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Same Old Story: California’s Reese Holds Opening Day Lead at Bassmaster Elite Series Event on Lake Guntersville

May 6, 2010 - Working through more than 200 bass and burning nearly 10,000 calories, Skeet Reese of Auburn, Calif., was looking for a frosty beverage and some empty calories to rejuvenate the senses after a scorching Thursday on Alabama’s Lake Guntersville .  And the 2007 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year certainly deserves a mild celebration after toting 29 pounds, 3 ounces, to the scales, at the Synergy Southern Challenge, which put him in the familiar position at the top of the leaderboard.

This week, Reese is bidding for his fifth consecutive top 5 finish in Elite competition, which is unprecedented territory.  But he will have to hold off two decorated veterans and fellow AOY winners Gary Klein (second) and Mark Davis (third) to accomplish that feat. 

Perhaps the only thing that can steal the headlines from Reese is fish-factory Lake Guntersville.  Guntersville is turning on at the opportune time, cranking out 40 limits that weighed more than 20 pounds.  And if anyone knows how to take advantage of a primed Guntersville, it’s Reese, who scored a second-place finish here in 2009.   

“I’m dog-tired right now,” said Reese, a five-time Bassmaster winner.  “It’s an absolute grind.  My hands are so shredded right now from catching fish, it’s crazy.  It’s almost every cast.  My first cast, literally, I caught a five-plus off the bat.”

If not for two lost brutes, Reese said his limit would have weighed more than 30 pounds, but all in all, he was pleased with his execution.  He was keying in on schools of bass that he located in practice and was milking them until he felt it became counter-productive. 

After practice, Reese – similar to many others in the field – felt that weights would be significantly down from last year’s slugfest on Guntersville.  The 40-year-old was finding schools in practice but wasn’t exploiting the areas, instead saving them for competition.  Initially, he thought 18 pounds a day would get an angler into the top-47 cut, but after his first cast, he knew he needed to change his mindset.

Amazingly, Reese is fishing all different areas than the ones he used to post the second-place last year.  He still has some back-up water that he hasn’t visited but felt that his schools would regenerate and would concentrate on those areas first-thing Friday. 

“I’ve saved some schools but that doesn’t mean that I will need them,” said Reese, who declined to reveal specifics of his pattern.  “It was a fun day but I’m going to need to keep it up to have a shot.”

Klein, the 1989 AOY, registered 28 pounds, 4 ounces, and is less than 1 pound behind Reese, a gap that means little on Guntersville.  With a late launch position, Klein, who located a number of productive areas in practice, knew he had to nail his decision and pick the right one or risk having to scramble.  He picked correctly, finding himself alone and caught his entire total by Noon.  He spent the rest of the day defending his spot and didn’t see another boat come into the area.

He is fishing a transition area that sets up so the fish come directly to him.  He knew he could have totally milked the area and perhaps built a bigger total, but the 52-year-old decided to save the area in hopes of it remaining productive throughout the four-day event.

The Weatherford, Texas, pro is having a stellar season, heading into Guntersville in 16th in the AOY standings, and in good position to qualify for the Bassmaster Elite Series Postseason.

“You can pretty much catch them anyway you want to,” said Klein, 52.  “I’ve got a little deal that’s working and I just hope it holds up Friday.

Davis, the 1995 AOY, was the first angler to weigh in, coming back to the check-in point 1 hour early.  The Mt. Ida , Ark. pro quit fishing at 10 a.m. and essentially practiced the remainder of the day. 

“I had the best practice I’ve ever had in 28 years of tournament fishing,” said Davis, who amassed 27 pounds, 12 ounces.  “The sheer numbers of fish are so astounding.  It’s going to be a four-day horserace and it should be exciting.”

Behind Davis in fourth was Fred Roumbanis of Bixby, Okla. , with 27-11.  Rounding out the top five was 1982 Bassmaster Classic champion Paul Elias of Laurel , Miss., with 26-12.

After Friday, only the top 47 anglers will qualify for Saturday.  And of those, only the top 12 will move on to Sunday.

Aaron Martens of Leeds, Ala., took home the $100,000 first-place prize and the Southern Challenge trophy last year for his fifth career BASS victory. Martens struggled Thursday, posting a 43rd-place finish.

Guntersville has been the site of 20 top-level BASS events, including the 1976 Bassmaster Classic, won by Elite Series pro Rick Clunn of Ava , Mo. The Elites competed at the fishery in 2009, when the top four overall weights for the four-day tournament crashed the scales at more than 100 pounds. Elite anglers caught nearly 1,300 fish and more than 5,300 pounds over the course of four days.

Along with the top prize of $100,000, the Southern Challenge awards valuable points in the 2010 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year title race. The public is invited to attend the daily launches at 6 a.m. CT at Lake Guntersville State Park , 1155 Lodge Dr . , Guntersville , Ala. , 35976 . After Day 2’s competition Friday, the field will be cut to the top 47 anglers for Day 3. Only the top 12 will go on to compete in Day 4. Also free and open to the public, the daily weigh-ins are set for 3:30 p.m. CT at Lake Guntersville State Park .

