Entry 143-5

Kevin VanDam's $106,000 Weekend

I Didn't Really Do That

Editor's Note: Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Michigan, one of the strongest names on the professional bass-fishing circuits for many years, has won a Classic and the title of the Angler of the Year for Bassmasters. He’s long been one of Strike King’s top national pros. In the early summer, VanDam once again proved why he’s one of the best of the best by winning one of the Top 50 Elite BASS Tournaments and going home with $106,000. The tournament was held on Lake Louisville, just outside of Dallas, Texas. To learn what making $106,000 in a week is like, we’ve asked VanDam to tell us the story of the win and the new lake record he set.

VanDam: The first hole I went to on the morning of the last day, I lost a 3-pound bass in the first hour of fishing. As tough as the fishing was and as hard as bass were to come by, I couldn’t believe I’d lost that big keeper bass. I don’t know what caused me to lose the fish - it just came off. And that’s definitely not the way you want to start off the first part of the last day of a tournament. But I forgot that fish a quick as I could. I’ve learned that the faster you can forget a mistake or the quicker you can get adversity behind you, the faster and better your chances are.

So, I just went to work. I fished as hard as I could every minute of the day. I fished laydowns and standing timber and was lucky enough to scratch out a limit that weighed a little over 10 pounds. I used a couple of spinner baits besides the bleeding bait series on the last two days. But, the bleeding bait series was the one on which I’d caught most of my fish. I had a lot of confidence in this bait when the water was stained. I do like the Indiana blades better than the blades that come standard on it. I like the No. 6 Indiana blade that comes on the Pro Glow 1/2-ounce spinner bait.

Kevin VanDam When I reached the deeper water, I fished the 1/2-ounce spinner bait. When I was fishing shallow water, I’d be fishing a 3/8-ounce spinner bait. I really liked the Indiana blade because it put out a lot of vibrations, slowed the bait down and came through the really-thick cover I had to fish in shallow water. I was using a real slow, steady retrieve, but I was trying to make the bait bump the cover. Many of my strikes would come right after I’d bumped the log with the bait. When my spinner bait bumped the log, I shook my rod tip to give the bait an action that I believed helped trigger strikes.

My biggest fish was only 2 1/2-pounds on the last day, and although I had 10 pounds of bass in my live well, I felt like the other two fishermen that were ahead of me had probably caught as many or as more bass as I had that day. I wanted a big kicker fish to win, but I never did get that big bass that I thought I should have. However, I knew I’d fished the best I could going to the weigh-in.

Michael Iaconelli weighed in ahead of me and only had 3 pounds. I realized all I had to beat was Brian Snowden, and I knew he didn’t have but two bass. Snowden was the last guy to weigh in, and I knew I’d won. When they announced that I’d won, I jumped up and down like a rabbit. I hadn’t won a major tournament since I won the Bassmasters Classic in 2001. When I told my wife that I’d won, she was really excited. I’ve got two eight-year-old boys who will be going college in the not-too-distant future, so that money will help me pay for their educations.

Kevin VanDam Although I’d made the cut in every event for the last four or five tournaments, I just didn’t have what it took to win. I hope to take this win into the next tournament to the last Elite 50 tournament in Wisconsin. I’ve already qualified for the next two Classics, and I’ll be looking forward to them. I’m now leading the Points Championship in the Elite 50. I feel really fortunate to have won, and I’m really excited that Strike King baits helped me to capture this win and this money.

Kevin VanDam's $106,000 Weekend

I Didn't Really Do That

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