BASS PRO SHOPS BETWEEN THE SCALES - Kevin VanDam

[Music] [Applause] [Music] my name is  Kevin VanDam and I'm a professional   bass fisherman as a professional angler  one of the main things that I do is I   fish tournaments and you know I've  been doing it for 33 years as a pro all I want to do is win it's not easy  at the top level it's super competitive   it's Cutthroat every time I'm on the  water I'm still learning like I did   my first year the difference in winning  and losing is what's between your ears   you got to read the conditions it's always  changing and you have to adapt and that's   what I try to do is just fish fast cover water  and make it happen to be able to be competitive   and win these three and four day events  there's no luck involved you have to be good I just wanted to compete to see how good these  guys really were and that's what sucked me in   how to work out do pretty  good [Applause] thank you [Music] foreign [Applause] [Music] [Applause]   so I grew up in Michigan you know in Kalamazoo to  be exact and we have a lot of different types of   fisheries and I think it's one of the things that  really helped me be successful as a professional   angler all around the country is having that  diversity if you love the outdoors Michigan's   a definitely a great place to be from so we  are mid-season on the Bass Pro Tour and the   next event is one that I've been really looking  forward to it's in New York it's at Cayuga Lake   and what I like about it the most is that it's  very similar to where I grew up in Michigan you   know it's clear water it's got grass it's  got Largemouth it's got Smallmouth you know   the last time that I fished an event there this  time of the year was actually a Bassmaster Elite   event in 2016 and I won it so I'm really  looking forward to this event [Applause]   so getting ready for this tournament I've got  a lot of prep to do here I know how this thing   in my mind is going to lay out as as going to  be a lot of sight fishing a lot of spawning   upload my waypoints from the past there  we go lots of waypoints to go back and   check yeah the last time I was at Cayuga in  June I actually won the tournament then so   so it's good to save those waypoints a  lot of the work that I've already done   finding the stretches that a lot of the fish are  going to spawn on it's going to be the same I mean   the bottom doesn't change so that's a that's going  to be a big leg up I am definitely a little bit   High Strung for sure very much a doer I don't like  to sit still I'm always a busybody and my wife   would attest to this it kind of drives her crazy  at times I just always like to be doing something   you know I want to be working on my tackle or my  equipment and I think that's one of the things   that's that's helped me in my career is that you  know I'm not afraid to put in the extra effort   I'm borderline uh probably annoying in a lot  of cases so right now we are just going to go   through and get all of our rods rigged I'm I'm  going to throw a lot of Texas rigs so you know   you just take a light Sinker and an offset hook  like this and an Ocho and Pitch it into holes   in the grass is a great way to catch some  big ones during the spa and they definitely   protect their nests against gobies and bluegill so  anything that's Gobi colored or bluegill colored   this is one of my favorite colors for these clear  water lakes like this it's kind of green pumpkin   with some blue swirl to it you know stick worms  in general are really good base during the spawn   I'm gonna have four or five of these ready  to go I mean it's just Dynamite for the spawn   one of the key things about sight fishing for  spawn and bass is that everyone is different   I'm gonna have all of these rods just set up  in a rotation so that if they're not getting   a reaction with one I'll pick another one up and  throw it in there but you never know which which   one is going to be the bait I can switch them all  up and I'll do that I'll make two or three casts   of one and throw in a different bait totally in  there color style and everything and just watch   how that fish is reacting to it so sight fishing  is definitely an art so you just you gotta be   prepared with a little bit of everything so we've  gotten a lot of all the Finesse baits done all my   spinning rods for bed fishing things like that  but I still have to have some baits for fishing   the grass on the Northern end of Cayuga and that  means a thunder Cricket I mean this is something   that anytime that I've got grass you know clear  to Stained water I'm going to have a series of   Thunder crickets ready to go last thing is I don't  go any place without having multiple jerkbaits rig   I've got you know some natural colors I've  got the siren I've got a little 200 series   on so all in all now I you know I've probably  got about 35 rods rigged for Cayuga and the   next thing you got to do is drive and get there  I'm looking forward to this one New York's only   an eight hour drive so this is a short day for  me so should be a good day we are ready to roll [Music] my dad got me started fishing when I was three  years old you know after that I definitely had   the bug and it didn't really matter when I  was growing up I just like to catch anything   my brother started a sporting goods store here in  Kalamazoo called DNR Sports Center and I started   working there when I was 11. and it really helped  me immensely because every day all day long I'm   immersed in tackle