good days, and even if I had 18 pounds, I still would have been beaten by them. I did lose a couple of fish on Sunday that may have moved me up a place or two, but I'll take it as a successful week overall.

With this finish, I added to my points lead in the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year race, which is what I wanted to do in the long run. My goal is to put a huge points number up in the regular season to really make it hard to catch me in the postseason. Winning Angler of the Year is always the objective.

I spent two days of my practice on Wilson, then spent the last practice day on Pickwick near the takeout looking for a bite that could produce in the times I was waiting for the lock or returning from Wilson. What I found was that I was going to have to do a little bit of everything because the fish are in all stages of the spawn.

I caught some on the same Rago SKT Swimmer that I used to win at Smith Mountain, caught some on a 1/2-ounce green pumpkin football jig with a matching 3-inch Berkley PowerBait Chigger Craw. I caught a few on an Aurora Black Lucky Craft Gunfish 95 topwater bait and a few on a 1/4-ounce shaky head with a 5-inch green pumpkin PowerBait Shaky Worm.

My Wright & McGill Co. signature rods littered the deck, and my SKT Revos and Soron reels had everything from 8- to 20-pound-test Berkley Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon and 30-pound-test Spiderwire Ultracast on them. It was a junk fisherman's paradise this past week. I'll have a full breakdown of my program on skeetreeseinc.com in the next day or so.

Now it's on to Guntersville, where I finished in second place to Aaron last year, and it looks like the conditions may be similar. The water should be dirty as we start practice, but there's going to be plenty of current, and it should clear as the week goes on.

I hear that the fishing pressure on the lake is huge right now, as anywhere from 200 to 300 boats fish it everyday. We'll just have to wait and see what the combination of fishing pressure, high water and heavy current will mean.

April 27, 2010
Proud of my girls

2009 Classic champ Skeet Reese I'm going to take this time to talk about something that most parents will completely understand. I'm so proud of my girls!

While I was finishing up on Sunday at Smith Mountain Lake, Lea and Courtney were participating in a trike-a-thon for St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. St Jude's specializes in the care and treatment of children with cancer and understands the special needs of families in the situation.

The hospital, in Memphis, Tenn., allows the patient and three of their family members to live in an apartment or room during treatment. Their reputation as a hospital is impeccable, and their concern for the patient and their families is focused on caring for everyone. St Jude's is amazing.

Kim and I want our girls to know the joy of giving to others, and taking part in a fundraiser like this is just one of the ways that we encourage them to participate.

The event was a fundraiser for the hospital, and family and friends pledged a dollar amount in a flat rate, or by the number of laps that the girls would ride their tricycles around the course. Every penny sent goes to help St. Jude's with funding for their programs.

My girls did great. Lea, our 7-year-old, showed that she has the same competitive streak as me. She set a record with 275 laps in three hours; and Courtney, our 3 1/2-year-old did 67 laps of her own around the course.

Kim told me that Lea wasn't going to be beat and that her 275 laps is a new record. She took off like a rocket around the track and kept going until she started to get tired toward the end. When she found out that another boy was within 10 laps of her, she got another burst of energy and closed strong.

When she was done, she had a bruise on her rear end from the hard seat on the trike, and another one on her left knee from the handlebars from turning left all day. Apparently, Lea has the same desire to win as I do, and when she sets her mind to accomplishing something, she does it.

When it was over, both girls were exhausted, I couldn't have been prouder of their effort. They both gave everything they had on behalf of St. Jude's and their patients.

Now for the other side of the coin — I'm in Alabama now getting ready for the Alabama Charge on Pickwick Lake in northern Alabama, and it couldn't have started worse. Some dirtbag broke into my boat and stole all of my rods and reels on Saturday night.

They lifted my cover, popped open my rod lockers and walked away with 20 or so of my Wright & McGill Skeet Reese rods and Abu Garcia reels. Fortunately, they didn't take my lures and other gear, some of which are entirely irreplaceable.

Thanks to Brent Chapman, Wright & McGill and Abu Garcia, I'll be OK. I had some extra rods in the truck, and Chapman, my Wright & McGill teammate, gave me a few more to use.

Cheryl Spencer, Pure Fishing's field services rep here, had a few reels for me, and Tammy Cox is sending some more. My sponsors are so good to me, but this is not the way I like to find that out. Now the lockers will be double-locked with the locks and a locker bar, and I'll still have the cover on.

Time to get work on Pickwick; I've never seen it or Wilson before. We'll see what I can put together.

April 20, 2010
The top of Smith Mountain

I almost don't know what to say after a weekend like I just had.

I start every season with two goals: (1) to win a regular season Elite Series event and (2) to win the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year title.

One goal down; one to go.

It feels really good to break through after losing in the Delta by an ounce; but to win, and by the second largest margin in Elite Series history, is a great feeling. I guess it may even be enough to make up for all those ounces that other anglers beat me by.

The first time we were there, I threw a drop shot a lot, and last year I mainly fished for spawners but threw a swimbait a little as well. This year, the swimbait was the main thing, and I mixed in a little bit of sight fishing when I came across one.

Smith Mountain just seems to set up really well for me. In three trips there I've finished in the top 10 twice — and now a win. I grew up fishing docks on Clear Lake and, with so many of them on Smith Mountain, I feel comfortable there.

That being said, I didn't really target docks this year. Instead, I ran a bunch of different banks — as many as 40 to 60 spots a day — throwing the Rago Bait Co. SKT Swimmer. I was catching them in 1 to 3 feet of water around rocks.

I threw the swimbait on my 7-foot, 6-inch Wright & McGill Co. Skeet Reese Tessera Swimbait/Carolina Rig Rod and SKT Revo with 20-pound-test Berkley Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon.

I filled in a few fish on a watermelon Berkley PowerBait Heavyweight Worm on a 1/0 TroKar drop shot hook on 8-pound-test 100% Fluorocarbon with an Abu Garcia Soron spinning reel with my Wright & McGill Co. Shaky Head/Senko rod.

After the big move I made on Day 3, and starting the final day with a 6-pound lead, I really wasn't sure what kind of weight I'd need to close it out. So, when it took me a while to catch my first fish on the final morning, I started to get nervous.

I managed to catch a 3-pounder, then a 2 1/2, and when my third fish of the morning was a 5-pounder, I felt like I had enough. But, without knowing what everybody else has, you always feel like you want a little more. When I closed out my limit, I felt pretty confident; and when I caught the 6-9 at 1:30, I knew it was over.

I got so excited when I landed the big fish, I raised my arms over my head and somehow knocked my Wiley X signature sunglasses off my head, bouncing them off the deck and into the water. I told the spectators to mark their waypoints, because they could be one of the first to get my new shades if they wanted to swim.

The fans were awesome. It was a great weekend. I loved being able to hold that trophy high. The only thing that would have made it better would have been if Kim and the girls were there. They make everything better.

It's OK that they weren't though. It was for a worthy cause. Lea and Courtney rode a trike-a-thon as a fundraiser for St. Jude's Hospital on Sunday afternoon and Kim volunteered, as well. Lea rode 275 laps in two hours, breaking a record. I guess she's kind of like me. When she sets her sights on something, she goes after it. I'm really proud of my girls. It was a great weekend for the Reese family.

April 13, 2010
Yes, Virginia, there is a bass tournament

I'm in Virginia this week for the Bassmaster Elite Series stop at Smith Mountain Lake — the Evan Williams Blue Ridge Brawl, as they call it.

The weather is great here. I've been wearing shorts since I arrived. We've been in the mid 70s for the most part, but I think that's about to change. Weather reports show that there will be a cooling trend for the next few days, and then it will warm up again. They're even reporting that it could be into the 80s by the end of the week.

Smith Mountain Lake has been pretty good to me overall the past few years. I've had some good finishes here. It's a fun lake to fish when it's on, but it can be a tough fishery as well, especially when the spawn is a part of the mix.

Smith Mountain has the potential to kick out some good bags. We've seen guys weigh 18- or 19-pound limits on one of the tournament days, but also weigh 7-pound limits during the same event. It's going to be important to stay open minded and fish hard this week.

It's likely that we'll be able to see a bunch of fish on the beds or cruising around the spawning areas, but that doesn't guarantee we'll catch them off the beds. The bass at Smith Mountain can be some of the toughest spawning fish to make bite, and I've been sight fishing for most of my life.

Clear Lake — my home lake — is famous for sight fishing being a major part of an angler's game plan in the spring, so you learn quickly to find ways to make them strike. There's a huge amount of pressure on spawning fish at Clear Lake, so being flexible is always a part of the game. It will be similar here.

The funny thing about the fish here is that you can find a good one on the nest one day and they're gone by the next. I'm going to have to put my trolling motor down and fish hard for eight hours every day.

But that's nothing new. There's not a day you can lay off on the Elite Series. These guys are too good. If you want to be standing on top at the end, you have to fish hard every day, make good decisions and execute flawlessly.

I'll practice hard, find my game plan and go after it. I've got my goals, and they are always on my mind.

Speaking of goals, my oldest daughter Lea called me from home today, and she's getting ready for her Jog-a-Thon at school. The kids take pledges from family and friends to raise money for school activities. Usually the pledges are some sort of dollar amount for each lap they run.

Last year she ran 18 laps, and she told me she plans on running more because she wants me to make a big donation. I hope she does. I had a great time at home with Kim and the girls between tournaments. They make me smile, and I'll be home again soon — hopefully with a bigger lead in the AOY standings.

April 6, 2010
D&R and Easter with the girls

I made a whirlwind trip to Kalamazoo, Mich., last week to make an appearance at D&R Sports for their Spring Fishing Days.

Randy VanDam continues to do a great job with the store, the boat dealership and the service out of his shop. His spring event is always a big deal, and people fill the building to meet the pros and hear the seminars each day.

I flew in on Thursday and was met at the airport by Kevin VanDam; he picked me up in his boat and truck and we got to do a little bit of fun fishing for the afternoon. We both talked about how infrequently we get to relax and have a good time on the water without thinking of how the next cast is all about a victory or the Angler of the Year title.

About an hour in, Mark Zona came and joined us after he flew in from taping shows at JM Associates in Little Rock, Ark. About the time he showed up, though, it was over and it was time to go as it was nearing dark.

I got to the store early the next day and did my first seminar at 9:30 to a great crowd. Then Kevin did a seminar, and we started the whole thing over again in the afternoon, with my 2 p.m. session. Again, there was another huge crowd, which was amazing to me for a Friday.

A kind of a funny thing happened during one of my sessions; a guy in the crowd kept asking me questions about fishing a Scrounger head. I know some, but not as much as Aaron Martens. I suggested he come back and see Aaron because he was one of the scheduled attendees for Saturday.

Then I flew home and got ready for Easter with Lea and Courtney. For us, Easter started on Saturday, as we took the girls to a community Easter egg hunt in a little town near us called Meadow Vista. The park there was divided into three sections for the individual age groups, and it was funny to see how my girls responded to the day.

I spent most of the hunt with Courtney, my youngest. She started out OK but soon gathered what she thought was an appropriate number of eggs and announced she was done. When I counted her basket, and she only had six, I encouraged her to keep searching because there were more to get. When she resumed the hunt, all she was interested in were the purple ones.

Contrast that experience with Lea, and the picture is much different. She was running as fast as she could, mowing through the grass in search of as many as possible. I bet she missed more than she found. The whole day was fun. The girls are a never-ending source of entertainment for me and Kim.

We woke up Easter morning to a cold front that brought cold air and winds from the north. However, the Easter bunny managed to deliver the girls baskets, and by the time we went through those and had our own little backyard egg hunt, I think the girls were high as a kite on sugar with about 10 pounds of it left to go.

I think it's time to ground them from sugar for a while.

March 30, 2010
On 'Parade'

Skeet Reese holds up a copy of the recent issue of Parade magazine that features him on the cover. I know I talked a little in the past about the Parade magazine article that appeared in newspapers across the country the Sunday we were at the Delta. I only recently got a chance to read it, and I have to say thank you to Harlan Coben for including me in it.

First of all, from a business perspective, it was amazing to see the sport of bass fishing exposed to the 72 million weekly readers of Parade . You never know how many of those readers are going to be exposed to bass fishing for the first time.

One or more of those readers may have seen the way that Harlan, a newcomer to the sport himself, explained the athleticism, focus and passion of bass fishing to the world. One of those readers might be a person who is a decision maker for a company who could be the next big partner for the sport.

