KVD Grabs Knockout Round Win; Championship Field Set on Chickamauga

Kevin VanDam secured a Knockout Round win over Jordan Lee and the rest of the field Tuesday on Lake Chickamauga. Photo by Phoenix Moore

MASON PRINCE • BASS PRO TOUR

DAYTON, Tenn. – A local legend, ledge-fishing masters, the greatest professional angler of all time, and a couple of guys trying to be the next GOAT—the Championship Round of the B&W Trailer Hitches Stage Four Presented by ATG x Wrangler has plenty of reasons to tune in Wednesday.

Kevin VanDam took the top spot in the Knockout Round with 18 bass for 46-6, and seven other pros will join him in the Championship Round for a date with Shin Fukae and Jason Lambert.

KVD Feeling Comfortable on Chickamauga

Much like Tiger Woods or Michael Jordan, when Kevin VanDam is in the field with a shot at a championship, there’s an added “it” factor that’s hard to explain. The Michigan angler’s career resume is what makes him unarguably the most successful bass fisherman of all time, and he’s looking to add something to it: his first Bass Pro Tour trophy.

VanDam has three MLF Cup wins to his credit—the most of anyone—but he hasn’t yet made his mark on the Bass Pro Tour. Wednesday on Lake Chickamauga might be his best shot to do so. VanDam says he has a spot he thinks can give him the bites to outlast the other ledge specialists, so it’s all about if the area can hold on for one more day.

Major League Fishing, Bass Pro Shops and Outdoor Sportsman Group announce exciting new fishing competition to grow the sport

New Tour coming

MLF PRESS RELEASE

Major League Fishing (MLF) officials today announced a significant expansion beginning in 2019 with the goal of dramatically growing visibility and participation for the sport of fishing. The plans will help realize the founding partners' original vision for MLF to elevate competitive bass fishing and its top-tier pros to a national exposure level and grow a fan base on par with other top major league sports.

The expanded MLF program includes the addition of the Bass Pro Tour, a premier 80-angler, eight-event tour with a championship and heightened payouts, made possible through enthusiastic support from Bass Pro Shops and Outdoor Sportsman Group (OSG). Both partners are supporting MLF as part of their commitments to the future of the sport through participation and conservation efforts.

Under the visionary leadership of noted conservationist and founder Johnny Morris, Bass Pro Shops has been committed to connecting new audiences to the outdoors and advocating for conservation for more than 40 years. These foundational values directly align with MLF's innovative approach to competitive fishing.

MLF Pro Kevin VanDam (left), Bass Pro Shops Founder Johnny Morris (center) and MLF President and CEO Jim Wilburn are on the same team and same page when it comes to growing the sport of fishing and elevating pro anglers' stature to levels comparable to athletes in other major league sports. (Click to enlarge/download)

"Bass Pro Shops has proudly supported MLF from its inception because we believed in its mission to elevate the sport of fishing. Today we're very excited to take the next step and help showcase this great sport to every household in America," Morris said. "We truly believe this partnership will create many positive and significant new opportunities for kids and families, professional anglers and the sport itself. Equally important to us is leveraging this popular platform to showcase the importance of conservation and promote responsible fishing practices."

Kevin Van Dam Wins 2018 Bassmaster Elite Grand Lake with 83-04lbs

25th BASS Victory for KVD! 
By Thomas Allen
BASS PRESS RELEASE

KVD in a league of his own!
(Photo: BASS)

Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich., relied upon large female prespawn bass to claim a record-breaking 25th title on the Bassmaster Elite Series, and a $100,000 payday at the 2018 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Elite at Grand Lake in Grove, Okla.
 
During Championship Sunday, VanDam put up 18 pounds, 7 ounces to push his four-day total to 83-4, which outscored Tommy Biffle of Wagoner, Okla., by more than 5 pounds.
 
The 50-year-old VanDam will place an unprecedented 25th Bassmaster trophy on his mantle — a feat many believe may never be broken.