boats the latest equipment and  around people that have the same passion I was he   as an employee you know he was pretty good except  for he wanted to go fishing all the time but it's   all worked out for the best yeah so we've always  been a fishing family and a huge part of that is   my wife Sherry we met before I was a pro angler  and she was with me through the whole process   Sherry always allowed me to focus on the fishing  and she handled basically all the business you   know a few years later we had Jackson and Nicholas  we had the boys and you know they were born super   premature you know that was a tough thing to go  through super challenging stressful time you know   in our life for sure wasn't long after we got him  home from the hospital that they were out on tour   and and you know to this day my boys are still an  integral part of of what we do we are an outdoors   family through and through [Music] foreign you  know I actually fished my first tournament when   I was 14 with my older brother we finished second  in that I got the tournament bug big time when I   got into it I really got into it by the time I  was 18 I fished my first Bassmaster Invitational   and I just really wanted to see how good the  guys that I grew up watching were you know   that first season you know I did real well right  out the gate and just really kind of kicked off   my career you know had a great start finished in  the money you know I think 23 consecutive times   at the beginning over 33 years I've pretty much  competed about in every format every style so how   many tournaments have you won yeah I don't know  dude it's it's a bunch you know I've had a lot of   big wins you know the angler of the Year titles  and I've won a lot of you know championships   the Bassmaster Classic it's the Super Bowl the  sport you know I've won that four times [Music]   I mean I never got into this sport thinking  that hey this is what I'm going to do to make   a living or that I want to be a professional  angler I just loved competitive fishing and   I was just doing it and the rest kind of just  fell into place you know when people look at   my legacy I hope that they look at the way that  I played the game you know my work ethic what I   put into it the Integrity that I've had over my  career and just respect what I've done I mean   that's the Legacy that I want to leave is knowing  that I did it with honor respect and integrity made it this is one week here where we've got  a really full house there's actually six of us   staying here so we got six boats to park in here  it's got a little bit of a juggling act but we   made it work last year and we're gonna do it  again then we got a Bass Pro appearance this   evening yet so it's the beginning of the Bass Pro  Tour event at Lake Cayuga should be crazy [Music]   anytime I come to the Bass Pro Shops I always  look for any of the special colors that we do   that are hard to find gotta snag them when you  can one of the things that I look forward to is   these appearances and and meeting a lot of fans  you know what's unique about our sport is that   our fans are just like us they're fishing in the  same water they like to watch and see what we do   on their home body of water to help them be more  successful that's one of the things that I love   about my job is being able to teach people  to have a better experience when they go out   there in the water thank you you bet good  luck man thank you hey how you doing guys you know all the locals around here they're super  excited that we're here they love to talk fishing   a lot of bass fishing goes on up here in Upstate  New York and some incredible Fisheries so should   be just a really really good week being a  pro angler it's about interacting with your   fans you know I learned at an early age that you  can't take that for granted all those sponsors on   your jersey and and all that that doesn't come by  accident and your fans are who you're working for   those relationships are really really important oh  nice that was a few years ago wasn't it 2016. he's   grown up a good bit since then see how much taller  he is now I have had a lot of young Anglers come   up to me that have said man I really appreciate  your positive attitude how you do things and   and they're like hey I really want to you know  model my career after what you've done and that   means a lot to me that tells me right there  that I've done a lot of things right [Music]   thank you first born into practice here at Cayuga  and today it's definitely you know I want   to try to find as many fish as I can you  know a perfect day with sun we're supposed   to get some wind but first and foremost  um you know I'm going to check some some   Largemouth areas up on this North End that  we'll do that until the sun gets up until we   can actually see and then then we're going  to get after just totally looking for them foreign so right now we're on the North End of the lake  and it's it's just a huge flat I mean it's it's   literally no deeper than 10 foot anywhere  across and it's it's got a lot of grass   on it and intermittently out here there's some  scattered clean spots there's some gravel patches   some rocks and things like that you know they  end up eventually a lot of them spawn out here   Largemouth too can't see anything yet anyways  the sun's real low so once that sun gets up   I'm definitely going to spend my time physically  looking where I know that I got eyes on the prize   rock bass they also live