Rapid-fire bass fishing advice from KVD
If you find the potential winning area how many times do you revisit it during prefish?
None! I don't want to get seen in an area like that. I just watch the conditions & take my chances on tournament day.
What do you believe is your biggest contributor to your success ?
Growing up in Michigan, where there is a great diversity of waters to fish, helped me become versatile.
I think here in Southern Ontario we have similar diversity as well (LM & SM). U Need to check Lake Simcoe out!
If you could live anywhere in the country to tap the most water to best practice, where would that be?
There's several good regions: east Texas, northern Alabama. I love Michigan; I grew up here and it has great diversity.
If you find a rock pile with hundreds of bass on it how do you single out the big ones?
That's what you dream of finding! Sometime it's about experimenting with different lures. Bigger lures are better.
What brand of boat did you run before your Nitro days?
My first bass boat was a 17-foot ProCraft with a Mercury 115.
What’s your most successful largemouth bass baits during the cold winter season?
It's one of my favorite times to fish, bass are bunched up. My best cold winter bait is tube or grub on a blade bait.
Lost an eye to a 3/16 sinker, any suggestions for how to make up for no depth perception? Difficult to judge structure, banks, etc
That's a tough one. One of my best friends growing up had that happen.
I'm adamant that everybody should wear shatterproof sunglasses when fishing.
Just wondering how to make up for no depth perception. My husband wants to stay with you @GrandLake. I get the tent!
Kevin, what are your personal bests for largemouth, smallmouth, and spots (tournament or non)
Largemouth: 11-13 at Lake Lewisville; Smallmouth: 7-9 at Lake Wheeler during practice; Spot: 5-12 on Logan Martin
Amber Whiteshirt@AvenKingsMom
Your biggest bass weighed? Favorite place to fish in Oklahoma?
Grand Lake is hands-down my favorite in OK. I've caught a few in the 6-pound class in Grand Lake. So I'm really looking forward to the Classic!
Amber Whiteshirt@AvenKingsMom
Good luck :)
Scotty 'Bud' Melvin @ScottyBudWZUU
KVD, going fishin saturday here in kalamazoo, gonna throw xd6 and silver buddy, good move?
Right now the fish around here are biting blade baits, so the silver buddy is a good choice. I also use a red eye shade lipless crankbait yo-yoed slowly.
What's your advice for young anglers that are pursuing professional bass fishing as a career?
From a fishing standpoint, fish with as many great anglers as you can. Equally as important: get a good education and a marketing degree.
Thanks man! Good luck at the Bassmaster Classic!
Growing up here in Otsego what were some of the hot spots you liked??
Kalamazoo River that runs right through Otsego for smallmouth, and Pine Lake, Gull Lake and Gun Lake.
Thanks. Good luck at this years classic. Otsego is watching!
Will the 10XD be your go too bait when the situation arises? When would you use it? What setup would you recommend?
It's the deepest diving crankbait available today. It's designed for big bass, I'll use it on Falcon Lake. And you'll need heavier tackle.
Shredlife Fishing@ShredlifeFishin
Whats your favorite type of lure for this time of year ?
Mine would have to be a @StrikeKingLures RedEye Shad.
What is your favorite season?
Man, I love them all. I really do enjoy late fall fishing because there's almost no pressure on the water.
I have a hard time staying on fish when big lakes are on drawWhat can I do to continue catching them when they move
I try to have a lot of spots. Don't spend more than 10 minutes on a spot if I haven't caught anything. Look for areas where the current from the drawdown is going to concentrate the bass.
Do you think helping out your sponsors by attending events and doing tv shows is effecting the way you prepare for tournaments?
I've been able to find a good balance that works for me. I'm fired up when I get to a tournament to go fishing!
What is your best lures through December? And what is best set up for your kvd 1.0,1.5 crankbaits?
I do a lot of cranking. Square-bills and a RedEye Shad are my favorites. As far as setup goes, I use a Tour KVD 7-0 medium action cranking rod, cranking reel and 12-pound fluorocarbon.
What are your 5 favorite Oneida lake lures?
You need a lot on Oneida! A jerkbait, spinnerbait, a drop shot rig, a jig and a frog.
What's your advice to young anglers who are trying to make it to where you are today?
There's so many great opportunities with high school fishing clubs for anglers to gain experience. A good education is critical, especially a marketing degree.
Brandon Johnson@BrandonJohnso14
You can only pick on lure for Okeechobee in early January, what is it?
I would pick a 3/4-oz. black-and-blue Hack Attack @StrikeKingLures jig.
During the wintertime bass are slow, what is the go to bait to get some action? In texas we go from 50 to 70 in temp
In Texas, my favorite wintertime baits are a lipless crankbait and a jerkbait.
How would you prepare for a tournament on an unknown body of water KVD?
First, I look the type of water... lake, river, reservoir, etc. I try to find a general seasonal pattern. Then I'll watch the weather patterns leading up to when I'll be there.
If you could only have two baits what would they be?
A @StrikeKingLures Sexy Shad 1.5 crankbait and a green pumpkin jig.
It's been my lifelong dream to bass fish, what advice could you give me?
I grew up reading/watching everything. Bassmaster Magazine was my foundation. Fish with many people; join a club!
Favorite lure for cold weather and clear lakes?
That would definitely be a suspending jerkbait!
Have you begun to prepare for the classic? What's your take on Grand lake?
I'm not going down to practice. I'm going to wait until the official time. I have been preparing mentally and getting some equipment ready that I might be using. And I'm really excited. Grand is one of the best lakes I think we could be going to at that time of year. It's a fantastic fishery.
What is your favorite lake on the Tennessee river?
It would be a toss-up between Guntersville and Kentucky lakes. That's tough though; I like them all.
What's your favorite fishing style, and what's your favorite soft plastic?
I'm a power fisherman by nature and I use a lot of different plastics but Strike King Rage Craw is my pick.
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