Entry 237-5
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 5: One or Two Decisions Will Win or Lose the Bassmaster Classic
Question: Kevin, it’s often said that usually in the Bassmaster Classic, only one or two decisions made on the water are the difference between winning and losing. How do you make those one or two right decisions that will have to be made at this year’s Classic?
VanDam: Over my career as a tournament fisherman, I’ve learned that you’re absolutely right. One or two decisions made on the water during the Bassmaster Classic determine the winner and the losers. I’ve made the wrong ones before and I’ve made a couple of the right ones. When I’ve made the right ones, I’ve won. But the decision-making process starts long before the Classic.
You have to fish the Classic like you’re playing a golf tournament against Tiger Woods, one of the greatest golfers who ever have lived. You’re on the 18th green, and you’re tied with Tiger Woods. This last hole will determine who wins and who loses in the greatest golf game of your life. You’re standing at the tee, and you’ve got a choice. 
You can make a safe shot and lay-up, or you’ve got to swing for the pin (the staff of the flag marking a hole on a golf course). If you go for the pin, there’s a really-good chance that your ball will land in the water or the sand. If you decide to take the safe shot and lay-up, you’ll still look good, I mean after all, you’ve gone down to the wire with the greatest golfer of our day. Your fans will still be happy, and you can leave the tournament feeling good about yourself. However, you know Tiger Woods will swing for the pin. So, what do you do? Before I leave home to go to the Classic, I know I’m going to swing for the pin.
Going into the final days of the Classic, if I’m in contention, I’ll take chances to help me win. Usually in the Classic, on that final day, there’ll be four or five competitors who have a chance to win. But I’ve already made the decision that I’ll take whatever risks I have to take to win, regardless of how I look and what people will say, if that risk doesn’t pan out for me. At the Classic, all of us are tempted to worry about making a good showing for our sponsors and our fans. The last thing any of us wants to do is come in and face a huge crowd on that final day when everyone is expecting us to do very well and show that we’ve had a really-bad day because we’ve taken a big chance that hasn’t paid off.
I’ve been there. I’ve taken those big chances that haven’t paid off, and I’ve disappointed my sponsors and my fans. 
But in retrospect, even when I’ve lost and lost miserably, I’ve still known in my heart that I’ve made the right decision to go for the win. This all relates to being true to yourself. Do you want to win, or do you want to compete? In a tournament like the Bassmaster Classic, those one or two right decisions on the water usually relate to how you answer that question. I fish to win. Most of the competitors will be satisfied with a good showing, but I’m an all-or-nothing type of fisherman.
Most of the competitors who fish the way I fish have won a Classic before, or they’ve been close enough times to know you have to swing for the pin, if you’re going to win. I fished 11 Classics before I won one. After a while, I got really frustrated when I started hearing and reading, “Kevin VanDam is one of the best anglers to never win a Classic.” That used to get to me.
Question: Kevin, what role does Strike King play in all the success you’ve had in tournament fishing?
VanDam: Strike King plays a major role. Strike King is owned and operated by people who fish, many of them competitively. So, they understand when I say, “the wiggle on this crankbait is not quite right; it needs to be a little wider,” or “the eyelid on this jig needs to be sunk into the head a little deeper.” 
The people at Strike King understand that those little-subtle changes can make all the difference in whether or not a lure will effectively catch bass. Also, Strike King allows its pro staff to play a major role in designing new lures. It’s one of the few fishing-tackle companies that actually listens to its pros and allows the pro fishermen to be a part of their lure-development program.
Question: Kevin, I know that you developed the Sexy Shad color. How long did you play with various color combinations and patterns before you finally felt the Sexy Shad color was right?
VanDam: I worked with the folks at Strike King for over 2 years developing the Sexy Shad. Through that process, we’ve also developed several other colors that will be coming out later this year. Strike King is a big company that’s small enough to know that little things make a big difference in a lure’s fish-catching ability, and that’s what I like about my relationship with Strike King.