where  the rocks are at though it is a little guy that's not what's supposed to be  sitting there should have been a five pounder   I can see enough now where it's this real  stringy grass here and you know when the   sun gets up you could you could be able to  see the holes a little bit better then at it another one let's pick up and move [Music] see what this looks like out here look at  these scattered patches and holes in this   grass it's only like seven foot deep you know  just trying to cover a huge flat like this I can   throw this thunder Cricket out there early light  like this and that you know an active one or two   I mean if there's a group of them they one  should come up and bite it is a good one yeah that's the ones right there oop perfect  I just I can see one swimming right here   about a two pounder right there just up above  the in the top of the grass that's a good sign   so you know if it gets super cloudy and windy  and it makes it hard to sight fish you know if   you can come to an area like this and cast around  or throw a thunder cricket and get quality bites   that could be real critical for that day I'm  starting to get clumpy again so important in   Clearwater lakes that you've got good polarized  glasses you know it allows me to see that green   grass out there a little further out there to  where I can see some of those clumps to pitch   to them I mean you can't get right on top  of these fish in this clear water [Music] chunky one is this this real stringy grass  but there's thick clumps of it out here and   there's no doubt they're going to be around  it and clear water like this most of them are   going to bite it on that initial fall if  they're on a bed it's it's going to land   right next to them and there's a good chance  they're gonna just eat it right then [Music]   it's a nice one but in this Lake that ain't  gonna do you any good you need four and five   Pounders that's definitely a lot of fish in  this area though that's always a good thing okay I have I've had enough and done enough of  this you know the sun's getting up where I can   see a little bit so I'm going to get down there  where I can see I'm sure there's going to be a lot   of fish um spawning so that's what I really want  to look for the good part is is you know I got   a few bites up here I'm seeing a little bit but  we got a good start anyways got an idea [Music] [Music] hard to see them this time of year there's  definitely going to be a lot of smallmouth   that are spawning and you know with the wind  blowing the direction it is it's making it   it's making it hard but I mean they're they're  definitely here it's stirred up they're pretty   well inviters when you do find them this is  a mix of sand and and Scattered Boulders it's   it's really perfect spawning habitat for them  it's a good good looking stretch I hate to do   it but we got to go to that other side again  [Music] that's why we call it practice [Music]   good eating that's what they eat perch and  gobies are probably what they spend the most   of their time feeding on here I can't see  squat I know they're somewhere here [Music]   it's got to keep hitting these little  stretches just looking for my own sanity here 's one freaking big one too I just saw  one a five pounder on a bed that was there   years ago in the same exact spot  exact so as protective as he was it   wasn't going to be a hard one to catch  that's another bed right there though   I mean a good many stops and in these conditions  it's really hard but I just want to know that   there's a good amount of them spawning to focus  on you know to to do it there's another bed right   there this is the only way to play right  here it's just really hard to see right now [Music] oh there's a big in right there a real big  one here's another one right here I think   we've got really pretty good conditions  Sunshine wise but I mean with this wind   blowing straight out of the North it's blowing  into this bank and it's just knocking all the   algae and stuff loose so it's it's muddying  up the bank hard to see but what I did see is   a handful of smallmouth and a couple of really  really good ones to just know that they're up   here so you know I'm gonna spend some more time  looking for largemouth up there in that north   end but this will definitely play if you get  anything of the right type of condition [Music] foreign it's so windy it stirred up the bank where you  can't sight fish you know looking for Smallmouth   or anything so I'm kind of up on this big grass  flat again I got some bites in here this morning   now that the sun's out you're out a little  deeper I can see these patches pretty good   and I just want to see how it lays out I've  not seen another Soul fishing this little bit   deeper grass like this everybody's fishing up  there on the inside line and that's the place   where a lot of the fish are going to spawn but  there's a lot of them that spawn out here too good one yeah you live out in this grass  look at that one that one has already spawned conditions like this those are  those will go a long way right there   oh man there was a big info on  it right there Smallmouth too in where I can see pretty good here boy the wind  is starting to lay down just a little bit so I'm   back just trolling real fast you know I got my  hood up so I can see it's going to be important   if the wind lays down to be able to see how some  of these areas clear and see how quickly they do   birds are diving out here that I'm