Entry 105-3
Five Critical Keys For Making The Classic by Kevin VanDam
I Almost Lost the Classic at Santee Cooper
Editor's Note: Kevin VanDam, another of those Strike King Pros who consistently finds a way to earn a berth in the Bassmaster's Classic, looks back on this past year this week. The top point earner in the Elite 50 anglers for 2004, VanDam will tell us about the five defining moments in tournaments that have helped him earn the right to compete in the biggest fishing tournament of the season, the Bassmaster's Classic.
VanDam: I felt like I was pretty solid into the Classic with the two good finishes I had had in Alabama, but when I got to Santee Cooper, I almost fell out of the Classic. I just couldn't catch any quality fish. I had an average practice before the tournament, and I was catching big fish, just not many of them. On the first day of the tournament, I brought in five bass that weighed a total of 6 pounds. I don't hardly think you can catch a smaller limit. I think I had the smallest limit that lived in that lake. I was 100 places away from the leader.
I went to an area where I had seen some big bass, but couldn't get a bite. So I abandoned my strategy, went to the other end of the lake and found enough bass to catch a 9-pound stringer. Now, I was still a long way from catching a real impressive stringer of bass, but many times to stay in the race for the Classic, you have to be consistent and catch enough fish in each tournament to stay in the race.
In this tournament, the Strike King Zulu and the KVD tube saved my bacon. I was casting the Zulu out on 17-pound-test line with a No. 5/0 hook, and I was twitching the Zulu to make it look like an injured baitfish. There were a lot of stumps around the flats, and I was blind casting, hoping to find a fish. Since I caught a couple of pretty good fish when I first started fishing this pattern, I stayed with the pattern and milked the area to catch enough bass to stay in the tournament. When times are tough, little baits like the Zulu and the tube can help you save a tournament.
Contents:
- Part 1: Lake Guntersville
- Part 2: Alabama's Lake Eufaula Was Good To Me
- Part 3: I Almost Lost the Classic at Santee Cooper
- Part 4: One of the Worst Tournaments I've Ever Fished
- Part 5: Don't Push the Panic Button