For me personally, I'm proud to be the main character in the piece. Since the postseason, Harlan has become a good friend and that has meant the world to me. His talent as a writer showed how much detail he could fit into a small amount of space. It was a real honor to be in that article.

Changing topics, I leave this Thursday for a whirlwind trip and an appearance at D&R Sports in Kalamazoo, Mich., for their Spring Fishing & Boat Show. Randy VanDam (Kevin's brother) runs one of the premier boat shops in the country.

Each spring, D&R pulls together a great group of speakers and puts on a great show for all of their loyal customers in Kalamazoo. Kevin will be there, as will his nephew Jonathon and a few other anglers. Along with the boat shop, Randy's got a great tackle store there, and it's always fun to see what he has on the walls.

I'll probably get a chance to hang out with Kevin and his family a little bit while I'm there. They're good people and I always look forward to that.

I'm hoping that I'll also get a chance to hang out with Mark Zona while I'm there. Zona is so much fun to hang out with; you never know what is going to happen when he's around. I know that we'll always laugh when he's there. I'm looking forward to the trip.

I'm also starting to think about Smith Mountain Lake, our next tournament stop. Kevin won there last year by sightfishing, and it seems that looking at bedded fish always plays a role there. I'm not sure how much of a role it will play this year. It seems that the lakes everywhere are a little bit off of their normal cycles with the weather we've been having.

I know we'll all be hard at work figuring them out, no matter what they're doing. I'm looking forward to getting back to business in a couple of weeks. I'll be looking to build on the points foundation I gained on the Western swing.

March 23, 2010
A good start

Before I get too far, I want to say congratulations to Byron Velvick for his win at Clear Lake. He really showed all of us what swimbaits could do in tournaments 10 years ago when he won the California Invitational at Clear Lake; now he has done it again

He picked an area, fished it hard all four days and came away with his first Elite Series win. Once again, swimbaits were Byron's weapon, and he used them with precision.

Well, the West Coast Swing is behind us, and I can say that I am happy with the results... overall.

While the Delta was frustrating — losing by 1 ounce really sucks — with that finish and the fifth place at Clear Lake, I am in the position I wanted to be in.

I've said it many times before, Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year is the goal. I am thankful and thrilled to have the lead leaving the Western events.

As far as the fishing at Clear Lake goes, it took me a little while to find out exactly what Clear Lake's big bass were doing, but once I did, I was able to put together a pretty good finish.

I took the conditions into consideration and did what I thought would win the tournament. I ran as many docks as I could in the day with swimbaits. It produced decent weights, but not exactly what I would consider great for Clear Lake.

I threw a variety of swimmers, in different sizes, from 5 to 9 inches. On the smaller baits, I used my Wright & McGill 7-foot, 6-inch Swimbait/Carolina Rig rod; and for the larger ones, I used my 8-foot Flippin' and Pitchin' model. My reels were spooled with 20- and 25-pound-test Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon line, depending on the size of the bait.

I did catch a couple of fish in the afternoon on the second day with a Berkley Heavyweight Worm, but that was when my dock running efforts didn't produce a limit, and I had to scramble. Late in the day on Saturday, I made a pass through a creek and caught a 7- and a 5-pounder, and that gave me the clue I needed to figure them out.

I spent all day Sunday running creeks with swimbaits and put together the 25-pound limit I had been looking for all along and was able to move up to fifth place. I really wanted to string together four big days and win, but if I get enough high finishes, I'll reach my goal of Angler of the Year.

I've got a little bit of maintenance to do on the boat after two hard-running events, but that is standard operating procedure. Along with the upkeep, I will go through my tackle and back stock to make sure everything is fully stocked before we head to Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia.

The season is just getting started and it's starting out how I wanted it to; I'll take a few more finishes like the West Coast Swing if it adds up to an AOY title.

March 16, 2010
Second... again

I had a good tournament on the California Delta, but not a great one.

First, let me say congratulations to John Crews. He did what it took to win, and it's a great feeling to win anything. But to win an Elite Series event is an amazing feeling. Great job, John.

I hate second place, especially in my home state. I've wanted to win a Bassmaster Tour level event in California since we started coming here so bad I can taste it.

I've had great finishes but the win just keeps eluding me.

In five Tour level events on the Delta and Clear Lake, I've had a fifth, two fourths and two second place finishes. I'm ready to break through. This one was tough because it was only by an ounce. That's so close that it's hardly even something you would feel in your hand. It's one shad... or less.

I lost a couple of fish on Sunday that could have hurt me, but they were only on for a couple of seconds, so I don't know how big they were for sure. That's fishing.

On the Delta, I spent most of my time flipping. My Wright & McGill Co. Flippin' and Pitchin' rod got a workout. I flipped a black and blue Berkley PowerBait Chigger Craw, a black and red creature bait and a green pumpkin Chatterbait.

I spent most of my time in the South Delta, which is where most of the guys who did well were. I even spent some time in an area I haven't fished for 10 years or more. I flipped matted grass and threw the Chatterbait around the sparse grass clumps between flipping areas. The pattern produced more than 72 pounds in four days for me. I needed 2 more ounces.

I was a little surprised with the weights that the Delta produced. It was a tougher bite than I thought it would be. When I weighed in on Thursday with 15 pounds, I figured I would be on the south end of the standings, but it put me in 11th place. I can't remember the last time a March tournament in the Delta didn't require 20 pounds a day to get a check.

I went home Sunday night after the weigh-in for the Delta, slept in my own bed, and saw my girls off to school before heading to Clear Lake. Things have been so busy since the Classic that I just wanted some time at home before getting started again. It was a great little break.

Oh well, I've got no time to worry about Sunday because Clear Lake is already here. I've got to get back to work and figure out how to get over the hump again in California.

Clear Lake is my favorite lake — the one I started my competitive career on, and I can't wait to get started. I've got my thoughts as to what will be happening on the lake, but I won't know for sure until I put the boat on the water.

One thing I know is that the first step has been made, and Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year is still the goal. It wasn't a perfect step, but a good one. Now it's time to take step number two.

March 9, 2010
Pre-Delta appearances

The Elite Series season opener is only a couple of days away, and I can't wait.

We started our trip to California with a lot of the anglers making appearances at tackle stores all over the area. I started my day Saturday at Bass Pro Shops in Manteca; I did a seminar and autograph signing there and spent about five hours total at the outdoor superstore.

I got to see a bunch of people that I hadn't seen in a long time, and that is always a great experience. Seeing old friends who were a part of my early career, who know where I started, and see where I am now is a reminder of how hard I had to work to get here. It also reminds me to keep pushing, because there is more that I want to accomplish.

After Bass Pro Shops, I went over to Fisherman's Warehouse, also in Manteca. I found out when I arrived that there were some people who came to meet me who had been there all day. I felt bad that they didn't know I was only making a brief stop there after Bass Pro but was amazed that they stayed around when they found out — I really appreciated that.

I was really proud to see that my Tessera rods sold pretty well at both places. Wright & McGill Co. and I worked really hard to get them right, and the dealers and consumers have responded to them. This past weekend was no different, and it made me proud.

Fisherman's Warehouse also brought in my new Lucky Craft colors, and anglers responded to those as well. I've tried to come up with bait colors that are different, and Lucky Craft has really helped me explore those options.

After Fisherman's Warehouse, I went to the Stockton Arena to drop the puck at the Stockton Thunder's game on Saturday night. Don Miller, the Stockton Sports Commissioner asked me to come that night. They announced me as the 2009 Bassmaster Classic champion, and I walked out onto the carpet between the two teams, and dropped the puck.

It was fun to get to do that, and quite a few of the Thunder's fans clapped and yelled my name; you can always count on Stockton to turn out a few bass anglers. That's not surprising, as the arena is right next to the takeoff site for the TroKar Duel in the Delta. After leaving the ice, I went up to the hospitality suite and ate dinner.

The following day meant meetings and boat inspections at the boat yard. The meetings were at the arena again, and it was kind of funny, because there was a concert that night, and the whole time we were in the meeting, a band named Sick Puppies was rehearsing. It was really interesting to try and listen over the music but we got through it.

I talked awhile ago about there being an article coming in Parade Magazine , and Sunday, March 14 is that day. I got a sneak peak at the cover photo, and it is a cool photo. I haven't read the article, because Harlan Coben wouldn't let me see it; oh well, how do you argue with a New York Times bestselling author?

I'm really excited because Parade goes out to more than 30 million readers in Sunday newspapers all over the country. You can't buy that amount of exposure. I'm grateful to Harlan and Parade for the opportunity; it should be great for the sport of bass fishing.

March 2, 2010
Classic Expo and more

I told you last time that I'd talk a little bit about the Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo presented by Dick's Sporting Goods this week.

Short of being on the water trying to win the Classic again, the Classic Outdoors Expo was the place to be in Birmingham. Don't get me wrong, I wanted to be out there on Lay Lake but it was great for me to see what goes on at the show.

I got to work with a lot of media, worked for my sponsors and signed autographs in my booth for a couple of hours, and all of it was very productive.

There were people everywhere. Alabama is the birthplace of BASS, and the fishing fans really turn out to events like the Classic; this year was no exception. I had my own Skeet Reese Inc. booth there, as did Wright & McGill Co., Pure Fishing, and Wiley X Sunglasses.

I spent time in all of their booths, as much as I could anyway. I started in Pure Fishing, then went to my booth for a two-hour autograph session, where the line was long, full of fans and, most importantly, kids.

After that, I spent time at Wright & McGill, TroKar and then Wiley X. People came into all of those booths and lined up for autographs. It was amazing to see how many people were at the show, and how much product they were purchasing.

Wright & McGill did a promotion with my rods for the show. Anyone who bought one of my signature Tessera Rods got a dye sublimated mock Skeet Reese jersey, and there must have been a couple hundred of those around on Sunday. It was fun to see all of the yellow and black shirts running around.

Somebody had an idea to have several of them gather around me and take a photo, kind of like that old "Where's Waldo?" character; only it was a yellow and black jersey instead of the red and white stripes.

It had been almost 12 years since I last worked the consumer show at the Classic; and while I wasn't thrilled with being there on Sunday, it wasn't long before I was excited to be there with the fans.

Now that the Classic is over, I've turned my attention to the start of the 2010 Bassmaster Elite Series. I'm ready to get the year underway, and I'm excited that it's starting on my home waters — the California Delta and Clear Lake.

I'm back in the workout routine, spending as much time getting physically prepared as I can. I've done some business, and we took part in a fundraiser for the girls' school. The state has been cutting back on budgets, so the Placer Hills Education Foundation got people together to help raise money.

I donated a fishing trip, a few rods and some t-shirts to the cause. It was a great night, and altogether, something like $46,000 was raised for school programs.

Kim and I also took the girls to the snow for a little tubing; it's always cool to see them having so much fun.

I'm ready to tackle another season, ready to try and improve on last year. As always, the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year title is the goal. It's only a week away from getting back to work.

Feb. 23, 2010
Congratulations are in order

2009 Classic champ Skeet Reese Well, the 2010 Bassmaster Classic is over, and there was a group of anglers who figured out an area that ended up putting some healthy distance between themselves and the rest of us. Being one of those "other guys" this year, I wanted to offer my congratulations to those who did well, and made it a great event.

KVD put together a great program and was able to start big, finish big, and win his third Bassmaster Classic title. We've all watched as he built a career that will likely end with him being ranked as the best angler ever — if he isn't already. This win certainly did nothing but add to his legacy; he keeps raising the bar.

Congratulations Kevin on a great win.

Jeff Kriet also did an amazing job; and although I know it didn't end in the way he wanted, he did a lot for himself, his sponsors and his career this week.

I've been in Jeff's position — on Lay Lake in 2007 when Boyd Duckett won his Classic — and the feeling is devastating. To finish 2nd in a Classic is gut wrenching. You put together a pattern that brings you so close to a championship like that, and you can't help but feel disappointed.

But, Kriet, you need to hold your head high; you did a lot for yourself this week. Your easy manner, your little bit of country humor, and the professional manner that you showed this week — on and off the water — earned you fans, respect and gained a ton of exposure for your sponsors. This will make you a better angler going forward; you did a great job.

Todd Faircloth is a great guy, and I know he was also disappointed after the event. Todd is one of the true "good guys" on tour, and it's hard to see one of those guys get beaten. You always want the good guys to win.