This isn’t his first victory on the famous Oklahoma lake. He won an Elite Series event on Grand Lake back in 2007 with 78-2.
 
The bass VanDam was targeting this time were primarily in the prespawn phase and were positioned along transition zones where one type of bottom met another.  
 
“The male bass were all in shallow along the bank and pretty easy to catch,” VanDam said. “I knew that to win, I needed to catch the larger females that were staging farther offshore — around 8 to 10 feet of water.”
 
After an unproductive practice, the four-time Bassmaster Classic champion said he was forced to adapt and experiment on Thursday’s opening round of competition.
 
“I really didn’t think I could win this thing after the tough practice I had,” he said. “But I knew I had to cover water to find active fish. The female bass that were moving in to spawn were not yet on beds, but they would still hit a reaction bait like a crankbait or a spinnerbait.”
 
VanDam said he fished at least 50 spots per day early in the tournament, but dialed in to the best locations during Saturday and Sunday, which meant less traveling from one to the next.
 
“Today was a tougher bite for me. I caught fewer fish, but I was focusing on the locations that were producing the largest bass. It proved to be the right decision,” he said.
 

2018 Bassmaster Elite Grand Lake Day 3: KVD Jumps into Lead with 64-13lbs

KVD early morning rampage key to lead.
By Thomas Allen
BASS PRESS RELEASE

KVD on the prowl for 25th win.
(Photo: BASS)

After catching his heaviest limit of the tournament on Day 3, bass fishing superstar Kevin VanDam took over the lead at the 2018 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Elite at Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees.
 
VanDam's 22 pounds, 4 ounces was his third exceeding the 20-pound mark — a benchmark in professional bass fishing -- the only angler to do so. His three-day total is 64-13 gives him a 3-4 lead heading into the final round of the four-day Elite tournament. VanDam is looking to add to his record 24 titles on the Bassmaster tournament trail, including four Bassmaster Classic wins and seven Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year awards.
 
With $100,000 on the line for first place, and win No. 25 for the Kalamazoo, Mich., resident, VanDam is confident his fishing areas are only getting better.
 
“It’s going to take another bag of 20 pounds or better to win this thing,” he said. “I think where I’ve spent my time this week has the right fish, but as the standings will show, the other Top 12 anglers are also catching them. I’m not comfortable yet.”
 
The field will be cut down to the Top 12 anglers with VanDam leading them out on Championship Sunday.
 
“Each of us are focusing on spawning bass,” VanDam said. “And with the weather and moon phase both factors, the spots are reloading by the hour. The bass are fat and very healthy looking — plus I feel like my pattern is only getting stronger.”
 

2018 Bassmaster Classic on Lake Hartwell Day 1: Mid-Morning Report.

Morning blitz shorter than expected

By Luigi De Rose

Elam fishing almost by himself in a creek and in the lead.
(Photo: BASS)

Anglers are using a variety of techniques on the first morning of the 2018 Bassmaster Classic at Lake Hartwell. Many tried for the herring bite in the low light of the early morning but few really hammered the magnum spotted bass. 

A few to watch are: Edwin Evers, James Elam, Kevin Van Dam and Ike.

Evers

Evers caught bass after bass about an hour ago and jumped up the leader board. It is speculated that he caught several limits all from one place without moving. Not just one location but one spot with his poles down. 

Elam 

Is way up a creek and fishing for largemouths and doing well. If the weather continues to warm up, the worry for many spotted bass anglers is that the largemouth might becoming shallower and more likely to bite. Locals will tell you the spots are the real player but a few big largemouth go a very long way. 

KVD

He is deep cranking and catching big largemouth. He is working on larger bass than numbers of bass. He is fishing the mid-to-lower section of the lake which is historically a very good place to fish. It is better know for spotted bass but if KVD can catch big green bass with several good spots he will be a killer. 

IKE

He has a cove loaded with spotted bass. He did well in the morning and got a good limit quickly. Now he is targeting brush and specific spots and catching individual bass but they are fairly large.   

KVD Joins MINN KOTA TEAM

Check out the video announcement of KVD. 

