Entry 291-4
Kevin VanDam’s Five-Favorite Bass-Fishing Techniques
Editor’s Note: Two of the odds-on favorites to win the 2009 Bassmaster Classic, based on this year’s tournament performances, are Strike King Pros Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Michigan, and Greg Hackney of Gonzales, Louisiana. But with more spectators following VanDam and Hackney during the Classic, the winning odds increase for Shaw Grigsby of Gainesville, Florida, and Mark Davis of Mount Ida, Arkansas, two other Strike King pros also competing this year. Although all the Strike King pros are highly versatile, they generally always fish to their strengths when possible. This week, VanDam will tell us his five-favorite fishing techniques, which we’re sure he’ll be using in this year’s Classic.
Part 4: Why the Red Eye
Question: Kevin, what’s another of your favorite ways to fish for bass?
VanDam: I love to yo-yo lipless crankbaits, especially a Red Eye Shad, which I’ve helped design. Lipless crankbaits always have been known as one of the best lures to use when trying to cover a number of flats quickly. They’re also deadly effective when you burn and reel them fast in shallow water. However, I wanted a crankbait that could fall deeper in the water, yet keep its balance as it fell. So, we designed the Red Eye Shad to not fall over on its side or upside down when the bait stopped and started to fall. Rather, the Red Eye Shad stays straight up and down in the water, sinks slowly and shimmies to the bottom with a lively action like an injured shad.
Question: How do you like to fish the Red Eye Shad?
VanDam: I prefer to cast it out. If I’m fishing shallow water, I’ll start reeling immediately, pull it, stop it, let it flutter down and then start my retrieve again. Then, I’ll pull the bait, stop it and let it flutter down. If I’m fishing in deeper water, I’ll yo-yo the bait. I’ll cast it out, let it fall on a semi-tight line, jerk it up and let it sink back down. It’s very effective when you fish it over grass. 
Too, I fish it on points where I normally fish a crankbait in the summer, and it’s equally productive on gravel bars and shell beds. I’ve found that most strikes will happen when the Red Eye Shad’s falling. You need to keep a semi-tight line to feel the strike.
Question: How do you decide whether to use a 1/2- or a 3/4-ounce Red Eye Shad?
VanDam: I let the depth of the water I’m fishing determine the size of bait I’ll fish. In shallow water, I’ll use a 1/2-ounce Red Eye Shad, and in deeper water, I’ll use 3/4-ounce Red Eye Shad. Strike King designed the 3/4-ounce Red Eye Shad to give us the same swimming type of action as the 1/2-ounce in a bigger lure that could be fished in deeper water. In the fall, when the bass move to the back of the creeks, I’ll fish the 1/2-ounce Red Eye Shad. 
In the early spring and the summer months, when I’m fishing in 3- to 4-foot depths, I’ll fish the 3/4-ounce Red Eye Shad, and I’ll also fish this same size Red Eye Shad in the summer when I’m fishing deep ledges.
Question: What rod, reel and line combination do you use with the Red Eye Shad?
VanDam: I use the Quantum Tour KVD rods, which I use for all my crankbaits. I like the sensitivity in these rods because I can feel the bait vibrate. However, the rod also has soft action that allows me to play the bass without pulling the hooks out of the bass’s mouth. Lipless crankbaits are known for losing a number of bass, but with this rod and fluorocarbon line, my strike-to-land ratio is high.
Contents:
- Part 1: Speed's What You Need
- Part 2: Bet on the Big Crankbaits
- Part 3: I Like to Jerk
- Part 4: Why the Red Eye
- Part 5: I've Learned to Like Dropshotting