Like I said to Kriet, this will make Todd a better angler in the long run; I fully expect to see him holding the trophy someday.

Russ Lane certainly made his presence felt this week, as well. It really added to the excitement to see an Alabama local favorite in the mix. The city of Birmingham and the whole state of Alabama really got behind Russ, and it made for a better environment, a better show. Judging from his reaction on stage, I think he thought his bag was bigger on the final day, but he did a great job.

I also want to congratulate my Wright & McGill teammate Brent Chapman for a great tournament. Brent put himself in the mix and gave himself a shot at the title. Brent just recently started fishing my rods, and it was great to see him wave the yellow and black rods in the camera. I didn't do it, so I am glad Brent performed so well.

What can you say about Ike? He's always a strong competitor; and when he's in contention, it makes for a better tournament. He did a great job and figured out something different around the same area — good job, Mike!

Congratulations to all of the high finishers. While it didn't go anywhere near what I wanted for myself personally, it was a great week for the sport of bass fishing.

I'll talk a little about the Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo presented by Dick's Sporting Goods next time; that was also great for the industry.

Feb. 21, 2010
Thank you everyone

My dream of becoming a repeat winner of the Bassmaster Classic is over.

Walking away from the tournament having missed the cut was not what I had in mind at all, but I don't want to dwell on that.

I want to say thank you.

I never knew how many people across the country had become fans of mine. I knew that I had fans on the West coast, but to find out how many people have become fans during my year as Classic Champ is completely humbling.

Being here at Lay Lake as the defending champion has been very rewarding to me as a person. I had so many people come up to me and tell me that they were rooting for me. I heard from people every day about how much my winning the Classic meant to them, and I can't express how much all of the outpouring of love and support means to me.

From a career standpoint, winning the Classic was amazing, but to have the kind of comments — from perfect strangers — is gratifying in an entirely different and perhaps even more personal way.

It's weird to think of how far my career has come, the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year and Bassmaster Classic titles are the ultimate goal of all of us who compete on the Elite Series. But we all started somewhere else.

For me, it was the golf course and college ponds near my home in Rohnert Park that began my love for fishing and fueled my dream of doing what I do for a living. While I realize the titles are there, they were won in the heat of competition, but at times I still feel like that kid who started fishing so many years ago.

I was that California Kid who wanted to follow in the footsteps of those who I'd read about in magazines, and now here I am; fishing for a living. But without the love and support of family, friends and fans, it wouldn't be so sweet.

As the Classic drew nearer, I started getting messages through my Web site ( skeetreeseinc.com ) wishing me well in the tournament. People were taking the time to send me a message telling me how much it meant to them; it was an amazing feeling.

The whole week had so many things that were so cool, from people stopping me to say hi, to seeing my Classic Championship banner raised into the rafters — it was a week I'll not soon forget.

I just wanted to make sure to say thank you to all of the people who took time to include "Team Reese" in their lives. The fans are the driving force behind this sport, and without you, it wouldn't be what it is.

I will turn my attention now to planning for the start of the 2010 Elite Series season, and trying to make next season one you can all be proud of.

Thank you for everything — it makes me want to do it again!

Feb. 19, 2010
Unveiling the Classic banner

Dan O'Sullivan

While the first day of the 2010 Bassmaster Classic didn't go as I had wanted it to, I had an amazing experience that I will never forget.

They unveiled my Classic banner to commemorate my winning of the 2009 Bassmaster Classic at the Red River — it was an amazing feeling.

The producers of the event for BASS set it up so I could do a full lap of the arena floor. Normally, when you enter the Classic arena you make a right turn as you pull onto the floor and stop at the stage. But, instead of making the right turn, the driver pulled to the left and began a slow lap around the floor in the opposite direction.

It was a little weird to go the other direction at first, but once I started hearing all of the fans in the arena begin to cheer for me, I quickly forgot about the oddity of the moment.

Before pulling into the arena, I couldn't imagine how it would feel to have the fans cheering like they did when they announced my name. It was an absolutely humbling, awesome and emotional experience. We work so hard to do well on the water, and to build a connection with the fans of the sport of bass fishing that, when I get a chance to experience their excitement and appreciation, it really moves me.

Winning the Classic last year was such an emotional experience. It was a goal I'd always wanted to achieve, to have come so close in 2007, then to win it after my Angler of the Year title really made me feel like I'd reached a level I've wanted for my career.

To hear the fans' response created a sense of validation that they see me in a way I'd always wanted them to see me — as a champion. I can't begin to tell you how much that meant to me; we have the greatest fans in the world, and their support means the world to me.

After the slow crawl around the arena floor, I finally got to the stage and Bassmaster Emcee Keith Alan started talking about all the year and really digging at my heart strings. I was really struggling to keep it together at that point.

When he finally had me look to the rafters above the stage, and that banner unrolled with my name on it, the year and Red River, Louisiana on the blue and gold banner; I almost lost it.

To see my name next to the greats of our sport means so much to me. It means that my name will forever be etched in history as a champion. It also means that my name will be forever placed in the same category as anglers I've looked up to my whole life.

The banner ceremony was one of those unbelievably cool moments that I've been fortunate enough to experience. Everyone dreams of reaching the peak of success when they start this career, but to have been as fortunate as I've been to experience it is amazing.

It makes me want to do it again now more than ever.

Feb. 18, 2010
Media Day, then game day

Thursday at the Bassmaster Classic is Media Day.

For many of you, the concept of a media gathering like this may be somewhat foreign. The idea of having as many as 200 media from print, television, radio and Internet, working a room with the 51 competitors may be a bit much. For me, it is a chance to do my job for my sponsors, and I look forward to it each year.

The first time I was a Classic competitor, the hype surrounding the tournament was a little intimidating. But this is my 11th trip to this tournament, so not only is it one of the functions of being here, but it is a chance to get a lot of work done.

I worked with a lot of different media during the 3-hour session. I did television spots, gave interviews for articles, posed for pictures, and even listened to people who pitched ideas to me. Some of the discussions I had were not only about the Classic; some writers use this as an opportunity to get material for articles throughout the year.

All of this is good, it works well for everyone. They get material for future pieces, and I get to use the time to drive exposure for my sponsors. It's a part of the job that I take very seriously; and when given an opportunity like this, I want to make the most of it.

A lot of the questions that I answered today centered around being the defending champion and the thought of repeating. If I said it wasn't on my mind, I wouldn't be truthful. I most certainly do think about repeating as the Classic champion — it would be awesome.

However, trying to repeat is not my primary focus; it is simply the thought of winning the tournament. This is the biggest tournament of the year, our Super Bowl or Daytona 500, and I just think about putting the pieces together in hopes of winning. If that means repeating as champion, I'll be happy to be a part of history.

While I'm happy to be doing all of this work leading up to the tournament, I'll be looking forward to getting down to the business of fishing tomorrow. We're all here to be a part of the event, but when it comes down to it, the actual tournament is what the anglers look forward to.

Once that boat is in the water, I can start getting myself into competition mode. Sure, there will be more media engagements to fulfill for ESPN as the defending champion, but I can start putting the other stuff in its place. Then, once they call my name, and that big Mercury starts chewing up the water, I can let it all fade to the background, 'cause it's all about the fishing.

I have a game plan; if it will be the one I need to win, I won't know until tomorrow. I believe that a flippin' stick and an LV 500 lipless crankbait are going to be the best ways to catch the fish needed to win, but we'll find out soon enough.

I'm fairly relaxed heading into the competition, but looking forward to getting to work — it's time to get it on.

Feb. 18, 2010
No more practice

2009 Classic champ Skeet Reese I talked yesterday about having our last practice day, which we did, and while I learned some things, I still don't feel like I have it dialed in. But that doesn't have me altogether uncomfortable.

Being that this is Bassmaster Classic, and I am going for a repeat win, I would love to say that I have the right fish figured out, and that I feel totally confident in what I've discovered. Despite the fact that I'm still in the processing mode after four days of practice, I know I can still pull it together.

Last year at this time I was in kind of the same situation. I knew basically what I was going to do, but didn't know exactly what my game plan was going to be. Last year, I decided to maximize my fishing time by staying in the pool we launched in. My initial thought in the Red River was to not take myself out of it by wasting time with locking.

Part of our practice strategy as tournament anglers is to identify unproductive areas of the lake; we call it eliminating water. While it may seem to be a negative concept, it is entirely a positive thing from a planning standpoint. Knowing the areas in the lake that I won't be fishing during a tournament helps me from an efficiency standpoint.

Unfortunately, I've totally eliminated the upriver area where I caught the fish that helped me in the 2007 Classic. The year Boyd Duckett won, I was fishing spotted bass around the current breaks, but those areas didn't produce for me in practice.

I've decided to focus on some of the smaller features of Lay Lake. But, while I feel like I've narrowed down my areas and have some starting points for some productive patterns, I still don't believe I've dialed in the winning fish. However, like last year, I will be figuring things out as the tournament goes on, and I just need to put enough together to keep myself in the hunt to strike in the end.

My goal in starting the 2010 Bassmaster Classic was to win and it still is; I've not changed that focus one bit. I will have to stay light on my feet and keep my thinking cap on while I'm fishing. I'll keep pushing, hoping I can put enough weight together to get through to Sunday and still have a chance to be in position to win.

On another note, Friday is going to be emotional and exciting for me at the same time. They will be raising my Classic banner into the rafters with those who have won the tournament before me. While it means my year as Classic Champion is almost at a close, it also means that my name will have a place in Bassmaster history forever, along with anglers I've looked up to my entire life.

I'm also looking forward to hearing the crowds cheering as we enter the arena. Alabamans are crazy about their bass fishing, and it should be a great time. With seeing the banner raised and the crowds going crazy, it is sure to be a great atmosphere. It is going to be a chilling and emotional experience.

Don't be surprised to see me get choked up.

Feb. 17, 2010
Still deciding

By the time you read this, I'll be on the water at Lay Lake for our "Official Practice Day." I'll be honest; I'm still going to be in the process of making my decisions about what my patterns will be when we start the Classic on Friday Morning.

Looking back at my three-day pre-practice, I haven't been able to identify the area, or the lures, that I will count on in the tournament. I do think it will likely take somewhat of a mix of spotted bass and largemouth to win; but beyond that, I've still got an open mind.

Wednesday is my last day to get any input from the lake before the tournament begins; my last chance to decide if I'm going to run up the creeks or stay on the main lake. Am I going to fish fast, or will I have to slow down? This will be the last set of clues I'll get before we launch our boats toward a date with destiny.

The rains and snow have made the water high and dirty, and the continued pumping of the water through the dams is not doing anything to help change those conditions. If they slow down the flows, the water will clear; if they keep it going, the water stays cloudy.

What I do know is that just about every bass in this lake saw a lipless crankbait in the pre-practice period. That's pretty typical for cold, dirty water in a late winter fishery. With that in mind, I will be looking to take advantage of what I can, while looking for something else that will give me an advantage.

Most of the chatter after the pre-practice period was that most of the competitors will be in the creeks because that is where the clearer water is. I know that there will be a tremendous amount of pressure on those fish, and while this lake normally produces a lot of action, it has been different because of the conditions.

My goal will be to find the kind of pattern that will produce the kind of weights that can win the Classic. While most of the early predictions have been for a slow bite; things will change as the week continues. The conditions will change, and that will mean being able to think on the fly. Weather reports are calling for a warming trend to come through later in the week, so that should have a positive effect on the fish.

If that happens, the downside of the dirty water could reverse, as the sun will warm up the water, and the fish could get a little bit more active.

All of that to say that I haven't finalized anything yet. I spent today tweaking my tackle in the service yard, and while I have 17 to 20 of my signature Wright & McGill Rods at the ready for tomorrow, I'll have it narrowed down to just a few on Friday morning.

It will be a tough tournament, but the conditions are the same for everyone, and these types of tournaments give everyone a chance to win. Make the right decisions, adjust quickly and efficiently, and you give yourself a chance.

I've got one more day to gather data, then a little while to analyze it through Media Day on Thursday before we get down to the business of fishing.

Feb. 16, 2010
Let the games begin

Birmingham, Ala. — The 2010 Bassmaster Classic is here!

I can't believe it was a year ago that I held that trophy over my head in Shreveport. The pictures still race through my head every time I think about it. I can still remember knowing that we were in the middle of a packed arena as I started celebrating, seeing the fans cheering, and not hearing a thing.

