By Todd Ceisner
BassFan Editor
Three pounds.
That’s the total amount of weight that separated Clark Reehm from cashing checks in all six FLW Tour events in 2015 – the equivalent of a decent keeper fish at any lake on the schedule. The 3 pounds broke down like this: He was 6 ounces from the money cut at Lake Toho, 1-02 at Lake Eufaula and 1-08 at Lake Chickamauga.
Instead, he batted .500 when it came to finishing in the money and squeaked into the Forrest Wood Cup, which resulted in another payday.
That’s how it looked in black and white at the end of the season, Reehm says, but what gets overlooked most of the time is the wicked swing of ups and downs anglers go through to get there.
“What people don’t realize sometimes is what’s on the sheet at the end of the day doesn’t tell the whole story,” he said. “It doesn’t mention how somebody hole-jumped you or the cold front that came through or how you broke one off. It never tells the whole story.”
He’ll distinctly remember the 2 1/2-pounder he lost at Eufaula, costing him a $10,000 check. He also remembers losing the first eight fish that hit his bait at Chickamauga, causing him to miss another payday.
“You don’t see that sort of stuff, but as anglers we reflect on those things and it beats us up,” he added. “When we got to the Potomac, I knew I needed 13 pounds on the final day when I had roughly 11 and the whole time, you go through those points you could’ve had.”
Which is why the way he kicked off the 2016 season is such a big deal for him. The 37-year-old Texan, who has a reputation for being a middle-of-the-pack competitor dating back to his Elite Series days, came through with an 8th-place showing during a tough event at the FLW Tour opener at Lake Okeechobee.
“This start is so big for me,” he said. “It’s a whole lot easier to maintain where I’m at than climb out of a hole.”
Start of Something Big?
Reehm’s Top-10 finish at Okeechobee was his first such outcome in an FLW Tour or Elite Series event since he was the runner-up to Todd Faircloth at the Lake Amistad Elite Series in 2008. He’s had success at the triple-A levels since then, but to see his name near the top of the leaderboard gave him a jolt of confidence as the season starts to play out.
“Everybody has been congratulating me for doing well, but I got lucky,” Reehm said. “The weather sucked and it killed the bite for others. How often does a guy finish in the Top 10 in Florida without catching a fish over 3 1/2 pounds? If I’d have executed well, I think I could’ve finished 4th or 5th.”
He’ll happily take the 8th considering he finished 158th at Okeechobee in 2014.
“At Okeechobee, I just found a spot,” he said. “Either you find them and you’re on them or you keep looking.”
He’s upbeat about the next two stops on the schedule – Lake Hartwell and Beaver Lake, two deeper reservoirs that have treated him well in the past.
“They’re the two I’m looking forward to the most,” he said. “I took a Top 10 in the Classic at Hartwell (2008) and made a check there the last time running the same pattern. I really thought I was going to win there the last time we were there. I just like that style of lake even though we have nothing like it in east Texas.
“Beaver I feel like I have dialed in. I’ve been there twice and feel like I understand it. It’s a matter of getting one or two quality bites to do well.”
The rest of the schedule will be about survival and collecting points toward Cup qualification. He’s not a fan of the TVA lakes, but should find a comfort zone at Lake Champlain.
New Vibe
Reehm’s career has mirrored that of a journeyman. He’s never had the longest or most lucrative list of sponsors. In 2013, he left the Elite Series mid season to focus on gaining custody of his son and when he decided to return to the top tier of the sport, he figured the FLW Tour was the way to go.
“I’m not a guy that’s in hunt to win or be in Top 10s or 20s,” he said. “I tend to make a lot of 30ths to 50ths. Some people don’t like the term ‘check chaser,’ but with bills to pay, that’s what I’ve been.”
He’s steered clear of aligning with bait companies because he wants to have the freedom to throw what he wants. He’s partnered with Tackle Addict, a regional tackle retailer that caters to Texas and Louisiana anglers.
“I have very few tackle industry sponsors and that’s by choice,” he said. “I’m tired of playing the game. I want to have credibility and I want to talk about exactly what I caught them on and how.
“The biggest hurdle in my career is I haven’t been able to obtain major sponsors to compete and you just can’t compete with scared money,” he added. “Some guys win $10,000 and that makes the difference between going to Hawaii or Florida for vacation. For me, that’s rent or bills or health insurance. It’s been an interesting roller coaster of a career.”
But he feels like this season has the makings to be one of the high points. He’s changed his diet, is exercising more and has lost 18 pounds since Jan. 1. He still guides at Sam Rayburn Reservoir and Toledo Bend and operates the Elite Angler Academy, which helps anglers understand the mental aspects of the sport.
“This is the year I turn it around,” he said, referencing the financial support he’s received from new sponsors like Apache Industrial Services and Tackle Addict. “It’s just freed me up more.”
Still, he knows it comes down to executing on game day.
“It’s about finding the right fish to do well,” he said. “I don’t believe in streaks and momentum. Every event is different. If they don’t cooperate I’ll look for other stuff. If you find the right fish, you find the right fish, simple as that.”
