Kevin VanDam Claims Fourth Angler of the Year

He didn’t realize how difficult a Bassmaster Elite Series season with two victories could be, but Friday, Elite pro Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich., put the ups and downs behind him as he was named the 2008 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year. VanDam endured a seasonlong fight with Todd Faircloth of Jasper, Texas, but overtook Faircloth on Day 2 of the Champion’s Choice presented by Ramada Worldwide on Oneida Lake to claim his fourth Bassmaster Angler of the Year award.

To claim the title and the $250,000 top prize, VanDam, 40, had to overcome several discouraging finishes in the 11-event Bassmaster Elite Series season. Despite being the only pro with two wins on the circuit this year, he came perilously close to losing out on the AOY title.

Going into the season finale here on Oneida Lake, VanDam had five top-10 finishes and made the top-50 cut in all but one tournament, the Battle on the Border at Texas’ Lake Amistad, where he finished 56th.

VanDam started the year with a third-place showing at the 2008 Bassmaster Classic, which doesn’t count toward the Angler of the Year standings. He opened the regular season with a decent 31st-place finish at the March 6-9 Sunshine Showdown at the Harris Chain of Lakes out of Leesburg, Fla., but followed that up with his first victory of 2008, in the Citrus Slam on the Kissimmee Chain out of Lake Wales, Fla.

“I have to thank my family and my sponsors,” VanDam said from the BASS weigh-in stage where he accepted his trophy Friday from Tom Ricks, Vice President and General Manager, BASS. “And BASS has done a really phenomenal job to give us a platform like the Elite Series, to go out here and follow our dreams.

“There are a lot of young, aspiring anglers here, the Junior World Championship is going to go this weekend. Those kids want to be up here, they want to do this, this is the top level of professional bass fishing, and BASS has made it this way, and ESPN. I am just so excited to be here.”

The AOY points lead ping-ponged among VanDam, Faircloth and Mike McClelland of Bella Vista, Ark., who won the season opener. The chase eventually was narrowed to Faircloth and VanDam as Faircloth remained consistent throughout the season and VanDam claimed a second victory, this time at the Bluegrass Brawl on Kentucky Lake out of Gilbertsville, Ky.

“It really hasn’t sunk in yet, I can’t believe it,” VanDam said Friday after raising his fourth Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year trophy. “I knew this week would be critical and Todd has not had a bad tournament all year. For both of us to stumble yesterday, I was really disappointed. I thought I’d blown it, but I knew I had a second chance, I knew I had to make it happen. It’s a relief.”

Faircloth fought VanDam to the end, winning the Battle on the Border – ironically the one event in which VanDam stumbled out of the top 50 – but VanDam’s legendary determination and competitiveness gave him the edge.

“I found some deep fish during practice, I really wish I wouldn’t have even found them. It really messed with my head throughout this tournament,” said Faircloth, whose second-place finish in the AOY points was the best effort of his career. “That’s fishing. You can’t bank on anything.

“This would’ve been a really big deal for me in my career. The Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year title is a good deal to have on your resume. I was real close, and wish the outcome would’ve been a little bit different. But I had a really good year, I don’t have anything to hang my head about.”

A full list of the finalized standings will be available after the Champion’s Choice presented by Ramada Worldwide ends Sunday.

KVD Clinches AOY

He didn’t realize how difficult a Bassmaster Elite Series season with two victories could be, but Friday, Elite pro Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich., put the ups and downs behind him as he was named the 2008 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year. VanDam endured a seasonlong fight with Todd Faircloth of Jasper, Texas, but overtook Faircloth on Day 2 of the Champion’s Choice presented by Ramada Worldwide on Oneida Lake to claim his fourth Bassmaster Angler of the Year award.

To claim the title and the $250,000 top prize, VanDam, 40, had to overcome several discouraging finishes in the 11-event Bassmaster Elite Series season. Despite being the only pro with two wins on the circuit this year, he came perilously close to losing out on the AOY title.

