I’ve been asked the question a lot this year: “How’s retirement?”
My answer is always the same: “I don’t feel retired.”
In case you didn’t know, I stopped fishing competitively after the 2025 Bass Pro Tour season. While that was a significant shift after I’d spent the past 30 years of my life on tour, I think I’ve been busier during the past six months than just about any other time I can remember.
So, even though it might sound backwards, I can’t wait to take a break from retirement and compete against the best anglers in the world one last time at Kubota Heavy Hitters Presented by Bass Pro Shops. Knowing going in that it’s truly my last high-level tournament, I’m equal parts excited and emotional.
Busier than ever
Since “retiring,” my main focus has been growing my rod company, Reese Fishing. We now have two rod series available for purchase – Next 1 and Next 2 – with a total of 31 models. I’m also fortunate to report that all my longtime sponsors have stayed on board even with me no longer competing, so I’ve been gladly spending time filming content or making appearances for them.
Recently, I took on another new challenge in hosting the Skeet Reese Big Bass Battle on Clear Lake June 27-28. Let me tell you, I have a whole new appreciation for tournament schedulers and directors now. That has been so much more work than I anticipated when I came up with the idea.
But I’m super pumped for the event. We’re giving away big bass prizes every hour; plus, of course, each day and for the event. To my knowledge, it’s going to be the first tournament to use BUBBA’s new SCORETRACKER LIVE system, so competitors will know in real time where they stand. Having experienced SCORETRACKER® for many years on the BPT, I can guarantee you they’ll love that. And if you’ve paid any attention to bass fishing lately, you know that Clear Lake has been on fire for kicking out big bass.
Oh yeah, I’ve been fishing, too. My family has a place on Clear Lake, so I’ve taken to using that as my office from time to time. It’s pretty nice to be able to get done working on whatever I have going on that day, walk down to the dock and hop in my Ranger. Getting on the water is still my No. 1 source of joy.
In years past, I haven’t gotten to spend a ton of time on Clear Lake during the late winter through spring, because we’d always be traveling. This year, I’ve been crappie fishing a bunch, and the bass fishing has been spectacular. I actually caught my personal best bass and the biggest five-fish limit of my life on the same day in March – 45 1/2 pounds featuring a 12 1/4-pound kicker. That was a pretty epic day.
One last ride
Aside from “how’s retirement?” the other question I get asked a lot is whether I miss competing on the Bass Pro Tour. Of course, part of me does. Mainly, I miss the social aspect of traveling around the country and staying with some of my closest friends.
But the competitor in me is satisfied right now. I look at the rod business as my new competition. I wake up every day just as hungry to grow Reese Fishing as I ever did to prepare for the next event. I figure if I ever get into a funk and need a tournament fix, I can always jump into a team tournament or a local derby in California. Truthfully, I’d probably be more intimidated by that than I would be fishing against the BPT field.
All that said, I am very much looking forward to Heavy Hitters. With no entry fee and the huge big-bass payouts, it’s always been a cool event. Orange Lake is right up there with Clear Lake in terms of being one of the best giant bass factories in the country right now, and I can’t wait to check it out.
It should be my type of fishing, too. I grew up flipping grass, and I can’t wait to flip around a big weight knowing that any pitch, I could tangle with a double-digit. Honestly, with no points or anything attached to this event, if I feel like just laying a few flipping sticks and a frog rod on my deck and having a ball doing that all day, I might just do it.
Of course, I still want to win. What better way to go out than that? In fact, I’m hoping to one-up my good buddy Kevin VanDam, which isn’t something I’ve been able to say too often.
You might remember that KVD fished his final event at Heavy Hitters in Florida two years ago, and he won the $100,000 prize for catching big bass during the Championship Round. That was pretty cool and all. But winning the event and catching big bass – going out with $200,000, a championship belt and one last win – now that would be a storybook ending.
In all seriousness, I do get emotional thinking about the finality of this one. Knowing that afterward my career as a top pro will officially be over, I’m sure you’ll see some tears flowing at some point during the event. My main goal is just going to be enjoying myself and soaking it all in.