Seeing is believing with forward-facing sonar
“A window into the bass’ world that lets us spy on them in real-time” This year will be my 33rd season of fishing professionally. If someone had told me 33 years ago that in 2023 I’d be putting five Humminbird Solix units, a MEGA Live transducer, a MEGA 360, a Target Lock, an Ultrex Spot-Lock […]
Include Forage in Your Lake Research This Fall
This is the time of year when anglers are planning trips to year-end championships or fall fishing vacations scheduled outside their local element. They will be seeking out help from others, hoping to find hotspots and lure choices. While that may be helpful, knowing the dominate baitfish in the lake you’re about to fish can […]
Upgrading Older Fishing Boats With New Tech | Part 2
In my previous column I went over some ground rules for upgrading older boats or smaller boats with today’s modern fish-finding technology, especially in the realm of electronics. This time around we’ll look at boat positioning tools and technology, specifically trolling motors and shallow-water anchors and how much you need of each. Head over to […]
I’ve Discovered the Advantages of Fishing Florida in Late Spring
For as far back as I can remember in my tournament career, I’ve always fished Florida in January and February. All the tours and circuits I’ve fished through the years have always made their annual stop in Florida during the cold-weather months. As tournament anglers, we’ve been programmed to believe that winter is the only […]
KVD: They Don’t All Spawn at Once! Spring Fishing 101
Take the title of this blog and remember it during the springtime. It’s a bass fishing law; one I know well. But even I forget it sometimes. The first three Bass Pro Tour events of the season certainly tested my memory of this mandate. At Eufaula, Rayburn and Raleigh, fish were right on the verge […]
2021 Nitro Z21 Boat Tour with KVD
It’s that time of year, check out my 2021 rig! #BassProShops | #Cabela’s | #Mercury Marine | #NITROFishingBoats | #Toyota USA | #HumminbirdTV | #Minn Kota Motors | #Strike King | #Lew’s Fishing | #THMarine | #Mossy Oak | #YETI | #PlanoMolding | #PlanoFishing | #ThermacellRepellents | #MustadFishing | #Oakley | #LithiumPros | […]
2021 Season – It’s On!
Locked and loaded for 2021 — KVD hits the road for the #BassProTour with @MajorLeagueFishing #KVD #KevinVanDam #BassFishing @NITRO Fishing Boats | @Minn Kota Motors | @HumminbirdTV | #Lews | @planooutdoors | @YETI | @Thermacell Repellents | @Strike King | @Mustad Fishing | @Mossy Oak | @GoPro | #SuperStick | #THMarine | #Kong | #Raptor | […]
Jig and Terminal Tackle Organization Finally Perfected
Here’s a crazy fact that might freak you out in terms of how far tournament bass fishing has come in 30 years: When I first started fishing professionally, I carried all of my terminal tackle – basically hooks and weights – in a single flat Plano 3700 box. In addition, I carried every jig I […]
A Look Back and ‘Forward’ at Sonar Technology
In my last blog, I stepped back in time and took a look at how far GPS positioning and digital mapping has come in the last 30 years. This time, I’ll take a trip down memory lane in the sonar department to get some perspective on how much the fish finder game has changed. As […]
The importance of fishing electronics on your boat
Using my electronics is key to finding schools of summer smallmouth. #Humminbird #THMarine #NitroZ21 #BassProShops #KVD #Lews #StrikeKing #Mustad #Plano #Toyota #GoPro #Nitro #MinnKota #MajorLeagueFishing #MLF #360MegaImaging #LakeMaster #3D #DownImaging #Traegergrills #Oakley
ICAST Online Revealed Some Great New Tools for Anglers
One of the aspects of being a professional angler that I love is working with sponsors to develop new products that help anglers catch more bass. I enjoy being a part of the development process; I take a lot of pride in seeing something go from concept, to design, to manufacturing, to product, to market. […]
There Was a Lot of ‘New’ at the Kissimmee Chain
The weather at Lake Toho for Heavy Hitters may have been hot, but the cool part was going to a lake at a time of year where very little history exists. Anymore, it gets harder and harder to find venues where the historical log of national tournaments is a clean slate and Toho in June […]