The magazine Men’s Health recently published a story titled “18 Essential Summer Skills for Guys.” No. 14 on the list: “Land the Biggest Bass.”
Who better to provide such advice than Kevin VanDam? After all, he owns seven Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year titles and four Bassmaster Classic trophies. It was natural that the magazine chose to interview him.
VanDam kept his advice at a level suitable for a novice angler. He suggested getting a bite by fishing a spinnerbait within the first hour after a summer sunset.
From the article: “Keep tension on the line so you can react if the fish moves,” Van Dam says. If it swims away, point the rod toward it so it doesn’t break your line or pull off the hook. When the fish moves toward you, quickly reel in the slack. Repeat until you lose it or land it.
VanDam’s instructions made catching a bass sound simple, as only an expert can make his skills seem.
He has caught thousands upon thousands of bass in his career. No one keeps records of boated bass, but VanDam has weighed 8,914 pounds and 15 ounces of bass in his Bassmaster career of 241 tournaments.