Going into the season finale here on Oneida Lake, VanDam had five top-10 finishes and made the top-50 cut in all but one tournament, the Battle on the Border at Texas’ Lake Amistad, where he finished 56th.

VanDam started the year with a third-place showing at the 2008 Bassmaster Classic, which doesn’t count toward the Angler of the Year standings. He opened the regular season with a decent 31st-place finish at the March 6-9 Sunshine Showdown at the Harris Chain of Lakes out of Leesburg, Fla., but followed that up with his first victory of 2008, in the Citrus Slam on the Kissimmee Chain out of Lake Wales, Fla.

“I have to thank my family and my sponsors,” VanDam said from the BASS weigh-in stage where he accepted his trophy Friday from Tom Ricks, Vice President and General Manager, BASS. “And BASS has done a really phenomenal job to give us a platform like the Elite Series, to go out here and follow our dreams.

“There are a lot of young, aspiring anglers here, the Junior World Championship is going to go this weekend. Those kids want to be up here, they want to do this, this is the top level of professional bass fishing, and BASS has made it this way, and ESPN. I am just so excited to be here.”

The AOY points lead ping-ponged among VanDam, Faircloth and Mike McClelland of Bella Vista, Ark., who won the season opener. The chase eventually was narrowed to Faircloth and VanDam as Faircloth remained consistent throughout the season and VanDam claimed a second victory, this time at the Bluegrass Brawl on Kentucky Lake out of Gilbertsville, Ky.

“It really hasn’t sunk in yet, I can’t believe it,” VanDam said Friday after raising his fourth Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year trophy. “I knew this week would be critical and Todd has not had a bad tournament all year. For both of us to stumble yesterday, I was really disappointed. I thought I’d blown it, but I knew I had a second chance, I knew I had to make it happen. It’s a relief.”

Faircloth fought VanDam to the end, winning the Battle on the Border – ironically the one event in which VanDam stumbled out of the top 50 – but VanDam’s legendary determination and competitiveness gave him the edge.

“I found some deep fish during practice, I really wish I wouldn’t have even found them. It really messed with my head throughout this tournament,” said Faircloth, whose second-place finish in the AOY points was the best effort of his career. “That’s fishing. You can’t bank on anything.

“This would’ve been a really big deal for me in my career. The Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year title is a good deal to have on your resume. I was real close, and wish the outcome would’ve been a little bit different. But I had a really good year, I don’t have anything to hang my head about.”

A full list of the finalized standings will be available after the Champion’s Choice presented by Ramada Worldwide ends Sunday.

KVD Holds Kentucky Lake Lead

Continuing his domination of fisheries in the Tennessee River Chain, three-time Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich., extended his lead to nearly 3 pounds Friday with a two-day total of 46 pounds, 6 ounces, at the Bluegrass Brawl presented by DieHard® Platinum Marine Batteries. His nearest competitor, four-time Bassmaster Classic champion Rick Clunn, weighed 24 pounds, 0 ounces, to build his two-day total to 43 pounds, 12 ounces.

Admittedly disappointed last week after missing out on an Elite Series victory by just 8 ounces to West Virginia’s Jeremy Starks on Alabama’s Wheeler Lake, another fishery in the Tennessee River chain, VanDam is back for redemption this week.

In addition to his top position in the Elite event, VanDam continues to work towards his ultimate goal, scoring his fourth Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year title. If VanDam continues to hold, he could take the top position in the race after this event as previous AOY leader Todd Faircloth is in a respectable 21st but will lose significant ground with VanDam’s success. Mike McClelland, who was in fourth in the AOY standing heading into the event, is third at Kentucky while Skeet Reese, the reigning AOY who is third in the standings, was 14th.

The top performer in the season-long AOY points race will take home $250,000. The standings also will determine the brunt of the 2009 Bassmaster Classic qualifiers. The Classic is set for Feb. 20-22 out of Shreveport, La., on the Red River.

A victory would earn VanDam, 39, $100,000 and push his career BASS earnings to nearly $3 million. It would also mark his 13th BASS victory and his fourth in Elite Series competition, the most for any angler since the format was created in 2006.

