VanDam At Lake Conroe

Bass fishing’s best VanDam brings stick to Lake Conroe

Kevin VanDam, generally regarded as the No. 1 pro bass fisherman in the world, brings his skills to Lake Conroe this weekend for the Toyota Texas Bass Classic.
By Charlie Bier
Updated: 10.13.09
Kevin VanDam owns the face of pro bass fishing, answers to an NFL linebacker’s nickname (Van Damage) and, with about $3.7 million in career winnings, has pocketed more money than any angler in the sport’s history.

All in a day’s work for the 41-year-old Kalamazoo, Mich., native.

“I love bass fishing,” VanDam said. “I put a lot into it, but I don’t have to push myself. It’s almost addictive, almost like gambling. The competition really motivates you. If you come close once, it just drives you that much more to want to get out there and try to win.”

Winning is something VanDam’s done plenty of. He’s coming off back-to-back Angler of the Year titles in 2008 and this year. His five Angler of the Year titles since 1992 rank him second all-time behind only legend Roland Martin, who claimed nine. VanDam has twice won the Bassmaster Classic championship, which has been referred to as the Super Bowl of fishing. ESPN’s even given him an ESPY trophy as Outdoor Sportsman of the Year.

VanDam said the Toyota Texas Bass Classic – a postseason event sponsored by the Professional Anglers Association – promotes an all or nothing atmosphere that has his competitive juices flowing.

“I’m not down there fishing for points or fishing a series or anything,” VanDam said. “This is one event, trying to shoot for all the marbles; and that’s the way I’m going to approach it. I’m going to take some chances. I’m going down there trying to hit a home run.”

VanDam’s banking on experience to carry him on a lake he’s never fished.

“One thing that’s helped me to be successful in recent years is just now that I’ve been doing it for quite a while,” said VanDam, who turned pro in 1990. “You get a lot of experience fishing a lot of different bodies of water, at different times of the year, to draw on when you go to a place that’s new like (Lake Conroe).”

VanDam said he’ll have to reel in a few of the lake’s fabled big fish to have a shot. This year, Conroe’s output of ShareLunker largemouth bass, or those weighing 13 pounds or better, is tied with Lake Fork near Dallas for tops in the state.

“It’s great to go to a fishery that on any cast, you’ve got a chance to catch a bass 10 pounds or better,” VanDam said. “I think you’ve got to be consistent, but, boy, you need to catch some of those better-than-average fish to have a shot at winning this.”

A notorious “fast” fisherman who likes to cover a lot of water rather than pick apart select spots, VanDam, whose favorite lure is a spinnerbait, said he’ll scout large expanses of water in practice sessions, which started Monday.

As for tactics, who knows?

“I’m going to go in and practice, and I’ll experiment with a lot of different things,” VanDam said. “You want to pick the most efficient lure for the type of cover, the depth, the water clarity, all those different conditions that you have. I’ll narrow it down to the type of lures that I think will play based on those conditions.”

One thing for sure, though, is that VanDam likes fishing in the autumn.

“It’s been quite a few years since we’ve had tournaments through the fall. The Bassmaster tour used to start in August and go right through the winter, but the season’s kind of changed in the last half-dozen years or so. But I love fishing in the fall. I’ve always looked at it as one of the times of year that’s a strength to me.”

StevevonBrandt Big Bass World Champ/NAFC Hall Of Fame angler