BUFFALO, N.Y. — Kevin VanDam had fish jumping in his boat Wednesday. That’s the type of roll he’s on as he advanced to the semifinals of the Bassmaster Classic Bracket at the Niagara River.
In one of the more unusual fish catches you’ll ever see, VanDam hooked a smallmouth on one side of the boat, and, as he was fighting it, the bass jumped from the water and landed on the opposite side of VanDam’s boat deck, behind his back, before bouncing back into the Niagara River. It stayed hooked and KVD eventually landed the 2-pound, 10-ounce smallmouth bass.
VanDam is the last person advancing to the semifinals who needs any lucky bounces. He entered his first-round match against Drew Benson with an 8-pound, 14-ounce lead, and VanDam was able to use the three-hour afternoon session as “practice” for Thursday’s semifinal matchup against Koby Kreiger, who struggled to catch a single bass.
VanDam’s two-day total over six hours of fishing was 20 pounds, 8 ounces. Benson never threatened, finishing with 5-10.
“I got to practice a lot, and I definitely learned some things,” VanDam said. “I’m excited about it. I’ve got a good chance, I think.”
Those are the last words any competitor wants to hear from the man who has now won over $6 million in B.A.S.S. events, including two tournaments this season. This tournament is unfolding like VanDam’s Elite Series win at Toledo Bend in May.
“That’s your dream day in competition – the day you can go practicing,” he said. “That’s what I was able to do the first day at Toledo Bend. I had 25-plus pounds in the box in the first hour, and I was able to spend the rest of the day learning.
“I culled up to 29 pounds. That time I got to practice that day was the difference in winning the tournament.”
What you’re beginning to see is these anglers getting dialed-in at the Niagara River. We’re accustomed to seeing it on the first day of competition in an Elite Series event, but that comes after 2 ½ days of practice. These guys had only one day – from daylight until 2:30 p.m. – to practice here, and have now how had only six hours of competition spread over two days.
With four anglers remaining in the field, fishing time will be extending to six hours for both Thursday’s semifinal and Friday’s final rounds.
“I have a bunch of spots I haven’t been to,” VanDam said.
In the other semifinal match, it’s Brett Hite vs. Dean Rojas. Like VanDam, Hite coasted Wednesday, and still caught four bass weighing 11-12, best of any three-hour session in the first two days. Hite’s total for two days – 21-14 – topped VanDam’s.
Hite has been the only angler locked into one spot. He’s fishing the North Grand Island Bridge pilings, located a few miles upstream from Niagara Falls.
“I’m just picking apart each piling now,” said Hite, who caught a 3-11 smallmouth Wednesday, the biggest bass of the tournament so far. “There are good, good quality fish there. I never hit one piling more than once today, and only fished about five of them.”
Obviously, Hite is getting dialed-in.
Rojas caught two 3-pounders in the last 15 minutes to overtake Jordan Lee by a one-pound margin. So maybe Rojas is figuring out this deal as well.
Kreiger appears to be the one guy struggling, as his only fish, when he needed at least a one-pounder to pass Jacob Powroznik, came in the last 30 minutes. Kreiger might thrive with some high pressure relieved.
But it would be silly to place a bet on anyone but VanDam in this scenario.
“I feel good about it – real, real good,” VanDam said.