Entry 237-3
Kevin VanDam’s 18th Bassmaster Classic
Editor’s Note: The 2008 Bassmaster Classic at Lake Hartwell will be Kevin VanDam’s 18th consecutive Classic. VanDam of Kalamazoo, Michigan, has had a phenomenal 2007, winning two Elite tournaments. He’s one of the most well-respected and hardest-working professional fishermen on the circuit. How does he do it? This week, we’ll take a look at the man and his mission to be one of the best bass fishermen in this sport.
Part 3: How VanDam Makes Instant Decisions
Question: Kevin, one of your strengths is your ability to quickly and decisively change lures, lure colors, fishing depths, rods, reels and lines you’re using in a very-short time. What are the keys you’re using to make those on-the-water, split-second decisions that often result in your doing well in the tournament?
VanDam: The real secret is being extremely observant as to what’s going on around you and aware of how fishing conditions change each minute you’re on the water. The wind changes, the water color changes, the air temperature changes, the water clarity changes, and the clouds will change. You have to look at the water level and especially the water-generation periods and cycles.
Also, you can’t forget the bass’s seasonal patterns. Many times the changes aren’t major. Oftentimes it may be as subtle as how the baitfish are relating to the cover on which they’re holding. 
It may be as dramatic as seeing baitfish on your depth finder one day and not spotting any baitfish on your depth finder the next day. You have to learn how to let little changes in the environment trigger your instincts and dictate how you need to change to adapt to those subtle changes. And, you can’t be hard-headed. When you recognize the change, the quicker you can adapt to it, the better your odds will be for catching fish. The bottom line is you can’t argue with your subconscious.
Question: Fishermen know that bass have to feed on bait. Therefore, wherever you locate the bait, you’ll find the bass. But if you can’t pinpoint the bait, how can you find the bass?
VanDam: One of my strengths is that I’m not afraid to move. Baitfish don’t vanish out of a lake. They’re somewhere. If they’re not where you’ve found them yesterday, then that means they’re somewhere else today. I fish faster than many other guys do. Therefore, I’m covering more water than most fishermen and locating more schools of bait than slow fishermen do. One of my strengths is I’ve really learned not to get caught up in the past.
I try not to get so caught-up in how I caught bass yesterday that I’m reluctant to leave a spot or a pattern that’s become unproductive and start all over again.
Some fishermen will fish a site with the belief that sooner or later the bass will move into that spot or start biting. But I don’t wait for the bass. I’ll look for another place to fish where I can find actively-biting bass. Sometimes waiting on the fish to bite or move will pay off for an angler, but my experience has been that most of the time a fisherman is better off trying to make something happen rather than waiting for something to happen.
Question: Kevin, you’re a power fisherman. You cast a lot, reel fast and go down a shoreline like a speedboat racer. How did you develop that style of fishing?
VanDam: My style of fishing reflects my personality, my metabolism and my energy level. As I started to fish competitively and began to develop a style of fishing that I liked, I developed a certain style or way of fishing that I was good at and enjoyed using in competition. 
Once I found my niche in fishing, I expanded that niche and became even better at that style.
Versatility may be my best attribute as a fisherman. I’m not stuck in being a one- or a two-lure fisherman. Yes, I like to throw a spinner bait and I like to flip. But I also like to deep crank and fish the drop-shot rig and every lure in my tackle box. Sometimes, though, because I’m so versatile, I’ll try to fish too many patterns instead of settling on one pattern. However, I’ve learned that by fishing so-many-different lures in so-many-various ways, I can stay fairly consistent as a fisherman. I seem to do well using this tactic, regardless of the water, the weather or other fishing conditions.