Local sponsor of the Southern Challenge: Marshall County Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Bassmaster Elite Series Official Sponsors: Toyota, Berkley , Evan Williams Bourbon, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota , Skeeter and Yamaha.

Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: Lowrance and Triton Boats.

DAY 1 SYNERGY SOUTHERN CHALLENGE STANDINGS

2010 Guntersville , AL 5/6-5/9

Lake Guntersville, Guntersville  AL.

(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 1

   Angler                   Hometown              No./lbs-oz  Pts   Total $$$

1.  Skeet Reese            Auburn , CA               5  29-03  305

  Day 1: 5   29-03  

2.  Gary Klein             Weatherford , TX           5  28-04  295

  Day 1: 5   28-04  

3.  Mark Davis             Mount Ida , AR            5  27-12  290

  Day 1: 5   27-12  

4.  Fred Roumbanis         Bixby, OK                5  27-11  285

  Day 1: 5   27-11  

5.  Paul Elias             Laurel , MS                5  26-12  280

  Day 1: 5   26-12  

6.  Stephen Browning       Hot Springs , AR          5  26-01  276

  Day 1: 5   26-01  

7.  Pete Ponds             Madison, MS              5  26-00  272

  Day 1: 5   26-00  

8.  Todd Faircloth         Jasper, TX               5  25-04  268

  Day 1: 5   25-04  

9.  Denny Brauer           Camdenton , MO             5  24-09  264

  Day 1: 5   24-09  

10. Davy Hite              Ninety Six, SC           5  24-07  260

  Day 1: 5   24-07  

10. Mark Menendez           Paducah , KY              5  24-07  260

  Day 1: 5   24-07  

12. Tommy Biffle           Wagoner, OK              5  24-06  254

  Day 1: 5   24-06  

13. Derek Remitz           Grant , AL                 5  24-05  251

  Day 1: 5   24-05  

14. Ish Monroe             Hughson , CA               5  24-04  248

  Day 1: 5   24-04  

15. Morizo Shimizu         Osaka JAPAN              5  24-03  245

  Day 1: 5   24-03  

16. Bobby Lane             Lakeland , FL             5  24-00  243

  Day 1: 5   24-00  

17. Russ Lane              Prattville , AL           5  23-15  241

  Day 1: 5   23-15  

18. Gerald Swindle         Warrior, AL              5  23-12  239

  Day 1: 5   23-12  

19. Cliff Pace             Petal, MS                5  23-06  237

  Day 1: 5   23-06   

19. Kevin Wirth            Crestwood , KY             5  23-06  237

  Day 1: 5   23-06  

21. Marty Stone            Fayetteville , NC          5  23-04  233

  Day 1: 5   23-04  

22. Timmy Horton           Muscle Shoals, AL         5  23-02  231

  Day 1: 5   23-02  

23. Terry Butcher          Talala, OK               5  23-00  229

  Day 1: 5   23-00  

23. Kevin VanDam           Kalamazoo , MI            5  23-00  229

  Day 1: 5   23-00  

25. Kenyon Hill            Norman , OK               5  22-12  225

  Day 1: 5   22-12  

26. Jami Fralick           Martin , SD                5  22-08  223

  Day 1: 5   22-08  

27. Britt Myers            Lake Wylie , SC            5  22-04  221

  Day 1: 5   22-04  

28. Bill Lowen             North Bend , OH            5  22-02  219

  Day 1: 5   22-02  

29. Dennis Tietje          Roanoke , LA              5  22-00  217

  Day 1: 5   22-00  

30. Cliff Crochet          Pierre Part, LA          5  22-00  215

  Day 1: 5   22-00  

31. Billy McCaghren        Mayflower, AR            5  21-12  213

  Day 1: 5   21-12  

32. Shaw E Grigsby         Gainesville , FL          5  21-12  211

  Day 1: 5   21-12  

33. Boyd Duckett           Demopolis , AL             5  21-11  209

  Day 1: 5   21-11  

33. Alton Jones            Waco , TX                  5  21-11  209

  Day 1: 5   21-11  

35. Brian Snowden          Reeds Spring, MO         5  21-10  205

  Day 1: 5   21-10  

36. Rick Morris            Virginia Beach , VA       5  21-03  203

  Day 1: 5   21-03  

37. Charlie Hartley        Grove City , OH           5  21-02  201

  Day 1: 5   21-02  

38. Greg Vinson            Wetumpka , AL              5  20-10  199

  Day 1: 5   20-10  

39. Clark Reehm            Russellville , AR          5  20-07  197

  Day 1: 5   20-07  

40. Bernie Schultz         Gainesville , FL          5  20-03  195

  Day 1: 5   20-03  

41. Mike McClelland        Bella Vista , AR           5  19-15  193

  Day 1: 5   19-15  

42. Brent Chapman          Lake Quivira , KS          5  19-13  191

  Day 1: 5   19-13  

43. Aaron Martens          Leeds, AL                 5  19-11  189

  Day 1: 5   19-11  

44. Randy Howell           Springville , AL           5  19-06  187

  Day 1: 5   19-06  

45. Takahiro Omori         Emory , TX                 5  19-04  185

