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No. 5 - Kevin Vandam
Hometown: Kalamazoo, Michigan
Born: Kalamazoo, Michigan
Birthday: 10/14/1967
Family: (Wife) Sherry; (Children) Jackson, Nicholas
Hobbies: Deer hunting
Favorite Food: Steak, steak and steak …
Favorite Music: Hard Rock ("Metallica, the best band in rock-and-roll history.")
Favorite Book/Movie: Red Dawn (movie)
Why He Fishes: "I absolutely love it. I'm fascinated by all of it."
Hometown: Kalamazoo, Michigan
Born: Kalamazoo, Michigan
Birthday: 10/14/1967
Family: (Wife) Sherry; (Children) Jackson, Nicholas
Hobbies: Deer hunting
Favorite Food: Steak, steak and steak …
Favorite Music: Hard Rock ("Metallica, the best band in rock-and-roll history.")
Favorite Book/Movie: Red Dawn (movie)
Why He Fishes: "I absolutely love it. I'm fascinated by all of it."
Career Stats
Scorecard:
BMC titles: 1
BMCs fished: 14
FLW Championships Fished: 3
BASS Titles: 8
2ND Place BASS Finishes: 5
Top 10 BASS Finishes: 55
FLW Top 10 Finishes: 7
BASS Times in money: 129
BASS Total Entries: 164
BASS Total Weight: 5,318-10
BASS Career Winnings: $1,568,808.40
Former Job: Boat and tackle salesman, D&R Sports Center, Kalamazoo, Mich.
Turned Pro: September 1990
Career Earnings: Over $1,778,000
Titles/Honors:
BASS AOY 1992
BASS AOY 1996
BASS AOY 1999
2001 FLW AOY
2002 ESPY Awards winner
2004 BASS Elite 50 Points Champion
Timeline:
1985: Michigan BASS Federation AOY runner-up
1985-89: Michigan BASS Federation AOY
1988: First BASS tournament, the Arkansas Invitational
2001: FLW AOY
2002: Wins ESPY Award
2004: BASS Elite 50 Points Champion
Defining Moment:
Winning the BMC after the title eluded him in 11 tries. Media pigeonholed him as "the best pro in the sport to have never won a world title." VanDam quote: "Except for when my kids were born, this is probably the happiest day of my life." Claim To Fame:
Winning the BASS AOY title at the age of 24 (the youngest angler to win it) and in only his second full year on the tour. Some sources quote him as winning the title in his "first" year on the tour in 1990, however he missed three events that season. Mentor:
His brother Randy, and his father Strengths:
Power fishing. Rick Clunn might be the patriarch but KVD took it to another level (or speed). Nuggets:
VanDam's father introduced his three sons to fishing at an early age (5 years old in Kevin's case) and it was older brother Randy who first established himself as one of Michigan's best tournament fishermen.
Randy, who urged Kevin to fish his first tournament at the age of 13 (the duo finished second), employed him in his D&R Sports Center in Kalamazoo … While working there, Kevin became totally immersed in bass fishing, able to try new lures while meeting his "heroes" who came by for seminars at the store.
Among those pros was Larry Nixon, who held a seminar there in 1987. One of the employees took the wiry youngster to Nixon, introduced them and announced that Kevin would soon dethrone the veteran pro.
He credits Bassmaster for helping him gain his initial knowledge because the lakes in Michigan are one-dimensional when compared to the tidal, riverine and other reservoirs elsewhere in the nation. "I have to credit Bassmaster for a lot of my knowledge," he recalled in the 1992 BASS Classic Report. "We have one reservoir in the state … I've filed articles on a particular lake or system for future reference."
Ironically, VanDam found himself locked in a battle for his first AOY title with his top idol, Rick Clunn … recalled Clunn: "I've been so fascinated watching Kevin. This is not meant as criticism at all, but he doesn't have the experience that the top 50 guys have. He doesn't have the ability that the top 20 guys have. He can't at his age. It's impossible. So how is he doing this? It has to be mental. I'm eager to sit and talk to him, to see if he has any conscious methodology or conscious technique …"
He won the title with 358-12 compared to the 344-8 of Clunn.