Kevin Van Dam Wins 2017 BASS Elite St. Lawrence River with 90-03lbs!

Van Dam Slays them on Sunday!
By Bryan Brasher
BASS PRESS RELEASE

KVD dominated the St. Lawrence! (Photo: BASS)

By noon Sunday, Kevin VanDam was already working his way back to toward Whittaker Park, where the weigh-in would be held about three hours later.

He knew it was over — and so did most everyone else.

After leading the first three days, VanDam caught five bass today that weighed 23 pounds, 12 ounces to punctuate a dominant victory in the Huk Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River presented by Go RVing. His four-day total of 90-3 is one of the highest ever recorded by an Elite Series angler weighing in only smallmouth bass.

The closest angler to KVD was Mississippi pro Brock Mosley, who finished 8 pounds back with 82-3.

“I fished my very first B.A.S.S. tournament here on the St. Lawrence River in 1987,” said VanDam, who earned his B.A.S.S.-record 24th victory. “Someone told me today that this is my 300th tournament with B.A.S.S., and I had no idea. So, all of that makes this really special.”

VanDam earned $100,000 for first place and $1,500 more for landing the Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the week — a monster 6-5 smallmouth that bit early Sunday morning. He also won the Livingston Lures Day 2 Leader Award of $500 for leading Friday’s second day of competition and the Power-Pole Captain’s Cash Award of $1,000 for being the highest-placing angler who is registered and eligible with a client-approved product on his boat.

2017 Bassmaster Elites St. Lawrence River Day 3: KVD Readies for Wire to Wire Win!

Jonathon Van Dam 2nd! 
BASS PRESS RELEASE

Two Van Dams are more dangerous than one.
(Photo: BASS)

It's been every pro fisherman's nightmare for more than 25 years.

Superstar Kevin VanDam — a Michigan native and arguably the best smallmouth angler in the history of the sport — is hammering the smallies with no sign of slowing down.

And now, the remaining anglers in the field have just one more day to overtake him and keep him from recording his 24th career B.A.S.S. victory wire-to-wire style at the Huk Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River presented by Go RVing.

VanDam added five bass that weighed 22 pounds, 10 ounces Saturday and maintained the lead he's held from the start with a three-day total of 66-7.

2017 BASS Elite Lake Dardanelle Day 3: Mark Davis Leads by Ounces with 48-08lbs!

Davis found a honey hole way, way up the river.  
By Thomas Allen

BASS PRESS RELEASE

Mark has tiny side channel to himself up the river.
(Photo: BASS)

Mark Davis of Mount Ida, Ark., caught a five-bass limit that weighed 14 pounds, 15 ounces during today’s semi-final round to maintain his lead at the GoPro Bassmaster Elite at Lake Dardanelle presented by Econo Lodge.
 
With $100,000 on the line for Monday's champion, Davis still thinks 16 to 17 pounds will be required to win. He’s averaging just over 16 pounds with a three-day total of 48-8.
 
“I’ve really beat up on the fish I’ve been depending on this week,” Davis said. “I believe the right fish are still there, and that I can catch a decent limit tomorrow. But I didn’t get as many big bites today as I had hoped.”
 
Davis’ spot did receive some additional local pressure before he could get there, and that certainly could be contributing to the reduced action during Sunday’s competition.
 
“I have no problem sharing water with local anglers, heck they’ve got just as much right to fish there as I do — if not more so,” he said. “When I arrived he moved off and let me have it, which was appreciated.
 

2017 BASS Elite Lake Dardanelle Day 2: Mark Davis Grabs Leads with 33-09lbs!

Davis a local but success here has been a challenge

BASS PRESS RELEASE

Mark Davis of Mount Ida, Ark., is no stranger to tough tournaments, and during Saturday's second round of competition, he caught 19 pounds, 4 ounces of bass to take the lead at the GoPro Bassmaster Elite at Lake Dardanelle presented by Econo Lodge. His two-day total is 33-9.

