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Angler's Profiles
by Mike Lanni
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| A series of articles introducing RISAA members to the rest of the club. |
| (From the March, 2001 Newsletter) KEVIN REED |
Most of the anglers that I have written about in past articles have been
people with ten, twenty or even thirty-plus years of fishing experience.
While Kevin Reed doesn’t fall into any of the above categories, you
would never know that from talking to him.Although he has only been saltwater fishing for a few years, Kevin is dead serious about the sport. It has been that approach that has enabled him to gain a lot of ground on the rest of us, and as Kevin will tell you, joining the RISAA has helped him to do that. One of the main reasons that Kevin didn’t start to pursue salt water fishing until later in life has to do with the fact that, as a young man, Kevin moved around a lot. After graduating Mount St. Charles High School in 1974, he immediately joined the Air Force and started to see the rest of the country. For ten years, he was stationed “on the bayou” in Louisiana, deep in the South. It was an interesting period of time for him, as well as a great life experience. Kevin will never forget the down-to-earth people he met there, and he still keeps in touch with many of them today. While living in the south, Kevin also worked at a number of different jobs, most notably as a 
laborer on an offshore oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. The work was
extremely physical, and Kevin ultimately ended up with a severe back injury
that, to this day, limits what he can do physically.At some point in time, Kevin decided it was time to leave the southern part of the country and cover some new ground. So he hopped on his motorcycle and headed out west - to Wyoming, where he ended up working as a “roughneck” in the oil fields. The work really started to wear on him though, and in 1984, Kevin decided enough was enough and returned to Rhode Island. Soon after returning home, Kevin’s life became enhanced and demanding at the same time, as his two daughters were born. The proud father of Katelyn, 16, and Kelly, 13, Kevin has had his hands full with these two cuties for quite some time now. Due to some uncontrollable circumstances, Kevin has raised both girls as a single parent, almost from the time they were born. He is a very devoted father, and should be given a lot of credit for such an accomplishment. 
Kevin’s parential duties had, in the past, prevented him from actively pursuing
saltwater fishing. Every once in awhile, though, he would sneak away
to Cape Cod, where he would bring along a olding lawn chair, a cooler and
a surf rod. There he would cast a chunk bait into the surf, sit back,
relax and watch the sun set. Sometimes he would catch fish, other times
not, but he always appreciated the relaxation that only the ocean’s surf
can provide.Now that his daughters are teenagers and don’t need his constant surveillance anymore, Kevin has more time to himself. Kevin had always planned to get serious about fishing, and recently he has done just that. He started by joining our club, where he has learned a lot through the seminars we provide, and through membership contacts. He fishes mainly from the shore, targeting striped bass at the state’s three breachways. Kevin 
does a lot of plugging and jigging, and catches a lot of bass in the 24"-32"
range. He loves bait casting equipment, and like myself, favors Abu-Garcia
models such as the "Magelite" on custom graphite rods.This past summer, Kevin learned how to fluke fish on Steve Medeiros' boat. Steve thinks that Kevin has the "knack" to become a real good fisherman. He has become Steve's official fishing partner, and the two usually spend every Monday (Steve's day off) drifting the bay for summer flounder. Kevin knows that to be a good fisherman, you need good equipment. He has compiled an impressive assortment of custom rods and reels, and is quite passionate about his tackle. He can look at any of today's reels and, at a glance, tell you the make, model and construction details of the piece of equipment. He is very mechanically inclined, possessing the ability to tear down a reel, rebuild or customize it, and reassemble the parts in perfect working order. Kevin has also found time to contribute to the RISAA by delivering our newsletters to the state's many tackle and bait shops in the southern part of the state. That job requires one full day each month. He also represents RISAA and all other recreational groups as a member of the RIMFC Scup/Black Sea Bass Advisory Panel. It's too bad for Kevein and all the rest of us that we don't get paid to fish. Kevin pays his bills by working at home as a computer graphics producer. He started this small business after taking a few computer science courses at C.C.R.I. Working at home allows him to remain accessable to Kaitlyn and Kelly, who rely on him to get them to various activity functions, such as karate and cheerleading practice. All three share domestic responsibilities, but Kevin is the main cook in the Reed's household. Once in awhile, when he's feeling nostalgic, he'll fetch up a pot of Louisiana "gumbo." The only thing that keeps him from cooking up a batch of alligator meat (he swears it's the best) is the unavailability of the reptile's presence in this neck of the woods! Kevin Reed has, in the past few years, been running a hundred miles an hour in an effort to catch up with the rest of us as fishermen. He has gained an amazing amount of ground in a short time, and has proven that it's never too late to take up the sport if you're serious about it. I'm predicting that he will be a great competitor in the years to come. In the meantime, one thing is for sure - as a man and as a father, he's not running behind anyone. |
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ANGLER PROFILES
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