Cookin’ With Gas

Watching Skeet Reese win the James River BPT event was about as good as it gets. For me, power-fishing shallow water is the way this game is intended to be played, and nothing makes for better programming.

Reese put on a master class in the ways of shallow cranking. His casting prowess was overshadowed by an incredible catch rate, but it was those precise casts that won the event. Over and over, Reese put a small squarebill into the back reaches of docks, around trees and bridge abutments, rarely missing a toss. I can only imagine how many crankbaits I would have destroyed trying the same thing.

The BPT event perfectly fit the venue. For years, I felt the James River was a great vacation destination, but not the best tournament location. But once the every-fish-counts format showed up, my viewpoint changed.

Let me explain. There are a handful of fisheries around the country that routinely host major bass tournaments, while still upholding stellar catch rates. The James. Lake Oneida. Lake Murray. The Potomac with grass. These places routinely crank out limit catches to nearly every competitor, but only a handful of anglers are able to get a big bite.

These waters make for a fun visit, but frustrating paybacks, where a lot of luck seems to impact the results.

In that case, I always wonder if five-fish limits really decided the best fisherman on the lake. For instance, if an angler masters the tide on the James, catching 30 quality fish in a day, but gets beat by a competitor who lucks into one lunker, have we determined a real winner? Yet, this often happens on these types of fisheries, where a couple of ounces separate dozens of places.

I’ve always felt the best angler catches the most fish, to some degree. Witnessing the pros attack the
James again brought this concept to light.

On the final day of the event, Reese may not have won in a five-fish format. While he landed a fish over 4 pounds, Bryan Thrift’s best topped 5. But, make no mistake, Reese fished the James better than anyone out there.

There was no debating this concept. Reese fished an unorthodox lure in a unique area, away from the competitors, caught the most weight and took the title. Game over.

So glaring was the dominance, I wonder, will this win change the minds of those who doubt the BPT format?

I don’t see how it couldn’t.

Let’s look at the numbers. Only Reese and Jeff Sprague exceeded 20 fish for the day (Reese 23, Sprague 25). Watching the live feed, these two outperformed their competitors due to one common variable: a flurry.

Each went on a tear, found a groove and delivered. Reese started that way, Sprague came on late. Both keyed on a place others had missed. Both endured bad weather and frustrating conditions. Neither let off the throttle.

These two took advantage of a “bite window” as it’s now commonly called by our sport’s online broadcasters. In each case, veteran skills were immediately evident, and no rock left unturned.

Reese is a master at moving and winding. I’m told that, early in his career, the only competitor that fished as fast was KVD.

Sprague continues to fly under the radar despite being one of the best competitive anglers in the world. His record backs it up. Mark my word, Jeff Sprague is one small adjustment away from winning multiple events in a season, as well as an AOY.

Both showcased their talents at the James, and a true winner was decided.

I love watching BPT events on similar fisheries. Those known for numbers have more to offer than venues producing just a handful of fish per day.

After watching this event, I was one step away form tying on a Lucky Craft and heading toward I-95. The James River had been vindicated, and the angler who matched its flow walked away the winner.

(Joe Balog is the often-outspoken owner of Millennium Promotions, Inc., an agency operating in the fishing and hunting industries. A former Bassmaster Open and EverStart Championship winner, he's best known for his big-water innovations and hardcore fishing style. He's a popular seminar speaker, product designer and author, and is considered one of the most influential smallmouth fishermen of modern times.)

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