Davis adjusting to changing river.
(Photo: BASS)

Davis has accomplished nearly everything during his distinguished career on the Bassmaster tour, including three Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year titles and one Bassmaster Classic world championship in 1995.

One thing has escaped him, however — a good finish on Lake Dardanelle.

"Dardanelle has been my career nemesis," Davis said. "I live only an hour and a half from here, and I've always struggled. I'd have a good practice and be excited about getting the tournament started, then have a hard time even catching a limit."

For someone who has done so much in this sport, a win here would mean a lot to the 54-year-old angler.

"It would be huge to win this tournament," he said. "This place has whipped me down so many times, it feels good to just do well. I would love to finally conquer these bass, and I think I am on the right fish to make it happen."

2017 BASS Elite Lake Dardanelle Day 1: Kevin Van Dam Leads with 19-03lbs!

Past success a mixed blessing for KVD
BASS PRESS RELEASE

Bass-fishing superstar Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich., is in an early position to win a record-breaking 24th Bassmaster title. After weighing 19 pounds, 3 ounces, the four-time Classic champion is leading the GoPro Bassmaster Elite at Dardanelle presented by Econo Lodge.
With $100,000 and valuable Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year points on the line, VanDam fully understands what's at stake. But even the seasoned veteran was surprised at today's results.
"I've had mixed results on Dardanelle. I got second to Mark Menendez in 2009, and had a terrible tournament in 2014," VanDam said. "But I know the bass in this lake move around a lot, which makes staying consistent difficult sometimes. I'm actually very pleasantly surprised with my weight today, and the rest of the field did better than I had expected."

Van Dam at home on Dardanelle. (Photo: BASS)

The seven-time Angler of the Year caught his limit early, but made a substantial upgrade later in the day that nicely augmented his five-bass limit.
"I caught two big fish that really helped," he said. "I learned some things today, but on Dardanelle you can't always bet on a pattern holding — you have to stay flexible. I don't believe the forecasted storms will have much impact on how and where I'm fishing, but duplicating today's weight would surprise me again."

Dustin Connell Wins 2017 BASS Elite Ross Barnett Event with 64-13lbs!

Big storm didn't phase rookie Connell
BASS PRESS RELEASE

Rookie Connell outlasts Van Dams
(Photo: BASS)

Severe storms may have caused the postponement of the final round of fishing Sunday, but nothing could stop Bassmaster Elite Series rookie Dustin Connell of Clanton, Ala., from claiming victory in the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Elite at Ross Barnett.

Connell caught a five-bass limit weighing 12 pounds, 15 ounces today, pushing his four-day total to 64-13 and holding off a late-charging veteran Kevin VanDam, who ended with 62-10.

Hoisting the coveted first-place trophy overhead — and pocketing the $100,000 that goes with it — has been Connell's dream since childhood.

2017 BASS Elite Ross Barnett Day 3: Connell Leads as KVD and JVD Close In!

Weather worries for Sunday. 

By Thomas Allen 

BASS PRESS RELEASE

Rookie Connell steady as veterans close in.
(Photo: BASS)

For the second day in a row, Alabama native Dustin Connell is leading the fourth Bassmaster Elite Series event of his life. The 26-year-old rookie is closing in on his first victory and the $100,000 first-place prize at the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Elite at Ross Barnett.

The weather forecast for Ridgeland, Miss., is predicting strong thunderstorms and heavy rain for Championship Sunday, which could impact whether the tournament concludes on schedule or gets postponed until Monday.
 
Connell’s pattern produced 15 pounds, 7 ounces of largemouth bass for a three-day total of 51-14, which is just over 6 pounds ahead of second place.
 
“I’m fishing up in the Pearl River,” Connell said. “And if we get heavy rain, the potential flood waters could wash out my spots. If that happens, I may have to revert to plan B and pick up a frog. I’m hoping we’ll dodge a bullet and be able to fish on Sunday.”
 
Connell mentioned that he’s so confident in his fishing spots that if the weather holds off, he believes he can win.
 

