Reginald Crews reeling in strategy for big bass contest

"Something's fishy" for Reginald Crews just about every day of the week, either in his work in law enforcement or in his favorite free-time pursuit.

Since 1988, his career has focused on dealing with thugs and would-be offenders, and more recently, he has directed his spare time to the pursuit of largemouth bass - big ones in particular.

Recent feats included bagging 30th place from among 168 anglers taking part in the American Bass Anglers Southeast Regional Championship, held on West Point Lake near LaGrange, Ga.

That earned him not only a check but also a chance to take a step up, competing for the ABA's national championship in an event set for Lake Guntersville, in Alabama, Oct. 25 to Nov. 1.

"Believe it or not, I just started in 2003," Crews said. "I wanted to learn how to fish so that I could teach my kids how to fish, and one of my co-workers ... took me out on his bass boat and I hooked my first largemouth bass, and I was hooked after that."

His first tournament win was this year - April 19, with a haul of five bass for a total of 16-and-a-half pounds.

Honors have included being named the "ABA Southeast Region 'Homeland Security' Angler of the Year," meaning he was the association's best among fisherman who are or have been members of the military or active in law enforcement, firefighting or emergency medical services.

Crews counts Stan Johnson Jewelers among his local boosters, along with his fellow members at Second Providence Baptist Church. On board as his sponsors are McCoy Fishing Line, Reaction Strike Lures, Tourney Jigs, Albacore Fishing Tackle, Secret Lures and TC Lures. He confirmed that more support, in terms of sponsorship, would be welcome.

"Plastic worms and things like that" are his tools of the trade, and his biggest single take so far came by way of Clarks Hill in March 2007 - a largemouth that tipped the scale at 6-and-a-half pounds.

"The biggest thing I like about fishing is trying to figure out what the fish likes, and since I have to use an artificial lure, having to tweak the lure just right so that it will make the fish think that it's an actual living thing, and I love the competition against other anglers, especially anglers that have been doing it longer than I have."

He still earns his daily bread by way of law enforcement through his work in South Carolina, but he hopes to use his skills with a rod and reel to generate some dough in the years ahead.

"I love fishing, and I believe in giving it my all, and hopefully one day I'll be able to do it professionally, after I retire."

A native of Philadelphia, Crews grew up in Warrenton, N.C., and graduated from high school in 1988, becoming a military policeman in the U.S. Army.

"I got out of the Army in 1995, became a police officer in Moncks Corner, and then I moved from there to Aiken County and worked at the Aiken County Sheriff's Office."

In 1998, the road led to North Augusta, where his household now includes his wife, Ordean, and their kids, DeLaney, 11, a sixth-grader at North Augusta Middle School; Sarah, 8, a third-grader at Mossy Creek Elementary School; and Gray, a 2-year-old in the pre-school program at Midland Valley Church of the Nazarene.

The father of the house, when not on the job, at church or having family time, tends to hang out on Lake Murray ("around the docks and the shoreline"), afloat via a 17-foot Ranger bass boat with a 135-horsepower engine.

"I like going during the weekdays, in the mornings, because it's less traffic," he added.

In the biblical sense, he is also a "fisher of men" as an active member at Second Providence, where he sings in three choirs, adding some tenor to the congregation's musical worship.

He also has a base of operations on the internet, for anyone fishing for more information: www.crewsfishing.com.