SHREVEPORT, La. — Skeet Reese of Auburn realized the dream of every professional bass fisherman over the weekend when he won the Bassmasters Classic on the Red River in Shreveport, Louisiana.
Reese weighed in a total of 54 pounds, 13 ounces over the three-day event and took home $500,000. It was the first time a Californian has ever won the Classic.
The famous 39-year-old professional bass fisherman has close ties to Lake County. His two brothers, Jimmy and John (both bass tournament fishermen), live in the county. Clear Lake is also Skeet Reese”s favorite lake to fish. In fact, he started his fishing career on Clear Lake and just two weeks ago was on the lake shooting a video for ESPN.
Going into the Classic, Reese was rated as the No. 4 professional fisherman in the world and, including his winnings at the Classic, has earned more than $3 million in prize money during his successful career.
The contestants in the tournament qualified for the event by accumulating points on the Bassmasters Elite Series. Bassmasters Classic is considered the Super Bowl of professional fishing and, in addition to the $500,000 purse, is worth more than a $1,000,000 in endorsements from tackle manufacturers and other businesses in the fishing industry.
Reese was named as Bassmasters Angler of the Year in 2007. He also placed second in the Bassmasters Elite Series held at Clear Lake in 2007.