sure  there's a bunch of owl wives spawning   on these shallow points especially  with the Wind on it like this and [Music] there's some shallow a little Thunder cricket [Music] already spawned a lot of  large Mothman they have done it but   those are the that's the right kind  of size right there you know overall   um you know the bite is has been kind of tough  today for me you know once I got out of that one   area in the north end with that deeper grass  it's just been real intermittent so hopefully   we get a little reprieve from the wind I mean  it'll clear up really fast and we'll get after   them again tomorrow so we've got one more day of  practice try to put things together so really need   a few hours of calm in the morning where you know  can be able to get around and look around just a   little bit more so but it's a great lake and  definitely going to be a lot of big fish spot thank you foreign just getting ready for  day two you know got up this morning a   little tired long day yesterday uh you know  made some sandwiches got some coffee going   getting ready to get out in the water I'm  definitely going to spend some more time   looking today try to find some more sight  fish for sure you know I just got to see   what stage they're really in allow me to see  how many fish are shallow [Music] [Applause] so day two was uh you know much different day  you know we had calm conditions I basically   spent the day just sight fishing I covered a ton  of ground today ran my batteries completely dry   just basically looking and I found a lot of big  small mouth and that's where my heart's at so   I've gotta I've kind of got to go for them  got a little bit of prep tonight and to get   these batteries on the charger here real quick  and get ready for tomorrow [Music] [Applause]   thank you so today is the first day of the  tournament so you know all the prep all the   everything we've done to this point you know  it's all working towards this first day so   I feel really good about the game plan that  I have and what I found so hopefully we can   get it all put together you know this season so  far is has kind of been an up and down year for   me so it's really important start this one off  well it's going to take some big weights this   Lake's got a lot of big fish I want to set the  bar real high catch a giant bag the first day   you absolutely have to love it if you  want to be competitive at the top level   not burning out not slowing down not giving up  you know keeping that positive mental attitude   you have to keep that level of momentum  and focus going from start to finish yeah   you know at this point in my career it's not  about cashing a check or having a solid event   I want to win I want to be able to to do it  quicker and faster and better than anybody   else doing it because you love it and you want  to measure yourself against the best in the world [Music] so we just finished up here at Cayuga today  just an incredible fishery ended up just   like I thought it was going to be I mean  I prepared for it in practice for a sight   fishing event you know I mean just really  using my polarized glasses and just like I   strategize and practice knowing that I'm going  to be fishing for spawning Smallmouth you know   I caught all of my fish on you know a baby Z2  a Strike King half shell and a dream shot both   on a drop shot rig and a Ned head every single  fish that I weighed in this event I caught on   those baits just a mix of colors every fish was  a little bit different that's a big launch there   KVD will win group a but so far the tournament is  uh you know it's going real well for me you know   I know The Knockout round when the weights get  zeroed it's it's going to be a challenge [Music]   what happens an hour and 20 minutes left in the day Kevin  VanDam caught a 5-7 it's his second biggest   bass of the day got him across the Toro cut  line they'll finish his fourth Bass Pro Tour   Championship round with a chance at his second  win you know I ended up making uh the championship   round I started in 10th place so when you're out  there on the water and you're and you're seeing   these small mouth you know they won't let you  get right on top of them in most cases so you   kind of got to stay back and it was really hard  to know what size they were so on this final day   you know I caught a lot of four plus Pounders that  didn't help me just because you just couldn't tell   and you know it's just really hard to judge the  size so that was one of the challenging things of   this event today I just couldn't really move up  I couldn't find those bigger fish so I ended up   in 10th here but really a solid week you know  anytime you make a championship round it's a   good day it's a good week for points for you  know qualifying for red crash and for aois I   would have never dreamed going in that I'd have  caught over a hundred pounds or Smallmouth for   four days and ended up in 10th place so thanks  for following along all week long it's been a   lot of fun to kind of let you inside a little bit  of my tournament prep and inside my world for the   week and look forward to getting on the road here  heading home and getting ready for the next one

Channel: Bass Pro Shops

Views: 18,821

Keywords: bass pro shops, bass pro, bass pro shop, bass pro fishing, bass fishing, Fishing, Outdoor, Outdoors, Bass Fishing, Summer Fishing, Spring Fishing, Kevin VanDam

Id: 7DeXCUG_QDQ

Length: 24min 47sec (1487 seconds)

Published: Mon Jun 19 2023