ICAST 2016 Strike King Half Shell with Kevin Van Dam and IBASSIN

The new Strike King Half Shell is an amazing bait! It has already helped KVD win two BASS Elite events in 2016. Learn from Kevin Van Dam himself to what makes it so great on a drop shot.

Kevin Van Dam Wins 2016 BASS Elite Cayuga Lake Event with 71-13lbs!

KVD is King again!
By Bryan Brasher

BASS PRESS RELEASE

KVD is BACK! (Photo BASS)

A little over six weeks ago, many professional fishing fans were wondering out loud, “What’s wrong with Kevin VanDam?”

Now those same fans must be wondering just how many gigantic moments VanDam has ahead of him.

After recording his 21st career victory at Louisiana’s Toledo Bend Reservoir in May, VanDam won again Sunday, coming from behind to claim the $100,000 first-place prize in the Busch Beer Bassmaster Elite at Cayuga Lake. After going five years between victories, the Michigan superstar has now won twice in seven weeks.

VanDam, went into Sunday’s final round in third place, almost 2 pounds out of the lead. But a final-day catch of 15 pounds, 7 ounces put him over the top with a four-day mark of 71-13. Jordan Lee, a 24-year-old Alabama angler who led going into the final round, finished second with 70-12.

“You just never know how things are going to go out here,” said VanDam, who extended his own B.A.S.S. record with his 22nd career win. “I’ve said it many times before. It’s really hard to win against these guys.

“I feel pretty lucky today, for sure. I didn’t have a great day today.”

Unlike Toledo Bend, which he described as the “toughest tournament he ever won,” VanDam went into the Cayuga Lake event with a lot of confidence based on what he’d seen in practice. He used a variety of patterns throughout the week and exploited the lake’s solid populations of both largemouth and smallmouth bass.

2016 BASS Elite Cayuga Lake Day 3: Jordan Lee Continues to Lead with 58-02lbs.

Lee living large.
By Bryan Brasher

BASS PRESS RELEASE
As an Alabama resident and former member of the Auburn University Bass Fishing Team, Jordan Lee has spent plenty of time on Lake Guntersville.

Drop shot key for Lee during calm conditions.
(Photo: BASS)

On that famed Alabama fishery, largemouth bass wallow out holes in aquatic grass to make their spawning beds — and that’s where Lee always looks for them during the spring.

The fish are doing the same thing on Cayuga Lake this week, and Lee’s hard-earned, home-grown knowledge has put him on the verge of his first career victory on the Bassmaster Elite Series.

The 24-year-old angler caught 17 pounds, 10 ounces of largemouth during Saturday’s semifinal round and maintained the lead in the Busch Beer Bassmaster Elite at Cayuga Lake. His three-day total of 58-2 gave him a narrow lead over Arizona angler Brett Hite (57-3) and Kevin VanDam (56-6) — a Michigan superstar who fished his first event with B.A.S.S. in 1987, four years before Lee was born.

“I’m honestly just a little bit disappointed in the way things went today,” said Lee, who won the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Classic qualifying event in 2013. “I was hoping to catch a couple of more big ones. I fished clean and probably caught about 25 fish, but I just never had any big bites today.”

2016 BASS Elite Toledo Bend Day 3: KVD Leads by 5 Pounds Going into Final Day.

KVD cranking in the biggest ones.
By Bryan Brasher
BASS PRESS RELEASE
Kevin VanDam continued his charge toward a possible wire-to-wire victory in the A.R.E. Truck Caps Bassmaster Elite at Toledo Bend with a Saturday catch of 24 pounds, 12 ounces that pushed his four-day total to 74-12.
But he said to make no mistake: The fishing has definitely gotten tougher.
"It was one of the toughest days I've ever had on the water — absolutely brutal," said VanDam, who is vying for his record 21st career B.A.S.S. victory. "I only caught five fish all day, and the last one came very late."