It was like all of the sound waves in the building were placed on mute, and the only thing I could hear was the sound of my own voice in my own celebration. Then I saw Kim and the girls come up on stage and into my boat. What a day that was, I'll never forget it.

But, as great a memory as the 2009 Classic was, it's time to get down to business. I have to admit that I want to win it again. I know the feeling of winning the biggest single tournament we have in this sport, and it's addicting.

I also want to do something historical. There's only been one person to win the Classic in consecutive years, and that is my inspiration, Rick Clunn. As much as I respect Rick, and acknowledge the fact that I'm not him, I can't think of a better way to honor his career than to go back to back and share that with him.

So, with that in mind, I'll turn my attention to the fishing at Lay Lake — the focus of the bass fishing world this week.

It's brutally cold out there — I'm talking the kind of cold that freezes the breath as it comes out of your mouth and nose. It has been so cold out there on the lake that I had 3 inches of snow piled on the deck of my boat on Friday's practice day, and while the conditions weren't quite that bad the other two days, they were bad enough.

I had on just about every item I could think of to try and stay warm. Long johns layered with fleece, wool, cotton, heavy jackets, gloves and everything else I could think of, and it was still cold.

The fishing was tough, too. When it gets that way, you start counting bites instead of pounds and ounces in practice. I've talked to some of the competitors who live around here who say they've never fished when it's been this cold.

I'm not the only one who's saying the bite is tough; there are a lot of the other guys who are talking about slow fishing. Everyone will have decisions to make; main lake, creeks, upriver, spotted bass or largemouth. Right now, it's still up in the air.

We've got one more practice day to put our thoughts together and make a game plan that could be the difference between champion of the world and first through 50th losers. It's an all or nothing deal here; I've been on both sides of it, and know the feelings well.

I'll be doing my best to let you share in those feelings this week, because I'll be doing a daily blog here on Bassmaster.com, as well as a daily video diary on my Web site, skeetreeseinc.com .

One thing is for sure, on Sunday, someone will have figured them out well enough to hold that trophy overhead as the fireworks and confetti fly — I'll do everything I can to have it be me again.

Feb. 9, 2010
Kim's perspective

Ken Duke Kim Reese, with daughters Courtney and Lea, watches the weigh-in stage in the moments leading up to Skeet's 2009 Classic victory. Hey everyone, it's Kim Reese.

It has been a wild year for us. It all started with Skeet winning the Classic, which brought a ton of rewards and a few challenges, too. The season started out great, but ended bittersweet, but it made Skeet work even harder, and me be more supportive.

Winning the Bassmaster Classic last year was a dream come true, for both of us. For Skeet, it was validation of a lot of planning, dreaming and tireless effort. For me, it was seeing him achieve a goal that he'd wanted, come so close to in 2007, and something he felt might be out of reach.

As his weight was called in Shreveport, and he started celebrating, I was struggling to keep it together. I was standing there holding Courtney, with Lea at my side trying not to cry; I was so happy for my husband. Once they took us on stage, I didn't care what anybody thought, I was going to scream and yell with him. Even with 17,000 fans around, that was our moment.

Last season had lofty goals — trying to be the second angler to win the Classic and Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year in the same season. The way it ended put new motivation into his preparation for the 2010 season.

I didn't know he could work harder than he already did.

Skeet has dug in even harder this offseason; his focus has become even tighter. I think the reason is because he doesn't give himself enough credit for being as good as he is. I think sometimes he looks at anglers around him, especially those he looks up to, and minimizes his own worth.

The truth is, Skeet didn't have an easy time making his dreams come true. His is a story of perseverance, one of making it happen against all the odds. He didn't have an easy life; he expects hard knocks and sees them as what was supposed to happen. But he keeps pushing.

There were so many things about this year that brought so much confirmation to his career, both on and off the water. His deal with Wright & McGill has been especially fulfilling because he'd wanted to do a rod deal like that for years. The rods have performed well; that success has proved his influence and value.

I'm not going to tell you that it has all been like floating on a cloud. Being the wife of a professional angler is not easy. I'm alone with the girls a lot because of his travel schedule, but I was also uniquely prepared for it. My father is a professional touring musician. My mom is a great role model for me in that aspect.

I find my joy in being here for him and the girls, helping and supporting him. Running Skeet Reese Inc. is demanding and provides a little extra challenge for me. I run the booth at the Classic, which is gratifying for me, because it is a way to show how much I support and stand behind him.

In my eyes, Skeet is a deserving champion, a skillful and trendsetting businessman. As a father and husband, he is loving and supportive. He's a good man. I am proud of him, no matter how it ends.

So, as the Classic approaches again, I am filled with confidence and peace that my husband will do very well, because it is what he does.

No matter how it ends, he'll be our Skeet.

Feb. 2, 2010
Getting ready to leave

It's only a couple of weeks until the Classic, and I've spent a bunch of time getting ready to go to Lay Lake and beyond. Now the Lucky Craft/PowerBait Big Rig is all wrapped in yellow and black, packed and ready to start another season doing what I love.

When I return home at the end of a season, I start by unloading everything from the boat and truck into the garage. Then, as time allows, I start going through it all, which usually means I do it all in one week in the last month before it's time to leave for the year.

Getting ready for the season is always a long process. I have to inventory all of my product, reload, order stuff from my sponsors, and I have to do it for a whole season. Once my rig leaves California, I don't have the luxury of swinging by the house and picking something up between tournaments.

This year could have been different, with our first two events being on the Delta and Clear Lake, near my Northern California home. I could have packed for the Classic only, but I wanted to stay with my routine.

I did find out something new while getting everything ready to go; Berkley PowerBait doesn't respond well to moisture.

Apparently, two of my storage trays got a bunch of water in them at some point towards the end of the season. When I opened those two boxes, which at one point contained black and green pumpkin Power Worms, I was greeted by a less than pleasant sight.

The worms had turned some sort of a puffy, nasty color and also turned into a moldy mess of plastic. To be perfectly honest, it looked more like fake pieces of plastic cat poop that you might leave on the floor as a practical joke than it did a pile of worms — it was disgusting. I had to throw the whole of those two trays away and start over with plastic worm storage.

In between getting ready for the road, we also planned my oldest daughter Lea's seven-year-old birthday party. It was a lot of fun; we even brought in a local dance teacher to teach the girls a dance routine. They all learned a new hip-hop dance and performed it for us. I can't believe my little girl is seven already.

During the postseason last year, I had New York Times Best Selling author Harlan Coben in the boat with me. He was on assignment for Parade Magazine, one of the largest publications in the country. Parade is syndicated every week to around 34 million homes in distribution through several Sunday newspapers.

Harlan was there to cover the events as they unfolded, and the result of his trip was that he was going to be doing a feature story about the postseason. I've come to find out that not only am I going to be a major component of the story, but I will also supposedly be the cover photo in the next couple of weeks.

It's an honor to have heard that I would be going out to that many readers and right around the Classic — pretty cool.

Jan. 26, 2010
This job rocks

Skeet watching 13-year-old Bry Peterson play Skeet's new Classic guitar. Sometimes I get a reminder of how cool my job is, and I had one of those things happen this week.

I had a flashback to 2007, the year I won the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year title. I got a special prize from a friend who is a schoolteacher at Buljan Middle School in Roseville, Calif., approximately 20 minutes from my house. I got an electric guitar shaped like a bass for winning the AOY Title.

I don't play the guitar, but Duane Calkins is the wood shop teacher there, as well as a bass angler. A few years ago Duane started a special program for 7th through 12th grade students called Wood Shop Rocks ( www.woodshoprocks.com ). Duane and his students build custom guitars, and, coupled with a local music retailer, Skip's Music, in Sacramento, Calif., they teach kids to use their hands, manage a project and even how to play the instrument.

The goal of the program is to get kids interested in something that makes them want to come to school. Like sports, it is an extracurricular activity that requires minimum standards to be met if a student wants to participate. It works! Grades and attendance are up, and some of the kids are taking their lessons to the point where they are forming bands and even writing their own music.

Anyway, Duane called me down to the school, so I showed up to the classroom last Friday to meet some of the students and get a second guitar in honor of winning the Bassmaster Classic. This one was a cool heavy metal styled guitar, and it was painted all yellow — a perfect match for me.

Duane arranged for three of the kids to actually play the guitar they'd all built for me. So, they hooked it up to the amplifier in Duane's classroom, and proceeded to wail away on it. They were all really talented, and the scary thing is that they were all 13 years old. One of them has even started a band called Mullet for my Valentine, and won a battle of the bands contest with their own original music.

I put a video on my Web site ( www.skeetreeseinc.com ) of those kids playing for me, as well as Duane telling about the program. Because Wood Shop Rocks is an after school program, it relies on donations to fund itself, and they could all use our help. They are in six schools right now. Check them out. It's an amazing program.

Speaking of my Web site, we just spent the better part of two weeks updating the look of it. There's a lot that goes into it, even though I didn't do the actual computer work. I got a sense for what the Bassmaster.com Web team goes through.

Along with the Web site work, I worked with several other projects including finalizing my 2010 wrap. I am proud to announce that the manufacturers who made the products I used to win the Classic last year — Lucky Craft and Berkley — have stepped up as co-title sponsors for the season.

So I'm finishing up packing the Lucky Craft/PowerBait Big Rig to head east for the season.

The Classic is approaching, and I've got some business to settle with Lay Lake.

Jan. 19, 2010
Au Revoir, Paris

I spent most of last week in Paris working a show for Lowrance Electronics, and the whole thing was pretty cool.

Traveling overseas is always a challenge, and it makes for some long days when you're working a show. The 20-hour flight to Paris, and the nine-hour time difference left me dragging pretty badly.

In spite of the travel difficulties, the trip was worth it.

I was the first American professional angler to attend one of their shows, and for the 25,000 people who attended the two day show, it was kind of a confirmation of the growth that bass fishing has made in the last several years. Fishing is still somewhat of an "Elitist" sport over there, so I won't be surprised to see it grow much bigger than it is now.

They have tournaments over there, but they are different than ours. The main reason is because the bass population is not that large, so their tournaments include several different species. Anglers can catch other species and include them in their daily catches. They also have divisions for each species and for overall weight of catches.

One of the highlights of the trip for me was getting to hand out the awards to the champions of their tournament trails, which was a lot of fun. I also got to do seminars, which was exciting, as well as a little challenging, considering that I had to work with a translator.

Lowrance brought someone to be my translator, but I think she was kind of new to it, so we never really got into a rhythm. I'd say one or two sentences and have to wait for her translation, and then we'd go on. I think we were able to get our points across in the end.

I thought the show was going to be split between freshwater and saltwater, but it was all fresh. They had all of the latest bass gear, and the cost of the carp fishing gear there blew my mind. Unlike here, where carp are viewed as a trash fish, over there they are a sport fish, and they go after them with the same fervor that we go after bass.

One of the interesting things I learned was that until five years ago, sonar units were not allowed on French waters. They thought of them as cheating. Now, instead of them having to go out there looking for the fish like blind men, they can use the advantages that Lowrance units afford them.

I was escorted by Greg Konig, vice president of Lowrance's new product division in Tulsa, Okla., and Jim Deheer, their marketing director for Europe. We enjoyed a bunch of great French cuisine, including cheeses and wines. Although, being a California native, I prefer our wines. Theirs were excellent, though.

The last night we were in town, we all went to dinner together after the show, and it was kind of funny that we were in France, with all of that great food, and we went for Chinese. Oh well, when in Rome — I mean Paris.

Au revoir, Paris, I'm glad I'm home. It's time to get ready for the Bassmaster Classic.

Jan. 12, 2010
Back to the grind

We got back from our vacation in Mexico, and my nose instantly hit the grindstone.

There's a lot to get ready, especially considering that the Bassmaster Classic is only a little over a month away.

This is the time of the year when some of our last minute contracts are being finalized, and boat and truck wraps are being applied. I went to drop the truck off at the shop of Corey Fenske at Sticky Graphics, who does my wrap, and the boat was finished. I must say it looks great. I can't wait to see the whole package put together.

Along with those final details, we're making plans for the Skeet Reese, Inc., booth at the Classic in Alabama. In planning for that, we've got to secure lodging for family and friends who will staff the booth and make sure the displays and merchandise are prepared for arrival in Birmingham.

