Kevin Van Dam

Hot Pursuit

July 14, 2007 – espnoutdoors.com

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. — Steve Kennedy had pulled his boat behind that of Timmy Horton, who after two days of the Champion’s Choice presented by Toyota Tundra had opened a lead of 6 pounds, 10 ounces on second-place Kennedy. Horton was giving an interview that was being broadcast over the loudspeaker, and when he said something about having caught his Day One limit on five casts, Kennedy began to laugh.

“Twenty-one pounds on five casts!” he said. “We’re in trouble. We’re so in trouble.”

That has been the consensus among the Bassmaster Elite Series anglers since about 3:10 Friday afternoon, when Horton was among the first across the scales. He caught his tournament-high 24-12 bag early and took his time getting back, to insure against boat breakdowns. (So early was he, in fact, that he took a little detour along the way to fish for smallmouth bass, a regional treat for the Alabama angler.)

MR. KENNEDY TO THE LEAD IN NEW YORK

July 13, 2007 – basszone.com

Plattsburgh, NY – The wind and rain filled practice which greeted the Elite Series competitors was thought to be a prelude to tournament conditions. However, as day one dawned on expansive Lake Champlain, the anglers were met with a slight cold front bringing blue bird skies and calm water.

Lake Champlain is knows for numbers, and numbers were produced. After all was said and done, 103 of the 108 competitors toted limits to the scales and it took nearly a three pound average just to crack the top 50. What seemed to be shaping up to be a smallmouth bonanza turned out to be a largemouth extravaganza, as four out of the top five anglers brought in green fish.

Steve Kennedy broke out of his funk with a tournament leading limit of 21-6. Working through bait-destroying northern pike, the Alabama pro found quality bites and anchored his sack with a 5-5 largemouth.

A DECISION LOOMING ON DAY ONE

July 11, 2007 – basszone.com

Lake Champlain kicks off the New York Swing for the Bassmaster Elite Series. With 435 square miles of surface area, Champlain holds incredible numbers of both largemouth and smallmouth bass.

In 2006, when the Elite Series visited Lake Champlain, high water conditions were conducive to flipping and pitching and Denny Brauer weighed in 80.3 pounds for nearly an eight pound margin of victory over Brent Chapman. Currently, the water level is sitting at 96.15 feet, which is considered slightly above average for this time of year and a full three feet lower than during the 2006 Elite Series stop.

The big question is whether the winning weight will consist of smallmouth or largemouth. In 2006, Kevin Van Dam was the only competitor to reach the final day relying on the smallmouth bite. This year, the largemouth bite could be the key again because the post spawn smallmouths appear to be scattered.

Popping open a different Champlain

July 11, 2007 – espnoutdoors.com

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. — A markedly different Lake Champlain — water levels are around three feet lower than they were for the Elite Series event in 2006 — greeted anglers this week in upstate New York, but the famed fishery has most remarking that the same stellar bass catching seen last year will show when weights start coming in tomorrow at 3 p.m. ET.

What many do predict, however is how those weights will be distributed among the fishery’s population of largemouth and smallmouth bass.

THE NEXT THREE WITH KVD

July 9, 2007 – basszone.com

The first half of the 2007 Bassmaster Elite Series tour is in the bag. Now it’s time to turn north to cooler climates and waters made legendary by big waves and big ‘Bronzebacks’.

Who better to tell us what to expect than Michigan native and current Toyota Tundra Angler of the Year points leader Kevin VanDam?

VanDam was kind enough to take time during a brief break at home over the 4th of July Holiday to provide insight to three big lakes that are sure to test the endurance of both angler and equipment.