Kevin VanDam

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. — It's arguable whether Kevin VanDam spends more time on the water or in the air these days.

Like most anglers, VanDam is always up for a day on the lake.

What separates the 2001 CITGO BASSMASTERS Classic champion from the pack is his summer schedule for July alone.

Consider:

Pre-fishing for the ESPN Great Outdoor Games in Lake Placid; catching a flight to the 2002 ESPY Awards ceremony in Los Angeles, where he will be a finalist for the Best Outdoors Sports Award; returning to fish the Great Outdoor Games; then spending a week in preparation before defending his Classic title in Birmingham, Ala.

So, how does one of the world's top anglers prepare for what is — so far — the biggest summer of his career?

"I'm not going to have a whole lot of time," VanDam said. "We've got a lot going on with the Classic.

"But the Great Outdoor Games is a little different in the type of fishing it's going to be, so I'm really going to be planning my strategy."

	“	I think any time you're on ESPN, you're doing well. ”
		— Kevin VanDam, who will appear on the TV network three times in three weeks

Even a dominating angler like VanDam will have to be on his toes at the Great Outdoor Games. The field he will face includes the winners of eight CITGO BASSMASTERS Classics and 12 B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year titles.

Three competitors among the 10-angler field will return after medalling at the 2001 competition: Gold-medal winner Peter Thliveros, silver medalist Gary Klein and bronze medalist Clark Wendlandt.

VanDam qualified as the 2001 Classic champion. Newly crowned B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year Davy Hite also was invited, as was the 2001 B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year Mark Davis.

Two B.A.S.S. all-time money leaders Rick Clunn and Larry Nixon will fish, and the world's top amateur fisherman, Ken Christ, was invited after winning the 2002 CITGO B.A.S.S. Federation Championship in Shreveport, La. The final competitor will be determined after a tournament June 19-22.

"We have a very strong field this year," said B.A.S.S. tournament director Trip Weldon, who is organizing the Great Outdoor Games bass fishing event.

"All of these anglers are great fishermen, and it's going to be really exciting to see who comes back with the heaviest five fish."

The format for the Great Outdoor Games is slightly different than the standard bass tournament.

	"The Great Outdoor Games is a little different … so I'm really going to be planning my strategy," VanDam said.

The 10-angler field will be cut to a field of five and all weights will be zeroed after the first day of the two-day competition. The angler who brings in the top second-day weight will bring home the gold.

"Starting new both days puts a little more pressure on the anglers," Weldon said

"Usually, a good first-day weight means you can relax a little bit, but this format is a challenge. They'll have to be smart, skilled and strategic to win."

VanDam expects that most of the competing anglers will be doing the same things to prepare.

"There's a lot that goes into it but then again, it's different at every event," he said. "Bass fishing is not an exact science, so we're constantly learning and getting new information.

"The weather will determine a lot of strategy. I won't really come up with my game plan until I get a practice session on the water."

And even though those practice sessions will be crammed in around his heavy schedule of competitions and speaking engagements, he says appearing at the Great Outdoor Games and other summer events is vital for the expansion of bass fishing.

"There's no question that the Games have showcased tournament fishing to a lot of people that hadn't seen it before," he said.

"A lot of people have seen a fishing show on TV and maybe didn't exactly know what was going on. It just shows an explanation of what we do to a much larger audience than we've gotten before.

"I think any time you're on ESPN, you're doing well," he said, and by that measure, VanDam's doing just fine with three appearances in three weeks.

The ESPY Awards will air July 10 at 9 p.m. on ESPN. The Great Outdoor Games are slated to air on ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC July 20-23. And the CITGO BASSMASTERS Classic will be aired on ESPN2 July 25 and 26 and ESPN on July 27.

The ESPN Great Outdoor Games are free to the public and feature competitions in fishing, sporting dogs, target sports and timber events. Information including schedules and invited athletes can be found at www.greatoutdoorgames.com.