sponsored by
Zeiner's Angler Supply
The Kansas Angler Online
and Swim Tail Lures |
VanDam Scores 17th BASS Victory at Kentucky Lake Bassmaster Elite Series Event
June 12, 2010 - PARIS, Tenn. – Kevin VanDam has set the bar so high that when the Kalamazoo , Mich. , veteran goes a few tournaments without a victory, bass fishing fans are left to ponder if he has lost the magic. But VanDam is undoubtedly on top of his game and Saturday, he laid waste to rumors of a struggle, extending his Kentucky Lake domination at the Tennessee Triumph with a four-day total of 92 pounds, 5 ounces.
The victory, VanDam’s 17th – which inches him closer to the BASS all-time mark of 19 – was accomplished in wire-to-wire fashion and the 20-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier was locked in from the first day of practice. Most importantly, VanDam accumulated a stout number of Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year points and bumped his standing there up to eighth, which puts him safely in the cutline for the Bassmaster Elite Series Postseason with one qualifying event remaining.
While his weight steadily decreased each day of competition, VanDam, who earned $100,000 for the victory, brought in four consecutive limits that weighed more than 20 pounds. His Kentucky Lake ledger includes two firsts, a second and a third-place finish in the previous four times the Bassmaster Elite Series has visited the fishery.
“I kept hearing people say, “Is there something wrong with VanDam,” and it kind of made me laugh,” said VanDam, a five-time Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year. “I mean, I had a pretty good start to the year winning the Classic. There have been a few scenarios this year where key bites just didn’t go my way and that happens. Sometimes you are on a roll and sometimes you aren’t.
“This lake is so special to me and I knew I had a good shot here. It really suits my style. It just feels great.”
Fishing fans can catch all of the on-the-water action from the Tennessee Triumph on The Bassmasters, which airs Sunday, July 4, at 10 a.m. ET on ESPN2. The daily weigh-ins for all regular-season Elite events and the two postseason events will air live on ESPN3.com.
It was a typical VanDam setup that propelled him to victory. He primarily worked two Strike King crankbaits, a Series 6 XD and a silent stalker in chartreuse sexy shad, which boated the majority of his weighed bass. He mixed in other lures but as in years past, the crankbaits were the main weapon of choice.
While he stuck with an old friend in his presentation method, it was a new toy that VanDam labeled as “key”. VanDam’s side-imaging unit –he recently inked a deal with Humminbird – gave him the ability to expand on his areas and locate the sweet spots where the bass were holding. In fact, his three best spots were found using the equipment.
Once he found the schools of bass, it was a matter of long, precise casts that were able to hit bottom. If his cast was right, VanDam said, that the bass were so wadded up in the defined areas, that he couldn’t work his lure without bumping a bass.
“The technology that is available to us nowadays, it’s almost like magic,” said VanDam, a three-time Bassmaster Classic champion. “You can see the schools of bass and I’m not sure why they were relating to the areas they were in, but they were certainly there.”
While VanDam hasn’t struggled by any stretch of the imagination – he will have won more than $600,000 this year with plenty to remain – he has been disappointed. In particular, the previous Elite event on Clarks Hill Lake was the first time VanDam felt he left something on the table. Apparently, he does his best when he’s angry.
“I was really disappointed after the last event,” said VanDam, 42. “So I wanted to come in here and do everything I could to have a shot at the Angler of the Year. That has been my goal when I started the season and it will still be my goal when it ends.”
In a distant second was Edwin Evers of Talala , Okla. Evers totaled 85-12, nearly 7 pounds off of VanDam’s torrid pace. While Evers lamented some of the bites he failed to put in the boat, the five-time Bassmaster winner took solace in his second-place position in the Angler of the Year standings.
“It’s an eight-event season and you have to perform throughout,” said Evers. “I like where I’m at and I can’t wait to get back to fishing next week.”