  Day 1: 5   19-04  

45. Kevin Short            Mayflower, AR            5  19-04  185

  Day 1: 5   19-04  

47. John Murray            Phoenix , AZ              5  19-03  181

  Day 1: 5   19-03  

48. Jared Lintner          Arroyo Grande , CA         5  19-01  179

  Day 1: 5   19-01  

48. Jason Williamson       Aiken , SC                 5  19-01  179

  Day 1: 5   19-01  

50. Edwin Evers            Talala, OK               5  18-15  175

  Day 1: 5   18-15  

51. Steve Kennedy          Auburn , AL                5  18-14  173

  Day 1: 5   18-14   

51. Jeff Kriet             Ardmore , OK              5  18-14  173

  Day 1: 5   18-14  

53. Guy Eaker              Cherryville , NC           5  18-13  169

  Day 1: 5   18-13  

53. Bradley Hallman        Norman , OK               5  18-13  169

  Day 1: 5   18-13  

53. Dustin Wilks           Rocky Mount , NC          5  18-13  169

  Day 1: 5   18-13  

56. Scott Rook             Little Rock , AR          5  18-08  163

  Day 1: 5   18-08  

57. Mark Tucker            Saint Louis, MO          5  18-07  161

  Day 1: 5   18-07  

58. Chad Griffin            Cresson , TX               5  18-05  159

  Day 1: 5   18-05  

59. Dean Rojas             Lake Havasu City , AZ     5  18-03  157

  Day 1: 5   18-03  

60. John Crews             Salem , VA                5  18-00  155

  Day 1: 5   18-00  

61. Matt Reed              Madisonville , TX         5  17-13  153

  Day 1: 5   17-13  

62. Greg Hackney           Gonzales , LA              5  17-11  151

  Day 1: 5   17-11  

63. Michael Iaconelli      Pitts Grove, NJ          5  17-09  149

  Day 1: 5   17-09  

64. Vince Fulks            Purcell, OK              5  17-09  147

  Day 1: 5   17-09  

65. Zell Rowland           Austin , TX                5  17-02  145

  Day 1: 5   17-02  

66. Terry Scroggins        San Mateo , FL            5  17-00  143

  Day 1: 5   17-00  

67. Casey Ashley           Donalds, SC              5  16-14  141

  Day 1: 5   16-14  

68. Dave Wolak             Wake Forest , NC          5  16-13  139

  Day 1: 5   16-13  

69. Matt Herren            Trussville, AL           5  16-12  137

  Day 1: 5   16-12  

69. Keith Poche            Troy , AL                  5  16-12  137

  Day 1: 5   16-12  

71. Matt Greenblatt        Palm Beach Gardens, FL   5  16-06  133

  Day 1: 5   16-06  

72. Byron Velvick          Del Rio , TX              5  16-05  131

  Day 1: 5   16-05  

73. Wade Grooms            Bonneau , SC               5  16-00  129

  Day 1: 5   16-00  

74. James Niggemeyer       Van, TX                  5  15-13  127

  Day 1: 5   15-13  

75. Rick Clunn              Ava , MO                   5  15-04  125

  Day 1: 5   15-04  

76. J Todd Tucker          Moultrie, GA             5  15-03  123

  Day 1: 5   15-03  

77. Pat Golden             High Point , NC           5  15-00  121

  Day 1: 5   15-00  

77. Bradley Roy            Lancaster , KY             5  15-00  121

  Day 1: 5   15-00  

79. Chris Lane             Guntersville , AL         5  14-06  117

  Day 1: 5   14-06  

80. Mark Burgess           Norton , MA                5  14-05  115

  Day 1: 5   14-05  

80. Yusuke Miyazaki         Forney , TX                5  14-05  115

  Day 1: 5   14-05  

82. Marty Robinson         Lyman, SC                5  13-15  111

  Day 1: 5   13-15  

83. Kotaro Kiriyama        Moody, AL                5  13-09  109

  Day 1: 5   13-09   

84. Byron Haseotes         Centerville , MA          5  12-13  107

  Day 1: 5   12-13  

85. Jeff Connella          Bentley , LA               5  12-12  105

  Day 1: 5   12-12  

86. Mark Tyler              Vian, OK                 5  12-04  103

  Day 1: 5   12-04  

87. Kelly Jordon           Mineola , TX              4  12-04  101

  Day 1: 4   12-04  

88. Jeremy Starks          Charleston , WV           5  12-03   99

  Day 1: 5   12-03  

88. Peter E Thliveros      St Augustine, FL         5  12-03   99

  Day 1: 5   12-03  

90. Grant Goldbeck         Gaithersburg , MD         5  11-05   95

  Day 1: 5   11-05  

91. Jason Quinn            Lake Wylie , SC            5  11-03   93

  Day 1: 5   11-03  

92. David Smith            Del City , OK             4  10-00   91

  Day 1: 4   10-00  

93. Scott Ashmore          Broken Arrow , OK         4  08-01   89

  Day 1: 4   08-01  

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Totals

Day   #Limits    #Fish      Weight

 1        90       462      1805-09

----------------------------------

          90       462      1805-09

 

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