We'll have some new stuff at my booth again this year, and that in itself requires extra attention. Anytime you are working on product of any kind, it requires a back and forth communication with the artists and the engineers — depending on the type of product — and that creates a whole new level of involvement.

I also have to finish putting all of my gear into the boat and big rig for the year. Because I live in California, I have to think about what I'll need for the whole year and pack it accordingly. It's not like I can swing by the house and pick up something I left in the garage as easily as some of my competitors.

Some of that will be a little easier this year because we are starting the Elite Series season in California, so I can focus on the Classic waters more and take care of the rest when I come back home after Lay Lake.

Along with all of that planning and strategizing, I'm getting on a plane tomorrow to make an appearance in Paris, France, for Lowrance. It will be a whirlwind trip, but I'm looking forward to it. I've never been there before.

I knew some of the nearby European countries have bass fishing, like Spain and Italy, but until this trip was planned, I didn't know they had anything other than pike and other cold water species in France. I'll get to share my experience with Lowrance Electronics with the anglers there.

The whole trip will take about four days, and about 21 hours of that will be on a plane. Even though there will be some jetlag issues to deal with, I'm excited about this little adventure. It should be fun.

When I get back, I'll be putting the final touches on my preparation for the Classic and the season, which will include some news and releases from SRI. I'm looking forward to being able to share that with the industry.

The New Year is here, and I'm looking forward to getting it all started.

Jan. 5, 2010
A special day

I had a very special day last week. I got to take my oldest daughter Lea out on her first saltwater fishing adventure.

While in Puerto Vallarta on vacation, I thought it would be fun to take her out on a father-daughter fishing trip. I booked the trip with our usual captain at www.marlasportfishing.com , not knowing if she would get sea sick. I figured a half-day trip would be a good starting point.

So Tuesday morning we got on the boat and headed out into Bandaras Bay. It didn't take long for the adventure to kick in to full gear when within 2 miles of the ramp we saw our first group of humpback whales. We stopped and watched the mother and her calf for about 10 minutes; Lea was beside herself with a giant smile on her face.

From there we went a couple more miles and the ocean suddenly turned white from tens of thousands of skipjack feeding on small sardines. We stopped and cast some little bait rigs at them, and within seconds I was hooked up. At this stop, Lea caught three or four skipjack before she got tired.

We continued out to the Marietta Islands to do some Rooster fishing. During the 10 miles it took to get there, we saw 10 to 12 more whales. We both enjoyed seeing them. Once we got to the Islands we had to catch the bait that catches the Roosters.

We trolled little sabiki rigs around until we caught 10 baits, then headed out to the Pacific side of the islands to catch the big ones. Once we got out there, I realized how big the swells were. My guess is that they were 12-15 feet! Not calm at all!

We got the live baits out and started to slow troll them over the shallow reefs. It didn't take long to hook the first one, I hooked the fish then handed Lea the rod. With the fighting belt on she went to work (with me helping a little). We were using the new Penn Torque reel with 30-pound-test Trilene Big Game line.

After about 15 minutes and Lea being wiped out, she landed her first rooster fish weighing in around 25 pounds. Let me remind you, Lea is six years old and only weighs 48 pounds, and blue water fish fight three times as hard as freshwater fish.

After the battle she went into the cabin to play on her video game while me and her "Papa" (Tom Coster) stayed on deck to catch some more. I caught the next one, which weighed around 40 pounds, then Tom hooked one that a Bull shark came up and ate. Things were fast and furious, and I was ready to catch some more when Lea came out from the cabin NOT feeling well.

After 45 minutes of fishing, we headed back in to the bay where it was much calmer, and she felt much better. So we decided to catch a few more skipjack before heading back to the marina.

Overall, it was a great adventure. I wish we could have stayed out to catch a few more fish but I got something more special than that.

I got to see my little girl having fun, and we created a memory that the two of us will share forever.

Dec. 1, 2009
Trinity River Steelhead

Steelhead fishing on Trinity River, Calif. One of my favorite things to do is to go steelhead fishing. I got to do that this week on the Trinity River about four hours from my home in northern California.

My friend Roy Gray and I left Auburn early in the morning in hopes of tangling with one of my favorite gamefish. Roy is the Lucky Craft manufacturer's representative in our area (among other companies) and is one of my closest friends in the fishing business.

It's always a great guy's day out, and with Kim and the girls giving me a hall pass for the day, I called Roy and had a willing accomplice.

It's a tiring day, a road warrior trip — eight hours of driving to fish for seven hours. It's a very long day, but when the steelhead are biting, it's worth it.

We get all dressed up in our waders and wade the rocky banks of the river drifting roe and yarn in the current. Steelhead fishing is a light line deal. You use a long, 9- to 10-foot rod that absorbs the run of these fast and powerful fish.

I've started setting mine up with 30-pound-test Spiderwire Ultracast braided line with 6-pound-test Berkley 100% Fluorocarbon as a leader. It works really well in the current, and the combination of the braid to fluorocarbon helps me feel the bottom and the bite better.

I also got to use my new Wright & McGill Co. Essentials waders, and while the pair they sent me was a little large, they did the job of keeping me dry and warm — not an easy task when the water you're fishing was snow only a few minutes before.

The fishing wasn't great, but it's been worse, too. We hooked up with about a dozen fish, and managed to land eight or 10 of them, mostly in the 5- to 6-pound class. Not really all that big, but they were enough to bring a couple of filets home.

It had been a couple of years since I've been able to get up there. In fact, the last time I was there was in 2007 when Mark Jeffreys from BassZone.com came out to film our In the House segment. Watching him work the river was hilarious; the rocks are slimy with moss, and you have to wear felt-soled shoes to keep from slipping. Mark's boots were rubber-soled.

I don't know if he actually fell all the way in the water, but he sure slipped a lot and he would walk around a lot of areas looking for easy passage to the other side. He was really sore and slept good when we got home that night. It was funny, and today's trip reminded me of it. I can't wait to get him back out here to do it again.

I've learned a lot of things in all of my fishing experience over the years that have helped me on tour, and when you're standing in the water with air temps below freezing, you find ways to cope. One of those things came from my steelhead trips, and all it took was a trip to the doctor.

I've got a new video on my Web site that anyone can use in the winter time to help their fishing, check it out .

Nov. 24, 2009
Thank you

2009 Classic champ Skeet Reese The holidays are here, and with Thanksgiving only a few days away, I can't help but become a little nostalgic.

It's been an amazing year.

First of all, I've got my family. Kim, Lea and Courtney are everything to me. Without them, none of this would be the same. Sure, fishing for a living is what I've always wanted to do and is a dream come true. But having them in my life to experience the journey makes it more special. They make it mean so much more. I love my family.

Speaking of family, I plan on spending a not so relaxing Thanksgiving with two little girls running me all around the house and visiting with family. I wouldn't have it any other way.

The other thing that brings a whole new level of enjoyment is our friends. We have friends at home who are there for Kim and the girls when I'm away. Knowing that they have a support system is a comfort to us all. I have friends across the country who make up my extended family, and, like everyone else, they are a part of the team that stands behind me and helps provide the strength to go after my goals.

Friends make it all better, too; you know who you all are — thank you.

Professionally, I would have a hard time scripting a better year, with one exception. But, even with that one blemish, it was an amazing year.

I could only have dreamed of being the Bassmaster Classic champion.

Seeing Rick Clunn win the title four times was the reason I wanted to become a professional angler when I was young. Now I have the trophy in my own home, and I still get emotional thinking about it. I achieved a dream.

My sponsors are people I am more than thankful for. They have put their faith in me to aid in the growth of their companies. I can't begin to put into words the humbling effect their trust in my abilities on and off the water has on me. I wear your logos with pride and honor.

To you all, Lucky Craft, Redemption Lures, Champion Boats, Mercury Marine, Berkley, Wright & McGill Co., Wiley X, Motorguide, Lowrance, TroKar and Monster Bass Tackle.com, thank you is all I can say!

To the media that has always worked hard to deliver the education and entertainment of the industry to the public, thank you as well. My job would be much harder without you.

Also, thank you to the fans of our great sport. I meet so many of you across the country. You are a passionate bunch, and you bring a whole new level of excitement to our industry.

Finally, thank you to all of the men and women of the United States military. Your sacrifice at home and overseas allows people like me to pursue my dreams and makes our country the greatest in the world. You deserve more than this, but, thank you with all of my heart.

It was oh so close to being the perfect year, and while I am grateful for the successes, the fire to do even better is burning hot, and I can't wait to get things rolling again at Lay Lake in February.

See you all then... and one more time — thank you.

Nov. 17, 2009
The real special times

2009 Classic champ Skeet Reese As usual, my job has duties that are 'must do,' and then there are those things that I get to do that really warm my heart, and leaves lasting impressions and memories.

This week has included a lot of the latter.

First, the job duties had me spending the weekend with my sponsor, www.MonsterFishingTackle.com , and their first inaugural Bass Jam at their new building in Rohnert Park, Calif. Their brick and mortar store, Outdoor Pro Shops is where I worked for several years when I was first entering the fishing business.

Ken Elie, my friend, and the owner of the store, taught me a lot about the industry, and I have always appreciated his friendship and help.

Bass Jam was a trade show styled consumer show where I did some seminars, and set up a booth at as well. We had all of my signature apparel and some sponsor product. I saw a lot of my Wright & McGill Skeet Reese Tessera rods go out the front door. I also saw a lot of old friends and customers from when I managed the store for Ken.

Kim and the girls came over Saturday afternoon and stayed through Sunday. Lea and Courtney love staying in hotels, they think the rooms are like amusement parks — I feel sorry for any neighbors in the proximity

It was a great weekend; it brought back a lot of memories.

The other part of my week was a different kind of experience, and it began last year.

Kim and I met a young boy from our hometown named Dominic Ramos at the Sacramento International Sportsman's Exposition show. That week Dominic and his family got the kind of bad news that changes the way they look at things.

Fishing with Dominic Ramos. They found out Dominic had Leukemia.

I can't imagine the kind of feelings that kind of news would bring with it. I can imagine it would be somewhere between absolute terror, anxiety and despair.

We've stayed in touch with them throughout the process. We found out recently that his treatments had gone well, and that Dominic's illness had gone into remission, and he was able to go outside for the first time in a few months.

Kim, Lea and I took Dominic and his family to a pond at one of our neighbors' houses and went fishing the other day. I set him up with a Texas rigged tube and he caught his first bass, and a few more up to 3 pounds along with some bluegill.

His courage and fighting spirit has been a great example to us, as well as an honor to get to know.

Well, I'm off to Denver, Colo., for some hook development meetings with the folks at Wright & McGill Co. I am really excited about it as I'll get to learn how hooks are made — it's the only fishing component I have yet to learn how it's made, and I'm really looking forward to it.

I'll also get to meet a lot of new folks who make up the W&M family — it will be nice to put a face to their names.

Nov. 10, 2009
Get me off this crazy thing!

I thought the season was busy, but the past couple of weeks have made me feel like George Jetson on the treadmill.

Get me off this crazy thing!

I'm not complaining — not in the least. There's a lot of fun in the middle of travel. But I look up and I'm somewhere else. First it was Norman, Okla., and the Basszone.com Fish & Chips event, then it was Tulsa, Okla., for Lowrance training.

Last week was a trip to Puerto Vallarta with my boss at Pure Fishing, John Doerr, and his son Ian. We had some great talks. John and I have a lot of similar feelings about business, and I really like the direction he is taking Pure Fishing.

We fished for dorado and tuna and celebrated Ian's 21st birthday, which was one he'll remember. He caught a 90-pound yellowfin tuna, had a great dinner and we all had quite a few drinks and shared a lot of laughs.

Then, I came home for a couple of days, and it was off to Clear Lake to take Jerry Aldheizer, the 68-year-old winner of the Lowrance HDS trip, fishing with me. Jerry is from Virginia and had never been to California before. His impression was that everything was like L.A. or San Francisco, so the drive to Clear Lake surprised him with the farmland and rolling hills.

Jerry had his heart set on catching fish on swimbaits, and thanks to some Tournament Talon swimbaits and a dozen or so chunky Clear Lake largemouth, he didn't leave disappointed. Most of the fish we caught came on the swimbait, and he even left town with a couple of the baits we fished with for the day to try on his home lake, Smith Mountain.

