TT Interview: Casey Reed and his Bassmaster Kayak Series Victory

Introduction: In a tournament where every inch counts, sometimes it comes down to just a fraction of one. At the 2026 Bassmaster Kayak Series event on Caddo Lake and Lake Bistineau, Casey Reed secured his first series victory by the slimmest of margins, just a quarter inch. But behind that number was a week of calculated decisions, controlled positioning, and execution under pressure, all from the deck of his Old Town AutoPilot 136. We sat down with Reed to dig into the details behind the win, from his kayak setup to the tackle and techniques that made the difference.

Casey Reed recently claimed his first Bassmaster Kayak Series Victory at Caddo Lake/Lake Bistineau (photo credit: Bassmaster)

Zander: Thanks for spending time with us today and congratulations on the big win Casey! You’ve been chasing that blue trophy for a while, what did it mean to finally get the win?

Casey: For years, I’ve been really consistent in the Bassmaster Kayak Series. I’ve been in the Angler of the Year race multiple times, and even finished second a couple years ago, but I had never finished higher than fifth in a single event.

Casey posted a two day combined total of 196.50 inches, winning by a quarter of an inch (photo credit: Casey Reed)

With the level of competition we have, with hundreds of the best anglers in the country, winning one of these tournaments over two days almost feels impossible at times. So to finally put it all together this past week and take home that blue trophy meant a lot. It was really the culmination of a lot of hard work, time on the water, and honestly some missed opportunities along the way. I’ve always believed I was capable of it, but to finally prove it to myself, that’s what means the most.

Casey has been fishing the Bassmaster since the Kayak Series started
(photo credit: Caddo Awards) 

Zander: What were the key conditions you faced at Caddo/Bistineau, and how did the post-front, postspawn scenario shape your overall approach?

Casey: Fish live shallow there all year round, but being post spawn, my focus was to get off the bank a bit, and find where those bigger females were feeding. My focus for most of practice was in that 5-8 ft range and after days of looking on the last day of practice is when I finally found that winning spot. There were a few storms that were going to hit the lake throughout the day, and just before those storms passed through the wind picked up and the fish really seemed to start feeding heavily. By the time the second storm cell moved through, I was already content with the 5 fish limit I had for the day, and I didn't want to catch a bunch more fish that may or may not help my limit, so I just sat there for the last hour of the first day to not beat up my fish and to not let any other anglers fish that spot.

Casey's Kayak of choice is the Old Town Sportsman Autopilot 136
(photo credit: Bassmaster)

Zander: You were fishing out of the Old Town AutoPilot 136, can you tell us more about why this is your kayak of choice and how critical was Spot-Lock and boat control in executing your game plan?

Casey: Yes, the Old Town Sportsman Autopilot 136 has been my choice of kayaks since the day it was released. I love how it can handle big water, how much room there is inside, and the fact that it is designed specifically for the Minn-Kota 45# thrust motor trolling motor, but is more of a mid-ship style mount rather than a bow mount design. That mid-ship design, though it is actually closer to the bow than the middle of the kayak, is the perfect setup. It functions just like a bowmount, but has some major advantages. The Autopilot motor is designed to kick up if you hit anything hard with the motor. Unlike a traditional bow mount where I’ve seen other competitors break shafts of their bow mounts when running into things. 

The Old Town Sportsman Autopilot 136 features a Minn Kota motor with 45lbs of thrust, spot lock, and a clean layout ready for plenty of customization. It measures 13 feet 6 inches and has a width of 37 inches, and an assembled boat weight of 158lbs

Having spot-lock is a must in my opinion. I can easily set up and fish any area I want and be completely hands free. When you’re dealing with wind and current, it’s a no-brainer because without spot-lock you’ll spend a lot of time and focus on boat control and positioning rather than making casts and landing fish.

Casey utilizes spot lock to stay on the fish in tough conditions
(photo credit: Bassmaster)

Zander: Can you walk us through one moment where kayak positioning or boat control directly led to a key fish?

Casey: Almost all my fish were caught because I was able to use spot-lock in position and I could see almost the whole flat I was fishing with my Humminbird MEGALive2 in landscape mode at any time. When I would see bait move through the flat, I could focus making my cast because the fish would be there to ambush at any moment.

Casey used Humminbird MEGALive 2 to target fish over flats
(photo credit: Bassmaster)

Zander: What were your primary rod, reel, and line setups, and how did they match the conditions you were facing?

Casey: In the morning before the sun came completely up, I was mainly throwing a Jackhammer because I figured the fish would be able to key in on that vibration a little better. I was throwing it on my Cashion Icon Chatterbait rod, a 8.5:1 gear ratio reel with Yo-Zuri T7 16# Fluorocarbon Line.

Casey's key tackle setup consisted of a Cashion Icon rod and a Yo-Zuri Rattl'N Vibe One Knock lipless crankbait (photo credit: Casey Reed)

Once the sun came up, I would mainly keep my Cashion Icon MultiPurpose rod 7.4:1 gear ratio reel with the Yo-Zuri Rattl’N Vibe One Knock in my hand. I was throwing it on the same Yo-Zuri T7 16# fluorocarbon line. Having multiple treble hooks was really key because of the way the fish were eating the baits. I was yo-yoing the baits and they were always crushing it when my rod was at the peak, and it was very hard to get a good hookset with a single hook bait, so I was more confident with that Rattl’N vibe and it was easier to just reel down to the fish and get a hook in it. 

Casey's winning bait. This One Knock got chewed hard
(photo credit: Casey Reed)

Zander: In a tournament decided by inches, what was the single most important decision you made that ultimately led to the win?

Casey: There were hundreds of decisions made throughout the two days that led to victory. I tell people all the time, everyone in these tournaments knows how to catch fish. Making the right decisions, and keeping focus and a positive mental attitude are what wins tournaments. The decision for me to scrap an area where I had caught some decent fish during practice to fish this flat that I really didn't know what it was capable of. I just figured that it would be easier for me to put together a limit then I could grind away and hope to run into a couple of big fish each day. Little did I know that spot had the winning fish on it and it would hold up for most of two days of beating it up. 

Thanks to Casey for sharing details on his rig setup and tackle utilized on his recent Bassmaster Kayak Series Victory (photo credit: Casey Reed)

Zander: Congratulations again on the Bassmaster win, Casey, and thank you for taking the time to walk us through your Old Town setup, tackle choices, and the techniques that led to your victory. It’s always insightful to hear how kayak anglers leverage their platforms to access key areas, and the decisions that go into not just finding fish, but converting them. We appreciate you sharing the details, and best of luck in your next event!