Entry 324-2
Strike King’s Kevin VanDam’s Keys to Consistency
Editor’s Note: The race for the 2009 Angler-of-the-Year (AOY) title has ended, and Kevin VanDam has been crowned the winner. Before the first event took place at Lake Jordan on September 13, to name the AOY winner, VanDam was 1-point ahead of 2009 Bassmaster Classic Champion, Skeet Reese of Auburn, California, in the race for the AOY title. We caught up with Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Michigan, when he was en route to fish the two tournaments in Alabama that would determine who would win the 2009 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler-of-the-Year title and talked to him after the tournaments. VanDam told us his plans of how he would fish to win his second-consecutive AOY title and shared his proven keys to bass-fishing consistency.
Part 2: How to Catch the Bass When You Find Them in the Fall
Question: Kevin, yesterday we discussed what you need to know before you go to any lake, whether you want to fun fish for bass or compete in a tournament. In the early fall, on what three patterns will you bet?
VanDam: In any lake where shad are the predominant forage fish, my first approach to the lake is to locate the shad. In many lakes in the fall, the shad will be in the backs of the creeks. If the shad are in the backs of those creeks, spinner baits and crankbaits are hard to beat. I’ll be fishing whatever cover I can find in the backs of those creeks – boat docks, wood, grass, laydowns or rocks. I’ll also be looking for shad on the main lake along bluffs.
If the shad are on the main-lake bluffs, I’ll be fishing top-water lures, jigs or the Strike King Shaky Head Worm, depending on the weather. If I’ve got wind or cloud cover on the day I’ll be fishing, I’ll fish top-water baits like the Strike King Spit-N-King, Strike King spinner baits or Strike King buzzbaits. I’ll want a horizontal presentation. If I have a clear day with a lot of sun, I’ll use finesse baits.
You have to consider the seasonal patterns and try to determine where the bass are on their seasonal migration pattern. Pinpoint the bait, look at the weather, and select your lure. At this time of year, you can find some bass still holding on their summer pattern, other bass concentrated in the creeks, and some bass in transition between the creeks and the summer deep-water pattern. Now, once you determine where the bass should be holding, or you’ve located the bass, then you need to factor-in the weather to determine what lure to use and what color.
Question: You’ve mentioned that the first place where you’ll search for shad and bass will be in the backs of creeks. The second place you’ll look will be on the main lake along bluffs. What’s the third place you’ll look for bass at this time of year?
VanDam: Because the bass will be schooling and busting on the surface, I’ll also check points on the main lake and search for bass out in the middle of the lake. 
Since the largemouth bass often will school with white bass and stripers, whenever you see bait hopping on the surface or bass blowing-up on the surface, there’s a good chance largemouths will be around that bait. When I see bass schooling on the surface, regardless of where I find them, my go-to lure is the Strike King Spit-N-King, especially for spotted bass.
My strike-to-land ratio with the Spit-N-King is extremely high, compared to bigger baits. Too, when I find schooling bass, I like the Strike King Sexy Swimmer. You can cast this bait a long way, and the action seems to really draw the quality bites. When you fish a Spit-N-King, you may catch a 12-ounce bass or a 4 pounder, but the Sexy Swimmer has a slightly-bigger profile and seems to attract a better-quality of bass.