VanDam, a 1985 graduate of Otesgo High School, was honored as the 2003 Outstanding Alumnus. He was introduced at the High School Honors Night by retired high school biology teacher Gary Rhoades. "As a baseball coach, I remember encouraging Kevin to go out for baseball his freshman year, because he was an excellent athlete. His reply was, 'It would cut into my fishing time.' I teased him and said something to the effect, 'You'll never make any money fishing!' Boy, was I wrong!"
He is an organization freak: "I am fanatical about tackle organization and prepping for a tournament," says VanDam. "I work very hard on organizing my equipment. I want access to my tackle immediately. If I suddenly need a ¼-ounce spinnerbait with chartreuse blades, I do not want to have to dig around for it. If needed, I can put on a spare trolling motor in less than four minutes. I am not boasting about my mechanical abilities, I am simply pointing out how small edges in preparation can translate into major advantages on tournament day."
Before joining the BASS circuit full time, VanDam fished single tournaments in 1987-90 and cashed a check in two of those four events …
After winning the BMC he was made an honorary Kentucky Colonel, received a Certificate of Special Tribute from the governor of Michigan …
Jackson and Nicholas were born 2/22/1997 and were 15 weeks premature. They spent 13 weeks in the hospital during which Kevin was fishing tournaments … this was a very stressful time for Kevin and Sherry.
Sherry and Kevin double-dated with their best friends … Kevin's best friend set him up with Sherry, who happened to be best friends with his buddy's girlfriend.
Kevin is a HUGE hockey fan. His first date with Sherry was a Kalamazoo Wings game.
Kevin won the Michigan BASS Federation AOY title at the age of 17 … He won it again in 1986, 1987 and 1989. He was runner-up in 1985 (his first season as a Federation angler). This means he was either the winner or runner-up in the AOY contest for four of his first five years.
Influential People:
Rick Clunn: "I learned the basics of power fishing from him and it's my best style of fishing." Denny Brauer: "He taught me to find a happy medium between the virtues of specialization versus versatility." Larry Nixon and Tommy Martin: "The ultimate worm and soft plastic guys in the sport." Guido Hibdon: "He's a great man and I value his advice when I was just getting started. He more or less took me beneath his wing." Complete BASS statistics
BMC titles: 1
BMCs fished: 14
FLW Championships Fished: 3
BASS Titles: 8
2ND Place BASS Finishes: 5
Top 10 BASS Finishes: 55
FLW Top 10 Finishes: 7
BASS Times in money: 129
BASS Total Entries: 164
BASS Total Weight: 5,318-10
BASS Career Winnings: $1,568,808.40
Former Job: Boat and tackle salesman, D&R Sports Center, Kalamazoo, Mich.
Turned Pro: September 1990
Career Earnings: Over $1,778,000
Titles/Honors:
1985: Michigan BASS Federation AOY runner-up
1985-89: Michigan BASS Federation AOY
1988: First BASS tournament, the Arkansas Invitational
2001: FLW AOY
2002: Wins ESPY Award
2004: BASS Elite 50 Points Champion
Defining Moment:
Winning the BMC after the title eluded him in 11 tries. Media pigeonholed him as "the best pro in the sport to have never won a world title." VanDam quote: "Except for when my kids were born, this is probably the happiest day of my life." Claim To Fame:
Winning the BASS AOY title at the age of 24 (the youngest angler to win it) and in only his second full year on the tour. Some sources quote him as winning the title in his "first" year on the tour in 1990, however he missed three events that season. Mentor:
His brother Randy, and his father Strengths:
Power fishing. Rick Clunn might be the patriarch but KVD took it to another level (or speed). Nuggets:
Rick Clunn: "I learned the basics of power fishing from him and it's my best style of fishing." Denny Brauer: "He taught me to find a happy medium between the virtues of specialization versus versatility." Larry Nixon and Tommy Martin: "The ultimate worm and soft plastic guys in the sport." Guido Hibdon: "He's a great man and I value his advice when I was just getting started. He more or less took me beneath his wing." Complete BASS statistics
