sponsored by
Zeiner's Bass Shop
The Kansas Angler Online
and Swim Tail Lures |
Michigan's Kevin VanDam Refuses
to Slow Down, Claims Victory at Citrus Slam on Kissimmee Chain
 March
16, 2008 - LAKE WALES, Fla. Finally, BASS' all-time
earnings leader, three-time Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of
the Year and two-time Bassmaster Classic winner Kevin VanDam
of Kalamazoo, Mich., can add a win in Florida to his resume.
While the inconsistent weather conditions shut
down the bite for the most part Sunday, VanDam stuck with the
same plan he'd used all week and weighed in a limit of 10 pounds,
6 ounces for a tournament total of 59-7 good enough to
hold off Ray Sedgwick of Cross, S.C., with 57-12 to win
the Citrus Slam presented by Longhorn on the Kissimmee Chain
of Lakes.
Coverage from the second Elite event of 2008 airs
Saturday, March 22, at 9 a.m. ET on ESPN2.
Scott Rook of Little Rock, Ark., finished third
with 56-7, Kenyon Hill of Norman, Okla., took fourth with 54-2
and Bill Lowen of North Bend, Ohio, rounded out the top five
with 53-3.
Before Sunday, VanDam had not won a BASS event
in Florida in his 18-year career. In fact, he said, he didn't
recall ever leading a day at any event in the Sunshine State.
"I guess it's a mental thing more than anything,"
VanDam said. "So often you've got to fish so slow to catch
them here, and it's not in my nature, I just cannot force myself
to do it. If I'm not getting bit very often I can't stay still,
it's who I am."
VanDam caught all of his bigger keepers through
the week on a red-eye shad on scattered hydrilla clumps in 7-10
feet of water on Lake Tohopekaliga. He would let the bait hit
the bottom, rip it up and let it flutter down, and he said the
key was that it has a wiggle to it that no other lipless crankbait
has. He said he was fortunate not to lose any quality fish, though
he added that Sunday's fishing was made tougher by wind direction
and current.
"I was shocked at how tough it was out there,"
VanDam said. "You just had to work really hard, and when
you got a bite you had to be precise with your next cast. I could
go back to those same spots, leave for a little while and come
back and catch another I learned a long time ago here,
if you catch a bass out of the hyrdilla in the open lake, you
better mark that exact spot."
Sedgwick, who leap-frogged Rook for second place
with a Day 4 limit of 11-8, agreed that the wind especially
the persistent gales Saturday helped turn off the bite.
"Anytime with this water in Florida the wind
knocks the silt and mud off of that grass, fish quit biting,"
Sedgwick said. "These Florida fish are as finicky a fish
as anywhere in the country. Anything changing, you can expect
changes with the fish."
Sedgwick's approach was entirely different. He
stayed in Lake Kissimmee throughout the tournament, using reaction
baits and spinnerbaits in the mornings, and when the wind quit
he would slow down considerably with a Zoom worm. He said the
better fish seemed to be striking a 6-inch worm, but he had to
soak it.
"You had to throw it in there and just count
to 10 or so, think, daydream I'm a Southern boy, and I'm pretty
slow," Sedgwick said, "but that was real slow."
With the victory Sunday, VanDam, who has scored
three victories in Elite Series competition, claims the $100,000
first-place prize, bringing his BASS career earnings to more
than $2.7 million.
The 2008 Bassmaster Classic winner Alton Jones,
of Waco, Texas, finished sixth with 52-10, while local favorite
Bobby Lane of Lakeland, Fla., took seventh with 52-9.
Kenyon Hill of Norman, Okla., earned a $2,000 bonus
for the Purolator Big Bass of the tournament, a 10-3 lunker caught
Friday, and Byron Velvick of Del Rio, Texas, earned the $10,000
Berkley Heavyweight award for his Thursday catch of 25 pounds,
0 ounces.
Elite pros are building points in the Toyota Tundra
Bassmaster Angler of the Year race. The winner of the seasonlong
points competition will earn $250,000 and the standings will
determine 36 qualifiers for the 2009 Bassmaster Classic.
Up next on the Elite Series circuit is the Lone
Star Shootout, April 3-6 on Falcon Lake in Zapata, Texas.
2008 Citrus Slam 3/13-3/16
Kissimmee Chain, Lake Wales FL.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 4
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 20 59-07 310 $100,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-00 Day 2: 5 17-11 Day 3: 5 13-06 Day
4: 5 10-06
2. Ray Sedgwick Cross, SC 20 57-12 295 $32,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-02 Day 2: 5 10-14 Day 3: 5 18-04 Day
4: 5 11-08
3. Scott Rook Little Rock, AR 20 56-07 290 $25,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-14 Day 2: 5 13-12 Day 3: 5 13-06 Day
4: 5 09-07
4. Kenyon Hill Norman, OK 20 54-02 285 $20,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-10 Day 2: 5 17-13 Day 3: 5 09-09 Day
4: 5 11-02
5. Bill Lowen North Bend, OH 20 53-03 280 $17,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-15 Day 2: 5 13-06 Day 3: 5 14-07 Day
4: 5 08-07
6. Alton Jones Waco, TX 20 52-10 276 $15,500.00
Day 1: 5 15-13 Day 2: 5 13-00 Day 3: 5 12-12 Day
4: 5 11-01
7. Bobby Lane Lakeland, FL 20 52-09 272 $16,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-10 Day 2: 5 14-13 Day 3: 5 08-00 Day
4: 5 11-02
8. Bryan Hudgins Orange Park, FL 18 52-07 268 $15,500.00
Day 1: 5 17-09 Day 2: 3 05-04 Day 3: 5 20-10 Day
4: 5 09-00
9. Kelly Jordon Mineola, TX 13 51-07 269 $14,000.00
Day 1: 5 22-14 Day 2: 5 21-05 Day 3: 0 00-00 Day
4: 3 07-04
10. Terry Scroggins San Mateo, FL 20 49-02 260
$13,500.00
Day 1: 5 23-02 Day 2: 5 11-11 Day 3: 5 06-08 Day
4: 5 07-13
11. Jeff Reynolds Idabel, OK 20 46-08 257 $12,500.00
Day 1: 5 20-12 Day 2: 5 08-05 Day 3: 5 11-12 Day
4: 5 05-11
12. Rick Morris Virginia Beach, VA 16 44-12 254
$12,300.00
Day 1: 5 13-09 Day 2: 5 19-04 Day 3: 5 10-02 Day
4: 1 01-13
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
PUROLATOR BIG BASS
Day
1 Jared Lintner Arroyo Grande, CA 08-13 $1,000.00
2 Kenyon Hill Norman, OK 10-03 $1,000.00
3 Ray Sedgwick Cross, SC 07-07 $1,000.00
4 Bobby Lane Lakeland, FL 04-12 $1,000.00
PUROLATOR BIG BASS OF TOURN
Kenyon Hill Norman, OK 10-03 $1,000.00
BERKLEY HEAVYWEIGHT
Day
1 Byron Velvick Del Rio, TX 25-00 $1,000.00
2 Jay Fuller Kingston, OK 22-08 $1,000.00
3 Bryan Hudgins Orange Park, FL 20-10 $1,000.00
4 Ray Sedgwick Cross, SC 11-08 $1,000.00
BERKLEY HEAVYWEIGHT OF TOURN
Byron Velvick Del Rio, TX 25-00 $10,000.00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 84 490 1040-05
2 93 516 1098-04
3 36 215 437-01
4 10 54 104-10
----------------------------------
223 1275 2680-04
Back to
Zeiner's Bass Shop | Kansas
Angler Online |
Swim Tail Lures
|