Right behind Evers was his brother-in-law Terry Butcher, also of Talala. Butcher amassed 80-4 and moved up to sixth in the Angler of the Year standings with the stellar performance. Sticking to fourth was Jason Quinn of York , S.C. , with 78-15 while Derek Remitz of Grant , Ala. , snagged fifth with 78-9. Remitz moved up to third in the AOY standings, which can be found below.
Up next for the Elite Series is the regular-season finale, the June 17-20 AutoZone Sooner Run on the Arkansas River out of Muskogee , Okla.
The local sponsor of the Tennessee Triumph is the Paris-Henry County Chamber of Commerce.
The Bassmaster Elite Series Postseason, Toyota Trucks Championship Week, is set for July 24-31 and will be played out once again on two productive Alabama fisheries. The first leg, the July 24-25 Trophy Chase, returns to Lake Jordan out of Wetumpka. The finale, the Evan Williams Bourbon Trophy Triumph, is slated for July 30-31 on the Alabama River from Montgomery .
Bassmaster Elite Series Official Sponsors: Toyota, Berkley , Evan Williams Bourbon, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota , Skeeter, Yamaha and Bass Pro Shops.
Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: Lowrance, Triton Boats, Nitro Boats and Ramada.
FINAL STANDINGS- TENNESSEE TRIUMPH
2010 Paris , TN 6/9-6/12
Kentucky Lake , Paris TN.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 4
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo , MI 20 92-05 320 $100,000.00
Day 1: 5 25-00 Day 2: 5 24-02 Day 3: 5 21-11 Day 4: 5 21-08
2. Edwin Evers Talala, OK 20 85-12 295 $25,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-14 Day 2: 5 21-12 Day 3: 5 23-12 Day 4: 5 20-06
3. Terry Butcher Talala, OK 20 80-04 290 $20,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-15 Day 2: 5 21-10 Day 3: 5 19-10 Day 4: 5 23-01
4. Jason Quinn Lake Wylie , SC 20 78-15 285 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-13 Day 2: 5 21-01 Day 3: 5 21-00 Day 4: 5 16-01
5. Derek Remitz Grant , AL 20 78-09 280 $14,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-11 Day 2: 5 16-01 Day 3: 5 21-15 Day 4: 5 21-14
6. John Crews Salem , VA 20 77-11 276 $13,500.00
Day 1: 5 14-08 Day 2: 5 18-00 Day 3: 5 25-00 Day 4: 5 20-03
7. Kelly Jordon Mineola , TX 20 77-10 272 $14,500.00
Day 1: 5 16-06 Day 2: 5 26-12 Day 3: 5 24-00 Day 4: 5 10-08
8. Matt Herren Trussville, AL 20 75-05 268 $12,500.00
Day 1: 5 18-13 Day 2: 5 19-04 Day 3: 5 18-01 Day 4: 5 19-03
9. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, MO 20 71-13 264 $12,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-01 Day 2: 5 19-10 Day 3: 5 22-01 Day 4: 5 15-01
10. Matt Greenblatt Palm Beach Gardens, FL 20 69-08 260 $11,500.00
Day 1: 5 20-00 Day 2: 5 18-09 Day 3: 5 19-01 Day 4: 5 11-14
11. Scott Rook Little Rock , AR 20 67-02 257 $11,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-02 Day 2: 5 22-05 Day 3: 5 16-11 Day 4: 5 13-00
12. Keith Poche Troy , AL 19 65-11 254 $10,500.00
Day 1: 5 20-01 Day 2: 5 21-07 Day 3: 5 14-06 Day 4: 4 09-13