I kind of expected that we'd be able to whack a few on the Clear Lake killer, Lucky Craft LV500 lipless crankbaits, but, thanks to the shad die-off up there, the typical fall bite is off a little. Luckily, with Clear Lake, there are always options, and we figured them out on the swimbait bite.

I always get a kick when people fish with my Wright & McGill Co. Skeet Reese rods; especially those who own high price rods, because most people say they can't feel a difference. Jerry said a few times how impressed he was with how my Swimbait/Carolina Rig rod handled the 6-inch swimbaits.

We got about 20 bites, and were able to land 12 or 13 of them. None of them was less than 3 pounds, and the biggest was 5 pounds. I think he was happy with the trip because the phone calls home were starting soon after we got off the water.

I've got a busy weekend ahead of me; I'll be at my sponsor Monster Fishing Tackle/Outdoor Pro Shop's new Bass Jam event meeting and greeting and doing a few seminars. It should be a busy weekend full of old friends and new people.

After that, I get on a plane and head to Denver, Colo., for some work with Wright & McGill/TroKar hooks for a couple of days.

Then it's back home. I truly love my job, but it will be nice to be home with Kim and the girls for a while.

Skeet's Beat – Bassmaster Blog #16
In Training

I talked a little last week about going to Tulsa, Oklahoma to spend some time with Darrell Rollins, our Field Support Specialist at Lowrance. Darrell took me on the water to train me on the use of the new Lowrance HDS units and their new Structure Scan technology.

It may have been the best four hours I've spent preparing for a fishing season.

I've yet to use the HDS units in competition, but from what I have seen, they are the most advanced fishfinders that I have ever laid eyes on.

Anyone who has ever seen my boat knows that I have a unique – some may call overkill – setup where my electronics is concerned. When coupled with my Biosonix Fish Activator, I have a total of five different electronic devices rigged on my boat.

I have a flush mount unit in the dash, as well as the bow, which I use for high speed and shallow water fishing. I also have two large screen Lowrance units on RAM Mounts; one at the bow, and one at the console for higher detail imaging when fishing deep. You can see videos on my personal website – www.skeetreeseinc.com - showing how I set up my Champion for the season.

The new HDS units will take my unique setup and make it downright extreme.

First of all, the menus on the HDS units are completely different than anything Lowrance has released before, which is a good thing. In the past, making changes to the units required using the keypad on the right, and toggling between multiple screens to make changes. Now we will have the option of programming soft keys at the bottom of the screen that will save time on the water.

The definition of the high definition screens is amazing. They show some of the clearest images of what we are positioned over that I have ever seen in a fishfinder before. When coupled with their new broadband Sonar, which returns sonar signals in a digitized format, the HDS units show target separation that can produce an image of a single fish next to a boulder.

Before the new technology, that fish would have been displayed as a part of the boulder, now we can see that it is a fish that could make the difference between winning and losing.

As an angler, I need every advantage on the water, and my competition has had a slight advantage with the abilityto see to the side with their fishfinders. Now that Lowrance has come out with their Structure Scan technology that integrates into the HDS units, I'm the one with the advantage now. They have also added SIRIUS Satellite Weather, which can help me see weather trends, as well as help me make my way back to the ramp safely around bad weather.

They even made units that have GPS modules built into the units which means we don't have to have additional wires and accessories mounted on the boat.

I have to credit Lowrance for listening to its pro staff and implementing things that we have asked for to makinginstallation and functionality of the units easier.

The new technology is more affordable than one might think, and with Lowrance's commitment to the quality of their products, and their training program – competing on the Elite Series just became easier – I can't wait to put it to the test.

Skeet's Beat – Bassmaster Blog #15
I'm no poker master

I spent the week in Oklahoma competing in Riverwind Casino's $100,000 Fish & Chips tournament presented by Mark Jeffreys' BASSZONE.com .

After spending a long week with too much down time, I learned one thing — I'm not a poker master.

There were a lot of tour level anglers who signed up to fish and play cards in this unique event — Kevin VanDam, Rick Clunn, Gerald Swindle, and the list goes on. The format was pretty unique as it combined a two-day fishing tournament on Arbuckle Lake with a one-day poker tournament at the Casino.

Both tournaments stood alone, but they also had a point value that would be combined to come up with an overall winner for the whole event. Dean Rojas and his partner won the fishing event as Dean's partner caught a Moby Dick 9-pounder on the first day to put them in the lead. Then they held off the field with a limit the next day.

They won $20,000 for the fishing portion, then played cards well enough to win the overall title for another $10,000. I don't know who won the poker tournament, but there was another group of local poker players who filled in the tables, and one of them took home the $20,000.

The event was a lot of fun, and any time there is a total purse of $50,000 the competition if going to get stiff.

We didn't do so well.

I partnered with the "King of Arbuckle" for the tournament; Jeffreys himself. I spent the week enjoying myself, not really worrying about the fishing because Mr. BASS ZONE is supposedly always a threat to catch a bunch of big fish on that puddle.

That didn't happen, I guess with all of the planning of the event, Jeffreys didn't have as much time to find us fish as I thought — so our poor showing is all his fault. Well, maybe not all his fault, I guess I could have put some time in, too, and perhaps gotten off of the back deck on the first day, but oh well.

On the poker front, I realized that I am a better blackjack player. With blackjack, you don't have to work in any strategy, you only have count the cards and get as close to 21 as possible without going over. Poker is an entirely different game; the mood became very serious when the tournament started.

I was out of the tournament early; I'm too big a risk taker to stay in the game too long.

Jeffreys and the folks at Riverwind did a great job of making the atmosphere fun. Everything was well-organized and it was a lot of fun — despite my lack of success.

After the event was over, I traveled to Tulsa where I spent a day on the water with Darrell Rollins at Lowrance learning about the new Lowrance HD and HDS fish finders. I'm really glad I did, because this is a whole new learning curve.

They are going to make a difference for me on tour next year — I'll tell you more about the trip next week.

Skeet's Beat – Bassmaster Blog #14
Goliath Falls

I'm leaving Florida where Wright & McGill Co. took me to some Gander Mountain stores. The reason for the trip was to promote my Skeet Reese Tessera rods and TroKar hooks. But, we were able to mix in some fun along the way.

Pure Fishing's Scott Dubiel hooked us up with inshore guide George Gozdz of Flat Lined Charters, in Jensen Beach, whom you may have seen on Byron Velvick's Going Coastal show. We wanted to go after tarpon, snook and goliath grouper.

Things started with a bang when Ryan McCullough, who handles the larger retailers for Wright & McGill hooked a big tarpon, which took more than an hour to land. At 120 pounds, Ryan said it was a hard fight, but I think he was just being a wimp.

We went to the docks and caught a bunch of snook on Berkley Gulp Shrimp. At three to seven pounds, they weren't big, but they were a lot of fun.

Then it was time to go after the goliath grouper that inhabit the bridge pilings. I'd heard stories about them, but until we got to the bridge and pulled out the tackle, I had no idea what I was in for.

They were heavy saltwater rods with giant Penn reels and 300-pound-test braid and 400-pound-test steel leaders. Our giant hooks were loaded with five pound amberjacks for bait.

It was 10:00 at night, dark and windy as we approached the bridge pilings that are only in 15 feet of water. George said it was dangerous because of the wind and darkness, and that if someone fell out, one of the fish could eat us.

With that in mind, I pitched towards the piling and let it sink until my rod jerked - and I do mean “jerked” to the water. All I could do was squat and pull with all my might. Eventually I was able to pull the fish into open water, where we landed it.

It was about 90 pounds, which I'm told is a small one, as they can weigh between 400 and 600 pounds. What was cool is that I landed one on my first attempt, and on his show it took Byron several tries to land his first, which was around the same size, he even broke off several times. I don't see what was so hard about it (just kidding Byron).

During the battle the fish pulled the rod down and broke the button off my shorts, which made them fall down, and somehow I even ended up with a lamprey on my rear end, I'm not sure how that happened, but oh well.

Wright & McGill's marketing manager Chris Russell took a turn and after he hooked up, he broke off. But, it wasn't the line; it was the wire leader - those things are beasts.

We had a great night; the five of us on the boat was absolute chaos. George Gozdz is the real deal, check him out at www.flatlinedcharters.com , and if you want to see some pictures of the night, go to my website - www.skeetreeseinc.com .

I can't wait to go again, but it's off to Norman, Okla. and Mark Jeffreys and Gary Guidice's Fish and Chips tournament, which combines poker and fishing on Arbuckle Lake and Riverwind Casino. It should be a lot of fun - I've been practicing my poker - I just hope Mr. BASS ZONE .com found us some fish.

 

Skeet's Beat – Bassmaster Blog #13
Lowrance HDS Winner and Lucky Craft News

Lowrance Electronics ran a contest throughout the 2009 season for anyone who purchased a new HDS fishing system. All of those who purchased an HDS Hi-Def system would be entered into a drawing for a day on the water with me, and that winner has been chosen.

Jerry Aldheizer, a Lowrance customer who regularly fishes Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia will be crossing the country in November to fish with me on Clear Lake for a day. The fall bite can be a lot of fun there; we can catch fish a lot of different ways that time of the year.

There can be a topwater bite, a jerkbait bite, a crankbait bite, a spoon bite, a deep jig bite and even a spoon bite. Needless to say, Jerry is looking forward to fishing my favorite Lake, and it's all thanks to Lowrance. I'm sure we'll be able to put my Lowrance units to the test and show him a good time - Nor Cal style.

I enjoy working for and with my sponsors, and spending a day with Larry on Clear Lake is certainly one of the best ways to work for Lowrance.

Speaking of sponsors, I got some great news last week.

I had a meeting last week, and I'm proud to announce that the Lucky Craft Express will be rolling once again for the 2010 season as one of the primary parts of my wrap.

Lucky Craft has been a major sponsor of mine for more than 10 years, and has been my primary sponsor for the past five years, and I couldn't be prouder that they have chosen to keep working with me as the main face of their marketing.

First of all, I've always been fortunate to be able to work with a company like Lucky Craft. In my mind, they are a company that makes the best hard baits in the business. They are the most progressive and innovative bait makers around, and their products help me put more of the right fish in the boat.

After the meeting regarding next year, we turned our attention to product, and I can say that I'm really looking forward to the things we have in the works for 2010. There are new baits in both the Lucky Craft and Redemption Lures lineups, as well as new colors that we have been working on.

Redemption Lures has new spinnerbaits and jigs in design stages and the new stuff that we are working on in the Lucky Craft brand is of the quality that only they can produce.

It feels really good to have an established company like Lucky Craft standing behind me, especially when the economy has been as it has the past year or so. It makes me feel good to have a major sponsor for next year, especially one that I have so much history with.

With that news in place, it's time to focus on the fishing. The goals will be the same as last year, and I am preparing myself to go after them – as Lucky Craft says – they're about Fishing and Dreams.

Oct. 5, 2009
Back to Life
I come home at season's end with expectation of relaxation and getting back to my hardcore offseason training. But, it always seems that things come up and I'm busier than I expect to be. This year has been no different, and for the most part, I don't know where the days go. It took me several days to get my workouts underway, but I'm starting to get in a groove.

Back to life…

One of the things I got to do this week was attend a friend's wedding. Mike Van Wagner, a local boat dealer and longtime friend got married to his fiancée Terri. Kim and I went and got to see a lot of my old fishing friends there. It was really nice to catch up and see some of the guys I grew up fishing with and against.

I'm often reminded of the quality of my sponsor's products, and sometimes in unusual places - the wedding was one of those. Terri's son is a U.S. Marine; he noticed the Wiley X Reign sunglasses I was wearing, and wanted to talk about them.

He told me that he wears Wiley X while on duty and that at least 60% of the Marines he serves with wear them as well. He told me that the reason is because of their reputation for their impact resistance and because of the fact that Wiley X has such excellent service.

Wiley X is proud of the fact that they are U.S. Veterans, and they work hard to take care of the men and women of the armed forces who choose to wear them. Having someone stop me at a friend's wedding and tell me that my sponsors, as well as their products really are as my sponsor represents them – it was a great feeling.

I gave him the glasses off my face to take back with him, it was the least I could do for someone who would give his life to protect our freedom.

We recently ran a video on my website about Wiley X sunglasses and it was really cool to hear him talk about all of the features Wiley X has taught me about their products, in real life example – when life and death matter. See the “Skeet Talks Eyewear” video at my website www.skeetreeseinc.com .

