A quick glance at his 19 past Classic finishes in sequence shows that a marked change occurred at the beginning of this decade. In nine Classics from 1991 to 1999, he never finished better than 5th or worse than 18th. Of those nine finishes, he finished between 5th and 8th five times. In other words, he was almost always within striking range, but couldn’t complete the job. 

Over the last 10 Classics, however, the story has changed. He’s finished in the top five six times (including five in a row from 2004 through 2008), with two victories to his credit. In the other four Classics this decade he’s finished between 26th and 34th, worse than any pre-2000 Classic. He says there’s a simple explanation for his increasingly extreme groups of finishes.

“The first timers are all concerned about making a good showing for their sponsors and their families,” he explained. “A lot of times they really don’t fish to win. Guys who’ve fished a bunch of Classics are sporadic because they’re going for it. But if you take a chance a lot of times you fail. That’s where you end up with a 35th or 40th place finish. But if you hit it right, you win.”

“Early on I fished with the wrong mindset,” he continued. “There’s no second place in the Classic. Just look at the difference in the payout between first and second. I can remember every Classic winner since I started fishing, but no one remembers who finished second five years ago.”

KVD by the Numbers
Given the split between VanDam’s 1990s Classics and the last ten, it’s hard to characterize his finishes overall. Sure, he’s been in the top eight finishers in 11 out of 19 Classics and in the top eighteen in a remarkable 15 out of 19. Other than that, there’s no pattern to speak of:

• In two “northern” Classics (Chicago and Pittsburgh), he had finishes on opposite ends of the spectrum, 29th in 2000 in Chicago and his second win on the Three Rivers in 2005.
• In three High Rock Classics (1994, 1995 and 1998), he finished 18th, 6th and 13th. Not bad, but not a three day threat for the title.
• On the Louisiana Delta, he finished 8th in 1999, won in 2001 and followed that up with his worst Classic finish, 34th, in 2003.
• In six Alabama Classics, he’s finished 13th, 5th, 6th, 8th, 26th and 3rd. 
• In three Classics on Lay Lake, where February’s event will be held, he’s finished 6th, 26th and 3rd.
• In 15 summer Classics, he’s averaged just over a 10th place finish.
• In 4 February Classics, he’s averaged just over a 12th place finish.

The spectators are perhaps the biggest change that is outside of his control and no matter where he goes he draws a crowd. He’s talked at length about how he managed spectators in the Louisiana Classic that he won, and in Pittsburgh some of the bridges he plied were in no wake zones, but in a typical impoundment it’s hard for him to avoid the wakes, noise and other impacts caused by his legions of fans.

“At Lay Lake (in 1996) I was leading after the first day,” he recalled. “I was catching suspended fish and the first day the spectators stayed back. On the second day, when I got to my first spot there were 40 boats sitting on top of the fish. I know better than to even go to a spot like that now.”

“Every place is different,” he added. “Generally in clear deep water it hurts you and shallow dirty water is the best. The places where it’s more pattern-oriented and you can run all around are a whole lot easier than places where you’re fishing one or two spots. It allows you to get to fresh areas.”

Accordingly, he practices to develop a wide-ranging and duplicable pattern whenever possible. “You have to have more water to fish than in a normal tournament,” he said.

First Day is Critical
The Classic field is too stout to allow for all but the most miraculous comebacks on days two and three, VanDam said. Accordingly, he comes out swinging from the get-go on Friday morning. Actually, it starts even before that, during practice.

“You truly have to make a commitment to yourself from the first day of practice to do everything you can to get on the winning fish,” he said. “You have to take those chances to have a shot to win.”

As a result, while he rues certain missed opportunities from the past, he doesn’t regret taking chances, as he did last year on the Red River where he ended up 30th. “I knew going in on the first day that I had the right fish located in two areas,” he said. “I made a bad choice the first day. It was all or nothing because of the locks and the distance involved. Even with the weather change I didn’t adapt. I stubbed my toe the first day. I dug too big a hole. 

“What winning it has taught me is that if you’re in contention after the first day, you really want to take advantage of that,” he concluded.

What About Lay Lake?
As noted above, VanDam has had two top sixes and a 26th in past Classic appearances on Lay Lake. In the 1996 Classic, in which he ended up 6th, he led for a day and in 2007 he came in 3rd, so he’s been within striking distance, but he’s yet to win a Classic on a traditional southern impoundment. Given his past history there, he likes his chances.

“I know the lake there pretty well,” he said. “Most of the times I’ve been there has been summer fishing. Two years ago was the first time I fished there in the colder water period. I know the lay of the land. I know what it has available and that helps me search for the right kind of areas if I get on a pattern.”

He noted that “the lake has changed a lot over the years,” generally for the better, although “he’s not 100 percent sure why.” But his study of local tournament results in recent years shows that the weights have been consistently higher than they were a decade ago. 

In addition to his favorable review of the lake itself, he prefers the February Classics to the prior summertime derbies, a preference that seems odd given the fact that both of his wins came during the hottest portion of the year. The move to February “makes a lot of sense,” he explained. “It starts the year out with a lot of momentum and people will continue to watch us into the Elites right after that. From a fishing standpoint, it’s a big fish time of year. Since they made the changes, all of the Classics have been solid.”

Of course, Lay’s improved fishery and the potential for big stringers of prespawn bass might obviate VanDam’s cardinal rule – the need for a stellar first day. “Somebody might sack 25 pounds and vault back,” he said. Still, it’s not something an angler can count upon. “It’s tougher now than it’s ever been,” he said..