May 26, 2008
The Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year title is bass fishing's toughest to attain. Amazingly, Kevin VanDam has won it three times. Winning it indicates supreme consistency that begins in a chilly March, and ends in a sweltering August. It's achieved only through unmatched abilities to find and catch bass better than a hundred of the best bass anglers on the planet through a mentally and physically grinding 11-event schedule.
Yet halfway into the 2008 season, while the title is within reach, by no means is it firmly in KVD's grasp. He recently shared his thoughts mid-way through his campaign to make the title his for the fourth time.
Q: Which 2008 Elite Series event would you most like the chance to do over again?
KVD: I've got several. Amistad is one I'd like to have back for sure. I kept looking for 'more and different'. I should have just stuck with the good, solid, basic pattern I started with. In the end, I moved further away from the core pattern and location that would have served me best. I guess you could say I outsmarted myself.
Q: Which 2008 Elite Series event do you feel you executed best in so far, regardless of the final standings?
KVD: I'd say when I won Kissimmee, without a doubt. I never lost a bass, and I made great decisions all week.
Q: Who is the fellow Elite Series angler that has impressed you most this year?
KVD: I'd have to say Todd Faircloth. He's real quiet as an individual, so he sort of snuck up on us in the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year race. Plus, he's already got a win under his belt to compliment that consistency.
Q: What tournament town have you most enjoyed staying at thus far in the 2008 season?
KVD: Clarks Hill was hard to beat because my roommate Davy Hite and I stayed in a lake house that one of Davy's buddies owns. We were able to cookout on the grill and just really feel at home.
Q: What's been the best lure in your tackle box this year?
KVD: Strike King's Red Eye Shad. I won the Kissimmee event with that lure, and it was my best lure at Clarks Hill when I finished 4th.
Q: What do you find yourself listening to most these days when riding down the highway in your Tundra?
KVD: I love ESPN News on Sirius®. I love sports in general, but I really enjoy being able to stay in touch with what the Redwings, Tigers and Pistons are up to. Plus, I've formed a friendship with NASCAR driver Ryan Newman through his love of fishing and it's fun to hear what he and Martin Truex are doing on the track.