Fishing fans can catch all of the action on The Bassmasters on Saturday, June 21 at 9 a.m. ET on ESPN2. As always, live, streaming video of the daily weigh-ins and real-time leaderboards can be accessed on http://www.Bassmaster.com.

“I’ve got a few places I’m trying to save,” said VanDam. “Tomorrow [Saturday] should be interesting. There are a few other tournaments scheduled and I just hope that it doesn’t get too crowded out there.”

Despite missing two big fish early in his competition day, VanDam, also a two-time Bassmaster Classic champion, was happy with his day. He started the day with a target of catching more than 20 pounds and satisfied his goal, catching 21 pounds, 9 ounces, upgrading his weight throughout the day.

He continued to throw a variety of baits in his typical run-and-gun style, moving from spot to spot in efficient fashion. His primary lure, a Strike King sexy shad, remained effective Friday and he will continue to utilize it throughout the tournament.

“A lot of guys have found the productive areas,” said VanDam. “But you have to fish the areas right to really catch them. Your bait has to hit at the right angle and your presentation is absolutely key here.”

Clunn is perhaps the only angler in the Elite field to have more credentials than VanDam. Though the 61-year-old is in the later stages of his career, Clunn, a 14-time BASS winner, proved he could still capitalize on a solid crankbait bite.

In addition to his four Classic titles, Clunn has 14 BASS victories, 31 Classic appearances and has earned nearly $2 million in BASS career earnings.

His 24-pound, 0-ounce, limit included the Purolator Big Bass of the Day, a 7-pound, 2-ounce lunker. He upgraded throughout the day, primarily throwing a crankbait, switching to a jig when the bite slowed.

“I’m trying to stay away from all of the boat traffic,” said Clunn of the considerable boats on spacious Kentucky Lake. “I feel that is the only way to win this tournament.”

McClelland, who dropped one place to third, had 39 pounds, 7 ounces. In fourth was Bradley Hallman of Norman, Okla., with 39 pounds, 7 ounces and fifth was Paul Elias of Laurel, Miss., with 37 pounds, 4 ounces.

Elias received a bit of good news Friday. The BASS all-time four-day heavyweight record holder was awarded 1 pound of weight to his two-day total after being incorrectly penalized the amount on Thursday. Elias brought six fish to the weigh-in Thursday and per BASS rules wasn’t allowed to weigh his largest fish. But BASS officials incorrectly assessed Elias an additional 1-pound penalty.

Other notable finishes include 2008 Bassmaster Classic champion Alton Jones of Mineola, Texas (18th), Elite rookie Clark Reehm of Russellville, Ark., (34th) and Bryan Hudgins of Orange Park, Fla., (41st), who finished in the cut for the eighth consecutive time in 2008. Only the top-50 anglers will fish Saturday with the top 12 moving on to Sunday, the final day of competition. 2006 Kentucky Lake Elite champion Morizo Shimizu of Japan missed the cut, finishing 55th.

In the co-angler division, Matt Hoffman of Highland Heights, Ky., held off some hard-charging competitors in the chase for the $25,000 top prize bringing his two-day total to 31 pounds, 9 ounces. Indiana’s Jason Seaton moved to second with 31 pounds, 4 ounces and Texan Michael Bass was third with 30 pounds, 7 ounces. The co-angler competition ends Saturday.

Straddling the Kentucky-Tennessee border, Kentucky Lake is 185 miles in length, with 160,000 surface acres and 2,380 miles of shoreline. Barkley, a navigable canal, adds another 80,000 surface acres. The Bassmaster Elite Series made its last stop at Kentucky Lake in June 2006, when the top seven pros caught more than 60 pounds through four days. Winner Morizo Shimizu of Japan weighed in 66 pounds, 9 ounces.

Daily weigh-ins and launches at the Bluegrass Brawl will take place at Kentucky Dam Marina, 1300 Administration Drive. Launches Thursday-Sunday begin at 8 a.m. CT and weigh-ins begin at 5 p.m.

