Entry 136-1 

Kevin VanDam - What to do When Your Fishing Goes to Pot

The Day the Pattern Changes

Strike King LuresEditor's Note: Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Michigan, has won about every honor an angler can win in professional bass fishing. He must make his fishing count, even when it goes to pot. This week we'll find our how VanDam recovers from a fishing situation like that.

Question: Kevin, what do you do when you've been practice fishing a lake, you have a pattern pretty well nailed-down, and then about an hour before the alarm goes off on the first day, you wake up to the sound of a driving rainstorm? You can't just pack up your stuff and go home; you have to work, which means fishing in the rain. What will you do, and how will you fish?

Answer: One of the things I've learned over the years about this kind of day is that you have to get over the idea of getting wet and being uncomfortable. The thing that has helped me overcome the idea of getting wet and fishing miserable is my Bass Pro Shop 100 mph Rainsuit. If you have a rainsuit that will keep you dry and comfortable, you can fish much better. This Gore-Tex suit is somewhat more expensive than other rainsuits on the market. However, being dry and comfortable when you have to fish for money is a major ingredient in being successful.

Remember you get what you pay for in a rainsuit. Because this suit is designed for fishermen, you don't lose your mobility, and you're not inhibited by your clothes when you're casting. The first key to fishing on this kind of day is being able to block out the idea of the elements affecting your fishing. The other thing you have to remember is most of the time these are the days when bass bite the best. Rainy, low-pressure days are the kind of days that I really like to fish.

Question: What tactics and lures will you fish with on these kinds of days?

Kevin VanDamAnswer: Bass will be more aggressive and feeding on these types of days. Feeding bass are much easier to catch. They'll chase baits much further and will have a much-longer strike zone. On these days, I'll tie on a Strike King spinner bait and just start fishing down the bank. I'll also use Strike King shallow water crankbaits and fish parallel down the bank. On these days, the bass won't be nearly as tight to the cover. Therefore, the more water you fish, the more bass you'll catch. If the area you're fishing receives a tremendous amount of rain, the rain will create new opportunities for you, especially on highland lakes where you can find water running into the lake. Bass will flock to those pockets where runoffs are bringing new nutrients into the lake. Culverts, streams and ditches will all be places I'll target when rain is pouring down.

My favorite lure for fishing run-ins like these on rainy days is the Strike King spinner bait, particularly the 3/8-ounce Pro Model spinner bait. I like a Colorado blade in front, a willow-leaf blade in the back and a shad-colored skirt. I'll cast the spinner bait right to the area where the water's coming into the lake and then slow-roll the bait back toward the boat. Most of my strikes will occur at the parting line where the really-muddy water from the run-off connects with the clearer water from the lake. Since bass will be right on that edge feeding, most of the time that's where your strikes will to occur. Now if the whole creek becomes muddy because the rain has been in the area for a long time, then these regions won't be as productive.

If I find a creek with a lot of water run-off coming into it, then I'll check that creek two or three times during the day until the creek gets so muddy that the bass may pull out of that spot. Most fishermen wake up to a driving rain and are disappointed. But when I wake up on the first day of a tournament, and the rain's pouring down, I really get excited because I know I'm going to catch bass.




 

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