Entry 117-2

Kevin VanDam - How, When, and Where to Fish Heavy Tackle

Heavy Tackle for Thick Vegetation

Editor's Note: Thirty-six-year-old Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Michigan, the BASS Angler-of-the-Year winner for 1992, 1996 and 1999, as well as the 2001 Bassmaster Classic winner, has all-time BASS winnings totaling more than $1,400,000. "I define heavy tackle as when I am fishing 20-pound-test line or larger," VanDam says. "I look for water and weather conditions that will allow me to fish that heavy line." This week, he'll tell us how, when and where to fish heavy tackle.

"In thick grass, my favorite tactic is flipping," VanDam reports. "My favorite bait for flipping that heavy grass is Strike King's Craw Tube. I like to use a screw-in sinker from 1/2-ounce up. I want that sinker to punch through the grass and take that Craw Tube to the bottom as fast as possible. You want to get a reaction strike from the bass that are buried in the grass. I have used up to a 1-1/2-ounce sinker to get that solid punch-through and that fast fall in thick grass. When you are fishing in hyacinths or mats of weeds that have blown into a pocket, you really have to have that heavy sinker and fast drop to get the bait through the cover and in front of the fish. If I'm fishing in milfoil or scatter hydrilla, I may use a 3/8- or 5/16-ounce sinker. I want to use a heavy enough lead to get a really good penetration in the grass and a really-fast fall on the Craw Tube.

"I choose the colors that I'm going to be fishing based on the water clarity. If the water is stained or a little bit dirty, I like a June bug, but black and blue are my all-time favorite colors. If the water is clean, I like to use watermelon or green pumpkin Craw Jigs. If there are a lot of bluegills in the lake, I may use a chartreuse-colored jig and dye it blue on the end of the tail. I like to put the tube on a No.4/0 Denny Brauer Tube Hook. I will usually be using 25-pound test Bass Pro Shop Fluorocarbon Line. If I'm fishing super-thick grass, I will be fishing 65-pound test fluorocarbon."




 

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