Tournament News Powered By Lake Drive Marine
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By Al McGuckin
Team Toyota’s Kevin VanDam was 18 years old the first time he spoke as a featured fishing seminar presenter at a boat show. He was nervous and feared nobody would show up.
Not only did they show up for the first one, 38 years later they’re still crowding-in by the hundreds like they did last week in Novi, Michigan to hear a slice of bass fishing wisdom from the man most consider the greatest of all time.
“I’ve probably done around 700 fishing seminars at this point in my career, but I’ll never forget that first one in Grand Rapids. A sales rep and promotions manager named Henry Bouche invited me to speak there, and I was dumbfounded,” smiles VanDam.
“I walked into that room, and there were dozens of guys twice my age who I knew personally and competed against. I was super nervous, but once I started sharing my passion for fishing with them, I settled right down. I think I got paid $250. That was pretty awesome,” he adds.
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By Louie Stout
Kevin VanDam & Nick
A lot is written about when is the best time to throw specific types of crankbaits. It’s easy to be confused, so we went to the man who has won a ton of money on crankbaits and arguably the best source for clarification.
Kevin VanDam.
Basically, there are three types of crankbaits. Flat-sides, square bills and the traditional round bills, the latter of which most anglers are familiar.
We asked VanDam about his favorites for early season fishing.
“Flat-side crankbaits are really good in cold water and when you’re fishing around rocks or a hard, clean bottom,” he said last week. “When fishing around Michiana old milfoil or coontail vegetation, I like the square bill because it’s so much more efficient at coming through grass.”
Strike King, VanDam’s lure sponsor, offers flat- sided crankbaits in the Chick Magnet, which runs about 5 feet deep; the Chick Magnet Jr. that runs 4 feet; and the KVD 1.5 Flat, which has a deeper bill and runs about 8 feet or more on 10-pound line.
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St. Croix Report
Multiple catches of double-digit bass don’t happen by accident. Putting in the hours casting where giants live is the first step, but having the right equipment also helps. Just ask 41-year-old Alex Niapas of Boulder Creek, California.
Niapas has fished the lakes and impoundments of North-Central California’s Delta Region and Sierra Nevada foothills for nearly 30 years.
A St. Croix pro-staffer and tournament angler, the techniques, presentations, and gear Niapas employs are purposefully deployed to target the biggest bass that swim – spotted bass that can exceed ten pounds, and largemouth that have been known to grow over 20 by foraging on the abundant trout that thrive in California’s clear, deep lakes and reservoirs. His lures of choice are huge, trout-imitating swimbaits whenever forage and bass are shallow, and large, heavy jig combinations when fish are driven deep.
Earlier this month on December 3, when Niapas caught and released a 14-pound-eight-ounce largemouth from one of his favorite lakes, the fish were shallow.
“I made a last-minute decision to drive up to New Melones Lake where I’ve had pretty good success before,” says Niapas, showing his humility. The truth is, the soft-spoken angler who carries a big stick has caught numerous double-digit bass at New Melones over the years, including a 15-12 during a tournament in February of 2015 and a 17-14 in March of 2013. And he’s caught many more on other California lakes as well.