Entry 325-4
Jonathon VanDam Who’s Just 21-Years Old Wins $26,000 Plus Fishing Strike King Lures
Editor’s Note: A member of the new generation of VanDams is making his presence known in the world of professional fishing. Jonathon VanDam of Kalamazoo, Michigan, the nephew of Angler-of-the-Year and Bassmaster Classic Champion Kevin VanDam, has begun to come out from under his famous uncle’s shadow. He’s a fast-rising star in his own right as a tournament pro. But this young VanDam is more than a collegiate bass fisherman trying to break into the world of professional fishing. He’s blazing a new trail not only for young bass fishermen, but for those youngsters whose moms and dads say, “You have to get your college education first, and then you can become a professional bass fisherman.” VanDam is pursuing his college education – he’s a junior - while becoming a national touring pro and showing others how to do both at the same time, using that same strong work ethic that Uncle Kevin has used to become one of the nation’s top pros. This week, we’ll let Jonathon VanDam tell his own story.
Part 4: The Last Day of Competition and No More Chartreuse Sexy Shads. Now What?
Question: Jonathon, what was the 25-mile ride in 3- to 4-foot waves on Lake Erie like on the last day of competition?
VanDam: The ride was rough, but my boat handled the rough water well. I wasn’t going to be reckless. I took my time, maneuvered through the waves and didn’t run flat-out. I spent 45 minutes just trying to reach the first spot I wanted to fish.
Question: How did the day start?
VanDam: I pulled up on my first spot where I’d caught a number of big bass. The water was calm, so I started fishing the dropshot with a finesse worm. I only caught one small bass. However, I was seeing a few bass on my graph. I knew I needed to catch a big bag of bass to have a chance to win. I decided to go to my confidence bait, a Strike King Series 5. I wanted to get that crankbait down and bump it off the rocks. On my third cast, the Series 5 hit a big rock and bounced off it.
As soon as that crankbait bounced off the rock, my rod loaded-up, and I caught a 6-pound smallmouth. I got that bass into the boat and the live well, made a few more casts and caught another one. 
It was about a 4-pound smallmouth, but it pulled-off at the boat. When I lost that bass, I made a few more casts and then started running my milk run to the different rock piles I’d located. I caught about 15 smallmouths that day, and before I returned to the dock, I thought I had about 22 pounds. I’d caught a couple more big bass and culled some small bass.
Question: Why did you decide to fish the Strike King Series 5 crankbait in the chartreuse Sexy Shad color?
VanDam: The water was dirty, and I’d fished the dropshot and couldn’t make the bass bite. But I felt that the bass still were holding on the rock piles and perhaps weren’t seeing the dropshot because it was so small. I felt that the vibrations from the Series 5 and the flash of that chartreuse Sexy Shad color would help the bass be able to identify the bait better, and if they could see it, they’d eat it. With the first few casts, I caught a 6 and a 4 pounder. So, the bass told me that I’d picked the right lure in the best color.
Question: Why did you pick the chartreuse Sexy Shad?
VanDam: I like this color when I’m fishing stained water. However, I had a near disaster. I’d broken off all my chartreuse Sexy Shads, and I still needed to catch more bass. I knew I was in trouble when I’d just caught a 5-pound smallmouth, and on the next cast, my Sexy Shad was broken-off in the mussels on the bottom. So, I dug out a Sexy Shad-colored Series 5 and sprayed it with some chartreuse spray-on dye. On the next cast, I caught a 4-1/2-pounder. At the end of the day, I thought I had about 22 pounds and believed I’d at least get a top-five finish.
Editor’s Note: You can contact Jonathon VanDam on Facebook. He gets a number of messages on Facebook and tries to respond as often as possible.
