Tournament News Powered By Lake Drive Marine
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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.
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By Louie Stout
A St. Johns, Ind. man faces several charges related to an alledged cheating incident during an Illinois bass tournament.
According to a story published in the Chicago Sun-Times, David Moore was charged by Illinois Conservation officers with attempting to commit theft, possession over the daily limit of three smallmouth bass, failure to immediately release smallmouth bass unharmed, taking and possession of smallmouth bass resulting in wanton waste, throwing fishing wire on bank waters, and importing Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia (VHS)-susceptible species into Illinois without a permit.
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LMBT Report
John Gipson and Ken Holder - 1st Place
John Gipson and Ken Holder teamed up to win the Little Money Bass Tournament last weekend on Lake Tippecanoe.
Gipson and Holder had 15 pounds, 10 ounces caught on Senkos and jigs.
Mark Lester and Ruben Leon - 2nd Place
Second place went to Mark Lester and Ruben Leon with 15-1. They also won the big bass pot with a 4.50-pound bass.
Dave Dowden and Don Miles - 3rd Place
Dave Dowden and Don Miles were third with 14-2. They used Senkos and worms.
The next tournament is June 8th at Paw Paw Lake. For details, visit the Lake Drive Marine Events Calendar on this website.
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Big Bass Chasers Report
Jeff Showalter - 1st Place
Jeff Showalter fished alone to win the Big Bass Chasers at Hamilton Lake May 11.
Hamilton had 17.33 pounds caught on jigs.
John Freed was second with 12.39 pounds. He used bladed jigs.
Gary Chew and Chad Fruchey were third with 11.33 pounds. They caught their fish on swimbaits and worms.
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By Al McGuckin
Kevin VanDam
It was a 19-hour drive in his Toyota Tundra from Kalamazoo to the highly familiar waters of Florida’s Kissimmee Chain, but Kevin VanDam is feeling very much at home this week as he takes a tiny break from his pro tournament retirement to sit in second place after Day 2 of the MLF General Tire Heavy Hitters event, a special stand-alone event he qualified for last season.
“I’ve probably competed in about 30 events in Florida throughout my pro career. I’ve always enjoyed this state because the lakes are expansive and full of so much vegetation,” says VanDam.
He actually notched one of his 29 mind-boggling career victories on Kissimmee’s Lake Toho in March of 2008 by ripping a Red Eye Shad from the submerged vegetation he treasures, and the submerged salad was certainly in play during Sunday’s opening round of competition when a Strike King Thunder Cricket vibrating jig helped him land 13 bass totaling 40 pounds to sit second behind Jordan Lee.