CHARLES COUNTY, Md. – Patience paid off for Skeet Reese Friday as the California pro waited for the tide to “get right” and took the lead on the second day of the Capitol Clash presented by BUSCH Beer on the Potomac River.
The two-time BASS winner from Auburn, Calif., who started the day in eighth place, had a five-fish limit weighing 17 pounds for a two-day total weight of 33 pounds, 5 ounces.
Mike McClelland, winner of the Sooner Run Elite Series event on Oklahoma’s Grand Lake in June, climbed from seventh into second with 32-6. Four-time CITGO Bassmaster Classic winner Rick Clunn of Ava, Mo., was third with 32-3.
Fishing fans can catch all of the on-the-water action from the Capitol Clash on ESPN2 Saturday, Aug. 19 at 10 a.m. ET.
Greg Hackney of Gonzales, La., remained in fourth place with 30-9. Hackney also won an Elite Series event in March- the Lone Star Shootout on Sam Rayburn Reservoir in Texas. Alton Jones of Waco, Texas, made one of the biggest moves, going from 32nd place to fifth with 30 pounds after catching the biggest stringer of the day at 17-13.
First-day leader Kevin Langill of Terrell, N.C., caught only two keepers weighing 4 pounds to drop into a three-way tie for 34th place with 22-1. The 102-angler field was cut to the top 50. The top 12 after Saturday will fish for the $100,000 winner’s check on Sunday.
Reese said he fished the same general area as McClelland, Clunn and Jones. He was not affected by the bright, sunny weather that replaced the overcast, rain-filled skies of the previous day.
“Nothing was different for me,” Reese said. “I kept fishing the same stuff over and over and over. Once the tide got right, I caught them.
“It’s stressful waiting and waiting and waiting. I caught one fish early and from then on I didn’t catch a fish for several hours until it got right.”
McClelland, of Bella Vista, Ark., said he moved around a lot in the area and caught all his fish during a falling tide on a War Eagle spinnerbait. McClelland is seeking his fifth BASS win.
“It feels like the good old days,” said McClelland, who loves to throw a spinnerbait. “I pulled out the spinnerbait and threw it all day.
“I’m not putting the spinnerbait down for the rest of the week. I’m fishing for aggressive fish.”
Clunn also threw a spinnerbait and a crankbait until the tide got too low. Then he moved into some creeks and flipped.
“I did catch my biggest fish that way, but not many,” Clunn said. “I caught most of my fish Thursday on a crankbait, but I’m losing the right tide in that area.”
On the co-angler side, Mike Frazier of Florida moved from second place into the lead with six fish weighing 16-7. Donald Muir was second with 16-4, followed by fellow Marylander Ian Dunevant with 16-2, Mike Acord of Pennsylvania with 15-13 and Chad Hicks of Virginia with 15-12. The top co-angler on Saturday wins a Triton boat package valued at $45,000.
Local Sponsors: Local sponsors include the Charles County Office of Tourism.
CITGO Bassmaster Elite Series sponsors: Sponsors of the CITGO Bassmaster Elite Series include CITGO Petroleum Corp., Toyota, Busch Beer, Purolator, Triton Boats, Mercury Marine, Berkley, Lowrance Electronics, MotorGuide, Advance Auto Parts and Theraseed®.
BASS is the worldwide authority on bass fishing, sanctioning more than 20,000 events through the BASS Federation annually. Guided by its mission to serve all fishing fans, BASS sets the standard for credibility, professionalism, sportsmanship and conservation, as it has for nearly 40 years.
BASS stages bass fishing tournaments for every skill level and culminates with the CITGO Bassmaster Classic. Through its clubs, youth programs, aquatic resource advocacy, magazine publishing and multimedia platforms, BASS offers the industry's widest array of services and support to its nearly 550,000 members. The organization is headquartered in Celebration, Fla.
For more information, contact BASS Communications at (407) 566-2208 or visit www.bassmaster.com.
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