Skeet Reese Made Our Panama Trip Extra Special
When Shane Jarvis of Sport Fish Panama Island Lodge kindly donated a trip to the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame and suggested that we ask Skeet Reese to host it, I didn’t quite know what to expect. I’ve been on various exotic fishing trips with professional anglers, and while they’ve all been exceptional, their focus was on fishing rather than hosting.
Furthermore, my time with Skeet had generally been during the heat of competition. I rode with him on Day 1 of the 2006 Bassmaster Classic at Florida’s Lake Toho and again for part of Day 2 at the frigid 2015 Classic at Lake Hartwell. Over the past 20 years, there are perhaps two or three pros about whom I’ve written more words. Since he left for the Bass Pro tour in 2019, that flow has slowed somewhat, but not entirely. Up until now it’s been mostly business.
But from the moment we connected in Panama City, and then onto Isla Parida, it was clear that Shane had made a wise choice. Skeet was an absolute gem of a lodge guest, interacting easily with both the other 18 guests and the staff. No one would have blamed him if he’d spent substantial time regaling us with tales of his Hall of Fame career, but he genuinely showed interest in each of our diverse cast of characters.
On the boat, it was even more impressive. There are plenty of bass tournament anglers who are great when chasing their signature species, but Skeet showed that he’s a true fish head, with 40-plus years of saltwater experience and a knack for understanding fish behavior, even with those species he’s yet to chase. I love spending time on the water with super-fishy people, those who have a gift and have put in the thousands of hours to hone it. I’ve been with some amazing technicians across the globe, but I can’t think of many who match his depth and breadth of talent.
Perhaps most importantly, his wife Kim came along and showed why Reese Fishing is such a powerful brand. While he was chasing little green and brown fish across the country and becoming a top five promoter in the sport’s history, she took care of serious family business, acted as a support system, contributed to the business and brought brains and beauty into the mix. On top of that, she’s absolutely ripped and easily handled tuna by herself that brought grown-ass men to tears.
I know that we will be back to Sport Fish Panama Island Lodge many times in the future and I hope that the Reeses will be back, too. If they’re on one of our trips, you owe it to yourself to join us and spend time with two of the bright lights of our world.
