Editor's note: Kevin VanDam and smallmouth bass are synonymous with each other, which is part of the reason why people are always asking the seven-time B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year for tips on how catch more and bigger brown bass. Industry rep Alan McGuckin caught up with VanDam recently and probed the four-time Classic winner for how he approaches smallmouth as the leaves start to turn and pigskins start to fly.
In much the same way late August and early September causes breakfast Pop-Tarts to shimmy in the bellies of children facing the unknowns of a new school year, this “in between” time on bass fishing’s seasonal calendar can also raise the anxiety levels of serious smallmouth anglers.
Fear not because the most decorated angler of the past two decades has been chasing smallmouth since his grade school days at Alamo Elementary in Kalamazoo – and he graciously offers up the details of three rods, reels, and lures he would choose to chase smallmouth right now as class gets back in session.
“More so than the season or the calendar – in the Northern U.S., it’s all about the forage base,” says VanDam. “Whether it’s gobies near the bottom, small perch, or in some cases, open water baitfish, it’s your job as an angler to figure out what they’re eating the most of.
“But I’ll tell you this, ever since gobies became so prominent, smallmouth are not nearly as nomadic as they used to be – they don’t roam in search of baitfish in open water as much as they once did – and so dropping on them vertically with a drop shot or tube near the bottom is going to be my first choice.”
VanDam continued, “Secondly, smallmouth are visual feeders, so I’m always going to have a deep diving KVD jerkbait handy. With all the flash and erratic action you get out of a jerkbait, as long as the water is clear enough for them to see it, they can’t hardly stand not to smash it.”
“For a third pick, I want to make sure I’m covered if we’re on a southern smallmouth reservoir like Table Rock or Dale Hollow so I’m picking a Strike King 5XD in a bluegill or crawfish color. Just because it’s still really hot in the South doesn’t mean smallmouth won’t get around flat, main lake, gravel points to eat bluegills and craws, but the key is to retrieve it really fast.”
Here are VanDam’s favorite options for smallmouth:
> Dropshot/Tube: “They’ve been eating a tube for 35 years, and they still do,” he said with a smile. “As far as dropshot lures, I use either the Strike King Dream Shot, which has a ton of action, or the new Strike King Half Shell in a color called “Edge” that I’ve done real well with this summer. The Half Shell sits perfectly horizontal on a drop shot hook. I use an 8-pound fluorocarbon leader on a Size 40 Quantum TourKVD spinning reel, and 90 percent of the time I’m using a medium action 7-foot, 4-inch TourKVD spinning rod.”
> Jerkbaits: “One of the most versatile rods Quantum ever built is great for jerkbaits,” says VanDam. “It’s a 6-10 casting rod that I pair with a 6.6:1 TourKVD reel spooled with 12-pound fluorocarbon. And again, day-in-day out the deep diving KVD jerkbait that Strike King makes is pretty awesome.”
> Crankin’ Down South: “If you want to cover a ton of water quickly on the big reservoirs down South, it’s hard to beat a 5XD crankbait this time of year in a bluegill or crawfish color. I always crank with a 5.3:1 Quantum reel spooled with 12-pound fluorocarbon, and for 5XDs, I use a 7-4 medium heavy TourKVD Cranking Rod.”
