Spring 2025
®
W
hile Hall of Famer Skeet Reese can compete
on any water – from a parking lot mud
puddle to the Great Lakes – some of the hallmark moments of his career have come on tidal waters.
He cut his teeth on the famous California Delta, his first Elite
Series victory came on the Potomac River, and his most
recent trophy came during a BPT event on the James River
system on his 55th birthday.
“I guess I have a decent record,” he deadpanned.
That tidal river excellence has spilled over into other river systems. His coveted Bassmaster Classic victory came on Louisiana’s Red River. In many of his other victories, an understanding of how current positions fish, derived from his river excellence, was a key to success.
He believes that his greatest asset is a honed instinct for timing.
“The key for me has always been knowing when to run the tide, or when to wait for one spot or one area to turn on,” he said. “I’ve won both ways. The key is being able to be flexible, especially when things are not perfect. For example, we all have our favorite areas of the Delta, but sometimes you only get a 45 minute window, or sometimes for some reasons you have to fish your second best area instead.”
In the earliest days of his career, he was able to run the tide more effectively and more often, generally because fewer anglers understood the strategy or how changing water levels affected the bite. Today, with decades of tournament results, YouTube videos and increased knowledge, it’s become harder, but not impossible.
“It’s harder to do because people know the same juice,” he explained. “So there’s more camping, more guys staying in certain zones. Either way, it’s always a crapshoot. You sometimes want to move, but you know that if you do you
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