Reese To Retire From Competition After '25

MLF Communications

AUBURN, Calif. – Skeet Reese, 2024 Bass Fishing Hall of Fame inductee, a founding member of Major League Fishing, the 2007 Bassmaster Angler of the Year and 2009 Bassmaster Classic Champion, has announced his retirement from competitive fishing at the end of the 2025 MLF Bass Pro Tour season. He'll remain actively involved in the industry – he plans to spend more time serving in an enhanced promotional capacity for his partners growing Reese Fishing, his new fishing rod brand.

His more than 40-year career began in the Western Pro circuits such as WON Bass and West Coast Bass, then turned to the Bassmaster Western Invitationals, where he qualified for the Bassmaster Tour and the Bassmaster Elite Series.

The announcement brings to a conclusion one of the most highly decorated competition careers in the history of professional bass fishing. The 55-year-old has competed in more than 300 professional events, claiming 12 career victories, 84 Top-10 and 120 Top-20 finishes. He appeared in 19 Bassmaster Classics, three Major League Fishing REDCREST championships, two FLW Championships and a Red Man All-American. Altogether, he's compiled more than $4 million in career earnings.

Reese was the first angler to make use of a trademark color scheme with his black and yellow branding, and he made impacts early in his career with the use of personalized theme music and his own dancing skills. The Auburn, Calif.-based pro quickly saw the potential of the Bassmaster Elite Series when it was announced in 2005 and was the first angler to sign up for the circuit.

In the business segment of the sport is where Reese has made his biggest impact. His efforts in branding career-long partners such as Lucky Craft, Lowrance and Mercury Outboards, amongst others, were significant factors in the brands’ successes throughout his career. The launch of his Skeet Reese rods in 2009 was further evidence of the pro’s influence as over the lifespan of the product line, hundreds of thousands of “yellow rods” were sold by retailers and in the hands of anglers worldwide.

"I only dreamed of being able to fish for a living as a young angler growing up in Northern California, and I never would have thought it could have turned out like this,” he said. “I have had partners along the way that have supported and believed in me that have become more like family than business partners; I would not have been able to stay in this career, let alone be successful without them.

"I am thankful to the leagues that have provided a platform for myself and my colleagues to build our brands in, and to the fans who tune in and attend the events we have competed in throughout the years. To my family and friends that have been a big part of everything, I want to let you know how much you have been a part of my career and how fulfilling it is to have you a part of it. Finally, to (wife) Kim, Lea and Courtney (daughters), I would never have been able to chase this without your love and support. Thank you and I love you so much.

“This has been a ride that I am grateful to have been on," he continued. "I can’t express enough how humbled I am to have been a professional angler in this industry, and how thankful I am to have been able to do it for as long as I have. I will put the same effort into working for my partners and into building the best fishing rods you could ever put in your hands at Reese Fishing – from the depths of my heart, than you all!"

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