It’s Never Too Late to Fish

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Published: 28 June 2016

It's Never Too Late to Fish

It was a special Father’s Day for the Barnbrook family.

It’s been a couple of years since Jim and Timm had their dad in the boat. Back problems kept him landlocked.

That’ll happen when you’re 90 years old.

But a few weeks ago when Michigan offered a free fishing weekend, Don Barnbrook was feeling a lot better. Jim, age 66, and Timm, age 64, put dad in their boat at Donnell Lake near Vandalia and treated him to a day of pike fishing.

It went so well, they bought him a fishing license on Father’s Day and took him back to Donnell where they have a cottage.

“We didn’t catch much that day but it’s OK,” said Jim. “We had a good day on the water.”

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Kevin VanDam Comes From Behind To Claim Second Victory Of Season At Cayuga Lake

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Published: 27 June 2016

Kevin VanDam Comes From Behind To Claim Second Victory Of Season At Cayuga Lake

Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich., wins the 2016 Busch Beer Bassmaster Elite at Cayuga Lake held out of Union Springs, N.Y., Sunday, with a four-day total weight of 71 pounds, 13 ounces. - Photo by Seigo Saito/Bassmaster

UNION SPRINGS, N.Y. — A little over a month 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.

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