Entry 190-5
The Tiger Woods Of Bass Fishing – Kevin VanDam
Part 5: Treasure on the First Day
Editor’s Note:The last person to weigh in at the Bassmaster Classic was Kevin VanDam. Boyd Duckett had posted the leading weight, and the world waited to see if the Tiger Woods of bass fishing, VanDam, could pull off another win. But when the fish hit the scales, Duckett’s weight held, and he became the 2007 Bassmaster Classic champion.
Question: You mentioned that on the first day, you found something you thought would be the key for you to have a chance to win this tournament. What did you find?
VanDam: The first day was real funny for February - a bright, sunny and calm day. During practice, I’d decided to try the Red Eye Shad, but I knew that bass didn’t usually bite this lure under those kinds of conditions. So, I didn’t fish the Red Eye Shad on the first day, even though I found and caught bass on the edge of the grass using this lure. I thought because of the bright, calm day, the bass wouldn’t take that bait as well as they’d take the Flat Shad.
But when I finally started catching some bass on the Flat Shad, I decided to go back to the grass where I’d caught the bass on the Red Eye Shad and try flipping the grass. 
I couldn’t get a bite, so I started fishing the Strike King Zero and the Z Too, which were stick worms, and I still couldn’t get a bite. I knew the bass were related to that grass, and I thought they’d either be buried up in it or holding on the edge of it. But I couldn’t make them bite. Then during the last hour of the first day, I started trying the Red Eye Shad again, although I didn’t really think the bass would hit it. I got four or five bites really quickly on it. I culled up to 13 pounds that I weighed in on the first day.
The next day when the weather changed, I knew the bass were there and that I had the right bait to catch them. I started out keying on that pattern the first thing in the morning, and I did well with it the rest of the day.
Question: Kevin, what do you think about all the changes going on in B.A.S.S.?
VanDam: B.A.S.S. has gone through quite a few changes since being purchased by ESPN, but we’re seeing a lot of changes in the Federation and numbers of anglers returning to the B.A.S.S. circuit. That’s the one thing that separates B.A.S.S. from other organizations. They care about the average fisherman and the conservation of the resource, and they care an awful lot about you. B.A.S.S. spends a lot of money in other areas of fishing than just tournament fishing. And, that’s what separates the B.A.S.S. organization from everyone else’s organization.
Contents:
- Part 1: The Boat Yard Interview
- Part 2: Where Did They Go?
- Part 3: Press Room Interview
- Part 4: Kevin’s Gear
- Part 5: Treasure on the First Day
