Skeet Reese wins BassMaster Classic- Statesman.Com

By Mike Leggett

AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Monday, February 23, 2009

SHREVEPORT, La. — Call it the “Diversity Open.”

The BassMaster Classic — a tournament once dominated by southern good old boys — morphed into a two-man race between anglers from New Jersey and California on Sunday. The 25 anglers who qualified for the final day’s fishing represented 17 different states, something of a record for BASS events.

The West Coast eventually claimed victory on the Red River as Californian Skeet Reese bumped Mike Iaconelli from the leader’s chair at 6 p.m. Sunday to win fishing’s number one tournament and a $500,000 first-place prize.

Iaconelli, the 2003 Classic champion and a New Jersey native, slammed a limit of 5 big bass to weigh in 20 pounds, 3 ounces, for a total of 54 pounds, 2 ounces.

But Reese, who was second after day two, stayed with Iaconelli all day and walked to the scale with five fish weighing 16 pounds, 12 ounces. His 54-13 total beat Iaconelli by 11 ounces.

Reese, who lost the 2007 Classic by just 6 ounces, gained a measure of redemption on the Red River.

“Everything just fell into place,” said an emotional Reese. “I went back to my best hole today and I never left my little 200-yard stretch of water.” He said he fished a spinner bait and plastic, imitation crawfish, to reach the top spot.

Twenty-five anglers battled cold and high pressure on the final day and early catches were rare. But as the sun rose higher and began to heat the shallow, stump-filled flats where anglers were finding fish, the largemouths began to bite. Unofficial standings had multiple anglers on top during the day and things didn’t settle out until the top six anglers walked on the stage for the final weigh-down  Click Link Below For Full Story!

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