Kevin VanDam

Unflappable VanDam wins third Classic

February 21, 2010

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — If several hundred spectators hadn’t been there to witness it firsthand, both from the water and from the bank, it would be hard to believe how easily Kevin VanDam won his third Bassmaster Classic crown this week at Alabama’s Lay Lake.

In an era when increasingly specialized electronics and 70-plus mph boats are considered indispensable on the Bassmaster Elite Series, the simple fact is that VanDam probably could have won this tournament out of a jon boat with a 9.9 horsepower outboard.

He mined a large spawning flat in the back of Beeswax Creek for three days and delivered three limits that cumulatively weighed 51 pounds, 6 ounces to outlast Jeff Kriet, Todd Faircloth, Russ Lane and 47 others to take home the trophy to an increasingly crowded mantle.

“Well, this was a challenging week weatherwise. I’ve had a lot of success in Alabama over the years,” VanDam said of his seventh Classic in the state. “It’s always alluded me. I love fishing these lakes.”

VanDam was also appreciative of the fishing-savvy fans in the state, saying the throngs of spectators gave him room to win.

“In 1992, when I won my first AOY, what I remember about Alabama is the fans,” he said. “One of the main reasons I was able to catch what I did was the fans. I was fishing in the back in Beeswax Creek and the fans were very courteous.”

The victory wasn’t wire to wire: VanDam led after Day 1 but trailed Kriet by 2 ounces after the second day of competition. When they launched Sunday morning, he was only a single ounce ahead of Faircloth. All three fished almost exclusively in Beeswax, but VanDam’s fish proved to be the most reliable, plentiful and sizable over the course of three days.

If VanDam’s legacy as the greatest fisherman alive wasn’t already cemented, then this week’s victory adds another weatherproof brick to the wall.

With this victory, he trails only Rick Clunn (four) on the all-time Classic victory list. Only three other anglers, Bobby Murray, Hank Parker and George Cochran, have won more than once.

VanDam also has five Toyota Tundra Angler of the Year awards, including the past two. Furthermore, he’s only in his early 40s and may not have peaked yet, which has to strike fear into the hearts of all of those who have to compete against him for the foreseeable future.

VanDam boated Sunday’s big bag of 19-7 to weather the charge by Kriet, who totaled 46-6. Todd Faircloth finished third with 44-2 while Lane made a major jump in the standings with 18-1 Sunday to take fourth with 43-12.

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