News
How to beat yo-yoing water levels
May 17, 2013 – by Kevin VanDam
Tags: blog, pre spawn, spawn, spring fishing, tips
This spring season has been one of yo-yoing water levels, a factor that’s been most challenging for touring pros. Under normal circumstances, we all know that bass move up with the rising water and drop back with falling water. But lately we’ve faced constantly changing conditions that include radical rises and falls along with fast current one day, slow …Read more »Evers overtakes Chapman in Alabama River Charge
May 13, 2013
Tags: 2013, alabama river charge, elite series
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — “Man, you’ve got me,” Brent Chapman said to Edwin Evers. Evers was already in Sunday’s final-round hot seat of the Alabama River Charge presented by Star brite. Chapman, the leader for the two previous days, was the last of the 12 finalists to weigh in. He climbed the stage steps already knowing it was over for …Read more »Chapman rides rapids for lead
May 10, 2013
Tags: 2013, alabama river charge, elite series
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alton Jones and Brent Chapman stood side-by-side. They were the first two Bassmaster Elite Series pros in line to weigh in Friday, the second day of the Alabama River Charge presented by Star brite. Jones sized up Chapman’s weigh-in bag. “I'll go first,” Jones told Chapman. “I want to lead for at least one minute.” Jones …Read more »It’s topwater time
May 10, 2013 – by Kevin VanDam
Tags: blog, patterns, tips, topwater
If you followed last week’s West Point Lake Battle, you noticed topwater lures got a lot of play. That’s because West Point set up perfect for the surface lure bite. In addition to it being a tough tournament, we were at the end of the bass spawn: males were guarding fry, we had a shad spawn going on early …Read more »So you want to win AOY?
May 10, 2013 – by Ken Duke
Tags: angler of the year, tips
I usually figure there are two ways to answer any question: a short way and a long way. I’ve always preferred the long way (though I’m not paid by the word), but in the interest of almost equal time, I’m going to offer the short answer here in addition to the long one. First, the question: How do you …Read more »Alabama: Spot-on
May 10, 2013
Tags: 2013, alabama river charge, elite series
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Bassmaster Elite Series pros could have given themselves sore throats Thursday if they’d hollered every time they hooked into an Alabama River spotted bass. Among them was John Murray. Spot-on his game, the pro from Phoenix, Ariz., brought in five spotted bass that weighed 18 pounds, 9 ounces. It was enough for the first-day lead by …Read more »Singing in the rain
May 04, 2013
Tags: 2013, elite series, west point lake
LAGRANGE, Ga. — Saturday was a rainy day in Georgia, but Tommy Biffle was not singing the blues about the West Point Lake Battle. He managed to fill a five-fish limit after falling one bass short on both Day One and Day Two of the Battle. Biffle of Wagoner, Okla., seized the third-day lead in the four-day Bassmaster Elite …Read more »West Point: Another learning experience
May 03, 2013 – by Kevin VanDam
Tags: 2013, blog, elite series, west point, west point lake battle
There’s a big difference between the West Point Lake we fished two years ago and the one we’re fishing today. It’s tough out there; really tough. While 15 pounds may be leading after the Day One, nearly every man in the field still has a chance to make the Top 12. I caught 8 pounds, 3 ounces and was …Read more »Cover water with swimbaits and soft stickbaits
May 03, 2013 – by Kevin VanDam
Tags: blog, caffeine shad, fishing tips, shad, stickbaits, swimbaits, tips
We all know that if the water is dirty, the fish are going to be shallow, so flipping, cranking and spinnerbaits come into play. But this is the time of year we start encountering clear water, and swimbaits work into my strategy. They allow me to cover water but yet I can fish a little slower, keep the bait …Read more »How KVD Chooses Crankbait Colors
May 01, 2013 – by Alan McGuckin
Tags: crankbait, crankbaits, fishing tips, strike king, tips
If you think Sexy Shad is Kevin VanDam’s favorite crankbait color, you’d be right … but only a third of the time. “Sexy Shad is awfully good in a lot of situations, but I only choose it about 30-percent of the time, based on its fit for the conditions,” says VanDam. He defines crankbait conditions, and subsequently his color …Read more »
