Profile
How he qualified: 3rd on the Bass Open Southern Tour
Hometown: Demopolis, Ala.
Birthdate: 4-28-1960
Age: 46
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 190
Children: William (12), Jack (9), Annabell (5)
Kids activities: "Well, William fishes with me. We finished 5th in a father/son tournament this past summer. I made him split the entry fee with me and told him we would split the winnings. We won $500 and split it down the middle. Now he wants to fish tournaments all the time."
Fishing strength: Versatility. "I didn't use the same technique in any of the 10 Bassmaster tour events I fished last year."
Interesting Info
Other sports achievements: "Played golf before I fished professionally. Used to be a 2 handicap."
Past jobs: Owned a music company and plays in a band on the side.
One word that he says sums him up: Energetic
Classic Take
I have tried to just take it easy. I have taken off fishing most of this winter, and I don't usually do that. I practiced on Lay Lake until the cutoff, but I didn't try to do too many things. I already know how to catch them at Lay. If I get to take a month or two off, I have a lot of energy coming back. So I am as hungry as you need to be to do well in these tournaments, not only the Classic, but throughout the rest of the year."
| VanDam’s Last Five Classics | |||
| Year | City | Lake | Finish |
| 2006 | Kissimmee, Fla. | Lake Toho | 5th |
| 2005 | Pittsburgh | Three Rivers | 1st |
| 2004 | Charlotte, N.C. | Lake Wylie | 3rd |
| 2003 | New Orleans | Louisiana Delta | 34th |
| 2002 | Birmingham, Ala. | Lay Lake | 26th |