The Mighty Kevin Van Dam Fails to Qualify for the 2015 Classic!

There will be no 2015 Classic appearance after 24 in a row

By Steve Wright

Originally posted on bassmaster.com

UNION SPRINGS, N.Y. — It didn't become official until Saturday's weigh-in at the Bassmaster Elite Series Cayuga Lake tournament was complete.

But it's a done deal now: Kevin VanDam, the most accomplished angler in B.A.S.S. history, didn't qualify to compete in what would have been his 25th Bassmaster Classic in a row.

Difficult to believe KVD will miss
a Classic.
(Photo: BASS)

That's almost unimaginable because VanDam has been so consistently good for so long.

KVD handled the bad news just like he's handled everything else in his brilliant career -- with class and honesty.

"I can promise you, I hate it right now," he said at the Frontenac Park weigh-in site.

"But I don't care who you are or how good you are, it's going to happen eventually. It's very humbling out here."

This season has been unfathomably humbling for the 46-year-old Kalamazoo, Mich., resident. Only a few years after he burst on the B.A.S.S. scene it was unquestionable that there was a Superman on the circuit and KVD were his initials.

Consider this: In the first eight seasons of the Elite Series, VanDam missed the top 50 cut (and the $10,000 check that goes with it) only four times.

That's cashing-in on 69 of 73 chances. But in 2014, VanDam doubled those sub-top 50 performances – four more in a single season, including the four worst finishes of his Elite Series career.

Bass Master Classic Berth of Canadian Anglers

Shortcut to the Bassmaster Classic for two Canadian Series!

CSFL Release

January 28, 2014In the bass fishing world the pinnacle of achievement has always been and continues to be a berth in the Bassmaster Classic. For most of us as serious as we may be about our beloved sport, participation in the Classic has always been an unrealizable dream. Though qualification routes exist through the Bass Nation and their regional chapters in Canada, an angler must succeed at 5 different levels of competition to earn a spot at “The Show”. Furthermore, the Canadian culture of competitive bass fishing has been entrenched in the team tournament format and qualification through the ‘Nation would require you to participate at each level alone. This is about to change.

With the introduction of the Toyota Bassmaster Team Championship, North America’s most successful fishing teams will soon be able to prove their skills against competition from throughout the Continent.