Skeet Reese claims first Bass Pro Tour trophy with James River!

By Michell Forde

BASS PRO TOUR

RICHMOND, Va. — On his 55th birthday, Skeet Reese received the best present of his life. The Bass Fishing Hall of Famer added his first Bass Pro Tour trophy to his long list of accolades at General Tire Stage Six Presented by O’Reilly Auto Parts on the James River, plus the $100,000 top prize that came with it.

Reese totaled 54 pounds, 3 ounces on 23 scorable bass during Sunday’s Championship Round. He would need just about all of it, as Jeff Sprague put together a furious late-day rally but ultimately fell 3-11 shy of Reese’s total. 

The California pro said the 12th victory of his legendary career will go down as one of his most memorable, as each passing season has made him increasingly hungry to join the list of BPT champions.

“This I what I’ve been fishing for the last five years out here, trying to be able to be in a position to hoist one of these Bass Pro Tour trophies,” Reese said. “To beat the group of guys that we compete against – I mean, literally, this is the best group of anglers assembled ever in the history of the sport. So, to beat these guys, that means a lot to me.”

Here’s how the Top 10 finished the Championship Round:

1. Skeet Reese — 54-3 (23)
2. Jeff Sprague — 50-8 (25)
3. Nick LeBrun — 37-3 (16)
4. Bryan Thrift — 35-9 (16)
5. Michael Neal — 34-10 (16)
6. Gerald Spohrer — 32-11 (14)
7. Dylan Hays — 30-4 (14)
8. Spencer Shuffield — 24-9 (12)
9. Andy Montgomery — 18-2 (10)
10. Jonathon VanDam — 14-6 (7)

Complete results

Rick Morris Wins the 2017 BASS Northern Open James River with 43-15lbs!

Veteran wins first BASS event!
BASS PRESS RELEASE

A worm and experience helps Morris win.
(Photo: BASS)

Thirty years of fishing the James River paid off for Virginia pro Rick Morris, who won the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Northern Open No. 2 on Saturday.

The Lake Gaston, Va., angler weighed in a 16-pound, 11-ounce five-bass limit and finished with a three-day total of 43-15 to clinch the pro division title. Morris received the top prize of a $45,000 Skeeter bass boat/Yamaha outboard rig and $6,784 in cash. He also qualified for the 2018 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods, contingent upon him fishing the Northern Open finale at Douglas Lake in September.

Canadian Cory Johnston Wins FLW Rayovac James River Northern Open Tournament with 46-14!

Jig and Crankbait seal first American win for Canadian!

by David A. Brown

FLW PRESS RELEASE

Cory Johnston’s bucket list just shrank. After a couple of close finishes, the pro from Peterborough, Ont., finally bagged his first Rayovac FLW Series victory with a winning total of 46 pounds, 14 ounces at the Northern Division opener on the James River Saturday.

Last day giant seal Cory's first US win!
(Photo FLW)

“I’ve always wanted to win one of these,” Johnston says of his accomplished Rayovac career, which hadn’t included a first-place finish until now. “I’ve won some other tournaments; I’ve been second (in Rayovacs) two times and my brother (Chris) has been second two or three times. So to win this really feels good.”

Fishing the Chickahominy River — a major James River tributary — Johnston got off to a lukewarm start, as a 10-pound, 9-ounce effort left him with a 27th-place showing on day one. Regrouping for day two, he formed a new game plan borne of a revelation that came early on day two.