a matter of time
I n tournament fishing , you ’ ll often hear the mantra “ When it ’ s your time , it ’ s your time .” Really , it ’ s just a Zen way of explaining how so many unique sets of circumstances can line up in such a way that an angler ’ s able to top some big fields of some of the best in the world over multiple days . Without luck and skill and a lot of providence , wins simply don ’ t happen .
Take Skeet Reese , for example , who admits he ’ s had a rough go of professional tournament fishing the last few years . That all changed at Lake Okeechobee in the 2021 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit season opener .
Reese put together three solid days of fishing to make the top-10 cut and enter Championship Sunday in third place , just 1 pound , 6 ounces off the lead . His biggest bag to that point was 21-9 , which is a quality stringer on just about any fishery , but he knew he needed more than that on Day 4 to make magic happen .
It turns out the magic seemingly happened on its own , as Reese weighed in the biggest bag of the entire tournament ( 27-9 ) thanks to some monster Florida largemouth like the one pictured here . All day long , often with MLF NOW ! cameras trained on him , Reese plucked big green bucketmouths from the famed fishery as the thrill of victory hung in the air around him like a shimmering fog .
When you ’ re running hot , it ’ s often hard to explain how it happens – “ I never thought I was on the winning fish this week ,” he said following his victory – but sometimes you don ’ t have to . Sometimes it ’ s just your time .
PHOTO BY ROB MATSUURA
APRIL-MAY 2021 | MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM 9