Fishing Shallow

By Skeet Reese

One of the many great things about fishing is that presents endless possibilities. Pretty much everyone takes to the water with a single goal in mind: to catch fish. Some people use artificial lures, other use bait; but within these two types of fishing lie a multitude of options for getting more fish in the boat.

This time of year, a lot of the bass are in shallow water for a couple of different reasons. First, they are chasing shad, which are spawning in the backs of coves. Second, since the nights are cooler, the surface temperature of the water is also cooling down. So, when the sun does rise, the first water to be warmed the most is the shallow water. There’s a lot of ways to fish the these shallow bass this time of year, but one that is sometimes overlooked is a finesse approach.

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Cashing In Away From The Bank

By Skeet Reese

To watch the average bass tournament, often the outcome is so often decided on who finds the best stretch of bank. But what happens when the shallow bite isn’t there? Where do you go when the fish have closed the bank?

These days, I see lots of anglers - good anglers - who are seemingly chained to the bank. There’s a whole lot of water that these anglers never touch, water that holds plenty of big bass. The secret to catching these big bass isn’t really a secret at all. All it takes to go deep for big large and smallmouth bass is plenty of practice with electronics, knowing when to abandon the bank and knowing where to focus your efforts.

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Skeet Reese is ESPY Nominee

Bassmaster Elite Series pro Skeet Reese of Auburn, Calif., was tapped today as one of five nominees for the Best Outdoor Athlete award of the 2008 ESPYs co-presented by HUMMER and Under Armour.

Reese was nominated for his achievements in competitive bass fishing over the past year, including winning the 2007 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year crown and scoring one Bassmaster Elite Series victory. As holder of bass fishing’s most prestigious title, Reese has served as an ambassador for the sport, appearing in major sporting venues throughout the year as well as being profiled by major media outlets. Besides being the reigning AOY, Reese has 40 top-10 finishes, including three BASS wins, on his career resume.

“I feel extremely honored to be nominated in the outdoor category,” Reese said. “It’s gratifying to be among such a world-class group of athletes. Would I like to add an ESPY trophy to my mantel? Yes! It’s such a unique award. As an angler, it’s not something you’d ever expect to get. It would be pretty darn cool to win that.”

There is a precedent for professional anglers winning at the ESPYs. Current Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year points leader Kevin VanDam (2002) and previous AOY champion Jay Yelas (2003) both took home the ESPY hardware in the outdoors division. Also, Tammy Richardson of Glenwood, Ark., who competes on the Women’s Bassmaster Tour presented by Academy Sports & Outdoors circuit, in 2006 won what was then called the Best Angler award.

Dean Karnazes, who completed 50 marathons in 50 days, was the winner of the Best Outdoors athlete ESPY in 2007.

The other four 2008 Best Outdoor Athlete nominees are dog musher Lance Mackey, champion of the 2007 and 2008 Iditarod; 50-year-old marathon swimmer Skip Storch, who circled the island of Manhattan in record time in August 2007; mountain climber Army Capt. Scott Smiley, who scaled Mount Rainier in 2007 despite having lost his sight in the war in Iraq; and mountain climber Dave Hahn, who has reached the summit of Mount Everest 10 times, a record among American climbers.

Starting today, fans can cast their votes for their favorites online at http://www.espys.tv and, for the first time, via mobile phone at http://www.espn.mobi. Fan voting will determine the winners in all 37 ESPYs categories except for this year’s three special awards. The balloting will be open until 11:59 p.m. ET July 12. Last year, more than 12.5 million votes were tabulated.

The ESPYs will be televised at 9 p.m. ET, Sunday, July 20 on ESPN and ESPN HD. Hosted by
Justin Timberlake, the 16th annual ESPYs will take place in a new venue, NOKIA Theater L.A.
LIVE, in downtown Los Angeles.

Super-Sized Summer Dropshot

By Skeet Reese

From the time the weather began to warm early this year until now, every lake in the country has seen the local angling population hammer the resident bass with every bait and presentation under the sun. And now, with the return of summer’s heat, long days and rising water temperatures, the bass in most places are retreating to their offshore confines, looking for cover and an easy meal.

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