Practice Day Two gallery II

Skeet Reese drops his trolling motor to check out a large area off the main river channel.

Reese launched his boat and started the day by running nearly 40 miles downriver.

Reese said he first wanted to check out the shallow bite early in the day.

Skeet kept plenty to drink close to the driver’s seat of the boat.

An early call from home put a smile on his face.

Skeet donned a wide brimmed hat to protect himself from the sun.

There’s a lot of yellow in Skeet’s boat.

Skeet straps down his rods before moving …

Then pulls up the trolling motor.

Skeet Reese drops his trolling motor to check out a large area off the main river channel.

Reese drank water from a gallon jug, early and often.

Reese would cover water using moving baits, but kept the ‘Pit Boss’ close at hand.

Mud and water fly as Reese throttles across a shallow sandbar.

Reese fires a cast.

Aaron Martens stares into the water after breaking off a fish.

The water in the Alabama River dropped nearly a foot overnight.

Gerald Swindle banks his boat hard to the right in the middle of the channel.

Casey Ashley was exploring the mouth of a creek.

Gerald Swindle holds his trolling motor up with the rope, while trying to figure out a way to navigate a very shallow sandbar.

Swindle runs out of water, takes off his shoes, rolls up his shorts …

And is forced to push the boat.

Muddy feet and all, Swindle jumps back in the boat.

Swindle powers the boat forward after clearing the sand.

An obvious drop in the water level could be seen on the water willow along the shoreline.

Edwin Evers and Terry Scroggins were checking out the same area.

Evers loads his rod to make a long cast.

The rod bows as Evers heaves a cast with a crankbait.

Evers watches the trajectory of the lure while line rips from his reel.

While Evers was checking the deeper bite, Scroggins was making casts along the shoreline.

Evers makes a move downriver.

Skeet Reese will face off against Casey Ashley during Friday’s first day of competition on the Alabama River.

Reese said he first wanted to check out the shallow bite early in the day.