Entry 150-4

Kevin VanDam - The Classic Mentor

Day 4: Play to Your Strengths

Editor’s Note: Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Michigan, won the 2005 Bassmasters Classic by only 6 ounces. To be the best bass fishermen we possibly can be, we need to be mentored by the best bass fishermen we can find. So this week, we’ve asked Kevin VanDam to give us some tips and tactics that will help each of us become a better bass fisherman. 

Question: Kevin, how did you determine where the bass were positioned in the water column at the Bassmasters Classic, and how can the weekend fisherman determine where the bass are in his water column?

VanDam: We all use techniques that we’re confident in to catch bass regardless of where the fish are holding. Aaron Martens was catching suspended bass up off the bottom using a dropshot technique and nearly won the Classic. What I was doing that was different was catching bass that were suspended higher in the water column than the ones Aaron was catching, plus, I was catching bass that were further away from the bridge pilings than Aaron was catching.

The real key to finding where the bass are in the water column is understanding the weather, the water, the current and the clarity of the current. Then you’ve got to consider where the bass should be holding on their migratory pattern and the species for which you’re fishing. Finding the fish is a science, but it’s far from being an exact science.

Once you figure out where the bass are positioned and where they’re at, then you have to determine what techniques, tactics and lures you have the most confidence in to catch the bass where you’ve determined they are located. Many times, I’ve seen two anglers fishing the same school of fish, and both are successful catching fish off the same piece of cover using two different tactics. For instance, Denny Brauer could be flipping a jig into a blow-down and catching bass with a flipping technique, and at that same piece of cover, I could use a spinner bait to catch bass right behind Denny. We would both catch bass out of the same tree top with different lures because we were confident in the lures we were using to catch bass. Each one of us had fished our lure in the same circumstance we then were in and knew how to give the right reaction and retrieve to make bass bite.

Every fisherman has his own strengths and weaknesses, and those characteristics come into play when fishing conditions get tough. When fishing gets tough, you should always fish to your strengths. When bass are suspended and not wanting to bite, especially smallmouth bass, I feel as though the jerkbait will allow me to catch as many, if not more bass, than any other tactic I may try. When you’re in a tournament, and nobody’s catching many fish, always fish to your strengths with whatever lure or technique you’re using.

Next: Changing to the Winner

Contents:

• Part 1: Figure Out What Happened
• Part 2: The Day
• Part 3: Staying Focused
• Part 4: Play to Your Strengths
• Part 5: Changing to the Winner