Kevin VanDam on 12 Months of Successful Bass Fishing
Day 3: Kevin VanDam Says to Use Your Body’s Metabolism and Don’t Be Afraid of Change
Editor’s Note: Kevin VanDam tells us the five things that have made him so successful in tournament bass fishing, especially during the 12 months of 2010 and 2011 in which he won the Bassmasters Classic Championship and the Angler-of-the-Year title on the BASS circuit.
  Kevin VanDam shares that another reason he’s been as successful as he’s been may be due to his body metabolism. “I don’t know. Perhaps part of the reason I’m successful has to do with my body metabolism. I’m definitely not a couch potato. I don’t like to sit around, and I don’t like to loaf. And, one of my faults is that I’m not very patient. My style of fishing is run and gun. I cover a lot of water, I like fast-moving baits, and I like to produce a lot of casts in a day.
“However, there have definitely been some times in tournaments when after the tournament’s over, I’ve realized I’ve fished too fast or left an area or a pattern too quickly. And the pattern or the area I’ve left may have been the place or the technique that will have won the tournament. However, I realize that hindsight is always 20/20. When I’m on the water, I believe that the best way for me to fish is to trust my instincts.
“At the Bassmasters Classic in February, 2010, I stayed in the same area for 3 days and didn’t throttle-down and run from one end of the lake to the other. Finally, I think I have enough experience to know when to stay put as well as when to run and gun. Fifteen years ago, I wouldn’t have fished 3 days in the same spot. Instead, my right hand would’ve been on the throttle, and my head would’ve been in the wind. Once again, I trusted my instincts. I felt I knew the size and the numbers of bass that particular spot could produce.  And if I just stayed with that spot I had a chance to win.  Now this was a big gamble for me. However, knowing the region as well as I did, I actually felt I was taking a low-risk gamble. I think I’ve put some bridles on Kevin VanDam that he hasn’t had on him before. I’ve finally learned how to hold him instead of folding him. Like the lyrics of the song, ‘The Gambler,’ – ‘You’ve gotta’ know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em.’” To learn more about Kevin VanDam and his fishing, go to www.kevinvandam.com.
 To learn more about how to catch bass successfully, click here, or visit www.amazon.com/kindle-ebooks, and type-in the name of John E. Phillips’ book, “How to Bass Fish Like a Pro” that’s now available from Kindle books and contains information on all aspects of bass fishing across the country from top pros like Denny Brauer, Mark Davis, Mark Rose and others.
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