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KELSEYVILLE, Calif. — A Livermore man topped the field of anglers in a weekend bass fishing tournament.
Organizers said 487 anglers registered to compete in the Skeet Reese Big Bass Battle presented by Reese Fishing on California’s largemouth bass factory Clear Lake.
Throughout the two-day competition, 411 bass were presented to the scales at Konocti Harbor Resort in Kelseyville, but it was a 9.15-pound largemouth bass brought by angler Chad Frie in the fifth hour on day one that would hold as the largest bass of the event.
That fish would earn Frie the grand prize for the event; a Ranger Z519 powered by a Mercury ProXS 225 outboard rigged with Lowrance electronics, Power Pole Move trolling motor, Charge and 8-foot Blade Shallow Water Anchors — a prize package valued at $90,000.
Frie, who fished with longtime friend and fishing industry executive Vince Borges, said that the fish struck a new crankbait from Bill Lewis Lures.
“I saw the fish on Forward Facing Sonar and made a long cast with the DR24 and started the retrieve,” he said. “I was winding it down and the fish came up to strike while it was still on it’s way down, and the fight was on.”
Frie’s fish narrowly eclipsed a 9.14-pound largemouth brought to the stage by Chad Sweitzer two hours earlier.
“It was also exciting to win that hour, and nerve-wracking to know that I had only beaten the previous leader by 1/100th of a pound because it could have happened to me,” he said. “To have it hold on to win the Ranger Boat is something I didn’t expect, and it’s really cool.”
Skeet Reese, the founder of Reese Fishing and the event promoter reported having a lot of feelings at the conclusion of the award ceremony.
“To be standing here in Konocti Harbor Resort at the conclusion of this event brings up so many emotions,” he said. “To be able to bring something like this to a community that means so much to me and my career and to reintroduce bass fishing to a place like this historic resort is so amazing. And at the same time, to have brought the largest bass fishing tournament to Clear Lake and to be the first event outside of Major League Fishing to use the Bubba Scoretracker Live app — it’s all something I’m very proud of.”
He also revealed that he felt thankful. “To have 487 anglers sign up and fish this event, t have the sponsors and the community get behind this is almost overwhelming,” he said. “I’m so very humbled by the turnout and I’m thankful to my family and friends that showed up to help run this; it was an amazing few days, and I’m sure it will sink in even more in the days to come.
“The only thing I wish we would have seen is for a double-digit bass to have been weighed,” he said laughing. “This is Clear Lake and there are plenty of giants out here; maybe next time.”
The Skeet Resse Big Bass Battle presented by Reese Fishing was sponsored by, Bass Pro Shops, Ranger Boats, Mercury, Lowrance and Power Pole, other event sponsors include: Kastking, BUBBA, Sea Guide, Wiley X, Gone Fishin’ Marine and Konocti Harbor Resort. Other partners included the Shannon Mercantile Winery, Crooked Goat Brewery and the weigh-ins were operated by WON Bass.
Along with the $90,000 Ranger / Mercury, Power-Pole, Lowrance prize boat, more than $43,000 cash was paid out to competitors in hourly prizes and contingency awards.
Coverage of the event included video content and livestreamed final hour weigh-ins, they can be found on Skeet Reese and Reese Fishing Social Media channels as listed below:
https://www.facebook.com/skeetreesefishing
https://www.instagram.com/skeetreesefishing/
https://www.facebook.com/ReeseFishing
https://www.instagram.com/reesefishingofficial/
https://www.youtube.com/@SkeetReeseFishing/