The next two days were spent filming for Wright & McGill Co. and my new Skeet Reese Tessera Rods. We spent Monday in front of the camera all day on Lake Clementine near my home, and will spend much of Tuesday doing voice over.

The filming had two parts to it. First was for a five minute intro and description piece that will be given to dealers across the country talking about the rods. They will be able to use them as point of sale for their customers in stores and on their websites. The second part is a 30-second commercial, and in case you think that all took a half an hour to finish – not even close.

I spent all day on this beautiful little canyon lake with clear water, grass beds; tule lined banks and chunky little smallmouth, and never got to fish.

Such are the rigors of my job - I know, you all feel sorry for me.

Sept. 29, 2009
Recognitions
Kevin VanDam came into Toyota Trucks Championship Week and did exactly what he had to do to get the job done.

My hat's off to him. As a fan of the sport, I wanted to recognize what he has accomplished, and what he seems to be able to do most days.

That's not to say I didn't have the opportunity to close him out. I did, but I didn't execute on a couple of fish, and it cost me the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year title.

I also want to recognize the seasons of a couple other of my competitors — Mike Iaconelli and Gerald Swindle. Ike has been on his "A Game" all year long, and he sits only a few ounces from being the Bassmaster Classic and Forrest Wood Cup Champion in the same season. He can be scary when he's that "on."

Gerald made a late season charge to get into the postseason, and it shows how strong he's become. He made the race more compelling and added some real drama to the end of the season. All of our other competitors had great seasons and made the postseason what it was.

I also wanted to say how thankful I am that Mark Menendez' wife Donna is recovering from her medical scare in Alabama. Donna had to leave the weigh-in on the second day of the Lake Jordan event. Mark left the weigh-in to care for his family, which says a lot about his priorities. I'm glad everyone is doing better.

On a separate note, every once in a while my job allows me to meet people who are extremely interesting, and Harlan Coben is one of those people.

Coben is a New York Times bestselling author who decided to take an assignment for Parade Magazine covering the postseason. Harlan rode with me on the first day of the Alabama River tournament, and I learned that he has sold 45 million copies of his novels over the years, as well as the fact that he took the job mainly because of his young son, Ben.

Ben is in love with fishing, and when Coben asked his son what he would like to see him write about, he told his dad that fishing was the topic. Harlan rode with me on Day 1, then he and Ben went to fish Lake Jordan with Elite Series pro Greg Vinson, and had a good day together.

Since the event, Harlan and I have texted numerous times, and we've kind of hit it off and become mutual fans of each other. Ben wants to be a tournament angler, so I'll likely get the chance to see our families get together somewhere, and I'll help Ben understand our sport a little bit more.

I feel very fortunate to have met Harlan, and that the article in Parade , which will go to more than 30 million people in February, will include some of me. Ironically, Harlan's new crime thriller due to be released in March 2010 is called Caught , but it has nothing to do with fishing.

Sept. 14, 2009
Halfway There
Two days down in Toyota Trucks Championship Week, and I'm halfway to my goal.

There have been highs and lows for me. From overtaking the field at Oneida, to having the postseason point adjustments remove that lead. Then, to deal with the uncertainty of coming to a body of water I'd never been to at Jordan, and to have a so-so day on Saturday. I told someone in the media that I'd just shot par, but followed it with a definite birdie on Sunday.

There was another moment that brought ups and downs. I was talking to emcee Keith Alan, and he told me I'd leave the event with a 24-point lead over 2nd place in the standings. My mind started racing with tabulations, and I started to feel a little emotional — I've been known to get choked up a time or two. Then, when the points were officially tabulated, I ended up with a 16-point lead, so it was kind of a letdown.

As I made the drive to the hotel after doing Hooked Up with Tommy Sanders and Mark Zona and all of the other media stuff, I realized something. I'm halfway to my goal, and I know what I need to do.

I left everything on the water both days; fished as hard as ever — I should, this is my job. I expect the best of myself. I have to if I want to beat the other 11 anglers in this field. They are a bunch of sticks.

I caught 90 percent of the fish I weighed at the Berkley Powerbait Trophy Chase on one bait, but I think it might play a role for me next week, so I'll keep it to myself for now. I will say that I fished offshore on Saturday and mixed in shallow docks on Sunday.

Next week is going to be new as well. I've got a little experience on the Alabama River, but not much. We're hearing that they are going to release water from Jordan, which will create more current than usual downstream. I know I'm going to need to catch them and finish in the top three to guarantee the title, so that is my goal.

I started pursuing this objective before the season, after the last cast of 2008 when I put myself though my offseason workout routine — the most demanding I've ever done. Then I won the Classic on the Red River and the goal of winning Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year meant even more.

I know the sense of history that I'm chasing, and the magnitude of being able to equal what Mark Davis accomplished in 1995. My respect for the history of our sport, the great anglers who have gone before us and those I compete against everyday makes me want it even more, and I look forward to the challenge.

Kim and the girls fly in Tuesday for the final competition days, and I'm looking forward to that. They are everything to me, and it wouldn't be the same without them here.

On the topic of family, my Elite Series competitor Mark Menendez had to leave early Sunday because of a family emergency. Our thoughts are with you Mark; I hope everything is alright and that we'll see you on the water.

I'll write for you next week — hopefully with a new trophy in hand.

Sept. 8, 2009
My girls
I've spent three days this past week doing what I love with the people I love — my girls.

First was a kid's fishing day on Folsom Lake. Lea and Courtney were excited about fishing in their first tournament. They've seen me get ready for, and fish in, tournaments across the country, and they were ready to go after it for themselves.

Five o'clock Saturday morning, Kim and I woke them up, got them in the truck and headed to the lake. Being that the day was all about the kids, live bait could be used. We had a boatful of night crawlers and Shakespeare rods and reels that Andrew Marks at Pure Fishing sent to the girls — we were ready to go.

We rigged little split shot rigs with the crawlers, and before long the girls had each caught a couple of fish. After about two and a half hours of excitement, the newness wore off, and they started playing around in the bottom of the boat. Courtney decided to decorate the carpet of the Champion (borrowed from my sponsor Ken Elie at www.monsterbasstackle.com) with worm poop. The boat was pristine when he loaned it to me, so that meant I had cleanup duty.

We weighed in early and both girls got participation ribbons — which they were happy with — but they didn't get the biggest fish trophy that they wanted to put next to my AOY and Classic trophies at home. All in all, it was a day with my girls on the water and a lot of fun. I have a couple of pictures from the day on my Web site (www.skeetreeseinc.com) if you want to check them out.

We spent a couple of days fishing at two separate ponds with the girls and some friends. We caught a bunch of little bass and bluegill out of little farm ponds; everyone had a good time.

The girls got to take part in donating to the fire victims in Auburn last week, too. Some of you may have seen on the news that a fire torched more than 60 homes and businesses about a mile from our house. Had the wind been blowing from the northwest instead of the southwest, it would have gotten to our house too.

In fact, we had evacuation readiness orders ourselves, and after packing up some belongings, I videotaped all of our belongings and waited for the call to leave. Luckily, it missed us, but it certainly affected a lot of our neighbors in Auburn. Our hearts go out to them. After everything was over, we all went through the house, loaded up the cars with food, clothing, toys and blankets and went down to donate them in town. We just wanted to help.

Now it's time to turn my attention to Alabama and the postseason. I leave Tuesday to retrieve the Lucky Craft Express and head to Jordan in Wetumpka and then Montgomery and the Alabama River. I've got four competition days, two bodies of water, 20 fish and 12 serious competitors standing between me and the 2009 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year award.

I want it B-A-D. It's time to get it on!

Aug. 31, 2009
Race to appreciation
I wrote last week about getting ready to go to the Indy Racing League event at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, as well as going fishing with two of their race officials. Those were two really cool days I'll never forget.

The race was amazing. My buddy Robbie Floyd, who is on-screen talent for the IRL on Versus Network, hooked us up with VIP passes; we could go anywhere. We went to the VIP Paddock Club, to the pits, around the trailers and even on pit row before the race started. The whole experience was totally unreal.

I stood next to Marco Andretti during the national anthem and got to watch much of the race from behind the wall of the pits. I can't believe they can change tires and fuel a racecar as quickly as they do. Seven seconds is not an unusual time to see those cars back on the track — and I thought our service crews on the Elite Series were fast!

Dario Franchitti got the checkered flag, and I walked away with a new appreciation for the drivers and crews of the Indy Racing League. I also got a signed helmet; every current IRL driver signed it, with something like eight different Indy 500 winners on it.

I took two IRL officials to Clear Lake on Monday, following the race: Brian Barnhart (president of race operations and competition) and Kevin "Rocket" Blanch (technical director, a rules and enforcement guy — basically a professional dictator, like our Trip Weldon. I'm kidding, of course. Hi Trip!).

We caught between 25 and 35 fish on frogs, and I caught a 7-pounder off a rockpile on a jig. Both of those guys love to fish, follow the Bassmaster tour, and Kevin has even competed on the Opens level a few times.

The fish were bunched up in little areas of grass, and Brian caught the biggest frog fish — a heavy 6-pounder that rolled under the mat on his frog. He tried to cast back to the same spot but was off target to the edge and wound up with a 3-pounder. Brian cast back to the spot and caught the fish; "Rocket" was pissed, but we all laughed about it.

They got to use my new Wright & McGill Skeet Reese Senko and Toad rods, as well as my Skeet Reese Revo reel and Spiderwire Ultracast braid. Both of them told me later that they would be buying setups for themselves. I love it when people get enjoyment from products I helped bring to the market; it's a great feeling.

I've got a full story on my Web site ( www.skeetreeseinc.com) about both days. Check it out.

I also want to touch on the situation revolving around the California Delta. I'm not a scientist, but it seems to me that there has to be a more effective way to solve our problems than pumping a bunch of the freshwater out of the Sacramento River before it gets to the Delta. It's going to kill our state's best fishery if this goes through.

Bassmaster.com ran a story about the situation earlier this month. If you've ever fished the Delta or wanted to, call your elected officials and voice your opinion.

Aug. 24, 2009
Another break — what to do?
Another break between events, but this time around the stakes will be a little more final as there are only two tournaments during Toyota Trucks Championship Week. While getting into position to be there at the end of the season was important, now there are only two tournaments left, and the points scale is tighter, which makes each point earned all the more important.

With another period of time between tournaments, how will I keep myself sharp and in tune for going after the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year trophy? Same way I did last time — spending time with family and friends.

I got a call recently from my friend Robbie Floyd, a television commentator who has worked for ESPN during the Classic, and has done everything from motocross to the Olympics. Robbie is now covering the Indy Racing League. The IRL is in our area for their stop at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma.

Robbie asked me if I would take some race officials fishing for a day; I was happy to oblige. We will be more than likely heading to Clear Lake — my favorite lake — to try and put these guys on some Clear Lake big heads. I'm not exactly sure how the bite is up there, but I'm sure we can put something together.

The fishing trip will happen this week, but by the time you read this on Monday, we'll have been to Sonoma for the race. We're looking forward to that.

After the trip to Clear Lake, I'll be getting ready to take the girls on a Kids Fishing Day event on Folsom Lake, which is about 20 minutes from our house. Kim and I will take Lea and Courtney in one of my old boats that we've borrowed from Ken Elie, my sponsor at Outdoor Pro Shops (www.monsterbasstackle.com), and have a good time.

One of the tournament organizations in northern California is putting the event on. There will be bounce houses, Radio Disney, fire safety training with the local agencies and a lot more fun stuff for the kids to do. Kim has even gotten a bunch of our friends from around here to take their kids because it sounds like a great time. I'll report on both fishing trips next week

On another topic, I've gotten a lot of good feedback through my Web site and from dealers about my new Wright & McGill Skeet Reese Tessera rods.

Monster Bass Tackle, a distributor in Japan, and some Bass Pro Shops locations got the first shipments, and people are already commenting about them. One of the comments came from a guy who said that with the $89 price tag, he had a cheap discount store rod in his mind when he picked it up, but found that it compared to the highest end rods on the market for weight, responsiveness and feel. I'm looking forward to hearing more of what people have to say about them.

I've always said that I wouldn't put my name on anything I wouldn't throw, and these were made for me. They are the same rods I'm using on tour — the ones I'll be using when I go after the AOY title in a couple of weeks.