Activities at the Bluegrass Brawl include a musical performance Saturday and Sunday afternoon by country artists Nashville Songwriters. There will be a Berkley Beginner fishing class at 3:30 p.m. and a “Boat Performance with Skeeter” class daily at 4 p.m. both days, as well as Skeeter boat demo rides from noon to 2 p.m.

On Saturday, fans can talk to the Elite pros during “Ask the Experts” at Bassmaster University, set for 4:30 p.m. at the weigh-in site.

Sunday’s activities include the live taping at 4:30 p.m. CT of Hooked Up, hosted by BASS emcee Keith Alan, ESPN Outdoors personalities Tommy Sanders and Mark Zona. The show, which airs on Bassmaster.com, will preview the final weigh-in. Live, streaming video of the daily weigh-ins begins at 5 p.m. ET on Bassmaster.com.

For more information, contact BASS Communications at (407) 566-2208 or visit Bassmaster.com. Visit ESPNMediaZone.com for ESPN’s latest releases, schedules and other news, plus photos, video, audio clips and more.

The local sponsor of the Bluegrass Brawl is the Kentucky Sports Authority.

Sponsors of the Bassmaster Elite Series include Toyota Tundra, Advance Auto Parts, Berkley, Lowrance, Mercury, Purolator, Skeeter, Yamaha, Evan Williams Bourbon, Longhorn, OPTIMA Batteries, Triton Boats, Costa Del Mar, MotorGuide and Ramada Worldwide.

Location and Field
Bluegrass Brawl presented by DieHard Platinum Marine Batteries®
Kentucky Lake
Gilbertsville, Ky.
June 12-15, 2008

Field
107 pros, 107 co-anglers
Cut to top-50 pros and co-anglers after Day 2
Cut to top 12 pro anglers after Day 3

Launch/Weigh-in
Kentucky Dam Marina
1300 Administration Drive
Gilbertsville, Ky.
8 a.m./ 5 p.m. CT

2008 Bassmaster Elite Series Event Tournament Locations/Dates

March 6-9 Sunshine Showdown Harris Chain of Lakes Leesburg, Fla.
March 13-16 Citrus Slam Kissimmee Chain Lake Wales, Fla.

April 3-6 Lone Star Shootout Falcon Lake Zapata, Texas

April 10-13 Battle on the Border Lake Amistad Del Rio, Texas

May 1-4 Pride of Georgia Clarks Hill Lake Evans, Ga.

May 15-18 Carolina Clash Lake Murray Columbia, S.C.

June 5-8 Southern Challenge Wheeler Lake Decatur, Ala.

June 12-15 Bluegrass Brawl Kentucky Lake Gilbertsville, Ky.

June 26-29 Tennessee Triumph Old Hickory Lake Hendersonville, Tenn.

July 31- Aug. 3 Empire Chase Lake Erie/Niagara River Buffalo, N.Y.

Aug. 7-10 Champion’s Choice Oneida Lake Syracuse, N.Y

About BASS

For 40 years, BASS has served as the authority on bass fishing. With its considerable multi-media platforms and expansive tournament trail, BASS is guided by its mission to serve all fishing fans. Through its industry leading publications Bassmaster Magazine, BASS Times and Fishing Tackle Retailer and comprehensive web properties in Bassmaster.com and ESPNOutdoors.com, the organization is committed to delivering content true to the lifestyle. Additionally, television programming on ESPN2 continues to provide relevant content from tips and techniques to in-depth tournament coverage to passionate audiences.

The organization oversees the prestigious Bassmaster tournament trail which includes the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bassmaster Opens, Women’s Bassmaster Tour and the Bassmaster Classic, the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing. Through its grassroots network, the BASS Federation Nation, BASS sanctions more than 20,000 events annually.

BASS also offers an array of services to its more than 525,000 members while spearheading progressive, positive change on issues related to conservation and water access. The organization is headquartered in Celebration, Fla.