Reese’s pieces

Stren Western points champion Jimmy Reese may be on top of the fishing world, but he’s a family man at heart

In the world of professional bass fishing, most people would tell you that to be a great angler, it takes two things: wins and a points title. Some fishermen go for the win every time, throwing caution to the wind and just going for the gold. Others prefer to fish more conservatively in the hope that it translates into consistency, which is the path to a points title.

For Stren Series Western Division pro Jimmy Reese, it was all of the above in 2006. The Witter Springs, Calif., pro notched not one but two victories this season en route to earning the Western Division’s points title by an impressive 51 points. For Reese, 2006 was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Sure, the wins were fun – Reese was tops at both the California Delta and his home lake, Clear Lake, this year. But trophies and big checks aside, Reese said his proudest moment was definitely the points title.

“That’s a pretty good accomplishment, especially with all the good anglers we have out here,” Reese said. “It’s what we dream of doing. To win an angler-of-the-year title, the whole season has to go right. All the hard work you’ve put in over the years, that’s where it shows.”

For Reese, little went wrong in 2006. His two wins were accompanied by a fifth-place finish on tricky Lake Havasu and a 14th-place showing on Lake Shasta. Though Reese is certainly no slouch – his Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League statistics prove that – his previous performances pale in comparison to the effort he put forth this year. What made the difference? The answer, he says, is complex.

“There are a lot of things you look at,” he said. “The schedule, Mother Nature … I think Mother Nature played a big part this year in our tournaments.”

Indeed, Lake Havasu’s pristine conditions – but tough fishing – gave way to Clear Lake’s freezing cold and torrential rains that nevertheless produced humongous bass. Rainy, cool weather at Shasta didn’t hurt the fishing, either, and normal weather on the Delta gave way to record-breaking bass. With the weather anything but consistent for Stren Series Western Division anglers this year, Reese’s consistency is all the more impressive.

“I think when Mother Nature has an effect on a tournament, your better fishermen come through,” Reese said. “They finish better. The luck factor kind of disappears when Mother Nature comes in.”

Versatility key to success

Reese’s quest to become one of those “better fishermen” began as a young boy, when he spent quite a bit of time on the water with his dad, his uncle and his brothers, learning to fish for bass. His tournament-fishing career now spans more than a decade, and he owes his success to the skills he picked up as a young boy that he has since learned to refine. For Reese, the most important skill he possesses is versatility.

“I look at how I won the Clear Lake tournament this year, and I won it on a dart head, or what they call a Shaky Head,” Reese said. “Honestly, over the 15 years I’ve been fishing tournaments on Clear Lake, I don’t think I’ve ever done it other than 20 minutes here and there. It’s never been the dominant presentation I’ve used in a tournament, but Mother Nature forced me to slow down and do it, and I accepted the fact that I had to do it.”

Indeed, Reese’s Clear Lake accomplishments are the stuff of legends out West. He currently lives only 10 minutes from a launch ramp there, but says the tournament schedule definitely keeps him off Clear Lake more than he would like.

“Obviously time on the water plays a big part there,” he said. “In the summertime, I’m out there quite a bit because there is nothing going on. Because of the tournament schedule, I definitely don’t get to fish it as much as I want to.”

Tournaments, though, are not the only thing keeping Reese off the water. He is not a full-time bass pro and in fact runs a janitorial company that occupies quite a bit of his time.

“I’ve got about 20 people working for me, and Mom runs the office when I’m out fishing,” he said. “That’s tough to beat.”

Striking a balance

Reese admits, though, that in order to balance work, family and a fishing career, something’s got to give, and it certainly isn’t going to be his family. As such, he simply cannot always give his business 100 percent.

“I think I’ve got it running at 90 percent, which for me is fine,” Reese said. “It allows me to be on the water and do something I’m very passionate about.”

For Reese, the bass angler’s constant struggle for balance between work, family and fishing is particularly challenging since his home base is out West. That makes the transition into full-time pro extremely difficult, since most of the top-tier tournaments are held in the East. As such, he has delayed that move indefinitely until he knows it is right for his family, which includes his wife, Catherine, a professional photographer; a daughter, Chanel, 13; and two sons, Brigham, 10, and Sheldon, 5. Reese noted that without Catherine’s support, nothing he has accomplished thus far would have ever been possible, and as for his children, well, they’re growing up to be pretty good sticks themselves.

“Chanel and I fished her first tournament last summer,” Reese said. “She’s really excited about fishing the summer tournaments. I wish I could spend more time with kids – not necessarily just mine but all kids out there fishing. Roland Martin, Bill Dance and Larry Nixon paved the way for us to be out there fishing professionally. Right now, it would be tradition for this generation to pave the way for the next generation. We need to keep it going strong.”

As Reese begins to talk about his responsibility to the anglers who will come after him, the excitement in his voice escalates, and it becomes apparent that when he says bass fishing is his passion, he means it. His passion has translated into success, which has translated into opportunities. It is what he wants to do with those opportunities that give him a challenge.

“I’m very passionate about bass fishing and tournament fishing, and the struggle for me is juggling between family and the time away,” he said. “I think I have a good balance right now. The opportunities are growing, and I’ve got to be figuring out where that balance is going to be in the next five years. When it feels right, it’s going to be right. I’m going to be a part of it as much as I can.”

Eastward bound?

After all, it’s that balance that Reese credits with some of his 2006 success. His house, he says, is in order, and that has allowed him to focus this year when he is on the water. That well-earned sense of balance is what is keeping him out West – for now.

“I’m kind of treating it year by year,” Reese said of the possibility of heading east to pursue competitive fishing on a grander scale. “I know what I’m capable of doing. I’m very confident in my fishing abilities. I pretty much weigh my options each year, looking at what the opportunities are. I would love to fish the Wal-Mart FLW Tour or the Wal-Mart FLW Series. I think it’s just a matter of that family balance, coming up with something that works for everybody. Each year, I look at the options and go from there.”

What’s next on the agenda for Reese is this fall’s Stren Series Championship, an event he qualified for but skipped two years ago. With the event scheduled on Alabama’s Wheeler Lake, it’s an opportunity for Reese to showcase his skills on the Eastern playground.

“I’m starting to do my homework right now and get as much information as I can,” he said. “I’m very, very excited about it; I can’t wait to be there and be involved with a bunch of great fishermen from across the nation. Now I have the opportunity to make the Forrest L. Wood Championship – that would be fun, just being involved with that great caliber of fishermen.”

With the 2006 season behind him and a world of opportunities before him, Reese looks forward to 2007 with the resolve of a true competitor. He is more confident in his abilities than ever before, and now he has the wins – and the points title – to prove it. However, he knows that his dream season of 2006 would be difficult to duplicate, try as he might.

“To get any piece of what I had this year – to win one tournament – that would be my goal,” Reese said. “The angler-of-the-year title is always my goal. I’d be content with any part of what happened this year.”

To get there, Reese will have to draw on his strengths, and according to him, there is nothing he cannot do.

“My strengths are everything now,” he said. “I’ve learned to fish every way possible, and I’ve had success with everything, so I’m confident in doing everything. I think in fishing there’s a lot of mental – accepting and having the confidence that I can fish any way.”

Spoken like a true champion.