Reese Dominates Final Day to Win at Lake Okeechobee
Smashing 27 pounds, 9 ounces on the final day of the 13 Fishing Stop 1 of the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Bad Boy Mowers, Skeet Reese tore past the other leaders for his first major win since 2015. Totaling up 82-14, Reese takes home $100,000 for his second career win in Florida to push his career earnings to over $3.5 million.
After beginning the tournament in 16th place, Reese got right in the hunt on day two and stayed there throughout the week. He brought in a 21 pound, nine-ounce stringer on the second day to vault into second place. On the third day, he dropped off one spot with a 16-pound limit but did enough to keep him within striking distance.
Today, he simply took over and came home with the win and trophy that comes with it. When the last fish was weighed and Reese was crowned the champion, he was visibly emotional after securing the victory.
“This feels really good,” says Reese. “I’ve had some tough fishing the last few years and to be able to come back and win; it is the recognition that my new mindset and hard work paid off. Everybody who fishes tournaments does it to win and to be able to do it against this level of competition, with this big of a field, it’s priceless.”
Reese milked one primary area in South Bay for the entire event. He mixed up his approach each day and alternated between two key lures for the win – a 6″ Berkley PowerBait The General and a green pumpkin vibrating jig with a Berkley PowerBait The Deal in the Skeet’s green money serving as the trailer.
“The first day, I was focusing on the isolated clumps of reeds that were a little deeper,” says Reese. “I started targeting water that was 4-feet deep because all of the shallower stuff was getting so much pressure. I stayed out a little further from the bank on the isolated pencil reeds and caught a few good ones the second day by pitching The General on a 5/0 hook with a ¼-ounce weight on 25-pound-test Berkley Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon.”
On the second day, Reese stayed off the dense reeds and was able to catch a 21-pound bag that included the day’s biggest bass, an 8-8 giant.
The final two days offered vastly different weather conditions and the wind speeds picked up throughout the lake. Reese changed with the weather, going to a vibrating jig and eventually sealing the win.
“It got too windy and made it hard to flip and pitch The General,” Reese says. “I also think it moved some of those fish out a little deeper. Today, it seemed like every big female was set up out in the open.”
Reese didn’t have a wildly productive practice, but he put himself in the winning area, and that was enough.
“I maximized what little I had and fished it all four days,” he says. “I was trying to be in an area and get as many bites as I could. I never thought I was on the winning fish this week. But, I’m a believer that everything happens for a reason.”
Top 10 pros
1. Skeet Reese – 82 – 14 (20) – $100,000
2. Chris Lane – 75 – 05 (20) – $30,000
3. Jim Neece Jr. – 74 – 02 (20) – $25,000
4. Dicky Newberry – 72 – 12 (20) – $20,000
5. Bill McDonald – 71 – 00 (20) – $19,000
6. Miles Burghoff – 70 – 11 (20) – $18,200
7. Pete Ponds – 66 – 07 (20) – $17,000
8. Ryan Salzman – 64 – 03 (20) – $16,000
9. Cole Floyd – 63 – 14 (20) – $15,000
10. Anthony Gagliardi – 63 – 02 (20) – $14,000