The Daily Crank

The Bassmaster Elite Series wrapped up this past weekend with the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Playoffs.  Lucky Craft had three pro staffers, Skeet Reese, Gerald Swindle and Kelly Jordon, who qualified and all three were vying for a chance to win the Angler of the Year title.  Skeet Reese, who ended the regular season on top of the AOY standings, had the best shot at the title and looked to cap off an incredible year that included a win at the prestigious Bassmaster Classic.

We recently did a question and answer with our pros and got their take on the season ending playoffs and what patterns they used during those events.

Skeet Reese

Q: Skeet – what patterns and techniques did you use during these two events?

A:  I was thinking that the bite was going to be a flipping bite here on the Alabama River, but that didn’t turn out for me.  The second day of practice I went up river looking for some big spotted bass and fished the running water by the dam, but that really didn’t pan out either.  Gerald Swindle clued me in to the fact there was a topwater bite going on around certain sandbars so I ran around and found one area where I had five or six bites on topwater.  That was the best thing I had going.  I never really had anything else going during the tournament.

On day one of the tournament, down river, I threw a Flat CB D-20 on a backwater deep ledge and hooked a good one, but it came off. I finally scratched out a decent limit on topwater and ended up in third place, but it was right where I needed to be.  I knew on day two thought, I needed about 12 pounds to win Angler of the Year

Q:  How about the final day at the Alabama River?

The 9am launch on day two at the Alabama River definitely hurt my early topwater bite.  I caught everything on day one with a Lucky Craft Gunfish 95 in MS American Shad. I caught one on a G-Splash 80 in Lavender Shad.

The conditions changed and the water came up about four feet.  I had a couple of sandbars and grass tops that I was fishing just trying to get a bite.  The fish that I missed, I knew were still around and I was just trying to make them bite.  I missed a four-pounder and a three pounder on day two, but at least I put myself around fish and gave myself the opportunity.  That’s all I can ask for.

Q:  What were your thoughts about the new postseason format?

I’m a little disappointed and not a big fan of the postseason.  I think two, two-day tournaments should not determine angler of the year. But it was a great year for me because I won the classic, but it could have been a spectacular year.  I was one fish short. Overall, it still was a good season!

I’m already thinking about next year.  To come so close it makes me want to win it that much more.

Q:  If you could have one day back this season and do it over, which would it be?

One day that I might take back would be the Smith Mountain event I think on day 2, where I lost a six pounder twice, that really hurt.   Also Lake Amistad on day one I lost a ten pounder.  I’d love that one over again. Wow!

Gerald Swindle

Q: Gerald, talk about the patterns you used during this final event.

The bite was tough. I figured out a topwater bite on main river sandbars, when the current hit them and the water was clear, I was throwing the Lucky Craft Gunfish 115 in NC Shell White.  I even tipped Skeet off during the second day practice and he caught some on it.

It got a little muddy as the tournament went on.  We kept getting those rains and I stayed with this pattern maybe a little too long.  I could have searched a little more for clearer water.

The first day I caught some fish flipping a jig and some on an RC 1.5 crankbait in Sexy Chartreuse Shad. I also caught some on a Zoom Magnum Finesse worm, in a new prototype color coming out next month called Green Pumpkin Blue Flash.  It was Texas rigged with a quarter ounce weight and on 20 lb line.

The second day I hit my sandbars again, and I probably caught 30 or 40 fish on them but only had 8 pounds.  My biggest was on a Gunfish 95 in American Shad.  I jumped some bigger fish off and that hurt.  I had more opportunities to stay up in the points but they just didn’t get in the boat.

Q: Gerald, you made a huge jump in points near the end of the season.

The last three tournaments I moved from 57^th to 9^th in points.  So I finished really strong.  I knew AOY was a long shot, because there was no way both Skeet and KVD were not going to catch them. But it felt good to fish well and make good decisions.

Q:  What were your thoughts about the new postseason format?

I thought the postseason was a success.  It generated a lot of media and exposure for everyone. It was pretty cool that coming in 12^th you still had a chance to win AOY.  There was a lot of money still on the line as well.

Kelly Jordon

Q: Kelly, talk about the patterns you used during these two events.

The first event at Lake Jordon, I went ‘all in’ as they say in poker. I had a couple groups of fish that were weather related but the conditions changed and worked against me.  I had some deep structure that I was really excited about cranking. I still caught a few there, but it was not the deal in the tournament.  It was a little too muddy and too deep

It ended up being primarily a flipping deal. It was disappointing. The second day I caught one on a Lucky Craft Flat CB D-20 in Green Apple.  Cranking was the main thing I was going to do but it just got too deep.

It’s a risk-reward type of deal, but if it pays off, it can blow the deal wide open.  I’ve won a bunch of events before and if I find something that I think I can win with, I go with it. But in these ‘all in’ type of events it was not a hard choice for me to make.

Q:  What were your thoughts about the new postseason format?

I thought it was pretty neat. It was very cool being in the first one that BASS held. When I first heard about it, I immediately made it my goal this year to make the top 12.  I was tickled to make it and to have chance at the AOY title.  The AOY race didn’t really change much.  I was in fourth going into and I would have had to win both events to win AOY.  You know Skeet or KVD was going to catch them so you can’t count on them both bombing.

I have never fished for points.  I take some big gambles and sometimes its pays off and sometimes it doesn’t.  I’ve had some serious bombs in my day, but that can happen.  Overall, it was a nice way to end a good season.

Below is a photo gallery from the last two events.  Click on a thumbnail to enlarge it.  All photos were shot by Alan Clemons.

[View with PicLens]