One monster each day keeps KVD as king. (Photo: BASS)

As other anglers in the Top 5 started fast, VanDam only had one fish that weighed just under 5 pounds by 10:30 a.m. But then he worked the same deep-diving crankbait magic he worked the first two days, landing a giant largemouth that tipped the scales at 8-11.
It was 2 p.m. before he landed his third and fourth keepers — one that weighed 2-plus pounds and one that weighed just over 3. Then just when he seemed destined to come in one shy of a five-bass limit, he caught a 5-pounder on his final stop with only minutes remaining.

2016 BASS Elite Toledo Bend Day 2: KVD Leads with 50lbs.

KVD steady as leader board flip flops.
By Bryan Brasher
BASS PRESS RELEASE
The biggest thing Kevin VanDam has caught so far this week has been himself.

But there could be far bigger catches ahead of him if he remains on his current path at the A.R.E. Truck Caps Bassmaster Elite at Toledo Bend.

KVD works his magic with a 10XD. (Photo: BASS)

VanDam had to have a treble hook removed from his hand during Friday’s second round after landing his biggest fish of the day. But it didn’t stop him from catching five bass that weighed 20 pounds, 11 ounces and helped him hold onto the tournament lead with a two-day total of 50-0.

“The fish had just one hook in its mouth, and those Mustad treble hooks are really sharp,” VanDam said. “The fish kind of shook as I was trying to take the hook out, and it jerked one of those trebles right in my hand. I had a crankbait with one hook connected to my hand and the other connected to a big bass.”

2016 BASS Elite Toledo Bend Day 1: KVD Smashes Them + Big Bass

Top 5 anglers have 10 Bassmaster Classic victories between them
By Bryan Brasher

BASS PRESS RELEASE

Kevin VanDam wanted badly to fish offshore during the three-day practice period for the A.R.E. Truck Caps Bassmaster Elite at Toledo Bend. But a steady 20-mph wind just wouldn’t allow it.

The winds died Thursday as the tournament began, and fishing fans in central Louisiana got to see why VanDam was so anxious to move away from the banks.

KVD on his game off-shore. (Photo BASS)

The pro fishing superstar from Kalamazoo, Mich., brought in a five-bass limit that weighed 29 pounds, 5 ounces to top the leaderboard on a day when 12 anglers caught at least 20 pounds. He leads a star-studded Top 5 that includes 69-year-old Missouri legend Rick Clunn (24-10), North Carolina pro Hank Cherry, Jr. (24- 7), 2012 GEICO Bassmaster Classic winner Chris Lane (23-14) and reigning Classic champion Edwin Evers (22-11).

“I started on the shallow pattern and caught a good limit early, and that gave me the confidence to go and fish deep,” said VanDam, who has four Classic titles on his resume. “I didn’t get to fish deep in practice the way I like to because of all the wind. So I fished a lot of places today that I hadn’t fished at all this week.

Edwin Evers Wins BASSFEST on Kentucky Lake with 97lb 4oz.!

Big bass make the difference for Ever's win. 

By Bryan Brasher

bass press release

Evers nails 8 pounder and the win. KVD finishes 2nd!
(Photo: Seigo Saito BASS)

Edwin Evers holds his 8-11 from Sunday. -- Seigo Saito photo

PARIS, Tenn. — After a tough start to the Bassmaster Elite Series season, Edwin Evers said he hasn’t been that much fun for his wife, Tuesday, to live with back home in Talala, Okla.

But things should be more pleasant for both of them now.

Not only did Evers win $100,000 as the champion of Zippo BASSfest at Kentucky Lake presented by A.R.E. Truck Caps, but he earned an automatic berth into the 2016 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro. Evers never relinquished the lead after seizing it on Day 2, and he sealed the victory Sunday with a catch of 25 pounds that pushed his four-day total to 97 pounds, 4 ounces.

Michigan pro Kevin VanDam finished second with 94-4.

“My wife’s been about ready to shoot me, because I’ve been in a pretty bad mood most of the season,” said Evers, who claimed his ninth B.A.S.S. victory and first since 2013. “I just have to be at that Classic, so this means the world to me. It’s so important.”