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Auburn , Calif. – In the days after Skeet Reese raised the Bassmaster Classic trophy over his head in victory, much was made about the baits and equipment that were the key components of his championship patterns. The Lucky Craft Redemption spinnerbait and Berkley Crazy Legs Chigger craw gave Reese a one – two punch that enabled him to target early morning fish that were active and the afternoon fish that had staked their claim on a specific stump.
The reason he chose the Spiderwire Ultracast braided line for retrieving the spinnerbait through lily pad stems was described in detail, as was his decision to use Berkley Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon on his flipping stick. He spoke about why he used an Abu Garcia Revo Winch on his Lamiglas spinnerbait rod instead of his own signature Skeet Reese Revo, because it enabled him to slow down his retrieve. He also talked about the oversized handle on his high speed SKT Revo, which allowed for efficiency as well as power while flipping.
The one component of his Classic arsenal provided him confidence that he could help activate the fish in his areas was his Biosonix RF300. “I am a total believer in the Biosonix unit, and the philosophy behind it,” said the current Bassmaster Classic Champion. “I've seen too many times that the fish were in a neutral mood, not responding to lures, then turn on my Biosonix and have it make a difference in fish activity that translated to more strikes.”
The 2009 Bassmaster Classic was one of those times, not only for him, but for competitors that ventured into the vicinity of the area he was fishing in. “Kevin Wirth, and Kim Bain came into the general area that I was fishing in on the second day of the tournament, and when they got there, they didn't have any fish,” Reese said that their frustration didn't last long. “By the time they left, they both had caught fish, and I'm sure it was because they had gotten inside the range of my Biosonix, and it activated their fish.”
For his own approach, Reese reported that his approach was to make a long pass on his MotorGuide trolling motor through his areas, and he would let the RF300 play the whole time. “That's not always how I use it,” he revealed. “But for making long, slow passes through my areas, letting it run seemed to trigger the fish into a more active mode.”
There are skeptics who believe that the premise behind the Biosonix units lends itself towards Voodoo than science, but for Reese, the premise has been proven many times over. “Does this work all the time, no, but I've seen many times when having it on has made such a difference that I won't own a boat without it,” he said. “Whether the sounds actually trigger a competitive response from gamefish or they help to mask the unnatural sounds of my boat, to me it can be an extra bite or two a day; which can make all the difference between winning and losing.”
Reese said he has experimented with the sounds that the unit is programmed with from the factory, and he has struck on a concept that he feels works given the water conditions. “There are several different sounds programmed into the unit from the factory,” he explained. “What I do is use the different sound effects and run them in custom mode to find a sequence that I feel best fits the conditions.”
He said he uses lower volumes and more subtle sounds in clear water, and cranks the volume up with aggressive patterns when the water is stained to dirty. “They (Biosonix) make operating the unit very easy, and I use the menu options on the RF300 to program a sequence,” he described. “I may use shad clicks for 30 seconds, then bump the volume up a notch for the next 30 seconds on shad active, then crank it up another notch or two for shiner feeding to close out my program. Or I can use sounds of shad swimming to fish feeding on them; the choice is really up to me.”
His basic approach also takes into consideration how he is fishing. “If I am power fishing quickly, I might have a loop that only last 20 or 30 seconds and the volumes may be fairly high,” he said that the aggressive approach is to try and make as big an impact as possible. “If I am slowing down and grinding through an area, I will program it so that it runs in longer sequences to give it time to work on the mood of the fish for a longer period of time.”
He related that the new RF300 has made using a Biosonix unit much easier and more efficient. The original TP200-P was an excellent unit, but it required charging of batteries and storage in the boat that could become a hassle, but the RF300 solved all of that,” he said. “This unit is hardwired in to the power of the boat, and it is mounted on the bow like a fishfinder, so it makes operating efficiency a dream; they've really done a great job engineering this new unit.”
“I've seen too many instances where I've made a pass down a good looking bank and not been bit, then turn the unit on and make another pass or two and start crushing the fish, The Biosonix makes a difference in my fishing, I truly believe it was one of the key components in helping me win the Classic on a tough Red River fishery.”
To read more about Biosonix, visit their website at www.biosonix.com .
Skeet Reese is a Bassmaster Elite Series pro, the 2009 Bassmaster Classic Champion and 2007 Bassmaster Angler of the Year whose career earnings total more than $1.9 million. Reese has qualified for 10 Bassmaster Classic appearances, and has finished in the top 10 41 times, including four wins in BASS competition in an 11 year career. |