Aug. 17, 2009
Farewell to Ken
Oneida is over, and with it another season is in the books ... kind of. We know who is in the 2010 Bassmaster Classic and who the Rookie of the Year is — congrats to you all. However, we don't yet know who the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year is; the postseason will determine that.

The postseason is upon us, and I think we added some intrigue with the way things ended up at Oneida. There is certainly a pile of all-star talent in the finals ready to tackle Alabama. I've certainly got my eye on creating some history, as my goal since the beginning of the season has been to match Mark Davis as a Classic winner and Angler of the Year in the same season.

I'll be going for the title in three weeks or so, as will the other 11 competitors. It certainly will be interesting.

Oneida left me feeling a bit bewildered, as I feel like I missed the best pattern. I never found the schooling fish that many of my competitors reported and, in hindsight, may have missed an opportunity to make the Elite 12. I don't have space to share the intimate details of my pattern here, but you can read them on my Web site (www.skeetreeseinc.com).

I'm going to depart from the details of my job as a professional angler for a moment, and change directions to something close to my heart.

At the beginning of the 2009 Elite Series season, my Pure Fishing teammate and industry icon, Ken Cook, announced his retirement from competition. I'm not sure we realize how much we'll all miss him now that he is gone.

We've seen several of our sport's heroes move to television — Dance, Parker, Martin, etc. — but never before has one who has done so much for our sport moved into retirement like this. Ken's career has been one of victory. He proved that with six career wins, including the 1991 Classic, and over $800,000 in career earnings.

As good as he has been on the water, Ken's career has been marked even more by his desire to educate and promote, which he did very well. He put his fisheries biology degree to great use as an educator over the years, leaving behind a legacy of anglers who know more about their quarry as a result.

He also was one of the hardest working and most professional promoters our sport has seen. He's done a great job working for his sponsors, always presenting himself in the most professional manner. We all learned a great deal about what it meant to be effective promoters from Ken's example.

We can only hope that the lessons he leaves behind will continue to educate and be an example as he heads to his Tarbone Ranch (www.kencookoutdoors.com) with his beloved wife, Tammy. I wish them both continued success and much happiness together. I hope our paths cross each other's again someday soon.

Ken you've always been one of the smartest, most articulate professionals our sport has known, as well as a great competitor. I hope your future meets all of your expectations. You will be missed.

Aug. 10, 2009
The Home Run King
When animals attack — Bassmaster Classic champ Skeet Reese vs. largemouth bass.
I'm in the Lucky Craft Big Rig headed to Oneida. Heck, by the time you read this I'll be on the water practicing.

Mark Zona is a spaz — in a good way ... I think.

After the last event in Iowa, I drove the Lucky Craft Express to Michigan, dropped my Champion off at Randy VanDam's shop, D&R Sports Center in Kalamazoo, and my truck at Zona's house to await my return from California.

I flew in Thursday, where "Z," as we call him on tour, was all set to pick me up from the airport — in my truck. He greeted me, and all he could talk about is how cool it was to have people honking at him and girls waving at him while he was driving. It's gotta be the truck!

We headed over to D&R where Kevin's big brother and his staff were working on the Champion, making sure everything was in tiptop condition for the rest of the season. While I was at home they told me I had destroyed my lower unit in Iowa, and it had to be replaced.

Cool. One less thing to worry about.

We then headed, with Kevin, to a wing house where Zona saw on the menu that he could get his picture on the wall by eating 16 of the hottest wings available. When he found out he had to do it without drinking or eating anything to cool off his mouth, he chickened out. Wimp.

Then we headed to his house, where I thought I'd spend a couple of hours inspecting (translation: raiding) "The Smallmouth King's" (as he calls himself) prized tube collection. I figured he'd have hundreds of tubes, but he doesn't. He muttered something about only buying them in small batches for perfect color and flake consistency. Whatever, weirdo.

Then we had a home run derby in his back yard with his twin sons, Hunter and Jacob, his wife Karen, her parents, and "Z" and me. He and I were handicapped and had to hit left-handed, but were tied going into the final round, then he won by five dingers. He might be the "Home Run King of Michigan," but "The Fishing King" is still KVD.

I think I may have been sabotaged in "The Michigan Triangle" though, because I've noticed that after Zona had my truck for a couple of months, it doesn't run quite the same. It seems to be sluggish on acceleration, and I'm not so sure that leaving my boat at KVD's brother's shop unattended was a bright idea, either. Who knows how that will work.

I'm kidding, of course, but if I open my lockers, and my gear is gone, I'm headed straight to Zona's house. I'm sure he'll have a new Lucky Craft wall in his garage.

Back to the business side of life, I'm excited about a couple of things. Pure Fishing is sending a new prototype bait to Oneida — one that we've been working on together for awhile. It's pretty cool, and will fill a void in the product line. I'll also be seeing the new Abu Garcia SKT Revo, with a few changes, the biggest being a 24-pound drag system — should be awesome.

Aug. 3, 2009
My summer break
It's been a long break between tournaments, but it's not like I've been sitting around waiting. I've been busy. Kim, the girls and I have had a never-ending list of things to do.

I've continued to work out — fitness is very important to me — both on and off the water. Being in shape helps me stay focused and allows me to fish harder. I'm also setting an example for my daughters that taking care of yourself is important.

We took a week's vacation to Bullard's Bar Reservoir and Emerald Cove Marina. We had six families camping on two big, beautiful houseboats we rented from the resort. We swam, floated in tubes, fished and hung out with friends.

Bullard's Bar used to be full of small spotted bass, but we caught a bunch of solid fish. The lake has really matured. It's hard to imagine that Bullard's Bar and its emerald-colored water with fat spotted bass is still a secret even to anglers in the area. I've got a couple of pictures of Kim and me with those quality fish on my Web site at www.skeetreeseinc.com.

The folks at Emerald Cove were great. They made sure our big group was taken care of. I hope they're ready for us again next year. It is a great family vacation spot. For more information, call them at 530-692-3200. You won't be sorry.

Kim and I competed in the world's oldest triathlon, Eppie's Great Race, in Sacramento, Calif., on July 18. We ran 5.82 miles, cycled for 12.5 miles and paddled a kayak for 6.35 miles. I originally signed up to support Kim, but I had fun and did better than I thought I would. We finished together in 2:56:43, and while I was a little sore the next day, I'm looking forward to it again next year.

We hosted a combination 40th birthday/Classic victory party at our house on July 25. The week was hectic getting our house ready and setting everything up. I was running right up to party time.

Things got interesting on Friday when the company came to install the tents. They drove one of the support stakes through the pipes of our pool filter system. It took most of the day to dig three feet deep, repair the leak, put the turf back together and clean up.

It was worth it, though. We had 140 adults and children there. The pool got plenty of use, and the band, led by the father of one of my daughter's classmates, did a great job. We had the Mikuni Sushi bus along with Mexican food and all the beverages anyone could want.

Gerald and LeAnn Swindle flew in for the party, which totally surprised me. Gerald entertained the crowd with tales of white knuckling and fitting in with Lucky Craft in Japan. Everyone was doubled over laughing.

It was a great night. I really appreciated everyone sharing the occasion with us. It was something I'll never forget.

With all of that fun behind me, the Lucky Craft Express is rolling to the northeast this week. I'm really jacked up to get to Oneida and the postseason. My competitive drive is kicking in, as is my desire to hold another AOY trophy.

July 27, 2009
My how far we've come
After all of the excitement of releasing new products at ICAST, something hit me, and it left me feeling a little flat after the show.

Where has our professionalism gone as an industry?

Not to put anyone down, our industry is full of highly talented people who can create products that revolutionize an industry. However, when I look around the halls of a show like ICAST and see people in shorts, T-shirts and flip-flops like they are on an afternoon outing at the beach, I feel somewhat embarrassed for our industry.

It wasn't so long ago that ICAST was strictly a suit-and-tie occasion; if you weren't dressed the part, you didn't get into the room. Then, as things began to turn toward business casual, we as a whole dropped the business from our appearance and now we look like we could be sitting by the pool with the kids.

Sadly, a lot of what I saw came from some of my Elite Series counterparts, many of them, individuals who are still on the lookout for the sponsorship arrangements that can solidify not only their careers but their lives.

I'm not trying to single anyone out, per se, but as a whole, the Elite Series competitor is supposed to be the "cream of the crop" of professional anglers. We are the ones who are supposed to set the bar higher, both on and off of the water for everyone to see. When we don't come dressed for a meeting, I believe we diminish our effectiveness as professionals and ambassadors.

Every one of us has worked hard to cultivate our brands, be it my trademark yellow and black color scheme or the next guy, who has built his image on colors or a specific product. Professionalism needs to be a part of that equation.

I looked around the room and saw anglers I respect — those who have gone before me — who came to ICAST in slacks and dress shoes, with jerseys on, or sponsors' logos on a collared, button-down shirt, and saw their professionalism. These are the anglers we should continue to emulate as they are those who have set the mark of professionalism, both on and off the water, for years.

I also saw anglers in shorts, torn jeans and beach sandals sitting in meeting rooms planning marketing strategies, when they were more prepared to be at a concert in Margaritaville. There is a time and place for that look — when we are on the water competing in the sun — but not in the boardroom.

Again, I have no intention of singling any one person or group of people out, but at a time when sponsors are pulling out, organizations are reducing schedules to accommodate down economies and anglers are doing everything they can to keep competing on the highest level, we need heightened professionalism.

As Elite Series pros, and as industry representatives, the public's first view of our sport's professionalism comes from us. I guarantee that I'll be the first one to change into the beach bum uniform after the show is over, but we need to commit to professionalism now more than ever.

July 20, 2009
Skeet at ICAST
Well, here it is, my first blog on Bassmaster.com. Ken Duke, senior editor of BASS Publications, finally busted my chops enough to share my stories with you.

What is a blog anyway?

Apparently I'm supposed to spill my thoughts out as they come to me, and you guys will read them. OK. Sounds like tons of fun, so here it is.

I've spent the last couple days at the Orlando Convention Center basically screwed to the floor of booths. But, instead of it being a chore, the whole thing was really exciting.

I went on behalf of my new sponsors Wright & McGill Co. and TroKar hooks, as well as Lucky Craft, Pure Fishing and Wiley X.

The launch of my new Wright & McGill Co. Skeet Reese signature rods was something I was looking forward to since we first decided to do the project. I got even more excited about it when I received my first shipment of production rods before the show. They are everything I wanted them to be. The actions are perfect, the materials are better than that, and they are black and yellow — I know I don't need to explain that.

We also released the new TroKar hooks. We had been working on these hooks for quite a while; in fact the company has been working on the project for more than three years, under closely guarded secrecy. The press releases are absolutely correct, TroKar hooks are freakishly sharp.

When I first got them at Kentucky Lake, I cut myself on them so bad that I was bleeding like a stuck pig for a while. During practice, I was fishing another wide gap hook, and was missing four out of every six fish that bit. I tied on a TroKar, and caught every one after that. This hook is the deal.

The release of the hooks was cool, the buildup from the ads that went to the secret lazertrokar.com page only made people wonder what it was, and when the opening day of ICAST came, the site went live, complete with video and graphic descriptions of the hooks. Chris Russell at TroKar and Doug Long at 5 Stone Advertising did a great job with that. It's not every day you get to be a part of something so cool.

Everything about putting these projects together has been amazing. Wright & McGill Co. has made Kim and I feel like family, which is really important because that is exactly how we see them. My sponsors are more than business partners to us.

I spent a little time at Lucky Craft on the second day showing off the new larger sizes of my SKT series crankbaits. I've been chomping at the bit to get my hands on these. They give me another tool in my arsenal that only Lucky Craft can provide.

I also spent some time working with the folks at the Pure Fishing booth, mainly talking about future bait designs, which is something I always enjoy. Some of those projects will be the baits I use to compete with in the not too distant future. No matter how long I've been doing this, it's really cool to see baits you've helped design out on the market; Berkley is really good about that stuff.

Wiley X released the glasses that I wore when I won the Classic. Of course they were prototypes then, but they look pretty cool and have all of the famous Wiley X features. I even hear they may have some other new things in the works for the near future.

All in all it was a really cool experience, and releasing new products that I've worked so hard on is almost as exciting as winning the Classic again. OK, maybe not that exciting, but it was fun.