BIG BASS OF TOURNAMENT
Kelly Jordon Mineola , TX 10-01 $1,000.00
BERKLEY HEAVYWEIGHT OF TOURN
Kelly Jordon Mineola , TX 26-12 $500.00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 84 449 1374-09
2 81 436 1397-08
3 42 225 727-04
4 11 59 202-08
----------------------------------
218 1169 3701-13
TOYOTA TUNDRA BASSMASTER ANGLER OF THE YEAR STANDINGS
2010 Tennessee Triumph - Paris , TN Pro Points After Kentucky Lake , Paris , Tenn. Ending 06-12-2010, Day 4
-------------------------------------------
Place Name St Pts
-------------------------------------------
1 Skeet Reese Calif. 1821
2 Edwin Evers Okla. 1759
3 Derek Remitz Ala. 1673
4 Brian Snowden Mo. 1617
5 John Crews Va. 1609
6 Terry Butcher Okla. 1606
7 Cliff Pace Miss. 1596
8 Kevin VanDam Mich. 1549
9 Aaron Martens Ala. 1539
10 Greg Hackney La. 1528
11 Bill Lowen Ohio 1512
12 Gary Klein Texas 1511
13 Dave Wolak N.C. 1508
14 Jeff Kriet Okla. 1499
15 Russ Lane Ala. 1498
16 Morizo Shimizu Japan 1489
17 Michael Iaconelli N.J. 1481
17 Mark Davis Ark. 1481
17 Todd Faircloth Texas 1481
17 Tommy Biffle Okla. 1481
21 Jason Williamson S.C. 1470
22 Dean Rojas Ariz. 1467
23 Mike McClelland Ark. 1459
24 Scott Rook Ark. 1457
25 Shaw Grigsby Fla. 1451
26 Bobby Lane Fla. 1435
27 Stephen Browning Ark. 1434
28 Greg Vinson Ala. 1431
29 Gerald Swindle Ala. 1426
30 Matt Herren Ala. 1401
30 Terry Scroggins Fla. 1401
32 Steve Kennedy Ala. 1380
33 Kevin Wirth Ky. 1377
34 Boyd Duckett Ala. 1364
35 Clark Reehm Ark. 1361
36 Brent Chapman Kan. 1360
37 Kelly Jordon Texas 1354
38 Cliff Crochet La. 1319
39 Jared Lintner Calif. 1318
40 Denny Brauer Mo. 1306
41 Mark Tucker Mo. 1299
42 Jason Quinn S.C. 1295
43 Casey Ashley S.C. 1290
44 Paul Elias Miss. 1282
45 Mark Menendez Ky. 1280
46 Matt Reed Texas 1274
47 James Niggemeyer Texas 1272
48 Bradley Roy Ky. 1268
49 Takahiro Omori Texas 1261
50 Marty Robinson S.C. 1248
51 Ish Monroe Calif. 1243
52 Kotaro Kiriyama Ala. 1241
53 Billy McCaghren Ark. 1233
54 Timmy Horton Ala. 1225
55 Davy Hite S.C. 1218
56 Dustin Wilks N.C. 1216
57 Alton Jones Texas 1208
58 Guy Eaker N.C. 1200
59 Rick Morris Va. 1195
60 Bradley Hallman Okla. 1183
61 Randy Howell Ala. 1177
62 Pete Ponds Miss. 1169
63 Pat Golden N.C. 1163
64 Zell Rowland Texas 1162
65 J Todd Tucker Ga. 1155
66 Jeff Connella La. 1143
67 Kenyon Hill Okla. 1141
68 Marty Stone N.C. 1139
68 Kevin Short Ark. 1139
70 Peter Thliveros Fla. 1137
71 Matt Greenblatt Fla. 1132
72 Bernie Schultz Fla. 1131
73 Byron Velvick Texas 1128
74 Fred Roumbanis Okla. 1112
75 Charlie Hartley Ohio 1111
76 Rick Clunn Mo. 1098
77 Chris Lane Ala. 1077
78 Mark Tyler Okla. 1075
79 Britt Myers S.C. 1065
80 Jami Fralick S.D. 1053
81 Chad Griffin Texas 1051
82 Grant Goldbeck Md. 1045
83 Keith Poche Ala. 1035
84 John Murray Ariz. 1027
85 Yusuke Miyazaki Texas 1007
86 Dennis Tietje La. 1005
87 Wade Grooms S.C. 1001
88 Vince Fulks Okla. 947
89 Byron Haseotes Mass. 903
90 David Smith Okla. 875
91 Jeremy Starks W.Va. 867
92 Mark Burgess Mass. 837
93 Scott Ashmore Okla. 755