Features
Auburn , Calif. – In the days after Skeet Reese raised the Bassmaster Classic
trophy over his head in victory, much was made about the baits and equipment
that were the key components of his championship patterns. The Lucky Craft
Redemption spinnerbait and Berkley Crazy Legs Chigger craw gave Reese a one –
two punch that enabled him to target early morning fish that were active and the
afternoon fish that had staked their claim on a specific stump.
The reason he chose the Spiderwire Ultracast braided line for
retrieving the spinnerbait through lily pad stems was described in detail, as
was his decision to use Berkley Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon on his flipping stick.
He spoke about why he used an Abu Garcia Revo Winch on his Lamiglas spinnerbait
rod instead of his own signature Skeet Reese Revo, because it enabled him to
slow down his retrieve. He also talked about the oversized handle on his high
speed SKT Revo, which allowed for efficiency as well as power while flipping.
The one component of his Classic arsenal provided him
confidence that he could help activate the fish in his areas was his Biosonix
RF300. “I am a total believer in the Biosonix unit, and the philosophy behind
it,” said the current Bassmaster Classic Champion. “I've seen too many times
that the fish were in a neutral mood, not responding to lures, then turn on my
Biosonix and have it make a difference in fish activity that translated to more
strikes.”
The 2009 Bassmaster Classic was one of those times, not only
for him, but for competitors that ventured into the vicinity of the area he was
fishing in. “Kevin Wirth, and Kim Bain came into the general area that I was
fishing in on the second day of the tournament, and when they got there, they
didn't have any fish,” Reese said that their frustration didn't last long. “By
the time they left, they both had caught fish, and I'm sure it was because they
had gotten inside the range of my Biosonix, and it activated their fish.”
For his own approach, Reese reported that his approach was
to make a long pass on his MotorGuide trolling motor through his areas, and he
would let the RF300 play the whole time. “That's not always how I use it,” he
revealed. “But for making long, slow passes through my areas, letting it run
seemed to trigger the fish into a more active mode.”
There are skeptics who believe that the premise behind the
Biosonix units lends itself towards Voodoo than science, but for Reese, the
premise has been proven many times over. “Does this work all the time, no, but
I've seen many times when having it on has made such a difference that I won't
own a boat without it,” he said. “Whether the sounds actually trigger a
competitive response from gamefish or they help to mask the unnatural sounds of
my boat, to me it can be an extra bite or two a day; which can make all the
difference between winning and losing.”
Reese said he has experimented with the sounds that the unit is
programmed with from the factory, and he has struck on a concept that he feels
works given the water conditions. “There are several different sounds programmed
into the unit from the factory,” he explained. “What I do is use the different
sound effects and run them in custom mode to find a sequence that I feel best
fits the conditions.”
He said he uses lower volumes and more subtle sounds in clear
water, and cranks the volume up with aggressive patterns when the water is
stained to dirty. “They (Biosonix) make operating the unit very easy, and I use
the menu options on the RF300 to program a sequence,” he described. “I may use
shad clicks for 30 seconds, then bump the volume up a notch for the next 30
seconds on shad active, then crank it up another notch or two for shiner feeding
to close out my program. Or I can use sounds of shad swimming to fish feeding on
them; the choice is really up to me.”
His basic approach also takes into consideration how he is
fishing. “If I am power fishing quickly, I might have a loop that only last 20
or 30 seconds and the volumes may be fairly high,” he said that the aggressive
approach is to try and make as big an impact as possible. “If I am slowing down
and grinding through an area, I will program it so that it runs in longer
sequences to give it time to work on the mood of the fish for a longer period of
time.”
He related that the new RF300 has made using a Biosonix unit
much easier and more efficient. The original TP200-P was an excellent unit, but
it required charging of batteries and storage in the boat that could become a
hassle, but the RF300 solved all of that,” he said. “This unit is hardwired in
to the power of the boat, and it is mounted on the bow like a fishfinder, so it
makes operating efficiency a dream; they've really done a great job engineering
this new unit.”
“I've seen too many instances where I've made a pass down a
good looking bank and not been bit, then turn the unit on and make another pass
or two and start crushing the fish, The Biosonix makes a difference in my
fishing, I truly believe it was one of the key components in helping me win the
Classic on a tough Red River fishery.”
To read more about Biosonix, visit their website at www.biosonix.com .
Skeet Reese is a Bassmaster Elite Series pro, the 2009
Bassmaster Classic Champion and 2007 Bassmaster Angler of the Year whose career
earnings total more than $1.9 million. Reese has qualified for 10 Bassmaster
Classic appearances, and has finished in the top 10 41 times, including four
wins in BASS competition in an 11 year career.
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