Entry 185-3

How I’ll Fish the Classic with Kevin VanDam

Part 3: Good Weather – Bad News

Question: Kevin, February in Alabama can very well have three days where the temperature’s 55 or 60 degrees. If the area has two days of warm weather and no rain for two weeks, how will you fish, and how do you expect to catch bass under these conditions?

VanDam: I’ll be fishing much faster than I will if we have cold weather. I’ll be fishing the spinner bait, the jerkbait and the lipless crankbait like Strike King’s new Red Eye Shad. I’ll be trying to cover a lot of water because the bass should be up on the flats and very active. Under these conditions, the more water I can cover in a day of fishing, the better my odds will be for winning. Lay Lake has plenty of water like this. So, I feel pretty confident that if we have that warm weather, I’ll still be able to do well in the tournament, because I like to fish fast and I like to power fish.

The real determining factor for these conditions will be if the bass are targeting shad as their primary prey species, or if they’re still targeting crawfish on the bottom. The first thing I’ll have to establish, if we get that stable water and warm weather conditions, is what food do the bass want to eat. Once I know that, then I can do a better job of lure selection, and I’ll catch more fish.

Question: One factor you haven’t included so far is the grass on Lay Lake. Lay Lake has a tremendous amount of grass beds. How will you handle the grass if we have these warm-weather conditions?

VanDam: If the weather warms up and stays warm for a day or two, the bass will definitely move up into the grass. That grass pulls a lot of heat from the sun and warms up the water around it. Under these conditions, I’ll either flip the bait, or I will use a crankbait or a spinner bait down the edge of the grass. If the bass are in the grass, like everyone else, I’ll be fishing in the grass, or along the edge of the grass. Under these conditions, the Classic can be won by anyone. Everyone will be fishing the same way, and the angler who happens to find a good school of bass on one section of grass will be the winner. That’s the reason I’m hoping we don’t have these kinds of weather conditions for the Classic. Bad weather narrows the field and increases my odds, but good weather conditions throw the Classic wide open to anyone who gets lucky.

Question: The last time the Bassmaster Classic came to Alabama, Jay Yelas won the Classic by fishing the upper end of the lake in the swift water below the dam. The weather was hot, and you were fishing in the Dog Days of summer. If a warm front comes through at this year’s Classic, will you be going to the area where the Classic was won the last time it was held on Lay Lake?

VanDam: If Lay Lake gets stable water and warm weather, and the largemouth aren’t biting, you can just about bet on the spotted bass holding in the current at the head of the lake. However, typically during February when the Classic will be held, this area gets a lot of rain, which means you’ll find current from one end of the lake to the other end. You have to remember that when Jay Yelas won the Classic, it was in August when current was released into the lake. A large number of fish were concentrated at the head of the lake because that’s where there was current. But in February, if you have current running through the entire lake, the bass will be more scattered throughout the entire lake, and there will be a lot more areas holding spotted bass.

Given a choice between good weather, good water and ideal fishing conditions and bad weather, bad water and terrible fishing conditions, I prefer the bad weather. This is not because I like to fish slowly. I’m basically a power-bait fisherman and a speed fisherman. But in bad-weather conditions, if I can find the bass, I can catch them. Many fishermen struggle when they have bad-weather conditions, but my best opportunity to win will be if we have tough fishing conditions.

Question: Kevin, you helped to invent the Wild Shiner. What role will it play when you’re fishing on Lay Lake?

VanDam: Without a doubt, a jerkbait like the Wild Shiner will be one of the lures you need to have tied on your line. Water clarity’s a big determining factor as to when, where and how you’re fishing. For a jerkbait to be effective, the bass have to be able to see it. So, if we get clear-water conditions, I’ll definitely be using the jerkbait. If the weather gets cold and the water gets muddy, the jerkbait will be eliminated from my fishing program. But if the water’s cold and clear, the jerkbait can be extremely deadly, especially with spotted bass. Spotted bass are real aggressive by nature, and the jerkbait will be the perfect medicine to make them bite.

Next: Outfishing the Competiton

Contents:

• Part 1: Warming Up Before the Classic
• Part 2: Bad Weather
• Part 3: Good Weather – Bad News
• Part 4: Outfishing the Competiton
• Part 5: Who Will Win the Bassmaster Classic?