Entry 363-2
Up and Running Again at BASS Tournaments with Kevin VanDam
Editor’s Note: Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Michigan, left the BASS Elite Series tournament at Kentucky Lake on June 12 as a winner. As soon as the tournament ended on Sunday, he headed for Oklahoma to fish another BASS Elite Series tournament at the Arkansas River in Muskogee, Oklahoma, held June 17-20. VanDam finished with a fifth-place tie in this tournament that was moved to Fort Gibson, Oklahoma, winning $13,000.
Part 2: Practicing on the First Day of the Fort Gibson Lake Bass-Fishing Tournament with Kevin VanDam
Question: Kevin, what happened on the first day of competition at Fort Gibson?
VanDam: It took me only about 1 hour to get a limit of bass, and I had a few decent-sized bass in that limit. So, with a limit in the boat and a couple of good bass, I decided to practice the rest of the day and look for more places to fish. Once you start fishing and learning how to catch bass at a particular spot on a specific day, you learn more than you do during practice, and you quickly can determine the type of cover to which the bass are relating.
I learned that the lake was in a little-better condition than I thought and that there were more bass in certain areas than I’d expected.I had five bass that weighed a total of 15 pounds during the first hour of the tournament.
Question: What lures did you use?
VanDam: I mixed-up my lures. I caught the bass on the Strike King Red Eye Shad, the Series 5 and the Series 4 crankbaits, and once I caught one or two bass off a spot, I’d follow-up with a Football Jig and a 10-inch Rage Thumper Worm. I caught bass on all these lures.
Question: What seemed to be the dominant color?
VanDam: Sexy Shad crankbaits, a plum-colored worm and a peanut-butter-and-jelly Football Jig worked best to catch the bass. I continued to fish and practice and caught up to five bass that weighed a total of 17 pounds, 10 ounces.
Question: What did you learn by fishing after you had your limit?
VanDam: I found more spots holding bass, and I started running a lot of main-river points.
Question: What place were you in at the end of the first day?
VanDam: Fifth.
Contents:
- Part 1: Change of Bass-Fishing Plans to Oklahoma's Fort Gibson Lake with Kevin VanDam
- Part 2: Practicing on the First Day of the Fort Gibson Lake Bass-Fishing Tournament with Kevin VanDam
- Part 3: Kevin VanDam Continues to Mix-Up His Bass Fishing on Fort Gibson Lake
- Part 4: Day 3 of the Fort Gibson Lake BASS Tournament with Kevin VanDam
- Part 5: Kevin VanDam's Final Day of the Fort Gibson Lake Bass-Fishing Tournament
