Entry 252-4

Fishing the Most-Difficult Conditions with Kevin VanDam at Clark’s Hill Lake

Part 4: Third Day of the Tournament.

Question: Kevin, what was the weather on the third day?

VanDam We had a little breeze, overcast skies, and I was the 23rd boat to leave the launch site. I ran to the same points I’d fished before, and when I reached the points, I saw wind breaking on them and bass schooling. So, I caught my limit early on the Red Eye Shad.

Question: How big was your early limit?

VanDam It was 12 to 14 pounds. I caught good-sized 2-pounders in 30 to 45 minutes of fishing. No one else fished the same point. I kept running the same pattern with the limit in the boat, fishing the windy side with the Red Eye Shad. Once I had a small limit, I could fish big-bass baits like the King Shad. I caught two, 4-pound bass on the King Shad and a few more fish. I was only a few ounces shy of 17 pounds.

Question: What color King Shad did you fish?

VanDam Blue and green-gizzard shad colors.

Question: How did you fish the King Shad?

VanDam I fished it fairly fast. I kept the boat positioned so I could cast to the bank where the wind was hitting and run a lot of points.

Question: Most people fish a swim bait like the King Shad fairly slowly. Why did you fish it fast?

VanDam The King Shad is a big, heavy bait, and it’s designed to be fished fast and look like a big shad escaping a predator fish. I’d cast the King Shad right up to the edge of the bank and then burn the bait out to the bank. I caught bass holding in 1- to 5-foot-deep water. Throughout the entire tournament, I didn’t catch bass in water deeper than 5 feet. Fish were holding tight to skinny water.

Question: Did any other anglers fish the same pattern as you did?

VanDam Yes. Nearly the entire field fished the same way I did. There were quite a few competitors on some of the points I wanted to fish. When I’d see a fisherman set up to fish a point I wanted to fish, I’d fish another point. I had plenty of points on the lake with the possibility of producing the bass I needed to win the tournament

Question: What place were you in at the weigh-in at the end of the third day?

VanDam I moved from 23rd place to 8th place, a move that put me in the 12-cut to fish the final day.

Question: When you returned to your motel room that night, how did you think you’d have to fish to win the tournament?

VanDam I was 9 pounds behind the leader, and some of the leaders were catching 17- to 18-pounds per day. The only way I could win was to catch a big fish or be extremely lucky and catch several good-sized fish, while one of the leaders really stumped his toe. But the forecast for the day was for high, clear skies with no wind. So, I knew I’d have a tough time catching a big stringer. I needed better weather conditions for a shot to win. I really needed wind. I decided to continue my same fishing pattern on the final day – running points and fishing the Red Eye Shad. I hoped to find a big school of big bass.

Next: Final Day of Competition

Contents:

• Part 1: What I Knew and What I Learned
• Part 2: The First Day of the Tournament
• Part 3: The Second Day of the Tournament
• Part 4: Third Day of the Tournament
• Part 5: Final Day of Competition