By Louie Stout

Kevin VanDam

Leave it to Kevin VanDam to leave an exclamation point in the last tournament of his amazing pro career.

As you may recall, KVD retired at the end of the last Pro Bass Tour season. However, his 2023 season qualified him for the Redcrest, the Pro Bass Tour’s (PBT) season championship, and the Heavy Hitters Tournament.

The Heavy Hitters Tournament held last week on Lake Kissimmee in Florida is a stand-alone event that attracts the top 30 PBT big bass catchers from the previous season.

It was KVD’s career finale.

He didn’t win the tournament, but he finished fourth and won $100,000 for catching the biggest bass in the tournament, a 7-12 largemouth.

His fourth-place finish, combined with the big bass prize, won him $118,000 which was more than tournament winner Jordan Lee, who won $100,000.

That concludes KVD’s 33-year career tournament winnings in both Bassmaster and PBT events at $7,216,370. Those include 29 tournament victories, 122 top 10 finishes, four Bassmaster Classic wins and eight Angler of Year titles.

While his tournament career has ended, VanDam will launch a new career, hosting his own television show, “The VanDam Experience,” on the Outdoor Channel this winter.